Other than framing the door, you don't really mention what your objective is. Curb appeal is achieved through a well-thought-out plan that functions well, rather than simply something that stands out. Foundation plantings were invented in the late 1800s when homes were being built with tall exposed foundations made of unattractive blocks. If you don't have a foundation to hide, the planting isn't necessary. If you're looking to fill the empty space where the yews came out, any groundcover plant that will behave itself is a candidate, whether shrub, perennial, or the usual groundcover plants like pachysandra or vinca. Beware of ivy, which can take over the world and be difficult to get rid of if you change your mind. If you do want plants along the house, keep them low under the windows and use taller ones out near the corners of the house. The horizontal yews (Taxus baccata) are a good choice, and won't need to be sheared. The Oakleaf hydrangea is also a good choice for summer and fall, but is pretty unattractive in the winter. I'd look for something that has year-round appeal for the front. Not necessarily evergreen, but something that has some winter interest in the form of nice bark or berries, or an interesting branching pattern. If you plan to add perennials, stick to three or four different plants that peak at different times of the season, and plant them in large quantities. Groups of 5 or 7 plants or more will have impact that you won't get from 1 or two plants. To frame the entry and draw the eye, several big pots with shade tolerant annuals will give you color all summer, and you can use the pot-in-a-pot method to change from spring to summer to fall plants if you are that ambitious. I just plant annuals in my big pots and stick evergreen branches in them in the late fall. I'm not a fan of pointy shrubs flanking the door. If you define what you want from the area in terms of amount of maintenance, cost to install, and any other goals you have for this spot, your choices will be guided by function.

Before deciding on the wall, I’m sort of wondering about the layout. The furniture feels squeezed in and if adjusted, you may decide to treat wall differently. For example, you could add moulding and paint that wall a deep shade, placing desk in front, which would better balance room. Would feel something like below. ...but with molding. You could also try desk between windows, bookcase on back wall and chair to its right.

Do you mean the "tower" in that last pic IMO that looks as cheap as the desks. Could you take pics showing the whole space and a to scale floor plan would be good. I agree open your mind to other finishes too. White furniture can often look cheap unless you go way up in price

Since you already have a nice bookshelf you really don't need that kind of storage so what about taking down the posters and applying a peel-and-stick wall mural? You can find them pretty inexpensively on amazon, and a bit more pricey on etsy or wayfair. There are so many designs available that I think you'd have fun choosing the one you'd love in your room.