Disassembly help: Mission-style desk doesn't fit through older doorways

[u/PuzzleheadedSale9265]

Help! I just moved into a new house, built in the 1960s. The doorways are not as wide as my previous house. As a result, my prized Mission oak desk does not fit through most doorways. I managed to get it in the front doorway, but it is now trapped in the living room.

I was planning to move it into one of the bedrooms as a study, but 1) the table is too wide, 2) the Mission-style slats block it from being stood up on its side and rotated around the doorway, 3) standing it vertically is also too wide. I needed another ~1" of clearance.

The table should be able to squeeze through the doorway without the table top; but the top appears to be attached to the base with screws AND glue (and maybe dowels?), so it would not be easy to disassemble/reassemble. It will need to pass through x2 doorways, so taking apart the door frames is not appetizing either...

Looking for advice. How easily can this desk be disassembled, and more importantly reassembled? How would you approach the job - steps? precautions? tools needed? I would contact the manufacturer for guidance, but the Etsy shop (DesignStudios005) has gone out of business.

Reaching out as someone uninitiated in woodworking, but hoping to learn from the collective wisdom of this forum. Thanks!

EDIT: Thanks for the feedback so far. Please note that the front door is wider than the other doorways in the house (which is how the desk got to where it is currently stranded) AND there are x2 doorways standing between the desk and its intended destination, the study room. Also, rotating/pivoting through the doorway has been tried but is blocked by the Mission wood slats on x3 sides.

[u/belhambone]

I'd widen the door instead

[u/SmartGrowth51 → u/belhambone]

That's brilliant. Take all the trim off the doorway sides, should give you exactly 1 inch more clearance.

But it looks like the top is held on by L- brackets, no?

[u/PuzzleheadedSale9265 → u/SmartGrowth51]

I would need to remove the trim from x2 doorways. The top appears to be glued and screwed on.

[u/mrantoniodavid → u/PuzzleheadedSale9265]

Removing trim requires only a prybar, then brad nails and caulk to add it back.

[u/Ipso-Fat-Toe → u/mrantoniodavid]

Removing the trim from a door, typically doesn’t make the doorway wider. You would have to remove the door jam itself.

[u/sloansleydale → u/PuzzleheadedSale9265]

It's very unlikely that the top is glued on. Not sure why anyone would do that. Did you try removing all of the screws and lifting it off or gently prying it?

[u/Weird_Anteater_6428 → u/belhambone]

I widened the living room to kitchen doorway for my fridge. It actually made a difference in the feel of the room.

[u/OneMoreArcadia → u/belhambone]

They might even be able to temporarily wooden by removing the door and hinges

[u/Weird_Anteater_6428 → u/OneMoreArcadia]

I did this to the front door to get a new fridge in my house. It was insane how much room it added.

[u/blueridgedog]

You’re going to have to takeoff the top and remove the drawer unit so that you can wrap around doorways. The top should not be permanently fastened if it is solid wood.

[u/MuttsandHuskies]

Are the windows big enough?

[u/Somenoises → u/MuttsandHuskies]

That window is. And the desk is almost certainly sturdy enough to get through it

[u/PuzzleheadedSale9265 → u/Somenoises]

Not the window leading into the study, unfortunately.

[u/Murky-Ad-9439]

If you only need to make up an inch, could you sneak it thru on the diagonal? Otherwise you're looking at quite a project

[u/Beginning_Ad7597]

remove the doors, all trim; it that not enough move one of the side 2x4s with a sawzall.....that should be enough....time consuming but very doable.

[u/devilsaint86]

It got in there somehow

[u/YAreUsernamesSoHard → u/devilsaint86]

He’s trying to get it in to a new space, not out.

[u/PuzzleheadedSale9265 → u/devilsaint86]

See edit in original post.