This is a tough one! I think you want the door to swing to the left for a more welcoming entrance. Is there another door for bringing in larger items? Would it be possible to reduce the depth of the office door frame at all? It seems unusually deep for an interior door.

@msjoan Good observation on the deep office door! That doorway is 100 yrs old and so is that wall with shiplap. No idea why that wall is so thick & why it was built that way. I wonder if the wood for framing was just thicker?

In a number of other countries, exterior doors often swing out. It could be worth considering.

@S Mil Hmmm. That's interesting. Thanks for the tip. Didn't know that about other countries.

I had only briefly considered this option & for some reason dismissed it previously. It might be the only comfortable solution! Any downsides to outward swing?

I just read up a little more on outward swinging doors and there are security hinges to make the doors safer. Neat.

IMO remove the closet and have a proper sized entry or swing the door to the other direction.I just looked and you have a porch so maybe the outswing could work . I will say they seem odd to me since the guest is standing in the way.

@Patricia Colwell Consulting Thanks. It does seem awkward to open out toward guests on the porch. But I wonder if it feels better than the in-swing options?

im not sure how feasible removing the entire closet is. Old homes are so limited in storage space as it is. We need the storage. But i agree that it wasnt well placed or thought out. 😣

Rosa, sorry for delay in my response. I have a home improvement project underway and was preoccupied with that.
I have lived in homes with outward swing and found no drawbacks. Where space is limited they increase interior use. You cannot have a storm door, but your current photo did not show one in use now. Culturally, here in the States it may seem awkward at first, but it takes little time to get used to it. I do not recall any security issues.

Not common in most of the states, but Florida has one of the most stringent building codes in the United States, as all exterior doors must open outward if you live in South Florida. Outward opening doors provide you with an added layer of protection, as an inward swinging door only has a latch and a deadbolt to prevent it from blowing into your home.

So it could easily work

As Diane said: an outward swinging door is needed to get flood or hurricane insurance (in Florida), so if your area experiences high winds, it’s an addtl benefit.

We have an outward swinging door on the side of our house. The only downside we see is that sometimes deliveries placed in front of the door and we have to go around the house to get the food or package :)

If the front door can swing fully open for access to both the office and the living room, leave it that way. If someone is coming to your office, open the door halfway so the access to the office is the only choice.

@Andrea C This is so helpful! Thanks so much for adding the photo and your own experience. It's exactly our situation. So glad to hear it's working out for you. I think I'm leaning in this direction.

Agree with Andrea. Change the door swing. You’ll likely have to get a whole new door, but it’s worth it.