Awkward lounge and sofa placement, help!

[Newbie2025]

Hello,

I have an awkwardly shaped sitting room and need a larger sofa but the only place it will fit is in front of the chimney breast.
The fire doesn't work and is closed off and plastered flush so would it be a bad idea to put the sofa against there? I currently have a pretend fire which does give the room a good focal point but don't know if removing this and putting the sofa there is just an interior design no no? (Not that I know anything about interior design) i've attached a floor plan and open to suggestions.

The current sofa is on the left hand wall opposite the fire place but can only fit a small one due to the door locations.

Hi, yes that's right so moving doors just isn't an option unfortunately, we possibly could move the door on the wall between the sitting room and the kitchen to be at the other end of the wall as we would at least get much bigger corner sofa in but then the kitchen units would need moving which would probably create a layout headache in tbe kitchen then.
I think we'll just have to manage with what we have and accept we feel like we're sitting in a corridor 😂

Can you rehang the door so it opens into the next room? Failing that, rehang so it opens on to nearest wall (on the left in the photo) so that it gives less of a corridor effect when it opens, that will give you the feel of more space.
Alledgedly doors used to be hung that way to protect the privacy of the person in the room, give time for the master of the house to step away from the maid.

We have hung it the other way now, this photo was taken just before we changed it and I forgot to take a new photo and it has helped but still getting corridor vibes off of our current furniture set up. We will replace the small chair with a small sofa but not much space as the chimney breast is 50cm deep so not leaving much room on the far wall 🙁

What about removing the fire surround if it's just wood that would be easy. Putting in hidden storage in the alcoves so it's flush with chimney breast and then putting sofa along there.

No, not the wall to wall, but the gaps: edge of doors to wall - ie the actual space for furniture.

Could you bring the furniture away from the walls so people walk behind the sofa? Not sure if that would be too tight but could feel cosy with a small 2 seater sofa or one of those bigger armchairs/snuggler (hate that word) things.