I know....hideous! So please help! :)

Right off the bat, you need to lighten the porch area. It's kind of a dark hole and not inviting. Could you paint just that area? You could go with just a light neutral color (pink/brown toned cream), but because the front door can't be seen, it would also look nice to do an accent color. A soft turquoise is opposite the red/pink of the brick on the color wheel and would play up the midcentury feel and also work with the prominent brown roof. Note: for the future, I would suggest putting a large skylight over the porch. What room does that center window go to? That seems dark, too. Maybe just installing a white curtain or white blinds in that room would help. I also think building up the trim around that window would draw attention to the porch.

I think the railings and mailbox are really squeezing the entryway. Do you need a railing by code? If not, just remove it - you have a very low step. What I would recommend is to pull the planting beds back to the corners of the porch, so that your approach is wider and more welcoming. Fill this area with flagstones or pavers or whatever you want to use. Unless you need a handrail, it doesn't have to actually be a walkable material - just something that will visually expand the concrete at that point. I would curve it out to the corners. It's only a couple of feet but I think it will make a world of difference. Purchase a wall-mount mailbox.

I would remove the shutters - they do nothing for the house.

Landscaping: Overseed your lawn. It looks like someone pulled out all the old, overgrown shrubs that were probably there and replace them with the smallest possible ones they could find. My suggestion is to put in a decent-size bed on each side of your walkway and move these little shrubs there (do you know what they are? it's hard to tell from the photo). Mulch this well and intersperse some annuals or at least some groundcover. I would take the bricks that are currently lining the planting beds and move them here, too. I think they're too distracting near the house, but they would further emphasize the path to the entry, which is what you want. OK, then buy a few decent sized specimens to plant near the house. If you are unfamiliar with what works in your area (where are you?) take a photo of your house and go to a nursery and let them make suggestions. You will probably want a combination of evergreens and deciduous shrubs - for instance, a couple of globe cedars and a rhododendron or azalea. Fill in the rest with euonymous, maybe the "Emerald and Gold" variety, which would give you some lighter color leaf interest. The existing beds narrow as they get to the end of the house - make these probably triple depth what they are now, They're just too puny looking. I would either make the beds straight-edged or if you prefer curves, make the bed under the big window almost a semi-circle - it needs to balance. You don't want a lot of shrubs which will grow tall under that low window, but you will need a variety of height. Maybe throw some perennials in there. If you add color with flowers, I would stay with a monochromatic theme. I would stay with whites and pale pinks so that the landscaping and house look like a whole. I can't see the whole right end of the house, but that's a long, empty wall. How about putting a tuteur with a nice vine on it (maybe a Clematis or a climbing hydrangea) in the center of that long wall. You could also put a small specimen tree in there - columnar apple tress could be interesting - or even just a tall hedge. Just make sure to plant it far enough away from the house. I just think you need to break up that long expanse.

Staining the sidewalk would also add interest. I would go with a light brownish tone.

Is that enough lol? I think you should start by doing some landscaping work. It won't take you any more time to take care of but it will add a lot of curb appeal!

This is an early spring photo, yes? Other than the mailbox pole, tidying / greening up the lawn, and pressure wash the concrete. I would make something sculptural to add interest on the brick, like a rustic star made up of bundled branches or a heart, whatever floats your boat! A planter full of shade loving annuals to add colour to the dark entryway, maybe smaller pots flanking the stairs?

ONe more thing: what kind of lighting do you have on the porch? I think it would be interesting to either add a hanging fixutre in the center, if you have the headroom, or maybe add a sconce on the porch corners. Of course, with the brick, that might be difficult. For the time being, at least, you will probably just want to work with the electrical location you have. something simple like this http://excitinglandscape.blogspot.com/2011/02/ocilunam-luna-pendant-light-globe.html

Meant to add: a very pale mocha would look good on the porch, too, or a pinkish orange if you want to go bright!

I'm not liking your walkway. It is so straight!!!! and boring, i want to cry :)) Please Border it with plants like in the following pic

And recently we added topsoil around our backyard tree, We brought plants and were transplanted around it, then we added red mulch.

OK, one more thing, I promise! It looks like you have a trim board just under the roof line, painted or stained a very dark brown - same for the edge of the roof. Your roof actually has a very gray/brown tone to it. I would repaint the trim in this lighter gray/brown color to better match the roof. The dark brown creates a very, very dark line at the top of the wall which does nothing for the house. If you do this, then paint the entry back wall a much lighter version of this color, That would pull it all together.

Oh my gosh! Thank y'all so much (yep...I'm in Tx, hence the early summer grass)! I'd never even considered painting the steps/porch or removing the shutters! I LOVE the light fixture and even the blue in the same pic! My interior is vintage glam with a whimsical twist- think Platner dining table with Stam chairs...cream shag rug, vintage brass bamboo accent pieces, pin up art, Adler pieces...a bit all over the place, but it's me and what I like. Not afraid of the unordinary! :)

I initially went with black mulch, but after it dried out the black mulch didn't stand out because it lightened up and it resembled the surrounding dirt, So we replaced it with red mulch. Likewise, the red mulch, after it dries out will become lighter, but still retained enough color so the plants still remained the focal point

I hate to sidetrack the progress :) that's been made here, but from my take, I would leave the shutters (they appear to be very expensive BnB shutters) - This home seems to have a lot of mid-century modern in it, and while the shutters aren't proper to a mid century modern, they are a great chance to add color and flair. In my opinion, paint is necessary. For about $50 or less, I would do the entryway walls in a light grey (with a tint of the color of your choice), do the railings/mailbox in a carnation red to "point out" your foyer, and the shutters in a soft, creamy yellow. Just my opinion though-

Wildflower, since you embrace the midcentury modern, you could more in that direction with your landscaping. How about using grasses instead of, or in addition to, shrubs? You could do a line of Mondo grass or a Liriope next to your walk, similar to what is shown in the photo I posted. That would give you a more streamlined, modern look.

A couple of tall planters on either side of your widened walk at the porch would look great. Something like this is what I have in mind: http://www.amazon.com/Novelty-08270-Napa-Planter-27-5-Inch/dp/B006GK5VSY/ref=pd_sim_sbs_lg_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=16NEJ69JHJ9C7PDP1R20 These come in a 36"H model, too - even better.
Since you're in a warm climate, you could use ceramic planters, too - something in a bright glaze would be even better than a metal finish. While I initially said to go monochromatic with your flowers, if you indeed pick up an accent color - like the turquoise on the porch - and use tall, modern planters, then I would go with bright accents: maybe some bright orange cannas in the planters? Are elephant ears perennial there? If so, those could be a standout in the landscaping and would be interesting foliage next to grasses. Hostas are always interesting if your yard is shaded.

Replace the address with something bolder, either numbers or a simple plaque:
http://www.amazon.com/Modern-House-Numbers-Aluminum-numbers/dp/B004XUFEAO/ref=sr_1_28?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1402062821&sr=1-28&keywords=address+plaque

Do the same with your mailbox:
http://www.amazon.com/Architectural-Mailboxes-Metropolis-Mailbox-Stainless/dp/B0002RPWMM/ref=sr_1_2?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1402062730&sr=1-2&keywords=wall+mount+mailbox

Try painting the porch interior an off white that coordinates with existing paint. Then paint the posts the color of the roof or just plain off white, too.

Landscaping takes a while. Try fast growing annuals this summer while you think about it. A thick planting of Shasta daisies or even dwarf sunflowers would give some punch without being difficult or requiring much time.

If you like color, try adding a bright wind sock. Zero care. Lots on amazon.com. Some have more design flair than garden flags and gnomes.

Kathryn - THANK YOU! And I just noticed the house with the blue door and cool light is close to my neighborhood! Small world! :)

Wow, that IS a small world lol!

We like that there is a bit of a debate about the shutters!

We have a couple recommendations:

1. The current shutters do not belong on the large double windows, as there is not enough room for properly sized shutters. They should typically measure out to half the size of the window they are covering, and in your instance there is just not enough space. Shutters should appear as if they are functional, so if they could close they could cover the entire window. The window to the right appears to have shutters that are properly fitted, and we do like the Board and Batten style.

2. You may find that you might not like one window having shutters and the other not, so in that case we would suggest removing them all together, widening the trim and placing window boxes below.

3. The last recommendation, and probably the most costly, would be to replace your existing shutters on both windows. Depending on your location, we would recommend that you add Bermuda (Bahama) shutters to the larger double windows. They are hinged from the top, admitting the perfect amount of sunlight and air flow into your home. To match the Bermuda style, we would recommend a pair of louvers on the window to the right. I have attached an image for you to see the Bermuda/Louver Combination.

Remove the shutters. They don't go with MCM - embrace what you have! I love the ideas that Kathryn Peltier Design had for you. Go with it :)

Kathryn Peltier Design is right on with her suggestions!!!!

So I spent a few hours this morning removing the shutters, mailbox pole and railing....it's looking better already, right? Thanks to all of you for your great suggestions....will continue to update as more progress is made! :)

As they say in the "hood", fa sho. It looks so much better.

Have you decided on the paint color for the doorway?

Fantastic - what a difference just removing those three things made!

It looks so much better already! Add a little color to your planting beds up front and you will have a totally different look to your entry.

I love the modern look you are achieving, which very much suits the horizontal orientation of your roof line and brick. I would continue that by using a modern style of landscaping, with straight lines and the use of grasses and spiky yucca-type plants. Your straight line path is a perfect start, and could be widened by the use of something like river rock or gravel on both sides - nice wide bands of it. And I'd straighten out the curving lines of your current beds, and make them wider. Here are some ideas.

I hated how my neglected yard looked when we first moved in to our mountain home, and yet I knew landscaping would eventually get prohibitively expensive. Several yard and garden experts recommended that I concentrate on removing overgrowth from bushes and trees and spend a few bucks on topsoil and grass seed in the front yard. I am very grateful for their inexpensive suggestions because there's nothing like a little pruning and neatness to transform a seemingly dilapidated property. As time went on, I bought a few plants but lucked out with great neighbors who separate their plants in the spring and give me what they don't need. Occasionally we will buy mulch to "finish" an area, but prefer low maintenance overall.

Looks so much better without the shutters! A classic example of less is more......and at no cost.

SIMPLE ADDITIONS: Great job, it looks beautiful and more functional. Now, a few simple additions. All you need to do to welcome others is: raise the shades, paint the door a light aqua, add a contemporary print chair cushion of aqua/red/yellow/white and plant a bunch of welcoming cheery yellow, bicolor yellow/red or a mix of straw flowers on each side of step. They bloom all season until frost, don't become overgrown and rarely need deadheading. Remember to put med. lg house numbers on the left wider side of entry. Good luck, have fun and enjoy.

If the front is mostly shade, add 2 lg turquoise pots with burgandy spike in center, burg/red coleus and lime potato vines. These all grow fast, so be sure the pots a fairly large.