Honestly, I like it better as is. I'd leave the trees, but remove some of the lower branches. I'd remove the foundation plantings (a pet peeve) and put low shrubs near the street - not a hedge, not continuous - just enough to create separation between the lawn and the pavement. I would not have a courtyard in front, because I'd feel like I was on display. I'd build up the yard at the right, perhaps add a small retaining wall, so the slope would be less pronounced.

I like the light gray option. What I don't care for is the slope on the right. If the was my house, while sprucing up the exterior, I would have a retaining wall built to create a level yard on that side of the property. Love the courtyard and the firepit option. Foundation plantings are a must, in my opinion.

I find it weird to have a courtyard and firepit on the front of the house. That's a backyard feature to enjoy in privacy, not on display to the neighborbood. A it of a zen garden, with some Japanese maples and shrubs would work much better to ground the home than the current unnatural meatballs.

Where do visitors park and approach the home? I don't see any clues as to direct someone to gracefully enter the home, unless there is no off street parking and you expect people to park on the street?. That is what the landscaping should create---a sense of direction and welcoming. A fire pit in that sense is actually kind of scary and forbidding!

Painting bricks creates a maintenence nightmare, whereas unpainted brick is almost maintenence free. It's also a natural material that looks at home in a wooded setting. Almost Asian inspired, with the cedar and original brick. The painted versions look unnatural and trying too hard to be on top of a current color scheme that will date a heck of a lot faster than the honesty of natural materials in a natural state.

I wouldn't paint the brick. I think it looks better natural, especially with the big mass on the right where the yard slopes down. And there are the maintenance issues as well.

Why not do the board and batten in the center of the house as well, instead of bringing in the cedar? Or replace the siding with cedar? I think it's more cohesive to use the same materials in both areas.

I have to agree with the concerns about a fire pit in front-- will you really use it there? I would only do it if there's no useable back yard.

Thanks for the comments thus far. Really appreciate the range of opinions and different perspectives. Here's a current shot of the entrance to the home to help round out the picture in that regard. My renderings mask the fact that the house sits much lower than the street.

The home is on 2 lots, appx 1.5 acres. There is a rock lined creekbed in the rear (about 40 feet from the back of the home) which is used for storm water draining from the street. The right side of the lot is very rocky but it was top filled when the neighborhood was built.

About the fire pit. It was a surprise that our architect came up with and we really like the idea. Front porches as gathering places are a heritage tradition here in our area.

Our home is on a culdesac street that gets very little traffic. We will probably doing some plantings and landscaping near the street to help separate the spaces, however, we are not concerned with this being a private space. It will mainly be used for entertaining and welcoming our neighbors.

We are fortunate that we have a very large backyard space to utilize for privacy.

WIth the full body shot, I think it's even more important that you have a prominent path from the left side driveway/parking area to the front door. You're not going to have most people walk down the slope from the street to the door. Most will walk up the drive and try to get to the door that way. Friends and family will want to walk around back as well rather than use the front entrance. So plan for that in the home's rear landscaping and internal room positioning.

Its hard to see from the straight on renderings, but there is a concrete paver path from the driveway to the front door, running through the firepit courtyard area. We are using 4x4 square poured concrete paver segments to connect the driveway area to the front entrance from both the garage side and the front road side. There will be a 6 inch border around the pavers that is filled with river rock.

Red Mountain Media, I am curious what you ended up doing. Do you have pictures?

Hi Kim, we are well underway with the renovations. The interior and exterior remodels are complete and we are now working on landscaping. You can see start to finish pics here: http://www.houzz.com/projects/758624/vestavia-hills-mid-century-remodel-start-to-finish

Love to get your feedback. Are you working on a mid century remodel?

I LOVE the way your exterior came out. The seating & fire pit area at the front is brilliant. So cosy and welcoming!

Are you planning to do some plantings in front of the big wall on the right? I think it will soften up that expanse and help it integrate better with the rest of the facade.

And yes, I'm doing a mid-century remodel, but I wouldn't exactly call it modern. Our house is a 1958 ranch that still has lots of older style elements. I'm having so much trouble figuring out what to do with the windows -- partly because I love the old windows so much, but we can't reuse them or afford anything similar.

I've posted my dilemma along with some house photos [here[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/new-windows-in-ranch-house-divided-lights-or-no-dsvw-vd~3834720), in case you're interested.

Oh, my -- it looks tremendous! Great vision, looks terrific!