To remove the door from my guest room/study

[EamesElephant]

And replace it with a curtain?

When the room isn’t being used by guests it’s my study but it is very snug and getting to the desk means shimmying round the door. It’s a pain in the arse tbh. I can’t rehang the door because of the shape of the space.

The room is tucked round a corner at the end of the house we don’t really go to otherwise so there being a curtain rather than a door won’t really impact privacy too much for our guests and would make the room far more comfortable for me.

WIBU to change the door to a curtain? I don’t think it would bother me to stay in a room with a curtain instead of a door but don’t know about others.

I'd put in a small amount of effort and install something like this. It will look a lot better than a curtain, and be much more functional.

Your house, your rules hun. There's probably a B&B or hotel not far away if people get really upset about it!

Oh God @RooCalledToby That's absolutely horrible!

It looks like a cheap, flimsy thing separating the back part of a cab office from the front bit where all the drunks sit.

Roo that's really not my cup of tea at all and I think a curtain would be much more aesthetically pleasing, if less functional.

Considering merits of what PP suggested and taking door off and popping it in the garage to be brought back up when people come to stay.

"So if they shut that door and I provide a curtain do we think I'm OK?"
Absolutely! The door provides privacy, and a curtain across the door will make it more cosy.

Get a pocket door installed. We had these installed for all our bedrooms and closets and they free up so much space!

www.networx.com/article/the-pros--cons-of-pocket-doors

I would be very uncomfortable staying somewhere as a guest, that only had a curtain to provide privacy

I reckon with where that room is, a curtain is fine. When I was working, I supported a lady to visit her Mum and her creepy gropey partner in their new house. We were drinking coffee after Sunday dinner, sitting at the kitchen table, and I asked if I could use their loo. It turned out the loo was behind me, right next to the table, and he'd replaced the door with a curtain....

Is there a bed in there at the moment as well as your desk? Would it help to swap it for a sofa bed or chair bed?

We won't be able to do pocket doors choli as there isn't enough space in the wall for the door to slide.

I have a studybed Gersemi which takes up all of the room - the bed folds down from the wall but the rest of the time it's a desk. It really would be a cupboard, but for the window. Bloody developers. Honestly the space is insane - we have masses of hallways but this tiny room that is tucked away which needs to be multifunctional for us.

With the corridor door as per your diagram then I actually think you’d be fine.

(This is presuming no one else in the household would open that door overnight to access the corridor for whatever reason; I wouldn’t feel comfortable if someone was pottering around right outside the proposed curtain!)

Can you flip the door so it hinges any of the other three ways and have it make sense?

OMG I'm such a tool! I was so confused reading this, visualising a door hinging from the bottom like a drinks cabinet; or the top like a cat flap

I just realised what you meant though only cos another poster spelled it out further down

I'd go for a good substantial curtain. We had sliding doors in our house when we moved in (both concertina and flat against the wall). Neither shut properly and we replaced them with "normal" doors as soon as we could. Curtains would have been better than they were.

Could you get a bed that folds up to a desk ? That way it would be a permanent study without shimmying around the door and then fold the bed down when you have guests.

Bubbly that's what I've got - it's just the room is very small, and it making the best out of a ridiculous situation. The door gets in the way even then - it would be fine if we could put the desk/bed on the other wall but we can't because of the window, or if the doorway was in the other corner, but it's not. It's a very frustrating room.

We have these www.argos.co.uk/product/7012761 I lodged years ago and had a curtain for a door and absolutely hated it

My ex-MIL had a really heavy velvet curtain across her bathroom door instead of a door and it was the most elegant house I’ve ever been in. The weight of the velvet made it feel quite private. We never lock doors in my house anyway, the rule is if the door is shut someone is in there - so a curtain or a door makes no difference really.

And particularly because you use it all the time, and it’s your house - go for it!

From what you have explained I think a very heavy, draping curtain would be best. You need something like velvet and ideally lined to give weight and make the guests feel cocooned.

Decent velvet curtains are not that cheap. They won’t be popular with some of your guests and you’ll still have to invest in a strong pole and fixings to support their weight. They can also get very dusty.

You might just as well rehang the existing door to open outwards.

Honestly I’d go with the curtain. If an overnight guest is that horrified by a curtain in a room that is only accessible down a corridor then they’re welcome to make other arrangements. I don’t think it’s on you to spend ££££ to save your occasional guests money! (Unless you can afford it and can be bothered).

Having seen your diagram showing how far the room is from other rooms I don't think a curtain would bother me as much as I thought. If it was beside the other bedrooms thatd be different

As a guest, even with the room way waaay away from everywhere else, I would have to say no no No! I would hate to stay in a room without a proper door. I'm not sure from your diagram why it can't open outwards, but if you say it can't I take your word for it. I was going to suggest a pocket door (that slides into the wall) until I saw that you wanted to do it yourself. Could you perhaps put a door further down the corridor?

I'd be fine staying a couple of nights in a room like that with no curtain. But I think it depends on the type of guests you normally have and how often. For example if you have elderly guests staying from overseas for periods of time or anyone with health issues that want a bit of privacy etc then they may not like it. If you had trickier guests would you be able to swap rooms?

Personally I'd just go for it, unless you regularly host then people don't have to stay if they don't like it! If 99pc of the time it's you using the room then do it

With the door shut the other end of the corridor, a curtain will be fine.

Presumably the people you have staying are your friends and family. The room is round two corners. What the hell does anyone think is going to happen?

You live in a small flat. You can’t pander to the spoilt and the neurotic. IKEA have good value robust full Length curtains.

No way would I be lugging a door up and down when I have guests: no time.

One question: where is your kitchen?

My kitchen is in the sitting room. It’s a particularly rubbish drawing.