Cloud computing has transformed our relationship with digital information. We no longer need to possess media and work files on our machines – we just need access to them at the right time. As a result, we can lead much more flexible lives.

What if we could do the same with physical objects? MakeSpace, a new storage start-up based in New York, is trying to apply the principles of cloud storage to real items. It allows people to store stuff in a secondary place away from their home. But, unlike other storage units – whose services involve reams of tape, lots of labelling and the hassle and expense of hiring a van to take things there – MakeSpace makes everything accessible online. Say it’s spring and you no longer need your warmest coats and scarves.

MakeSpace will send a courier to your home to pick up your winter storage boxes. These are then photographed and placed in local MakeSpace storage, while the images are uploaded to the MakeSpace site. In autumn, when you need your winter items back, you can simply look through the images on the MakeSpace site and order the relevant box for delivery to your home. “It’s a closet in the cloud,” explains Rion Harmon, head of marketing at MakeSpace.

“When you put something in the cloud it’s no longer on your computer, but you know it’s somewhere safe and you can get it back any time.”