Episode 3: What's in the Box: Receiving 101

In this episode of On the Move, Kelly and Caralee sit down with Alivia, Caudelle’s Commander of Receiving, to unveil the unsung hero of the interior design world: white glove receiving and storage. Alivia spills the (well-packed, barcode-labeled) tea about the systems and strategies that protect design visions before install day arrives.  

"What’s in the box"

• How receiving is the real  backbone of white glove service
• What designers and clients should know about proper intake, inspection, and handling
• Pro tips for avoiding delivery day disasters

With her signature wit and warehouse wisdom, Alivia demystifies the process and proves that every flawless install starts long before the drill comes out.

 Whether you're a designer, gallerist, collector—or just logistics-curious—this episode is your back-of-house pass to the world of fine art and furniture receiving.

Thank you for tuning in to On the Move – The Art of Installation. If you’re as passionate about details as we are, hit “subscribe,” and join us for insights, stories, and strategy from the field. If you’re ready to work with a team that moves with purpose, professionalism, and polish. Reach out to us at www.caudelle.com or follow us on, Instagram @caudelle_installation. Check out our BLOG, The “WHITE GLOVE JOURNAL”, where you can find our show notes and updates.

Transcript

CARALEE: [00:00:00] Welcome to On the Move, the Art of Installation podcast by Caudelle Interior Installations, where we unpack the details that bring design visions to life. We are your hosts.

KELLY: I'm Kelly.

CARALEE: And I'm Caralee. We're thrilled you're joining us on the journey into the world of white glove receiving delivery and installation.

KELLY: We believe installation is an art form. When a designer spends months or even years curating every detail, the final moment of delivery. Can either elevate or unravel everything we exist to make sure that moment is seamless, sophisticated, and stress free.

CARALEE: So whether you're an interior designer or consultant, architect, project manager, and if you care about the last 10% of a project, the arts, the furniture, the furnishings, this podcast is for you 

KELLY: because the sofa just doesn't get delivered. It defines the room. 

CARALEE: Welcome back to On The Move, the Art of Installation.

We are thrilled that you are joining us on this new deep dive into white glove logistics where Precision meets presentation. [00:01:00] At Caudelle, we believe that every flawless installation begins with what happens behind warehouse doors. Before the spotlight hits the room, every piece must be received, inspected, logged, and stored with care.

One missed detail and the whole install could unravel. Receiving isn't just checking boxes, it's protecting the project before it ever hits the floor. 

KELLY: Today we're diving into the not so glamorous but absolutely essential part of the white glove world. And that would be receiving and storage. 

CARALEE: So often, I feel like our clients or designers just think that things magically appear on install day, but it all starts way earlier in a warehouse with some very meticulous logistics. 

KELLY: We're joined today by another member of our team, and arguably the most important Olivia, the wizard Control and the chaos behind Oz.

The one who knows where every piece and its location is in the warehouse. She is the one that nothing gets passed without a receiving report and a thorough investigation. 

ALIVIA: Hello.

CARALEE: All right, [00:02:00] let's rewind to the very beginning. You're a designer, a purchasing agent. You're starting a project, you know just what you need. The orders have been placed, but now what? 

ALIVIA: Hopefully you're sending us those receipts, purchase orders, or lists. We love Excel sheets here. This is our blueprint. We rely on these documents to know what's headed our way, what it should look like, who it belongs to, and how to get deliveries to line up with your install schedule.

KELLY: Exactly. Our receiving team doesn't just sit around waiting for boxes to arrive because they arrive all the time, but we need the good stuff to help us prepare for your project, especially when it comes to getting it to you. 

ALIVIA: And sometimes it's not the designer, but a purchasing agent who coordinates with us.

They arrange delivery windows, provide us tracking numbers, and we prep the warehouse to receive everything orderly and properly.

CARALEE: Next, let's talk about that moment when a truck rolls up.

ALIVIA: Cue the pallet jacks kidding. Every single item that comes through gets carefully inspected, whether it's a sofa, a [00:03:00] sculpture, or custom cabinetry.

We're checking for damages, verifying dimensions, finishes, making sure it is what you ordered. We document everything, receive reports and photos if needed. If something comes in scratched or cracked, we notify the designer or purchasing team immediately. That way you can start a replacement process before install day.

Sneaks up. 

KELLY: And if it's in perfect condition, we tag it for storage label by the designer, the project location, and that way we don't play warehouse Tetris when it comes time to load out. 

CARALEE: Right. Let's talk about our storage. It's not just a stick it on the shelf and hope for the best situation, 

KELLY: our warehouse is 60,000 square feet and we have multiple receiving docks, which are filled pretty much every day.

We're able to. Receive just about anything. We have it organized by project where we keep case goods and accessories in their boxes or crates. We also have a climate controlled area where we keep artwork so that it's protected and [00:04:00] humidity controlled. 

ALIVIA: We track inventory digitally. At any moment, we can tell a designer what's arrived and if the truck has been scheduled to deliver additional items to the warehouse, 

KELLY: and that takes it to our next step, which is the delivery and installation.

When the site's ready, we can prep everything from safe transit. That's whether it's loading our truck or arranging a third party freight company to ship it cross country or overseas. 

ALIVIA: So here's the part that no one talks about, but it matters to us. You can only imagine the chaos that can be created with receiving 1200 plus pieces for a country club, and that's just one job.

This is where the pos and the lists and the Excel sheets come into play. We keep it organized and get it delivered. So let us manage the chaos. 

CARALEE: See why we call you the Wizard of Oz. 

KELLY: Exactly. Without organized receiving and client-based storage, the white glove part of that would not exist.

It's the foundation of what we do. Designers, purchasing agents, artists, if you treat [00:05:00] your logistics partner like they're part of the creative process, you'll definitely thank us later for this. 

CARALEE: Alright folks, that's it for this episode of On the Move Next Time, we are unpacking what makes a successful load day and spoiler.

It involves lots of snacks, sweat, and a lot of moving blankets. Thank you again. To our wonderful warehouse wizard, Olivia, for joining us today.

ALIVIA: Of course. Thank you for having me. If you enjoyed today's episode, leave us a review or share with your favorite designer buddy who still thinks storage is just the back room.

KELLY: Till next time, stay sharp, stay padded in, keep it white glove.