Statement furniture does a lot of heavy lifting in a room. An original Eames lounge chair, a marble-topped dining table, an oversized arc lamp: these pieces define a space, and they tend to come with a price tag to match. Moving them is a different challenge entirely to shifting a flat-pack wardrobe or a standard sofa.
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The risks are real. Marble chips and cracks if it’s loaded incorrectly. Sculptural chairs lose their shape under the wrong kind of pressure. Lacquered surfaces scratch at the slightest contact with packing tape. Get the process wrong, and you can do in an afternoon what years of careful ownership couldn’t.
There’s quite a lot to get right here, so let’s take a closer look at what careful, damage-free transportation of design pieces actually involves.
Why Statement Pieces Need a Different Approach
Most standard removals are built around speed and volume. Boxes get stacked, furniture gets blanketed, and the van gets loaded as efficiently as possible. That works perfectly well for most moves. But design pieces, especially sculptural or fragile ones, don’t respond well to that kind of handling.
A marble table, for example, isn’t just heavy. The stone is brittle at its edges and will crack if flexed or dropped even slightly. An arc lamp with a long weighted arm has a centre of gravity that makes it unstable in transit unless it’s been properly disassembled and padded. These pieces need individual attention, not a blanket throw and a hope for the best.
Find a Removals Firm That Knows Design Pieces
Not every removal company is equipped to handle high-value or sculptural furniture. A firm worth hiring will carry specialist packing materials as standard: custom foam padding, moving blankets, corner protectors and crating for particularly fragile or valuable pieces. They’ll also be comfortable disassembling and reassembling furniture as part of the service.
Kiwi Movers is one example of a London removals firm that handles furniture delivery as a dedicated service, with teams trained to manage items that need considerably more care than the average chest of drawers. When you’re transporting something irreplaceable, experience with genuinely delicate pieces matters more than price per hour.
What to Ask a Potential Removals Company
When assessing any firm, it’s worth asking the following:
- Do they carry specialist packing materials, or will you need to source your own?
- Can they disassemble and reassemble complex pieces on the day?
- What level of insurance do they carry for high-value items?
- Have they handled similar pieces before, and can they give examples?
How to Pack Design Furniture Properly
Marble and Stone Surfaces
Marble should always be moved on its edge, never flat. Laying a marble slab horizontally puts stress across the full width of the stone, which increases the chance of cracking during transit. Wrapping the edges first in foam corner protectors, then covering the whole piece in moving blankets, will protect the surface and reduce vibration damage.
For tabletops, remove the base if possible and transport the two parts separately. Keep the stone upright, secured against a padded surface in the van, and make sure it can’t shift during the journey.
Sculptural Chairs and Upholstered Pieces
Chairs with moulded fibreglass shells, like the Eames lounger, need to be fully disassembled before moving. The shell, cushions and base should all travel separately, each wrapped in soft moving blankets rather than cling film or bubble wrap, which can leave marks on leather or lacquered surfaces.
Upholstered pieces should be covered in breathable fabric wrap to protect against scuffs and moisture. Avoid storing them on their arms or stacking anything on top of them in the van.
Oversized Lamps and Lighting
Oversized floor lamps and arc lights are awkward to move because of their length and weight distribution. The base, stem and shade should be disassembled wherever possible. Wrap shades separately in acid-free tissue and then soft padding, as lampshades are far more susceptible to denting and creasing than people tend to realise.
Plan the Route Before Moving Day
Even with perfect packing, a move can go wrong if the route hasn’t been thought through. Measure doorways, hallways and stairwells in advance, both at the property you’re leaving and the one you’re moving into. A large marble dining table that fits through one front door may not get round a tight corner in another building.
It’s also worth thinking about how the furniture will sit in the van. Design pieces should ideally be loaded last, positioned against a padded van wall, and secured with straps that won’t press directly onto exposed surfaces. Stacking anything on or against them is a risk not worth taking.
In a Nutshell
Moving statement furniture without damage comes down to preparation: the right packing materials, careful disassembly, and a removals team that understands what they’re working with. Cutting corners on any one of those things tends to show up the moment the van doors open at the other end.
If the pieces you’re moving would be costly or impossible to replace, treat the move itself as part of their care. The time spent planning it properly is always worth it.