Marie Kondo is, let’s face it, something of a Marmite personality. Some people absolutely love her KonMari philosophy, which is all about letting go of possessions and emotional clutter that “doesn’t spark joy anymore,” branding it not so much a decluttering method as a “way of life.”

Others, meanwhile, aren’t fans of the movement at all. They’re bored of shopping for storage boxes and clothing hooks, they really don’t like her advice on books, and they aren’t here for the fact that she makes them feel bad about their cluttered homes (as one viewer put it, “my home is full of sentimental tat – and I have no desire to change that”).

Whether you love her or loathe her, though, there’s no denying that Kondo has well and truly earned her status as the queen of decluttering – and, following the success of 2019’s Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, it’s now been confirmed that she will be back on Netflix with a new TV series very soon… albeit one with a twist.

“The home was just the beginning,” warns the poster.

Here’s what you need to know, then, about Sparking Joy With Marie Kondo.

What’s Sparking Joy With Marie Kondo all about?

As fans of Tidying Up will no doubt recall, the OG Netflix series saw Kondo focused on doing what she’s best known for; decluttering households and sharing the ‘basics’ of the KonMari method. 

However, in Sparking Joy With Marie Kondo, she will be showing us how we can use that same method to transform our “businesses, relationships, and communities”. Which means that, yes, she will be taking us outside of our homes and helping us reconnect with one another in our post-lockdown world. 

Savvy, huh?

“The impacts of tidying are surprising, emotional and transformative in the lives of the people Marie meets,” reads the show’s official synopsis. 

It adds promisingly: “Throughout the process, viewers will also step into Marie’s own home, meet her family, and get a glimpse into how she sparks joy in her daily life!”

What has Marie Kondo said about Netflix’s Sparking Joy?

“When I reflect on how much has changed for me in the last few years, I always feel especially moved by the way so many of you welcomed the KonMari philosophy into your homes after seeing my first show,” Kondo has said in a statement posted to her official Instagram page.

“I know the KonMari community has been eagerly awaiting my return to @netflix. I’m overjoyed to say it’s almost here – and this time, we’re going beyond tidying at home!”

What has Marie Kondo previously taught us about relationships?

The KonMari theory suggests that, by dramatically whittling down your possessions, you are placed firmly in the present for the first time in ages, allowing you to see what you really want in life.

This in turn will cast light on your wider relationship values: the people you are drawn to not in and of themselves, but because of attachment to the past or fear of the future.

Over on Kondo’s website, meanwhile, the decluttering queen has shared her four-step philosophy on ‘tidying up’ relationships (‘Using Your Intuition’, ‘Evaluating Your Relationships And Your Role In It’, ‘If Moving On, Let Go With Gratitude’ and ‘If Staying, Accept The Person And Fully Commit’) – which, you guessed it, also follows the KonMari method of ‘sparking joy’.

And how can Marie Kondo’s theory be applied to our careers and businesses?

“Working in an orderly environment feels good, giving us a more positive outlook and allowing ideas and inspirations to flow,” writes Kondo in Joy At Work.

In the book, Kondo advises that we ignore any personal items and focus solely on decluttering the work stuff we own; our work space should take roughly five hours of tidying, and that we should aim to do it in the course of a month at most.

She also suggests that we should add things to our work environments that “simply add a touch of joy even though you don’t need them for your work,” branding this “joy plus.”

What has Marie Kondo previously said about ‘sparking joy’ in our communities?

In Joy At Work, Kondo talks a lot about forging smaller, more useful networks, as opposed to sprawling ones where we don’t make meaningful connections. 

Again, it’s a case of decluttering… just not physically.

When will Sparking Joy With Marie Kondo be available for streaming?

The series will be dropping on 31 August. It’s very clever timing from Kondo and Netflix, as this is exactly when people start dreaming of a September reset; those ‘back to school’ vibes mean that we’re more likely to consider applying for a new job, starting up a new hobby, and making new plans. 

We usually, too, use the time to take a long hard look at whether or not we’re living our lives the way we want. So, will you be attempting to do so via the KonMari method?

Images: Getty/Netflix