Beverly Hills - 12-Seater Antique Dining Table

The Move

Single-item specialty move. A late-1800s European walnut dining table, twelve-seat capacity, with original brass leaf-extension hardware and a hand-carved trestle base. Provenance was documented and the piece was insured for a significant figure.

Origin: Beverly Hills estate. Destination: private residence in Santa Barbara County.

The Challenge

The table top was a single solid walnut slab approximately 14 feet long when fully extended, but the structure was designed to disassemble into the central body plus two extension leaves and the trestle base. The disassembly hardware was original 19th-century brass which required careful unlocking without forcing any aged components.

The walnut finish was an original hand-rubbed oil finish that would mark immediately on contact with synthetic packing materials. Standard moving pads were not appropriate.

The Approach

Pre-move consultation with the estate's antique conservator. We agreed on cotton sheeting as the primary contact wrap, with pads layered over the cotton for impact protection. The brass hardware was disassembled using only hand tools, photographed at each step, and stored in a labeled padded case.

Custom transport crate built on-site for the table top. The trestle base was wrapped, padded, and secured separately. Five-person crew for the move, two-person crew for the reassembly.

The Result

Move completed in a single day. Table reassembled correctly at destination with no damage to the finish, the structure, or the original hardware. The estate conservator inspected the piece on arrival and signed off.