LOL! I get the willies knowing everyone can see in too. Okay, here's the thing. As much as I'd like to just change out the door and might very well end up doing it in the end, the "glass" in the doors is actually leaded crystal custom made by the original owner and they sparkle and look very beautiful. It would ruin the appearance of the doors by putting blinds or that sort of thing over them. Since posting last night, I checked out a drapery book and saw some very nice heavy drapes on rings that can easily be pulled to both sides. I don't have a lot of room on either side of the door so the sidelights would probably be partially covered even with the drapes open. If someone will give me a tip on how to insert a piccie into a message without having to switch to the gallery, I'll gladly scan it to show everyone. Thanks for your comments, I really appreciate it!

Very likely that fine ornate detail is not wood at all, but some form of plaster or cast putty. If that is the case, it would be extremely difficult to strip the paint off without damage. It does not appear that there are dozens of layers of caked on paint. As such, I would advise painting over the existing paint. Use Zinser BIN primer (shellac primer). This can be used over oil based or latex painted trim. This will prevent any issues you might have with adhesion. The Zinser primer can be used over almost any kind of paint. Scuff the surface with a 220 grit sand paper to clean up the surface and to promote best adhesion. The Zinser primer requires ammonia or denatured alcohol to clean up and dries within minutes so you will need to work fast. Practice on some scrap so you can get a feel for the workability. For a top coat, I would recommend Benjamin Moore "advance" trim paint. It is a water borne alkyd (miracle of modern engineering). Being an alkyd, it will very nearly mimic true oil based paint and give the historic smooth glossy finish people tend to associate with classic trim work, however this paint is soap and water clean-up. Good luck.

Mahogany is used as it is a great exterior wood as it is used in boat building. Can it be painted? Of course it can but covering such a decorative premium wood is not advised by anyone who likes real wood. You can paint it and have the look you want and also have the strength and decay resistance of the wood. A shame but its your door and you will still have to repaint every other year anyway so the maintenance will be the same. I would never paint paint it as it is such a shame to cover that beautiful wood grain. Look into Waterlox it is great exterior coating. ANY exterior paint, coating, clear, etc will require maintenance end of story. DO NOT slap on a HD polyurethane as it will flake and cause all sorts of issues on a front door. Mahogany will change color in the sun. Staining with another wood color again makes zero sense. If you wanted a chestnut or hickory you should have just had the door built out of that wood. I can never understand people buying one type of wood and then saying they want it stained the color of another but this question is asked daily. Look into UV dyes. the dyes can tint the overall color of the wood but allow its natural look show through. I would us the Waterlox and see how you like it. You can always paint over it but if you paint there is no going back. You are trying to make a $1000 door into a cheap $200 door. With that overhand you should be fine. Plus one of the biggest killers is storm doors that bake the the door as they don't allow air flow to cool the door.

Regarding the shutters - it's not the color of the shutters - it's that the windows are too wide. Shutters are supposed to look functional even if they aren't functional. They are supposed to look like they can cover the window on which they are placed. They never go on bay windows or triple windows unless they are Bahama type shutters which would be inappropriate for your area and inappropriate for your house. Please read this short article on shutters: https://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/residential-architecture-101-shutters/ As to the front door, that oval window is what makes it a Victorian style door. Your house isn't Victorian and would look so much better with an MCM type door or a solid door. The reason others are suggesting a light color for your door is that a brown door creates the "black hole" effect on the face of your house. It's hard to visualize if you are accustomed to seeing the brown, brown, brown that you currently show. There are other neutral, but lighter paints so your front door becomes visible. I agree that the landscaping you have now buries the house and doesn't bring out it's features. I hope you end up with a good landscape plan. Reach out to the landscape forum here too. They can provide suggestions, for free, to enhance your landscaping.