My inclination would be to define the property edge with a row, or double row of street trees. There is nothing that qualifies as an eyesore needing screening and no projected use of the side yard requires privacy. So why hide a nice view? I'd invite people passing by to look into and admire your yard. Street trees (limbed up so that the view is maintained, of course!) add order and stateliness, mark the property limits, generally dress it up and display your affection for it. How you handled the ground space below the trees would depend on their spacing and shade pattern. It could be grass, groundcover (something easy) or mulch. Because the location is some distance from the house and because you have time, if you wanted, you could use trees that are more unusual, Maclura pomifera for instance. They should look nice, but don't need to reek of high formality unless that's what you want. Where you need privacy for the back yard you could use sizable shrubs placed somewhere near the fence as a hedge or in carefully placed groupings. The end of the house needs a couple of trees to shield some of the blank wall space. They could be shade or flowering trees. They don't need to be jammed up on the house but could be spaced a distance away proportionate to their ultimate size. A few shrubs to fit with the lower level blank space could be worked into the scheme.

Your line about "who makes the cut" has really struck a nerve with me. Let me explain. I have the strong opinion that you can do whatever you want with the photos (ie. "who makes the cut"). What you see and how you feel from the displays is all you. A display with a topic theme, color theme, or whatever theme is going to be fabulous as long as you go with your heart and your gut. I had a terrible MIL (EX now!) who actually took the time to inventory WHO was displayed in photos, HOW they were displayed, and concocted her own storylines on why I elected to leave out certain people, include others, and have some more prominent than others. She had the gall to have "sit-down talks" with me several times about my choices in displayed photos. She started sending photos with little post-it notes on where they would "look nice" & which one's I should change out. It gnawed at her to no end that I changed nothing despite her passive-aggressive instructions. I hope your family and/or friends are not the likes of the old hag I used to deal with. You should never, EVER have to explain the reasonings (themes, etc) of photos and why you display what you do. Don't want to bring a downer to this & hope I'm not making you think harder into it. This just brought back some bad memories and it's really too bad it had to go that way. End of therapeutic vent. Gayle

I think it wants to be light the bigger the space-the harder is to make it dark. I mean-harder to make it intentionally good dark. depending on architecture, style, ceiling height..purpose, obviously..)) while there are no set rules when comes to colors. your main space kinda whispers to me "born to be lighter" maybe you can highlight some elements. given you have some distinct ones. does the kitchen exist already, or will go in the space where the opening currently is, or..? I suppose finishes will be monochrome, more or less? (if you worry about lack of dramatic dark element later-don't be. art and furnishings can give you that and much more gorgeous flooring shapes to be one great house ETA: I'm so tired of this "Last modified" thing..if you see it know it means I found a typo, then a grammar mistake, then another typo, then another grammar mistake..and it sounds so solemn as if I discovered the multiplication table while I was writing lol

I recently faced the same question (my photos are in a wide stair well and landing area rather than over a couch though). After ordering a picture shelf I opted to do a gallery wall instead - the picture ledge stands out enough that I felt like it protruded in the space (it wouldn't actually have been in the way, it just felt like it was). You might have the same problem if you placed one over a sofa. That said, it does mean my pictures are staying where I put them and it's taking me along time to hang them all.