Take a look at my album and perhaps you'll will find something of interest. Thanks, The Porch Guy My Album

Well, I live on a street in a small town that gets 100's if not a thousand trick-or-treaters. It is great fun and even though I fill my giant bowl to the brim, twice, we always run out of candy. So I overly decorate because it's just plain fun and there is obviously an audience for it which makes it even more fun. I line the front wall with jack o'lanterns. Their flickery flame inside makes the pumpkin smell and look amazing. I happen to love the smell of a burning pumpkin. I I have ghosts hanging in the trees and a skeleton on the front porch. We have a another ghost that travels overhead when it senses noise and also have a fog machine. I have more jack o'lanterns leading up to and onto the front porch and I play really loud Halloween music like the Monster Mash and scary organ music- Bach for all to hear. There's a scarecrow in one corner of the yard and we have some of those projection lights that light up the skeleton. Inside I have my mantle done up with all sorts of vintage Halloween decorations and some crows that caw when you walk by.

Whether you need permits depends on your city/county codes. How difficult it is to return to the original depends on how much framing was added. Start by removing the windows. The only way to find out how much framing was added is to remove the sheet rock. That should give you an idea of any framing added for sheet rock installation and/or how big the old screens were. To replace windows with screens means all the sheet rock has to be removed. Looks some was added to the old exterior. Most of the trim has to go. Not a really good DIY project unless you have some experience in demolition. To have it done may run a couple thousand dollars, and maybe that much more to refurbuish it.

I am not opposed to the idea of keeping the column lanterns and adding a third hanging lantern at your door centered on the double doors. I have shown a mark up in red. My struggle is the shutters aren't centered on your front door. this shows that as well. The lantern placement I have marked top goes straight down in center and your shutters center bar is off left of center as you're facing the house according to your plans. Is what I am seeing shutters on either side of your front window then Bahama shutters above that same window and above the front door under the porch roof?