Just realized I posted this in the wrong thread...sorry! Just moved it to "home decorating"

Sounds like everyone would take the shutters off. We really like the charm that shutters create. We also want a white painted house. If we take off all the shutters the house would look white and boring? You can't see the roof because the house is on a slope so there won't even be a contrast with the roof. The house was built in the 1930's and originally had shutters on it. I think the original owners put new larger windows in above the garage and thus were left with little room to have shutters on both sides. I'm trying to also envision something over the main doorway but I'm not sure how to integrate it as there is a stairway to the landing and a porch. How would it integrate into our low roof line? Any ideas?

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

I assume by modern you mean more up to date. Not necessarily modern style like sharp corners, colder tones.... I love what you did and I think adding black trim would be amazing. Remove the landscape. You don’t need much by the porch. You need some by the right side of the house and for that I’d do something neat and simple. Two rows of boxwoods? I would for sure update the walkway. Maybe the same whitewash brick in a herringbone pattern. And can’t wait to see the new shutters. This is such an awesome home!! Love it. Love what you did. Looks amazing and will look even better!!