Hi. I think the landscaping is the “something else.” It’s too big and overgrown. I think just black trim around the picture window might tie in to the window with the shutters. A black roof would look nice as well . On an HGTV show (I think it was Property Virgins), they painted the roof!

The shrubbery has to go.

Thanks !! We had actually gotten rid of a lot of the overgrown shrubbery so I hadn’t really considered more needed to go- these were here when we moved in and I hadn’t really thought about removing them.

Usually, small trees off of the corners of a house help it seem integrated into its surroundings. Here, two plants -- being trimmed as shrubs -- seem easily capable of becoming small trees. Why not cultivate them into this form and turn them into assets instead of keeping them as monster shrubs that want to engulf the house ...? Turning them into small trees is a much easier way to maintain them as one barely, if at all, needs to be concerned with trimming the tops. A circular bed of groundcover around their bases would make the picture seem finished.

The more centrally located large shrub needs to go away. The hedges seem like they could be kept ... so long as they are kept up with.

Black roofs are awfully hot, which might be worth considering.

The green of the existing shrubbery is quite relaxing. Tweaks as Yardvaark suggests would be nice and still keep it relaxed and easy. For me, I'd like some color ... some flowers ... how into gardening are you?

some ideas:

Wow love the ideas thank you !!!

I would modernize a little bit with wood/cedar and dark trim.

Wow !! Great mock-up. I am planning on getting a black storm door and painting the trim black. I’m also going to trim the bushes. Actually removing them might be a possibility but I’m going to do one thing at a time !