Your foyer reminds me of my own! I like your door a lot and love your ceiling. I have plantation shutters on my door and side lights. Opening up the slats provides a lot of light, but if you wanted more view, you could go ahead and open up the shutters all the way at times when there won't be any traffic going in/out the door.

I'm interested in your ceiling. Can't tell on my monitor if those are tiles or paintable wallpaper. I have the wallpaper which looks like "tiles" on my ceiling. Currently, it's painted white but I'm seriously considering putting a copper paint over it. Would love to hear more about yours. Thanks.

I'd do one sheer on each. That's all. The wood in the framing is great - let it show as much as possible.

How about getting a glass etching artist to come and etch a design on the doors. The pattern/design provides privacy, but still lets in all the light. My parents had this done on their sidelights in Florida.

Look at window wallpaper instead. There are all kinds of patterns available, and it would be much less fussy and prettier, imo, from the outside. They sell it at the home centers, and this is one site that is online:

window wallpaper

I get a big kick out of the pot leaf design!

I found these cool straight sheerish curtain panels at IKEA and got a local seamstress (I have no sewing skills) to cut the panels to size, and create a rod pocket at hte top and bottom. I then installed a curtain rod at the top and bottom of each window and voila! Really cool and pretty classy-looking privacy screens.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/bedroom/10702

I did use the window film on the basement windows, but IMO it's hard to get that too look perfect so I would avoid it on a front door, especially one as gorgeous as yours. But I'm sloppy.

Betsy- the ceiling is the original tin ceiling painted white by the PO. the house is around 100 years old but i haven't been able to confirm an exact date.

Plantation shutters would be wonderful, but i'm not sure about within the budget. i will have to look into that.

Sheers are another good option. i've also considered natural wood roman shades, but i think we want more privacy. currently, you have to walk by the front door to get to the only bathroom in the house from the bedrooms. since we've moved in, i have made these trips in the dark to avoid being on display. we are in the process of putting a bathroom in upstairs, so maybe my privacy concerns will dissipate with that.

The door and windows are also original to the house and around 100 years old. wavy glass and all. i dont know if they could handle etching but i will look into the wallpaper.

I had something similar and had clear stained glass panels made for the sidelights and I loved it because it was art as well as functional. You could do stained glass on the sidelights and a roman shade on the door.

For added privacy you can double the sheers. Or add a curtain rod at the ceiling and extending well beyond the sidelights so you can close drapes at night but pull them all the way back when you want light. A shade on an operable door is a pain--I have one.

Thanks, Dixie, for the explanation re the tiles. I just know they're beautiful in person.

I like the ideas some folks have given about sheers and agree with Marcolo that you could double them and the extra fullness would give more privacy. Don't know about the particular window film that Les suggested but I ordered some from another company for my deck door and was totally underwhelmed. The kind I bought completely obscured the view and the faces of any visitors.

it sounds like the window wallpaper is getting bad reviews around here.

Marcolo- one big curtain that completely moves out of the way is a good idea. that might solve my problem. we had one on a sliding glass door at one time and it worked well. what are your problems with a shade on the door? does it bang around? get caught in the door?

Personally, I wouldn't go to the expense of rods and fabric for something you may not need in the long run. I'd put up some Redi shades from HD and after you finish the new BR, then decide if you need anything on the door. The Redi shades are inexpensive and can be trimmed to size.

Otherwise, despite what you've heard about window wallpaper, I'd use either the frosted paper or one with a light design. HD and Lowes have some choices in stock.

Here is a link that might be useful: shades

At minimum the door needs sheers. That is too big a window space to face a street unprotected.

I was talking about a regular curtain that opens in the middle, each panel pulling to the side. I have an outside mount shade on a French door in the MBR. It is always hard to adjust so that the shade actually covers all the glass and doesn't leave openings on the side, unless you get a shade wide enough so that it interferes with the doorknob. Plus you have to do something with the cords, which would be hard with side lights.

If you don't like the idea of wallpaper for windows, which would have been my suggestion too, there's always clear contact which appears frosted when on glass. If you wanted to be able to peak out you could always use an X-acto knife and carefully cut out a design using a stencil as you guide.