Ooh! Ooh! I'll take a shot!

First I'd paint the whole house one color -- either white or a pale pastel. I like lavender myself.

Then I'd put up windowboxes under both small windows and plant them lushly.

Then I'd put something cheerful and vigorous on both sides of the new fence. I'd go with black-eyed susans or maybe purple coneflowers.

On the right corner (the brick corner next to the big window), I'd plant something tall, like sunflowers or tall hollyhocks.

Flat trellises on either side of the door with a colorful vine.

Foundation plantings of peonies, roses, or some other flowering shrubs that grow in your zone, in a mix of colors and types.

What fun you're going to have, no matter what you decide to do!

Great job on the fence. The design folks here can tell you what to do to make more of a cottage look. Peraonally, I would paint the house palest yellow, but that's just me. I wouldn't do anything to the brick. There's a thread somewhere here started by someone who wanted to paint her brick and everybody said NO.

The lilac. You'll never be able to keep it in a small rounded shape, it doesn't want to be a meatball. Such a nice specimen, and the only would-be vertical plant in your front yard that won't take years to grow to tree size. What do you think of letting it grow straight up and pruning away the Lower limbs and some of the trunks at the bottom so that it becomes a multi-trunked tree? Keep taking off branches so that it doesn't interfere with your neighbor driving under it on his side and prune the other side to match. It will be self limiting as to height.

The link has pages and pages of photos which lead to how-to-prune.

Nell

Here is a link that might be useful: Pruning Lilacs into Trees

The fence is a very pretty addition. I hope you will try pruning your lilac to be a tree as Nell suggests. I think if you do remove the lilac, you will be shocked and dismayed at the resulting bareness. There isn't anything else with height, and the lilac does create a separation between your yard and the neighbor's yard.

This is one of my lilac trees (a bush pruned to be a tree). I do have to pull up, or prune back, runners a couple of times a year, but it isn't a big chore. Lilacs are one of those plants which will grow back from the smallest bit of root left in the ground.

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Lorna

I like lavender too but was thinking yellow or blue. Our deck out back is a really nice blue. When we get around to replacing the roof it'll be black.

Definitely want to plant something on the outside of the fence. A single specimen/colour. Going for a pink/yellow/white theme for the flowers.

What else...Oh we planted a blue point juniper in the upper right corner which I'm thinking of underplanting with daffodils. I know everyone hates juniper and it's not really cottage gardeny but I like it. There's a yellow potentilla shrub on the right side of the step. Also bought a fireworks clematis for the fence. I have two dwarf mughos that I'd like to keep. I want a pink hydrangea and some white and pink delphiniums for sure. There are 4 shrub roses along the house but all but one has been eaten almost to death by aphids and little green worms. The rugosa is the only one that is doing really well. The one next to the step is coming out as it's pretty much dead and we will be extending the porch/step to the bathroom window.

I would consider the lilac a multi-trunked tree now. It has about a dozen arm thick trunks at the base. It was huge when we moved in and wasn't flowering well so we cut it right down. It doesn't look bad in the pic but it really is a huge eyesore. If we could move it elsewhere that would be great but it seems an impossible option.

There is similarly massive white lilac out back so at least I'll have one. Will look into pruning before I kill it for good.

Also planning An arbour for the side entrance to the path (can't see in pic).

I'm sooo excited. We've done a lot with the food gardens in the back but not much with flowers. I need some colour to compensate for the fact that my neighbour is planning to pave her entire front yard...blech.

Maybe I'll give the pruning a go but I still think it's going to look odd. It would be fine if the thing had been planted in the upper right corner next to the house but it's at the bottom corner next to the road. It's so out of place.

Lilacs flower on the old wood. A severe pruning would reduce the number of flowers. You could do a side bed with the lilac being the focal point. Some fast growing bushes, like hydranga and shrub rose, would help block the view of the neighbor's yard which is to be paved over.

Lorna

the lilies around the juniper are being moved.

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The bed is going to be widened by another foot or so.

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What a difference the picket fencing makes. Your DH did a nice job and you are on the way to having a cottage looking home. Could you make the picket go around down between you and your neighbor's driveway? You should check out Steven's front garden that has a picket fence all around. It is gorgeous!

I agree with others, do NOT paint the brick. A nice green would be a complimentary color to the brick, or a gray blue. I think it depends on what you and your DH like colorwise.

I wouldn't get rid of the lilac either.

Whatever you do, have fun and don't stress!

FlowerLady

The fencing brightens up the entire exterior and looks wonderful.

dh is working on finishing the fence today, the section that goes down the neighbor's driveway. it will enclose the entire front yard when it's done.

we both really dislike the brick but i agree on not painting it. dh doesn't like siding at all but it's fairly new and replacing it is not in the budget.

i did a grey blue on photoshop which looks great but not with that brick.

The fence is a nice addition. It would be a shame to get rid of such a nice cottagey shrub like a lilac. Connect it with beds to the fence,layer plantings under it so it is better anchored.. trim it up and then let the top grow natural. It only appears out of place because it is not enough part of the landscaping and natural looking enough. Its placement is a asset in my opinion. The tree helps hide the neighbors ugly driveway..nothing cottage about concrete and cars...it will also help buffer noise and lights into your windows. The birds love to perch and nest in lilacs..small song birds especially. Thier songs filling the air add to cottage charm also and hide traffic noise also. Many gardeners would kill for that tree and anything you plant in its place will be five years or more before you see any kind of presence from them..Let it grow and make your garden blend into it with height and textures differences. A small bird bath underneath its branches...maybe even a ground bath would look pretty. If you truely want a cottage garden, then use the old favorite cottage standbys to the best advantage. You need the height and presence those lilacs offer...don't destroy it instead use it to your advantage. It will also offer you the ability to do some sun garden and some shade gardening too..Do you not like lilacs maybe? Nothing says cottage like a lilac to me...I don't think it is a eyesore at all..and worked into what you have started it could be a very nice asset..

i love lilacs just not this one

Perhaps a nice trellis/arbor at the front door so that you can soften the transition from the siding to the brick with a nice flowering vine....wisteria, clematis, rose, jessamine, etc.

The brick is a strong color and your eye probably complaining as there is nothing strong on the other side to balance it out. You'd be surprised what a nice stand of color would do on the other side (camilla, one of the cannas with patterned leaves and bright blossoms, etc, etc....tons of choices). Since you have photoshop play around with a few ideas about the color balance and/or softening of the transition point at the door and you may be very happy with the results. A large cobalt colored pot or fountain could also substitute for the color balance on the other side of the house.

When my sis moved into her house there was a huge overgrown evergreen bush blocking most of her drive and creating a visual hazard for driving. She started pruning away at the lower branches, prepping the area so her hubby could chainsaw the whole thing down. Funny thing is when he came out to do his part he was stunned by the architecture of the remaining plant and after viewing it from all angles they made a few more cuts and left the bush/tree in place. Moral is, work with it a bit as it as what look like eyesores/obstacles now may become dramatic with a bit of planning.

My opinion...the lilac is a no-statement as a lollipop bush but may be quite handsome as a tree. I'm giving my lilac a look after seeing the beautiful lilac tree grown by Lorna.

You'll all be happy to know that dh chopped up the lilac so now it looks like a nice little tree. It will be staying.

Also bought a pink diamond hydrangea.

We saw the coolest house the other day while driving around. It was cottage style with plaster or stucco siding that was troweled to look like scallops. It was a pale yellow with bright yellow shutter and an awesome curved door. Dh has been bugging for stucco for ages and now I might agree to it if he can do it like that house. It was the perfect cottage look.

Good for SH!It will take a year or two, but the lilac should reward you.
It should be a definite asset to a cottage garden.

Stucco sounds wonderful.

Nell

I think your house will be very cute as a cottage! I think a good way to balance the brickwork is to paint the other part of the house a color of similar value to decrease the contrast. Pull a shade from the bricks--maybe dark taupe or dark grey-brown or maroon? It's hard to tell what colors are there. Then paint your door in the blue, yellow or whatever light, contrasty color you like--it will really have presence once the house is more uniform! Shutters on the windows will balance them as well.

As for the lilac, I'm glad to read you're keeping it. The placement seems appropriate to me. Lilacs can grow large so it's good not to have it too close to the house.