Congratulations on your marriage and your new house. This forum unfortunately doesn't get much traffic. There are quite a few requests on the Home Decorating forum for assistance in improving curb appeal, so I think you should post there. Some of the folks there do a great job with photoshopping ideas. But before you do repost there, I think this info would be helpful: - Pictures of the front with the new raised beds - How far from the house is that tree in the front of the house? You need some planting on the right side between the windows. But what will depend on the tree.

Center your porch between the garage and the double windows. With the cantilevered upstairs and full length upstairs window above the door, a forward facing gable isn't practical. A flat roof would work -- as a porch large enough for you to actually use as a place to sit -- or just as a stoop/portico. Alternately, you could create a nearly flat hip roof: from the center point above the door, you could create three roof sections with two ridges. Tried to get just the "hip" roof framing pic to come up but it wouldn't ... so ... it's on this page (you wouldn't need this much slope to your roof): https://www.google.com/search?q=nearly+flat+front+porch+roof+with+three+section+and+two+ridges&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwijptLTnJjbAhUDpFkKHXHiCeYQ_AUICigB&biw=1366&bih=650#imgrc=z-3tvD8JrwOzWM:&spf=1526954467515

@Anna & @NHBabs- I was trying to say add an above window pergola...not add a window =) We definitely don't have the room for that inside. I think with Dougs design a pergola would be too much though. We can definitely do a smaller, more affordable version of that gorgeous front deck. We are experienced DIYers and can do much or all of the work ourselves and with a few changes its completely affordable. I actually have more of the pavers from our walkway that can be added to the front area to widen that landing out some, though we won't go as wide on the left side as is shown because our yard gets narrower there against the neighbors yard. We can do stone that matches our existing stone out back on the steps and instead of stone columns we can do thick wood posts with black metal caps, and the affordable black aluminum railings that we had planned anyway, which would match our new back deck perfectly. We have considered stone in the chimney at some point in the future, though it won't be next year. It won't be quite as grand as Dougs design but gives a very similar look for alot less $$. I think to the left of the door we can add a long, covered, decorative bench box for wood storage in that space. That way we have wood for a week in the winter without trudging to the fire wood shelters out back every day or so. (We have 2 wood stoves that get used alot in the winters here.) We never use our entrance unless we are going out the front door for mail, and all our friends use the back entrance as there is ample parking out there. I can see us sitting out there on the deck with a glass of wine in the shade though. Since the only visitors we get out front are deliveries and people selling stuff, we probably don't need to add anything for sheltering them lol. Still struggling with house color. Currently its a pale yellowish color my husband hates (ditto for me) and it clashes with our new stone. We were thinking maybe something more earthy in a brown/gray...meaning not just brown or gray, something with a mix of both. Or maybe a darker beige. We'd like to darken it up a bit. The shingles are a dark gray but do have a little brown/tan in them along with the black and gray. Its called Canadian Driftwood.

Here are some house styles I like... Ours is obviously smaller and we have less money than the people in these houses!