Case Study · Decorex 2026

AEVEN at Decorex 2026: A Seat at the Table

84 chairs and artworks, collected from makers across the UK and delivered to Olympia London for the show's central installation.

The entrance to A Seat at the Table at Decorex 2026 — The entrance to A Seat at the Table, Olympia London.

Pieces collected: 84
Chairs: 70
Artworks: 14
Mile round trip: 1,800

The finished communal table at A Seat at the Table, with every chair in place beneath the olive tree

A Seat at the Table, set and ready for opening day at Olympia London.

Several months before Decorex 2026, Alex Dauley and Grant Pierrus of design studio AEVEN asked Williams & Yates to be their logistics partner. AEVEN had been commissioned to design The Bar, the central installation at the show, and called it A Seat at the Table.

The idea was simple: one long communal table surrounded by chairs, each one different and each made by a different designer or maker. Visitors could sit down for lunch and try every chair. Around them hung 14 pieces of art, also sourced from makers around the country.

Our job was to bring all 84 pieces together. The chairs and artworks were spread from Cornwall to the Scottish Highlands, and everything had to reach Olympia London safely, on time and ready to install.

Collecting from a maker's showroom
Loaded and ready for Olympia
Unwrapping on site, with gloves on
Placed by hand

A nationwide collection
84 pieces from across the country, delivered as one
Every piece came from a different maker, so there was no single pickup. Our team planned a route that crossed the country over one to two weeks, collecting each chair and artwork directly from the people who made it.
- 70 chairs collected from designers and workshops across the UK
- 14 artworks collected from artists for the installation's walls
- An 1,800-mile round trip from Cornwall to Scotland
- Air freight from Inverness for the furthest piece, the fastest way to get it to London in time
- Delivered on the Saturday before the show opened on Sunday 11 October
Every collection point, from Cornwall to the Highlands

They collected the art and chairs from Cornwall to Scotland, including someone on a plane to go and fetch a piece.

Grant Pierrus AEVEN

Nikki Jones, Partnerships Manager
Planning
Dedicated project management
With 84 pieces from makers all over the country, the work was mostly in the planning. We worked with AEVEN for months before the show so that collection dates, routes and delivery all fitted the build schedule at Olympia.
- Planning started months ahead with Alex and Grant at AEVEN
- Collections arranged directly with each maker and artist
- Air freight booked for the piece in Inverness
- Delivery timed for the Saturday so the installation was ready for opening day
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In their words

I think we have to have a really special mention for Williams and Yates, who are our logistics partners. It was an 1,800-mile round trip, so they deserve absolute praise for doing everything without a hiccup. So we couldn't have done this without them, absolutely not.

Grant Pierrus AEVEN, speaking at Decorex 2026

Handled by our fine art technicians

Packing, crating and installation

Chairs by individual makers and original artworks each needed their own approach. Our technicians packed, moved and placed every piece themselves.

Williams & Yates technicians unpacking chairs around the communal table during the build

Our technicians unpacking and setting out the chairs during the build.

Protective wrapping

Each chair travelled in its own padded Williams & Yates cover, so upholstery, timber and finishes arrived exactly as the makers sent them.
Crating for artworks

Artworks travelled in timber crates and were opened on site by our team, which kept handling to a minimum until each piece reached its final position.
Gloved installation

On site, our technicians unpacked and placed every chair and artwork wearing gloves, placing each piece where AEVEN wanted it.