Removing the back door or not?

dutchcloggie

We have just bought a Victoria terrace. It has the traditional layout of kitchen at the back of the house. When you walk into the kitchen, the back door is immideately on the right. The kitchen is quite small with no space for a fridge/freezer so we are considering bricking up that back door to gain more space for units etc. We would then put double doors in the lounge where the rear window is now and use those as a back door instead.

How do people feel about this? Bad idea? Good idea? There is no rear access to the garden so it would not be used as a constant access door.

Doozergirl

If it makes your life easier, it's a good idea.

jk0

I'd think long and hard about this before doing it, because of course all your garden tools & rubbish will have to be brought through your lounge.

dutchcloggie

True. But there is no rear access to the garden. So we have to carry the bins through the lounge regardless to get them from the kitchen to the front of the house. But I agree it isn't an ideal solution. Just wondering if it is worth it for the sake of a bigger kitchen where I don't have to slalom around the fridge to get into the cellar.

Silver-Surfer_2

dutchcloggie wrote: »

True. But there is no rear access to the garden. So we have to carry the bins through the lounge regardless to get them from the kitchen to the front of the house. But I agree it isn't an ideal solution. Just wondering if it is worth it for the sake of a bigger kitchen where I don't have to slalom around the fridge to get into the cellar.

If it works for you then go for it.

But what do you use most the back door, you could take your bin through the kitchen, or the cellar access?

ManuelG

At the risk of a daft question, can't you just put your fridge/freezer in front of the back door, so using the space, but having the back door available should you ever change your mind or need it?

dutchcloggie

That....is not a daft idea at all, actually.... I guess it just looks odd and we are thinking of a fitted kitchen.
However, perhaps there is an option to not burn all our bridges and keep something there, rather than going for full-on bricking it up. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll have a word with my builder.

dutchcloggie

The cellar is being converted to a little home studio for my wife (a musician) so we will need good access to that.

phil24_7

As above. Use some mirror window film so you don't view the back of the fridge from outside and then knock through the lounge wall for a doorway.

dutchcloggie

But I don't want to see the door from inside the kitchen as this will make it look very crowded. Seeing the fridge is in front of a door just reinforces the lack of space. So if the fridge hides the door completely, then it might be a workable solution. Otherwise it just feels wrong.
Am about to go to the house again to stare at the room and have a think.

Silver-Surfer_2

Plaster board over it then.