I think the biggest problem is that I am doing 3 rooms at once. The decorator and I have spent hours upon hours looking at fabrics. I've actually been pretty quick when you consider it's 3 rooms at once. I'm not very good at articulating my thoughts but I do know what I like when I see it. For instance, my living room drapes were picked out in a matter of minutes. It worked, I loved it and we moved on. The family room and dining room have been much harder. My decorator is talented, well recommended and reasonably priced, so I don't want to get another consultation. She's decorator number 2. The problem is decorators flip through a book, look at 5 fabrics and conclude that two of them will work. Which they do but my brain just doesn't process things like that. I need to hem and haw and agonize for months. Annoying but true. The decorator listened to what I had to say, picked a fabric that worked great with the room and for whatever reason, I didn't like it. She has since sent me dozens of samples that meet my specifications and I was unmoved by them all. I have since gone back to her original recommendation and decided that it does indeed work best for the room. It's a floral (not my first choice) but I am confident that it will work in the room. My family room we wanted a stripe but I just didn't like what she had to show me. On my own, I decided to use a paisley that was meant for a different room. It's not what the decorator would have recommended but she is trying to please her client. I hope that she would have tried harder to discourage me if it was that wrong for the room but I am kind of out there on my own. It's scary because if it doesn't work there is no one to blame but myself! Oh, I know I shouldn't be doing all the rooms at once but I can't help it. I did my whole first floor at the same time too! I'm actually restraining myself from adding my kitchen to the mix - probably because I don't want to look at more fabrics!

I would do the shutters in the same color as the flooring on the porch, to create a nice visual connection and flow. As for the door, I would think something in a really rich, deep golden yellow would be stunning, and would make the door really stand out to visitors. Something along the lines of SW6677 Goldenrod.

I"ve been staining wood a very long time. Don't tell me gel stains don't penetrate and that you should do 4 coats. you are not supposed to do 4 coats. gel stains do get lightly absorbed into the wood with also sitting on the surface. But It's not nail polish christinero. GF has enough pigments to 'stain' the wood w/one coat. putting on additional coats results in a tacky, gummy finish, and could also result in cabinets w/a poor finish, especially for a kitchen. this is from GF website on applying gel stain: Optional: apply a second coat to deepen the color. Apply no more than 2 coats https://generalfinishes.com/wood-finishes-retail/oil-based-wood-stains-sealers/oil-based-gel-stains I have worked w/ GF stains on many, many wood projects. one coat is fine. Like I said, if you want a darker color, then go with a darker shade. there is no need to do 4 coats! good lord. why create more work for yourself? Gel stains act more like a paint and tend to hide the grain of the wood. I would never use a gel stain on a beautiful piece of walnut, tiger oak or bridseye maple. it would cover the beautiful wood details. If you want to use 3-4 coats of a gel stain, then you might as well use an espresso paint. you will get similar results with a lot less work. you will need at least 3 coats of a clear top coat after the stain dries. please read the above link for the complete how-to's in staining your cabs. especially this part Preparation for Projects with an Existing Finish and Christinero,,,,,there are dyes, stains and gels. all three penetrate, but at different levels. gels are the lightest and don't bring out the depth of the wood grain like the stain or even the dye would. (I've used all three). but gel stains still penetrate. gels have a heavier ratio of pigments and tend to give off more even looking coloring.

Oil based paints were the go-to product for years but these days the water based paints are just are durable but much easier to use. Also, oil based paint will change color with age while waterbased paints will stay true to their original shade for decades. At our shop we recommend the Insl-x Cabinet Coat for kitchen cabinets, doors and trim. It dries quickly with no smell and cleans up with water. It cures to a very durable long lasting finish. It is still technically a Benjamin Moore umbrella product so you should be able to find it in a Benjamin Moore store. We tried the Advance and frankly were not very impressed. It develops that oil based smell after a day or so and stay soft for a long time. Additionally, it will also discolor with age - though not as much as the old fashioned oils. I hope you find this helpful. Good luck on your project!