erika,,,light sand w/a 220-320 grit. wipe clean. use the shellac OR another wood sealer. You want to close off the pores. and, should the time come when you want to strip the paint, it will come off easily and not damage the wood. after the sealer or shellac is dry, lightly sand again w/the fine sandpaper to knock down any nibs. use your hand to feel it. wipe clean with mineral spirits. blow away any other dust particles with a shop vac or brush, wipe again w/tack cloth. you don't want any dust particles. lay the door on a sawhorse in a clean area. I always wet the floor where I' m painting so the little particles don't float up as you move. use a spray bottle mister and really dampen the area. buy the best brush. purdy or wooster,,,one meant for trim painting. you can get the budget pack w/the 3" and the angle 1.5" and save money. as for the paint, the color is on their paint chip. Classic Collection 1043D-chartreuse. they will also match any BM paint color. Here is my can for reference. also check to see if they have the Front Door Paint. I believe they do. check their website for that. and they will ship the paint. after the first coat, I use a wet/dry very fine grit sandpaper. wet it, and light go over the dry first coat. just enough to smooth out any brush marks. wipe w/wet paper towel or rag and dry. now you're ready for 2nd coat.

The architecture of your home is so pretty! I think the tan detracts from it, though. Is the tan paint new as well, or just the cream? I would carry the cream onto the shake siding. A cobalt blue would look lovely, but I think with the tan there might be a disproportionate amount of color going on. If the tan stays I'd carry the shutter color to the door for a more monochromatic scheme.

What's the exterior color? Looks like it is not finished yet.

Hello! my name is Al I am from Conquest Painting LLC. I can't really say too much about the interior of the house since I do not know what it looks like but for the door I'd really think it would be a good idea to stain it and make it pop! it has a very nice rustic and wood design and if you paint it white the door will be a solid color and will lose that natural feel to it. White would look good as well but I think preserving that natural look to it would be really awesome as well.