I would be much less bothered by details not being worked out to perfection than I would if the overall scheme was not worked out so as to function properly. If this house was newly built and had no walk or drive at all, would we be installing a drive whose left edge cut rightward at a pronounced angle (so one would back out of the left side of garage and run off the drive if they weren't being careful.)? You might examine the sidewalk issue by pretending that neither drive or sidewalk exist ... and how would you make them if you were starting from scratch? Working out the geometry of the layout would be the most important thing to get right. Once that is known, you could see how the existing surfaces can conform to the desired outcome. If the surfaces are in good shape, you could probably add on to them with the same material and obtain an integrated appearance. That has more appeal to me than adding bluestone or something else to the mix. Depending on the layout, it might work out so that another material could be added, but I'd want to see the layout first. If the string and stakes represents a new walk, you should think about making it a little wider. Also, why do you wish to have a separate walk when the drive and walk are in close proximity? In general, I think of "modern" as simpler, more direct and well functioning. (Modern people don't like to put up with things that don't work well.)

It would be best if you keep a single thread for the project. Otherwise, it tends to become confusing with two separate conversations going on about the same area. Start here with the walk/entry business and as it resolves, discuss planting. (same as the project would go.) Then all the relevant info would be in a single thread. My request for other photos would apply here, too.

All I can sat TIna is that is a very cool front entrance you have ALREADY! I will be watching this thread with interest because I am working on redoing my folks house back entrance, which is very much like yours, except instead of the porch area where your chairs are, theirs is screened. And there are two steps down to the ground, which adds to the complexity of my situation. And I want to add a fountain just about where yours is! And redesign the walkway. I am still in the hemming and hawing stage.

You could easily create a handsome finished product with those pavers. Rather than the contrasting color, edge stripe being set in a distance from the edge, you could just make it the edge and it could be a full 8" width stripe. With the charcoal grey, I also like the plain concrete color, which is much lighter, as the contrast stripe. It is a sharper contrast and looks dressy. Whatever colors you consider, get samples, enough to mock up a simulation which you can appraise from a distance with the house in the background, and base your selection on seeing it, rather than just guessing that it will be right. I've seen steps made of mortared pavers that I didn't care for, especially if the tread is a brick laid flat. This is too thin and makes the steps look cheap. The exception, as I mentioned above, is if the paver has a bullnose end (which is often used for pool coping) and the riser is the same material/color. The the riser and tread reads as a solid unit with a decorative edge (the bullnose) like a molding applied to trim work. Notice in your picture of pavers how thin the step treads are -- like tile. This makes the steps look cheap.