I think the following things would help:

1. Paint shutters and door a different color

2. Get black, more modern address numbers

3. Widen walkway so that it is as wide as stairs perhaps with flagstone or stamped concrete.

4. After removing trees, you could get some nice ceramic pots and place one on each side of base of stairs (not on stairs but outside edge of lower stair posts).

5. Add more shrubs in front.

When the roof is replaced down the road, I would go with a darker color to give more contrast.

Cute house!

Good choice to take down the overgrown evergreens.

I agree with widening the walkway.

Make the beds deeper so that they come out from the house as far as the bottom of the steps. Then move your plants outward so they aren't so tight against the building. Add a combination of evergreen and flowering plants so you have some color all season, but use a relatively small number of different types so that it doesn't look chaotic. At least some should be shrubs, and have an evergreen groundcover to fill in and tie the whole thing together. Choose plants with heights that will remain below the windows with little if any pruning, though one that's a bit taller would be fine on the far left if it won't crowd the driveway. And plant all shrubs far enough from the building so that plants won't touch the building, even when full size. Plant tags often give size at 5 years, so check a reliable source such as the MO Botanical Garden's Plant Finder to get the real story on size. Ideally there should be room for you to slide in behind the plants to paint, wash windows, and do other maintenance. Be sure to give the bed a crisp edge, whether a cut edge or a buried edging, and use shredded bark mulch to keep weeds down until the groundcover fills in.

I don't mind the shutters or their color, though there are folks who will suggest removing them. Do what you find appealing with them.

Prune back the shrub to the right so that it is above the window, not hanging in front of it.

I really like the color of the flowering plant to the left of the steps and how it enlivens the color of your shutters and door. (Azalea? Rhododendron?) One more on the other side with your beds pulled outward, as NHBabs describes (she gives solid advice). I like the variegated hostas, too. You have the beginnings of a darling cottage garden, you just need more of it. Maybe add a flowering plant that holds blossoms high on tall skinny stems, too -- can you grow Verbena bonariensis? Have fun with your beds.

some ideas

There seems to be agreement on what would be desirable so I won't repeat it. One thing worth repeating is that you are better off planting things further from the foundation of the house. Hosta's are easy to relocate. If you are lucky you will have friends with divisions to share. If not, you can gradually add to them over the years.

I like a front door to stand out which is why I would paint the shutters another color. I show black but I think a gray to match the roof would be nice.

Porch lights on either side of the door would be nice.

I agree on a bit darker roof whenever that time comes.