The careful handling of furniture and accessories is significant for designers, decorators, and homeowners alike. The goal is to limit any potential damage to the furnishings and to ensure the wellbeing of occupants, guests, and contractors in the home. This attention to safety applies to furniture which must be moved, long-term organization storage, and temporary furniture storage.

Many designers offer move-in services and organization storage which can involve helping their clients pack-up and move from one home to another. Then, the designer coordinates the unpacking of furnishings and uses space planning techniques to stylishly place the pieces in the client's new home, thus making it move-in ready.

Cataloging a home's furniture and accessories is a great idea before packing for a move or just to augment insurance records. Using a digital camera is probably the most versatile way to inventory a home's contents, but you could also use a standard film camera or instant Polaroid camera in a pinch.

If you plan to save the photos on a CD, then a digital camera will speed up the process and provide high-quality images. To make the photos more useful, consider placing a data sheet on top of the item which details the make, model, dimensions, and value of the piece. Make sure the data sheet is easily legible before taking the snapshots.

Organization storage ideas:

• Log the box contents.
• Assign a number to all boxes.
• Indicate the room or destination for each box.
• Keep an inventory of box numbers and contents in a handy, secure spot.

If there will be a project in the home like painting or remodeling, then temporary furniture storage will be needed to protect items from dust, paint, and possible damage. Many times, the furnishings can be moved to the center of a room or into an unaffected part of the house. If the project is extensive, then placing the furniture in a mini self storage unit or portable storage unit may be a good idea.

Mini self storage is an easily accessible and widely available service. At these secure facilities, you can rent various size lockers or rooms for furniture storage. There are nationwide companies like U-Haul and Extra Space Storage which offer mini self storage units, but there are also locally owned mini self storage companies in nearly all markets.

Portable storage usually consists of empty box-car like units being delivered directly to customers by companies such as PODS. Items are then boxed, wrapped, and swiftly stored inside the portable storage unit without the need for a moving truck. The unit is picked up by the portable storage company and either stored in their warehouse or delivered to the client's destination.

Other furniture storage tips:

• Labeling boxes will help expedite the unpacking process and speed up locating boxes at mini self storage.
• Keep items from the same room together when packing.
• Cover upholstered furniture and store on raised boards or wooden pallets.
• Use boxes of the same size for easy stacking.
• Fill boxes completely without overloading them and liberally use newspaper or packing material.