Thanks for your thoughts, everyone. The reason I am hesitant to go the permanent route was it is so permanent. And if we don't like how it turned out, that's an expensive mistake. The reason I am hesitant on film is because I'm not sure how it holds up from a quality perspective. Oaktown: Wow, that's cool film. I wonder if it works? Very interesting. Virgil: We have tried pinging the architect on it. He hasn't responded to our emails. I wouldn't mind him being more engaged on the issue, but maybe he thinks it is too small an issue to get involved? I imagine if he did weigh in, he would say to just leave it all plain glass (no obscure). I will try to give him a call and ask about it. I get the impression that he thinks we over-think things.

Oceanna, are you still there? I just noticed your post asking if I'd decided on a door yet. Thanks for asking. I've been going round & round. Shall I get the single door with sidelights, which would be traditional with my somewhat-colonial home: single & sidelights or the double door, which would be more practical & perhaps less fussy: double door I plan to sheath our house with small white shingles, replace the windows with 2 over 2 paned windows with nice wide casings, & put on a red roof. There's an overhang that runs along the front of the house & shades the 1st floor windows. That will get the red roofing also. The house design will be somewhat plain except for the red roof vis a vis the white shingles & the (hopefully not too) ornate door. My foyer is desperate for light, hence the full pane of glass in the doors instead of the standard 6 panel door with sidelights (which *everybody* has in my neighborhood). The art glass would ensure privacy. My house isn't a true colonial, so I think I can stray from the standard colonial order. Plus the glass doors would look so pretty at night with the lights shining from behind them. I think the art glass doors will be fine despite the plainness of the house: it will provide just enough decoration. At least that's what I hope. I'd post a picture of my house, but it's so ghastly right now that I'm sort of embarassed! Anyway, opinions are welcome. Thanks for weighing in.

Most all steel and fiberglass door manufacturers use "commodity" inserts for full lite, half lite, 9 lite, 15 lite, etc glass inserts. They don't make that part (plastic frame with glass inside) but instead cut the hole in the door blank and insert the glass made by specialty manufacturers that service the door making industry. They are referred to as commodity inserts because usually inserts from different companies are interchangeable. They are sold with both inside/outside trim AND the glass as mulchmamma said, and you have to double-check the sizes. My company was just able to sell (10) 9 lite (same size as 1/2 lite)sets to a company on the other side of the country WITHOUT the glass. They loved this of course because it saved them a fortune on shipping (weight) and they got to re-use their perfectly good glass anyway. You didn't say what your window was. For example the units i spoke of were 23 3/4"W x 37 3/4"H, measured to the outside dimensions.

Hey gram, I'd love to see your door if you'd care to post a photo (hint, hint). Up close, my screen door is crap, no other way of putting it. I see quite a few on homes in my town so they must have been selling them locally at some point 20+ years ago. I've never seen them sold since. The wood is splitting at all the joints. It's a low-end door that looks kinda cute at a distance but is falling apart. Maybe I'll do a free CL if someone will just take it away. My house also faces west but there are only 7-10 days a year when I have to close my door against the heat, never the sun itself. The built-in blinds you got sound like they work great for you. I passed a 3/4 lite door today (no screen) and it looked so good. I think my cats are hoping I get a full lite so they don't have to stand on their hind paws to see out. They are a vocal full-lite lobby.