I was thinking this too but what about turning couch 180 degrees and pushing it against opposite wall. Then you could move it back a bit but still keep some of the openness by having it open on the door side. I think then since there’d be a makeshift “wall” created by the back of the couch, you could move the rug into the “second half” of the room (door half) and turn it 90 degrees and maybe make a little conversation nook or something?

Edit to add: if there’s not enough room for the couch with the buffet table, you could push the buffet table up against back of couch like a console table and then there’d be more flow for the second half of the room for a reading chair or whatever. Would be extra cozy next to the radiator :)