I think that some of the suggestions wouldn't be an improvement and suggest that you think about whether those changes will enhance the home's appearance and period details. The dark stripes of the shutters add interest to the facade from a distance and I don't think I would change them unless you are going to add similar wide dark trim. The glass brick are appropriate to the architecture and were common in that time period, so unless you want that to be a window that you can look out, don't change them. Similarly, the wrought iron porch supports are typical to the time period, so unless they really bother you keep them. On the other hand, I don't like the jalousie windows and consider them to be more common on beach houses and back porches, not on windows to the main house, so I would switch them out. The low wall doesn't bother me since it is so low, but if you don't like it, I don't think removing it would be an issue as long as doing so won't damage the porch or house. I think replacing the door with one more in keeping with the house's architecture would be nice, and painting it something that contrasts with the masonry while still coordinated with the house would look good, so rich deep brown or black, or a shade like the brightest brown in the masonry, or even some shade of orange. The main issue to get an appealing entry is the plantings and walkway, both of which are currently narrow and cramped feeling. So I would move the walkway to a minimum of 5' from the garage so that you have room for a row of small shrubs underplanted with groundcover and a few bright flowers near the drive and where the walk turns toward the house. The walk should be at least 5' wide so visitors don't have to approach single file, and 6' would be better. You have a lot of different masonry surfaces going on already, so I would choose concrete to match the porch surface. I like the simple squared off shape of the walk and how it relates to the building, so I wouldn't change the shape or add curves. The current plantings seem rather random with regard to the architecture, so placement when you add plants will be important. Don't put plants that want to grow tall in front of windows, and center plantings with regard to architectural details instead of the current placement of being half in front of windows and masonry details. You don't say where you are in zone 6, and soil pH, texture, and moisture are different in Cleveland vs. New England vs. Oklahoma, so at this point it is difficult to make specific plant suggestions. You will want some evergreens for the backbone of the garden to provide year round interest. If your soil is acid and has reasonable drainage, look st some of the smaller and more densely growing members of the Heath family such as smaller Pieris or mountain laurel/Kalmia, heath/Erica, Heather/Calluna, or some of the smaller Rhododendrons. The Rhododendrons and Kalmia will tolerate a good amount of shade but the heaths and heathers like full sun. Other evergreens to consider with varying tolerance for shade include: Yew/Taxis which is your current plant, but has other shapes and sizes available and has the advantage of being very shade tolerant Junipers range from groundcovers to large trees and different cultivars have varying foliage colors, but like a good amount of sun Chamaecyparis has quite a range of foliage color and texture as well as plant size, depending on species and cultivar. Doesn't like all day shade, but tolerates a range of pH.

Thank you for the comments! We are planning on pulling out all the landscaping along the front of the house. I completely agree that it is way too large. I think seeing all the brick on the right hand side of the house and not being able to see it on the left is part of what is making it hard for me to visualize. My husband's work schedule should allow us in the next week or so to start pulling out the bushes and I can't wait! As much as I would like to take out the trees in the front yard (they are HUGE pine trees) we are going to have to wait and save up to have them professionally removed because of their size. The windows that my husband wants to enlarge are on the end of the house where it is all siding and then on the driveway in the below image where it is all brick. The windows on the front he wants to widen more then lengthen because of the brick placement. I hadn't really thought about removing the shutters completely, so now I am curious to get them down and see what it looks like. I'm not opposed to painting the brick. Which is why I was wondering if I should paint the siding and the brick the same color. Is it better to leave the brick as is and adjust the siding and front door color?

Neat looking house. Would NOT paint the brick. Would paint the exposed metal chimney pipe a heat resistant black. Would repaint all the white trim white. Look up the "c are" instructions for that bush nearest the porch and, if appropriate to do so this time of year, trim it to below window height and a bit back away from the porch post. Would wrap that skinny front porch post to make it sturdier looking and paint it white. You might outline the sidewalk in pavers (tops level with the sidewalk top) to widen the sidewalk -- after creating a flat place between those pavers and the higher dirt/lawn. Then you could plant an outlining row of a low growing plants (such as liriope, if in Zone 7 or if it will grow where you live) to outline the sidewalk and prevent the dirt from washing over the sidewalk. Spider plants will grow faster and might work for the summer but the plants may not survive the winter and whether or not the roots will survive might require covering them in plastic. Then focus on creating a healthy lawn.

You have a nice house! I wouldn't touch the stone, perhaps it only needs some cleaning. On my 1st sketch, I show a green that a bit darker than the one you were thinking about, it would be a better choice with your stone. I went with white trim at the roof line, black windows and doors, a more modern trellis, large new black sconces, and improved landscaping with simple perenials or small shrubs. On the 2nd sketch, I went bolder with SW Urbane Bronze which I think really complements your stone well. Black trim at the roof line, black windows and doors, etc...