Wonderful job with your mock-up! It suits the style of the home very well.

I thought these additional photos might be helpful

Wow, love your new colors, blues and tans, with an orange door! For the front entry, I like the idea of vertical slats forming an open 'wall' from overhang to ground. And will you also widen the steps, so they don't present a pinch point to the front door? What an excellent start!

I think your mock up looks great. I would pressure wash the bricks that you have. Love The wood wall in my area this would cost quite a bit. I would Modernize landscaping will make a huge difference.

Getting rid of the red is the major first step. I would second power washing the brick patio- might be fine as the lone red element. I’m nervous about the ‘stone’ panels mounted on wood retaining walls. That doesn’t sound like a good long term solution. I would use solid color stain to paint the wood black for now, put in real concrete retaining walls with a stone face when you can afford it.

Like your mock up.

Is it dark in the house, cuz there are so few windows and they are small?

I added additional windows to your mock up

Like your mock up. Getting the house painted will be a big first step.

I like what you are proposing

The transition from the walk to the three wooden steps and the stoop looks awkward. I hope someone can suggest an alternative. You should maybe resolve that before you paint..

Wow! Thank you all for your input.

@nickel_kg i agree that the step/porch should be widened. Hubs suggested extending the step a foot or 2 to the left, but then what to do about the alignment of the vertical wood slats to the overhang Roof? Do you think it would look ok to jut them out on one side so that one part has no roof?

Something along the lines of this photo but instead of attaching to the side of the house, attached to the overhang roof?

@HALLETT & Co. You have a point about the longevity of the stone panels on the timber retainers. The tool I used had a stone option and I got excited about the look. I will mock up a version with black stained timbers later today. Thank you for this suggestion.

@BeverlyFLADeziner Love the look of the upgraded windows, it certainly looks better than the smaller windows on the exterior. Maybe someday. We actually don’t have an issue with light thanks to a large set of windows on the side of the house but it would solve some furniture layout gripes I have been working through!

Yes, your mock-up is great!

@Beth H. :Yes, I saw some of these before and afters when researching and they give me hope! I will try to mockup wood paneling over the garage like you suggested.

I love the garage door style, it is actually what we have in mind but could not reproduce in the mockup tool I am using. Also, your fence suggestions have given me some inspiration ... perhaps I could try to paint or stain the concrete wall black to tie in with the black timber retainers suggested by @HALLETT & Co. and then try to use some pattern of wood panels over the concrete wall instead of a full wall of wood. I will play around with that idea and see how it looks.

If you don't do a crazy size you can purchase the windows at HD or Lowes.

I'd do it BEFORE I painted.

Mondaynight, I'm at the limit of my design envisioning! I don't know how to exceed the roof line without it looking odd -- but there must be some way..?

I love the colors you have picked, we will be painting our house soon and I may steal your palette :). For your awkward front step situation, I think if you extended the steps so they were as wide as the porch and made them timber steps like the others, or at least put solid risers on them so you can't see through, it would look nice.