I think we're all focusing on the sidewalk right now because it's the strongest visual element in the current landscape. Choose a design similar to Doug's that gives you something interesting to look at from inside your home. When planting beds and a couple of trees are added, you'll hardly notice the sidewalk. My real concern here is why the dog didn't face the camera when his portrait was snapped.

This style of house was built by the thousands in Florida in the 60s and 70’s, often referred to as Bermuda Style. Usually painted a pastel color, always had shutters, and the quoining on the walls would have been white. Your columns look a little bit undersized to me, and a slightly wider staircase might be nice, but I think once you’ve landscaped you won’t really notice. They are so pretty when painted a cheerful color, and look wonderful with a colorful garden much like it seems you want. If you are far enough south, Hibiscus is a fantastic choice. It blooms all year, comes as a bush which you can even grow as a hedge, or as a Standard, for a more formal look. There are an almost unlimited variety of flower shapes, sizes and colors. Whatever you do, don’t get talked into Oleander, beautiful but toxic. Your house is going to look wonderful when you paint and get the landscaping in.

If the bottom pic is what the house looks like now, you've done a great job. In the spring, I'd plant annuals. They'll bloom all year and perk up your garden. Pick a color scheme. I might be tempted by white, pale pinks and dark purple to match your door. Plant lots between your shrubs. Get some matching cushions for your bench.

@HU-802224546, the "plants" I used are just shapes, pieces from elsewhere in the original photo. I would use a mix of different evergreens (for winter structure) and perennials (where you need to pile snow), with maybe some deciduous flowering shrubs mixed in on the left. Shasta daisies, black-eyed susans, and orange asiatic lilies are some perennials that would look much like the picture, if that area gets sun. The small trees shown on the left are native fringe trees, but any flowering trees would be fine there to screen your side/back yard. I showed shade trees (maples? oaks? other?) on the right; if you're planning to fence that area, they could be inside or outside the fence. (I assume you've checked local regulations to see how high the fence can be and how far it needs to be from the road.) The main visual changes are the generous walkway pulled away from the house and the deeper planted area fronting it that forms a long, sweeping curve, meeting the driveway where the paving changes color. On the house itself, I removed the overhang supports entirely for a cleaner, more modern look. (If the garage and house front walls are in the same plane and the overhang is unsupported over the garage, it should not need supports over the house either, but have someone make sure that would work structurally.) I painted the infill panel below the large window black (assuming the window frames are black as they appear in the photo) and showed sidelights beside the door. (The opening width looks like that was the original intent.) If you just replaced the door and don't want to do sidelights, I would paint those infill panels black too. (I see lights mounted on those panels, so if you did do sidelights, you would need that lighting moved elsewhere.) Enjoy your project--and post a picture when you're done!