This is my front door. I am in love with it. Totally. Arched top, board and batten, solid wood, stained glass, vintage hardware.
Problem is, the varnish is peeling. It's pretty bad. You see those dark splotches? That's bare, graying wood. It needs refinishing post-haste. (These photos were taken last summer, but, suffice to say, the door has not fixed itself.)
My first inclination is to strip/scrape, restain in a light shade (similar to what it is now, though maybe not so yellow) and seal it.
But then there's this tiny part of me that says... paint it! Paint it a ridiculous color and don't look back! I'm not sure what that color would be. I do have to note that I'm not crazy about the faded brown paint on the eaves/gutters/trim or the color of the roof, but they are here for the time being.
Stain pros: traditional, safe, contrasts with the rest of the house
Stain cons: Even with proper sealing, it's my understanding it will probably have to be redone in a number of years. (Our house faces south, gets full sun and we don't have a storm door or much of an overhang to protect it.)
Paint pros: Easier and more durable than stain & seal process.
Paint cons: Color might fade. More work to get back to the natural woodgrain in the future.
So what say you? Should I go with my gut and stain? Or listen to that little voice and paint? Please leave your choice in the comments. This guy is so sick of eating varnish chips for breakfast.
Update: I chose stain! See the final results here >>