Thanks for the comments. We'll keep looking for more ideas. Neither of us care for the dormer window look or the angled ceilings in the inside that come with a 1.5 story. We also would like to keep the roof line simple, & not have support posts in our garage to support the 2nd floor. With all these requests, we're somewhat limiting ourselves & are hoping to find other ways to help minimize the prominent effect of the garage. In our opinion, the 45 angle from the main part of the house does help break it up a little, but based on the opinions here, it needs more. Are there any ideas of using various siding colors, stone placement, different windows, gable(s), a lentil, or even flower boxes, something along those lines, to break up the 2nd floor from the garage? We didn't care for all the stone under the porch roof that was in the original picture I posted. Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel that it was too much & pushed your eye away from it & towards the garage also. Regarding the porch roof, would it be better if we were to angle the side by the oval window to mimic the side by the garage so the roof was symmetrical? We know there's an abundance of knowledge on houzz so that's why we're here looking for constructive ideas & input.

Thanks everyone:) We're happy that it is more inviting as it's been opened up. The overgrown shrubs needed to go...will likely plant some boxwood later. rob33- yes, it's really that portion under the columns that is crumbly (and crummy) looking. Great point that we should just cover with seasonal planters until we fix/ do some landscaping in the spring. We will also be doing something with our columns to spruce them up.... Seasonal fir planters are just a few weeks away:)....

If the siding is in good shape just repaint. New windows will take half your budget but could offer energy savings and sound proofing.The Craftsman trim could be fitted to the old windows or new ones. Landscaping would be the best upgrade. You need at least 4 evergreen shrubs to line the foundation and some flowers for colorsto repeat on the door.

I don't think you can put a stone veneer on top of an exterior wood porch and steps. Wouldn't the stone crack with movement of the wood underneath and the wood and stone would contract differently in weather conditions leading to more cracks. I googled Poured in Place Concrete STeps: The average home requires a set three steps high by 4 feet in width. This method can be expected to cost, on average, between $400 to $650, not including the door porch area. Info on Precast Concrete Steps: A footing is still required for the stairs to rest on, Precast stairs are much cheaper than poured-in-place stairs, but are not as durable due to their hollow design. The average cost of a set of precast stairs that consists of three 4-foot-wide steps is around $200. Doesn't include labor costs or a porch area next to the door..