My ideas:

My ideas:

I think a little paint could spiff things up. Your white railing and facia looks weathered, and you could paint the lattice the color of your shutters for a little pop of color.

We have an area of lattice also, but I like what it hides. It's not as big as yours. Ours is painted white.

I'm not sure what deer don't eat. We have them around, but we also have wild cats, coyotes and some good fences, and they don't bother our vineyard or orchards. They stay away from the roses too.

Others might be able to better help you if we knew what planting zone you are in. Some in your state might step up with some great ideas.

Suzi

nansaidh6, you can find out your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone by entering your zip code here at upper left:
http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/

If you're planning on planting to conceal the lattice, this is definitely the time to paint! If you hire out the painting, most painters won't really care what happens to the landscaping; and if you're doing it yourself, accidents will happen.

Since the house faces west (my sympathies), are you interested in planting shade trees on the west and south sides? It would help to see a photo of the house from a bit further back (so we can get an idea of what's to either side) and also to know how much distance from the street to the house.

That slope on the right side makes the house lop-sided. You need to level the planting area out and cut down on how much of that lattice is exposed. In order to do that, you would need to bring the stairs strait down and then have a curved walkway. I think this gives the house better curb appeal anyways.

I would go with an intermediate sized conifer to the left of the new staircase and a large, but low shrub to the left of that. On the right, low shrubs or conifers that can cover most of the lattice. On the end, I would go with some type of weeper that could eventually drape over the rock wall. In the picture I am displaying Taxodium distichum 'Cascade Falls'.

Specific plants would depend on your zone, but based on your grass I think you are in a northern zone. You are lucky to have full sun, you will be able to grow almost anything there, especially conifers!

As a practical matter, to level the right side, you'd need any large "planter" or retaining wall to be 4-sided; to be impervious to moisture and to keep the soil from falling through the lattice into the storage area as well as preventing the rotting out of the stairway arrangement.

Many plants are zone dependent, and you didn't note yours. If barberry isn't an invasive where you are, the green tinged with red is a good color choice. Prickly yes, but very largely deer proof. Deer might taste ninebarks, but they're vigorous growers and can outpace a nibbling. Our winter has been hard on the deer - and I usually get plenty of them - the last I saw them a couple of weeks ago, they were trying to eat spruce. So they're desperate now with 3-4 feet of snow cover and natural food scarce.

With such a grade as you have, it might be difficult to make up for it with plantings - but maybe an island away from the house with an arrangement of conifers would move the eye away from all the lattice on the right side. Spruce is "normally" reliably deer-proof, same for any conifer with short spikey needles. A smaller island on the right with a focal point conifer or shrub with perennials - deer won't touch (even if starving) the salvias, Russian sages, nepetas , peonies.

What is the depth of bed space between lattice and walk?

@duluthinbloom - you are correct. 4 side retainer wall. Inside walls done with cheap pressure treated wood. Front eith nice stone finish. Notice i extended the stairs out about 6ft off the house to increase the volume of retainer.

I doubt deer would approach wide open in the front pf the house...but there are plenty of deer resistant choices if you believe they will

These are amazing, thank you all so much! I'm in N. California at 3,500 ft zone 7. Yes, a paint job is in the future this summer. Perhaps I can post some wider views of the property as facing away from the house is a large pond and behind the house is a large mountain. Thank you all again for you sketches, just wonderful!