We all have those miscellaneous items in our houses that resist a place in our wardrobes, bookshelves or kitchen cabinets. Paint brushes, tote bags, bedding, towels and more all need homes. Thankfully there’s a whole world of storage boxes out there to absorb them, from generous under bed storage to pretty patterned boxes to keep on your desk.
While you might be tempted to go for something purely functional – those ubiquitous transparent plastic boxes, for example – there are plenty of stylish options on the market that have the potential to enhance your interiors, so there’s no need to hide them away.
What storage box is best for me?
Different storage boxes have different uses and capacities, making each one suitable as a different storage solution. Ideally, the perfect storage box will balance form and function, and can sit smartly in a corner or nestled neatly on a shelf. The majority that we’ve highlighted below land in this category. Some boxes, however, may not look quite as pretty but are well-suited for heavy duty storage; for example if you’re moving house, storing lots of belongings in the loft, perhaps, or looking for several practical storage boxes to sit for months in a long term storage container, then the beauty of the box would not be a priority.
Heavy duty plastic storage boxes are best if you want extra garage storage, outdoor storage or long term storage. These also tend to be a good waterproof storage option, which means you can leave them alone for months at a time without concern.
Practical and often low cost, basic lidded plastic boxes are also ideal for storing and transporting belongings when moving house, as they can take a bit of bashing and scraping while protecting the precious belongings within. On the flipside, if a lid isn’t necessary, consider stackable plastic crates. Like a more chic version of the plastic crates your online food shop arrives in, HAY’s perennially popular version comes in a full rainbow suite of colours and different sizes. Use the smaller ones as a desk tidy in which to curate stationery, and the larger ones to declutter children’s rooms.
Some of the prettiest storage options are card or heavy duty paper picks. These tend to be covered in charming printed papers and come in a range of different sizes. Thanks to their good looks, these sit just as well on a desk in a home office as on a bookshelf in the living room.
Paper storage boxes can be stacked or organised on shelves to handsomely store documents, stationery or art materials in a home office or studio, and will look far more appealing for this purpose than many of the plastic versions.
For high security storage, a metal container is the best way to go. Some of these come with latches for a padlock making them some of the best storage boxes for safety. Sturdy metal storage boxes can be used to add a utilitarian, industrial look to a space, so can be a great way to balance function and style, while others are more minimal, with a sleek and understated silhouette.
Fabric storage boxes
Inversely, fabric boxes are ideal if you want to gain storage space to neatly organise belongings, while maintaining an overall softness to the space. For this reason, fabric storage baskets tend to look at home in a living room or bedroom, blending in with soft furnishings such as beds or sofas, or in a wardrobe to store clothes or accessories. Or for a truly luxe storage option, go for a leather box. Some of these come with a lock and key, so are ideal for valuables such as jewellery.
Rattan and wicker baskets
One of our favourite things about gifting or receiving a hamper at Christmas or on another special occasion is being able to reuse the wicker basket as storage. The neutral tones and rustic form of the woven wicker means that they look lovely used as a blanket box or shoe storage. Fortnum & Mason have a great range of sizes and styles, but if you’re not treating yourself to a hamper any time soon, then head to La Redoute and H&M Home for unbranded wicker, rattan or jute baskets in various shapes and sizes, for versatile storage with easy style.
To see all the best storage baskets and boxes, head to our gallery below.
