I went with a real bright turquoise first and then went to a deep green for the front door of our brick house. Based on Lynette Jennings advice, she said pick your favorite color and use it on your front door, so I did. It was bright like a BM cool aqua...but that was the 80s and not what I'd pick today. Today I would probably do whipple blue or a mill springs blue.

After seeing your very pretty living room, I understand your hesitance to go red on the front door. If the room is an example of your taste, you go for more muted tones. Don't think I'm crazy for suggesting a "purple", but there are two really lovely Sherwin Williams muted plum colors that might give the feeling of your gray but be a bit more interesting. My friends has the same color shutters that you do with SW Expressive Plum on her front door and its soft and lovely. I also really, really like the one shade darker on the color card but I can't find my card or remember the name. But this is just a suggestion, you may hate plum! I have door that is one color (in my case wood) but sidelights and transom are white like the trim around my windows, etc. However I think it works on my house b/c I have the transom, flagstone steps leading up to a portico with a copper roof. All of those things give the entrance more weight/importance. Since your entrance is more flat, I think your next best bet (and cheapest!) is to give the entrance more weight by making it look bigger/more important...ie, painting it as though it is all one unit. And maybe going with a slightly more interesting color (but still muted they way you like.) But I do think you went a step in the right direction painting the sidelights like the door! I don't know that painting those vertical trim pieces a third color would help...that would still break up the "unit". (And just to clarify, just the vertical white trim b/t the door and sidelights. The trim around the entire thing is good the way it is.) Its a pretty nice color but have you thought about going a shade or so darker? As you mentioned, outside in the sun things can look very light.

Without seeing your pictures, I'll respond to a couple questions. First - yes, it is perfectly okay to paint the inside and outside of doors different colors. All of my exterior doors other than the patio door (so side door (into kitchen), front door, and basement door (into a walk-out basement) are red on the outside, and white on the inside. I LOVE the red color - it goes great with our white siding and black shutters. But, it would be way, way, way too much inside. I think this is pretty normal. It really depends on what exterior color you chose, and what your interior decor looks like. (Also, if you do do the same color inside and out, TECHNICALLY you should not use the exterior paint for the interior. It off-gasses more "nasty" stuff than the interior paint, and supposedly is (ironically) not as durable for interior use as interior paint is... I guess it's more weather-resistant, but doesn't hold up as much to daily living. I'm sure some people have done it with no terrible effects, but that's the general rule.) Can't comment on color questions without seeing the pics, but regarding storm doors... I actually don't have storm doors, which is a departure from every other place I have lived. The house is new and so it is very well weatherized and so there is no need, from a weatherization standpoint, to have the storm door. (Although personally I would prefer to be able to open the main door and still have a screen or window between the outside and me.) Our doors look much, much better without storm doors. If you do put in storm doors out of necessity or personal preference, I'd go with something that kind of "disappears" - probably a door with a full window (no cross bar) and a frame which is either the color of your front door, or which matches the trim around the door, or at the very least is metal.

You can paint a storm door after priming it for repainting. A light colored door would be your best bet. Can't tell if your house is gray or taupe, but here are ideas for both. Also consider professionally pruning your trees to open up the front of the your lovely house.