I decided to make an organised start to the New Year and sort out some of the clutter we had accumulated during the holidays.

My first task was to find some storage boxes and I decided to try my luck on the internet.

I discovered the web is literally buzzing with retailers offering boxes, bags and containers in all shapes and sizes and made from all kinds of materials, from the purely practical to the distinctly decorative.

The Holding Company is dedicated to providing stylish ways to organise worldly goods, with the emphasis on appearance as much as function. You could well end up treasuring leather chests (£22.95 to £169), hand-beaded shoe boxes (£44.95) and wire mesh hanging shelves (£25.95-plus) more than the items you put in them. These covetable storage solutions could previously be found only at the company's trendy shop in the Kings Road, London.

There are 17 categories of products to choose from.

I particularly liked the space-saving ideas for videos, cassettes and CDs and perspex drawer organisers (£8.95) and make-up tidies (£25.95).

At the other end of the spectrum, DIY.com (B&Q) offers a range of low cost, flexible storage products, including a wide selection of good old plastic crates, ideal for toys.

Click on home and storage and storage again before selecting the relevant category from boxes, crates and drawers, children's, collapsible, stackable, home office and wire baskets.

There is a wide choice with large buckets (£5.98), lidded plastic boxes (£7.48-plus), stacking crates (£4.48 for the medium size), trunks (£6.98-plus) and underbed drawers on castors (from £9.98 for two).

If you're looking for something in a natural material such as wicker, however, try the Cotswold Company.

It has dozens of different options, including a lidded willow basket (£22.50), giant floor basket (£24.95), rattan trunks (£79.95 for two), leather-strapped seagrass hampers (£49.95 a pair) and lots of small boxes and baskets made from straw, rush and bamboo.

Check out the wall-hanging, free-standing and tabletop CD and video units, the stylish chests and tallboys and little practical touches like the cabin hooks (£9.95) and overdoor organiser (£11.95).

Lakeland, best-known for its kitchenware, offers some handy devices like accessory hangers for scarves, ties, belts and hosiery (£5.50 for two), shrinking vacuum-seal storage bags (£6.50 and £10.25) and a 12-tier shoe rack (£29.95).

www.theholdingcompany.co.ukwww.diy.com
www.thecotswoldco.co.uk
www.lakelandlimited.co.uk