Infuriating L-shaped room layout - please help

[TheBermudaTriangle]

O wise Mnetters, please help me because this room layout is driving me slightly insane...

Currently, the sofa is placed with its back to the radiator (purple stripe) in the room. A wall mounted TV bracket (red section) is fixed on the wall opposite. Beneath the TV is an unsightly empty/bricked up fireplace that just accumulates dust.

The things I need to fit in the room / do are:

A two-person IKEA sofa;
Two small armchairs (which we may replace with another two-person sofa);;
A wall-mounted TV with a shelf/stand/cabinet underneath for the Sky set-top box/Xbox etc;
Tall bookshelves (IKEA Billy corner units, but these could be split into separate freestanding units.

I would also like to somehow cover up the empty fireplace.

It seems like the only way to watch TV or for my DH to play the occasional video game using the screen is to plonk the sofa in front of the radiator (blocking out the heat and losing the view to the garden), or to somehow change the TV mounting (to be able to pull out the TV at an angle).

I’m also conscious of disturbing the flow of the room, and would ideally like some separation between the ‘living’ and ‘dining’ area (around the corner).

We will use this room for watching TV, reading and general lounging on the sofa. It is the main room we spend our day in, with the baby/toddler too.

I have absolutely no creative vision for this room, so I would be so grateful for imaginative insights/suggestions please!

I'm terrible with layout but we had our empty fireplace covered over with plasterboard (I think) and that part of the wall re skimmed and it made the world of difference to the room

Do you need /use both the doors into the room on left hand side?
(I'm assuming they lead to a hall but I'm probably wrong)

Thanks @BruceAndNosh - yes, we do use both doors. The 'first' door leads to the entrance hallway, and the 'second' leads connects to the kitchen.

This is a great idea, thank you! I am racking my brains trying to figure out how to hide it, so it would be easier to properly fix.

Would you mind telling me roughly how much this cost? I'm compiling a list of jobs that need doing, so would love to see if we have budget.

These kinds of layouts are infuriating. I’d be putting the wall back in between the dining and sitting areas.
If you choose to cover the fireplace make sure you block it too so birds don’t get in.

We have an L shape room open to the dining room and it’s a nightmare too!

We got our fireplace covered by a professional a year ago to avoid plonking our sofa across had to be a professional as we had a gas fireplace there that needed properly sealing off.

We are south east - was really quick just a day of work and plaster next day cost in total about £650. He knocked out the big stone surround, sealed off the gas, bricked up including an air brick which was necessary due to chimney still being there, and then organised a plasterer (next day to do this as had to wait for the brickwork to dry).

then obviously we had a huge hole in the carpet so we stuck the sofa over it !

however beware if you have a Sky and tv point there it isn’t always easy to simply swap it to the opposite wall so do your research

Thanks all. I wish we had an open fireplace (I would love a wood burner) but the fireplace has been completely sealed up and is no longer connected to a chimney, as an upstairs extension was added upstairs.

The idea of covering that space properly didn't occur to me - I'll look into that immediately.

If the chimney has gone I'd get it removed so the wall is flat once skimmed.

Radiators are generally pretty easy to move without huge disruption. You can use the existing one or choose a different shape/style with the same capacity. There are tall narrow ones that take up less wall space.

It's a bit of a thoroughfare room isn't it. Have you thought about making the 'dining room' area a TV snug instead, you could have sofas/chairs across two walls or an L shaped sofa. And then have your dining table in the main room?

I would put two seater sofa on purple wall. Two chairs opposite facing sofa on red wall.
footstool or small coffee table in the middle.
Tv on bottom wall with low bookcase rot cabinets underneath. Tv wall
bracket can have pull out and tilt version if someone wants to angel different for games or film

Our sofa is in front of the radiator and it’s not a huge deal. We have a small gap for airflow, still heats the room ok.

Can't see what's at the end however could you move the dining room to where the tv is best to the study and have a long living room running along the back of the house. To then on wall opposite kitchen door?

Is the dining room your main/only eating area?

It totally is a thoroughfare - yes, that's an interesting idea re: switching the two 'areas', will just have to work out how the electrics might work for a TV (also for the suggestion by another poster subsequently, of relocating the TV entirely to the wall opposite the garden).

We have a small breakfast bar in the kitchen (with tall stools) which we use for quick meals etc, but all other meals happen in the dining room area.

Actually I would move the dining area so it’s nearer the kitchen door, and living area to dining/ that side of the house. Otherwise your walking though sofa areas with food constantly.

Yes, I'd look at swapping the two rooms around.

I assume you can access the kitchen from the hall?
We had a thoroughfare room with a door to the kitchen at 1 end and a door to the hall the other. Literally a circuit for the dog and kids to parade around. We blocked up the door to/from the hall and can now only access the living room from the kitchen. Works a bloody treat and has given the room a solid purpose. Oh and a nice wall for the Tele

Yes, there's a door directly from the hall to the kitchen. I also hadn't thought about using only one door - interesting...

Actually I'd block up the door to the hall. So it was still easy to get to the dining area from the kitchen

Sounds obvious but if moving to also think about sun glare

I was going to suggest blocking off the door to the hall as well.

I was going to suggest that too. With the dining table in the bay, closer to the kitchen anyway.

I dont know how big the rooms are to know if that would work..

I honestly couldn't,it was before my youngest was born so over 8 years ago! Sorry