We used Lemieux exterior solid mahogany doors on our new home and was very pleased with the quality and price. For interior doors, I chose to use TruStile solid core MDF doors. They are gorgeous and are so heavy that when you close the doors, you really feel that you actually closed a door and not a slab of foam. Good Luck!

Ikea follows REACH guidelines which is the EU standard on the use of chemicals and I assume as they don't advertise it that their products don't qualify for LEEDS or GreenGuard Certification. Many composite board manufacturers follow ANSI standards which limit the amount of formaldehyde content (whether that is a higher or lower standard than the one achieved by Ikea I don't know) Ikea environmental statement: "Decreasing product emissions and formaldehyde use IKEA is concerned about product emissions and formaldehyde use. We have a long-term vision that emission levels in wood based products shall be at the same levels found in natural wood. For instance; we have investigated methods in order to replace formaldehyde in almost all glue applications. IKEA has decided on a new formaldehyde emission standard level, which will be implemented during 2008. The new emission standard means that we will decrease current limit levels by half in all wood based board. The new level will be comparable to half of E1 (the European Formaldehyde standard level, which is considered to not be hazardous to health)." Attached link indicates that paint finishes are much more effective at ceiling in emissions than other applied finishes but I don't know the science behind the statement. In part I think it is the complexity of the machining. I think even in wood to get square inside corners you need pass each routered edge separately (don't quote me). For those rounded edges the routered edge is probably done in one continuous pass (much quicker and cheaper). Here is a link that might be useful: info on sealing MDF

I would be suspect of the quailty of this manufacturer as well as the fact that I am certain it is a stile and rail door but drop routed mdf which is not necessarily a bad product it will not be of the same quality as a Trustile door and should cost considerably less. Also I personally am opposed to importing any products of this nature from what are essentially third world nations!

Assuming you are in Boston, there are many great "salvage" yards for older period homes in your area that would have period doors. Granted that will mean more maintenance and will not give you the "perfect" look that molded panels give, but imo, a home like yours would be ruined by plastic looking mdf doors unless you got creative with the painting process and purposely left the brush marks. Molded mdf paneled doors painted with a sprayer would be a major insult to your Victorian home, again in my opinion.