We live on a busy street and have the same problem. Instead of attaching some thing onto the house. We place a cast iron fountain halfway between house and front gate. The same thing can be achieved cheaper with a large round planter on a pedestal or upside down square planter (filled with cement) then plant succelents and a cordyline in middle. Good luck!!!

Perhaps create a privacy buffer in the form of a screen, either planted or built.

I would suggest two timber posts put in spaced the width of your path, and about 1mtr from your front door, then screen those posts with lattice or slatted screen fixed to a simple timber top and bottom rail, you could even accentuate the frame with a nice handrail moulding and post finials to keep the eras charm. I'd then plant a nice creeper like Boston ivy in front so filled light and airflow remains, but the line of sight is not so direct.

another option is to hunt down an old gate, full height iron one from either a reclamation yard, or gumtree etc, keep it old looking, and have a local stainless steel fabricator supply you (and possibly fix) a sheet of exterior steel mirror to the back of it. Then place a decorative urn filled with a gorgeous display of colour, or a topiary bucks for some formality, and it will bounce light from your street front, but shield your front entry, even door wide open.

My last tip is to not conceal your entry, rather draw the attention to the forefront instead, by creating a front gateway, arbor for example, plant a wisteria or climbing plant over it, and make it quite in keeping with your front homes period, tie in decorative fretwork, brackets or anything that you might have featured on the front of the old house. It will attract people's attention walking or driving by, rather than the front door.

I agree with Karen re the security door. I used the one way mesh in a lot of my houses. A prof burglar once told me its harder to get into. Plus folks can't see in . But be careful to install it correctly.