Ha ha! Want to know something funny? When I first saw the yellow house, I thought how nice and refreshing those rich colors looked, then I read the post. So, obviously, that look is not for you. Based on what you have told us, you are, er, conservative (doesn't have to be boring), and a bit more traditional. That said, you seem to be dismissing the advice to repaint the front door out of hand, but IMO that will give you The Most Impact, and for the least $$! Please reconsider. A pale blue or gray that plays off the white and the green colors while do much to brighten the entryway. Let's talk about how to hide that hose. You can either a) remove it when not in use (never gonna happen) or b) replace the hose with one that matches the paint color of the house or c) move the spigot to the driveway side, this being the most obvious permanent solution but also the most expensive, possibly necessitating tearing up the front walkway and replacing it with either new concrete or pavers. AND you could landscape. Landscaping is a process that involves a few key steps: defining your needs and setting your prioritites (as with all house-related projects) and, next, choosing a style or theme, based on your personal likes/dislikes. Before we go there, when it comes to specific plant suggestions, do you know what zone you are in? That will determine what plant material is hardy to your area, if you choose to limit yourself to (mostly) hardy plants. How is the drainage, since you will be planting close to the house, how and where the water goes is especially important information. What direction does the house face? That will determine how much sun or shade the area gets. Finally, ask yourself what is the mood you want to create? Do you have any inspiration pics? We need to know what you envision in the Big Picture. Then we can help you reach that goal.

Thank you, Jakabedy,Jlc, Holly and Pinkmountain! Yes I'm happy! It's weird though how sometimes there is a place for perfect and sometimes perfect is not good when decorating. Sort of like when I had the wood look porcelain floor put in my master bedroom and bath. To me fake anything should be done in a random loosely staggered way. Too perfect of a pattern just says "hey look at me I'm perfectly fake". I love my loosely random layout. Now, when I look at the driveway pictures I see a few long run grout lines which would normally bother me a lot. But, strangely in the "whole" it works so well and looks much more natural. I have seen these type of driveways done with a different technique where the lines are taped on to perfection and the top surface is sprayed on instead of hand applied. The result is horrible and screams I am a "perfect" fake. The grout lines are oddly razor sharp in style for an outdoor space. It's weird I tell ya.

Shutters should appear to be operable, so they would need to be as wide as the window... so if closed, they would cover the window. So no shutters on your house. I agree with taking out the boxwood that have been butchered. If you take the bed all the way to the sidewalk, you need a pocket bed on the left side. Yes to learn more about pruning the Crepe Myrtle. Ever heard of Crepe Murder? It's a thing. LOL Honestly you don't even have to prune them. We had several over 30ft tall at our last house, but you don't want one too tall right next to the house. Having lived in the South all my life, I don't have a problem with the grass since we get rain. No idea where you live, but the grass looks healthy. Unless you want to spend every weekend gardening, or hire a gardener, I would not go to the extreme of removing the grass. If there room for a wooden bench on the front porch?

Yes we need to know budget but more to the point is what are you doing inside. Are you adding windows any other changes that will have a effect on the exterior? IMO the shkes need to go and be replace with regular siding. That weird 1/2 cover on the driveway needs to be removed and IMO park your car on the street . You will need to be careful to design the block type finish to enhance the house the same goes for the dark color everywhere. That tiny window needs to be addressed IMO it throws off the whole front .The hedge needs to removed and if you go with eiter idea above new windows for sure. in a much more contemporary style and in black.