Moving fragile furniture — how to keep them intact.

Old furniture has sensitive joints — often glued or pegged in ways no longer common. Disassembling is usually a bad idea: it cracks, splits or breaks more often than it comes apart cleanly. What does work:

• Pack in a storage blanket and wrap with stretch wrap — no tape directly on the wood (leaves marks on patinated surfaces)
• Secure drawers so they don't pop open during transport (rope or stretch wrap around the whole cabinet)
• Avoid an uninsulated garage — a secure, climate-controlled storage beats one for antique pieces

Tip: old furniture reacts badly to climate fluctuations. A constant temperature and humidity matters more than you think.

Glass tables, display cabinets, mirror cabinets — fragile but predictable. Glass is always carried upright, never stacked flat. What you do:

• Cover front and back with cardboard, tape it down on at least 2 points per side
• Wrap in a storage blanket and stretch wrap
• Mark 'fragile' on the outside so movers know nothing goes on top
• For large glass tops (dining tables): remove the top from the frame — less leverage pressure

Tip: pressure from above is the #1 cause of breakage, not the van's vibrations. Never stack anything on top of glass during transport or in storage.

Marble and natural stone break without warning if mishandled. Never lift yourself — always with at least 2-3 people. Practical:

• Transport tabletops flat, never on their side
• Foam or storage blanket underneath, then another blanket and stretch wrap
• Extra cardboard on the corners — corners always chip off first
• In storage: lay marble flat on a wooden surface, not directly on concrete (absorbs moisture)

Tip: a 1.50m marble top weighs 60-80kg. The Dutch Arbo lifting norm of 25kg per person is there for a reason. When in doubt: leave the heavy work to professionals.

Vitra chair, B&B Italia sofa, custom-made dining table: design furniture combines unusual materials (acrylic, patinated steel, leather) with unique forms. Find the original packaging if you have it — made for this exact piece, always better than DIY. Three rules:

• When in doubt: call the supplier or brand-specific moving service. Some brands offer free disassembly guides or a moving partner
• Make a condition photo-set in advance: current state with date. Valuable for insurance discussions on damage claims
• For leather upholstery specifically: never wrap in plastic (heats up and cracks), use breathable cotton sheeting

Tip: keeping the original packaging after purchase is one of the smartest things you can do for design furniture. Takes 5 min in the attic, saves hundreds of euros on a move.