What do to with external door in lounge?

[glitch]

I'm finding myself torn with what to do with a side door which leads into my lounge. It gets in the way of where I want the TV to go, so I need to move it at the very least, but I don't want to lose the light it lets in.

Looking in from the side garden, it looks like this:

The lounge floor-plan looks like this:

(With the back of the sofa against the wall that contains the two cupboards, the current position of the doors means the TV/etc won't fit on the opposite wall)

I'd never use the doors as doors, so the easiest option is to install a large window to the side of where they are now. But that seems a little dull, plus it leaves me with having to install shutters/blinds over it for privacy reasons. Not that you can see in from the side garden, but without them it would look a bit weird.

Would a similarly-sized opening of frosted glass blocks work, or would they look totally out of place on your run of the mill semi-detached?

 

[coupe69]

Be interesting to see a picture, or pictures from the inside to see exactly where you're thinking of putting the TV. Seems a bit odd that you'd get a door moved just to place a TV there?! I'm sure you've probably thought about it long and hard, but is there really no other place to put a telly? It's a good size room and I'm sure with a bit of rearranging you could get around it without the cost of moving a door!

 

[the_r_sole]

Natural light and access to a garden are much more saleable things than a bit of wall to put a telly. Would just find another place for the TV in all honesty

 

[Randomface74]

Not worth.

 

[Jez]

As above just get a smaller TV if your room cant take the current one?

 

[Kohaashi]

I’d be tempted to change the layout of the room.

Enter the lounge where the two cupboards are and block the other door up.

I’d leave the outside door as it is.

 

[paintguy]

TV on a stand in front of the door if that's your main reason for moving / disposing of it?

 

[a1ex2001]

TV on a stand in front of the door if that's your main reason for moving / disposing of it?

never in a million years TV's in front of windows and doors are some sort of chav marker, if you walk down our street the only house with a TV in the bay window is the one rented by chavs.

 

[Glaucus]

cant you knock down the cupboards and put the tv on the wall which is on the opposite side of the door. Or even on that wall with no alterations.

 

[paintguy]

never in a million years TV's in front of windows and doors are some sort of chav marker, if you walk down our street the only house with a TV in the bay window is the one rented by chavs.

Wow

It could always be hidden by a blind. Certainly seems a more sensible idea than structural building work. Just for a telly.

 

[Glaucus]

Wow

It could always be hidden by a blind. Certainly seems a more sensible idea than structural building work. Just for a telly.

if he's planning to live their a long time, i don't see structural work, to improve the living space as silly. especially for something that for many people they spend a lot of their free time using.

 

[paintguy]

if he's planning to live their a long time, i don't see structural work, to improve the living space as silly. especially for something that for many people they spend a lot of their free time using.

Agreed, but maybe I'm reading his post differently.

He seems to be suggesting moving the door purely because it's in the way of the TV:

. It gets in the way of where I want the TV to go, so I need to move it at the very least, but I don't want to lose the light it lets in.

A rearrangement, of which you have suggested two examples, seems a much less drastic idea.

But each to their own

 

[glitch]

Be interesting to see a picture, or pictures from the inside to see exactly where you're thinking of putting the TV. Seems a bit odd that you'd get a door moved just to place a TV there?!

Does it? Seems quite normal to me!

The wall to the right of the door (bottom right as you look at the plans) is only 1100mm wide, so mounting a TV there so it sits centrally with a sofa opposite is impossible. The door gets in the way and, due to facing SW, gets light in all throughout the day so means you'd need to have shutters/blinds over it to make it work.

If the door moves left of where it is now (up the wall in the plan view) it allows for light to come in the lounge (the space opposite the doors/cupboards would be quite dark without it) and means the corner of the room that is freed up can be used as the seating area.

I'm sure you've probably thought about it long and hard, but is there really no other place to put a telly? It's a good size room and I'm sure with a bit of rearranging you could get around it without the cost of moving a door!

Not that I can see, no - believe me, I've tried. There's no other suitable length of wall that could have the TV on it and also support seating nearby.

For reference, the previous owners used to have their TV where the little sticky-out bit of wall is in the top-right of the plan (which is much bigger IRL) and their sofa underneath the window, which is at the bottom of the plan. I presume they used binoculars as it's bloody miles away if you're sat there!

I’d be tempted to change the layout of the room.

Enter the lounge where the two cupboards are and block the other door up.

Can't be done. Boiler, tank and water softener are in those cupboards. They are staying as-is.

I appreciate you couldn't know that as the plan doesn't show it.

cant you knock down the cupboards and put the tv on the wall which is on the opposite side of the door. Or even on that wall with no alterations.

See above as to your first point.

As for your second one, that wall would fit the TV but the opposite wall is then too short to have a sofa in-place without half of the doorway being blocked by it. And then you've also got the problem of light coming through the doorway, as well as through the window, which affects viewing of the TV.

Nothing would go where the door is proposed to be moved to, but something really needs to go where the door is, if that makes sense?

Agreed, but maybe I'm reading his post differently.

He seems to be suggesting moving the door purely because it's in the way of the TV

Well, yes and no on that.

The door is in the wrong place. Why the previous owners put it there comes purely down to there having been a window there before and them taking the easier option when changing it, but the positioning is all wrong. It spoils the layout of the room.

It needs to move regardless, but the TV aspect is the biggest contributing factor.

 

[a1ex2001]

Sounds like your mind is made up! One thing you might like to consider from a privacy point of view is a low level horizontal window running along the wall gives plenty of light doesn't block the tv and nobody can see in. The can also look pretty funky.

 

[Glaucus]

Sofa block what door way? The one you never use? And curtains is cheap and easy
Or you can get privacy wrap for Windows which would dull direct light, while still lighting up the room.