If you expect that what you plant in the window boxes to actually grow, you're allowing no room for it without covering the window. The boxes should be lowered about 6" to 8". Don't know what the existing shrubs are but they are much too close to the building wall. They should be about where the edging is located or on the other side of it (about 3 1/2') especially because of overhang and window boxes. Looks like maybe you have what can become a small tree off of the corner of house. I'd pull that out farther and reconfigure edging around it and to be farther from house elsewhere.

Apparently your neighbor's irrigation system is working and yours is not :-) Kidding aside, your grass looks like it needs just generally better care ... watering, edging, dethatching, etc.... and eventually, more light as the tree grows. That is so cool to have the barcodes on the neighbor's edge restraint. Will be a great way to help future archeologists in your area research people of our time. :-) Meanwhile, I'd slap a brick/paver mowing strip along that edge, matching its height, and then feather the grade on your side, by adding a little topsoil, to the top of the mowing strip. The grass will easily grow through it to the new height. When you do the drive, widen/flare it enough at the street to meet where the curb becomes full height. I don't have an objection to stamped concrete as long as the installer is well qualified. (Too many novices have to cut their teeth somewhere and need to be avoided.) Example. "I tend to like the look of light driveways with darker borders as well." That's going to make the prettier driveways harder to recognize! :-) Having more experience with pavers, I can't speak knowledgeably of fading issues of stamped concrete. Maybe someone who has more experience with it will know and can chime in. I once did a commercial patio where they were trying to cut the budget. We ended up with UNCOLORED stamped concrete. It was surrounded by a 12" wide plain border and the field was stamped with basketweave brick. It was quite handsome and vastly dressier than plain, unadorned concrete. A side benefit was that there would never be issues with chipping either (which if you've seen stamped concrete that has had a fair amount of chipping or surface wear, it can bring the look down.)

It's a fact ... you'll not be able to get rid of the mess until you create a permanent, hard walk where there is now mulch. The magnolia roots are going to make it harder, but it must be done if there is to be a cure. I agree with others that something like concrete (simplest and cheapest) or pavers/brick are suitable. A walk laid out to acknowledge the tree will look and work better than one that doesn't. The bench only makes sense if there is a way to get to it ... i.e., use it. But because of Magnolia roots, it would add a lot of difficulty extending the walk to the bench. Therefore, I'd recommend using the bench elsewhere and having only plantings at the front of the house. Consider using a groundcover like Asiatic Jasmine to cover the magnolia roots.

Widen the walkway to the front door. Right now it's difficult to tell whether the entry is on the path on the right or the path on the left. You don't have to curve it since people will naturally want to take the shortest path to their destination. You could even just line the outside of the existing walkway with another material (stone, brick, stained concrete, etc) to add interest. Trim the shrubs back from the walkway. Right now they are completely obscuring that there is an entry when you're standing in front of the house. The goal is for people to see where the entry is and feel invited to walk there. You could consider re-landscaping the whole front bed or along the walkway if you like, but at a minimum that hedge needs to be trimmed back. Our minds are also naturally drawn to walk towards light. Right now it looks like you have a single small light to the left of the door. I wonder if putting a larger light there and maybe adding more lights (one maybe at the very end to the right of the door) to entice people to walk towards your door would help.