Getting an Aeron into a fifth-floor NYC walk-up

New York apartments are not designed for 45-lb office chairs. The typical Manhattan brownstone stairwell is 32 inches wide at its narrowest point, with landings that force an awkward pivot. A fifth-floor walk-up in a pre-war Brooklyn building can add a 30-degree turn at each landing. Freight carriers handle this poorly. Here's how we do it — and what to know before you order.

Why freight carriers struggle

Amazon and Herman Miller deliver via LTL (less-than-truckload) freight. The carrier driver is contracted for 'threshold delivery,' which technically means the first door of your building — the street-level entrance, not your apartment door. Getting the chair from street level to a fifth-floor walk-up is typically on you.

Some freight carriers offer 'inside delivery' or 'white-glove' as an upsell, but in NYC specifically, these services are inconsistent. The driver decides whether your stairs are negotiable; if they judge otherwise, the chair gets left at the street door and you're holding 45 lbs of cardboard and aluminum at the bottom of a five-flight climb.

What actually happens on our delivery

Our crew is two people, trained for NYC stair work. We pre-assemble the chair at our base so there is no carton — you're carrying a single 45-lb chair, not a 50-lb box on a pallet. Two people walk it up your stairs, turn it on landings as needed, and set it in the room you designate.

What to have ready

• A clear path from your building door to your apartment door. A bike in the hallway adds 3 minutes of rearranging; a couch that blocks your hallway adds 15 minutes.
• Your building buzzer working, or a person to let us in if you're not home. Every extra minute spent outside a locked door eats into our delivery schedule.
• The room you want the chair in, or a specific spot. We'll place it anywhere on the same floor as your apartment entry — we don't need to set it up at your desk (but we can).
• A rough estimate of your stair conditions when you book. If you're in a walk-up, let us know — we plan accordingly.

Buildings we've handled

• Brownstone walk-ups in Park Slope, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn Heights — narrow stairs, multiple landings, tight turns. Common.
• Pre-war elevator buildings in the Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Chelsea, Gramercy — easy delivery, elevators handle the 45-lb chair.
• DUMBO and Williamsburg loft conversions — often have freight elevators, but the apartment door hallway can be narrow.
• Long Island City high-rises — newer buildings, modern elevators, straightforward.
• Financial District and Tribeca conversions — usually fine, some have restricted elevator hours for freight.

When we can't get in

Rare but real cases: if your stairs are narrower than 30 inches or have a corner tighter than a 90° turn with less than 36 inches of swing space, the chair physically cannot pass. In those cases, we'll partially disassemble at your door (remove the casters and the back-attachment) to get through, and reassemble inside. This adds 10–15 minutes.

If your building has a freight elevator with restricted hours or a doorman who requires a certificate of insurance, tell us at booking. Our COI is on file and can be delivered with 24 hours' notice.

What we won't do

• Move your existing furniture out of the way. We move the chair in; the rest is your path to prepare.
• Haul away an old chair. We can only do this as a pre-booked add-on (email us at hello@kontorsupply.com).
• Deliver outside our service area — Manhattan, Downtown Brooklyn, and LIC only.
• Deliver when you're not home or can't authorize access. We need someone present or a doorman's signature.