I couldn't see your pictures, but from your description, it sounds like adding a low fence to form a courtyard off the front of the house could be a solution. As you don't have any direct access off the front of the house, you could treat this as a viewing garden, and use the fence,(perhaps 4 foot tall) as a backdrop for shrubs/perennials/tropicals, with ground cover fronting this and sweeping up to the low front windows. If you are really so constrained by underground utility lines, you could use some groupings of large containers for planting some taller plants to get some height without the root problems. You could also use things like Cannas, bananas, Hedychiums, Colocasias, etc to get height without having to worry about roots damaging pipes.

Decorative containers near the front door below the carport could also help guests know where the front entry is, or perhaps even adding a skylight at the carport/entry to make it more inviting.

Your pictures come up tiny on my computer so I can't see much, but your description is good, as well as your description of what you want to achieve and what problems are constraining you.

It seems the lines are overhead, not underground, but that doesn't alter the fact that fencing might be your answer.

I think you are trying to combine traditional landscaping rules with a non-traditional objective. Basically, you want to do something similar to what all gardeners do who take on their landscaping, which is to create a back-yard environment in the front yard and have it look good. For that, I think a fence or hedge is very useful. Looks like you could put it anywhere between road and house to create a space for yourselves - I see no reason why it couldn't be a fairly high one - and use it as the backdrop for what you want to see from the house AND for what you want people to see from the street.

Although I think what might be called the mid-century modern aesthetic of your house does call for the smooth open surface of a groomed lawn to really "get" the designer's objective, it is your prerogative to change that, even to the extent of simply hiding the house behind a hedge or fence and landscaping the hedge for street viewing instead.

As far as gardening under wires is concerned, by the way, shrubbery can be your friend. Such bushes as mock orange, contorted filbert, Loropetalum, Physocarpus, various viburnums, and probably many more in your climate, easily grow to some 6-10 feet in height yet are readily controlled at that height. Other than the Loropetalum they are deciduous, and thus provide only seasonal cover, but you may have some tolerance for that, and can mix them with evergreens where you want more screening. Plus, they actually look nice bare, most of them, if they are pruned to a nice shape.

KarinL

I had a similar situation at my old ranch home. We had the utilities co. come and bury the wires to our house. It was very reasonable back in the 90's,- just under $200.

Then my husband built a smallish step-up front deck (porch)
and we had a stamped concrete walkway installed to the driveway.
Our driveway was U shaped, and he built beautiful drystack
fieldstone walls on either side of the U, fronting the ditch and road, and the center was filled with all woodships to kill the grass. A few years later, we filled the center with a white birch and a multitude of flowers.

Our front yard went from being an eyesore, to a thing of beauty.

The idea of a hedge to provide privacy is such a good one.
I recommend you ask elec and phone what the cost would be
to bury those ugly lines. And you could certainly get some estimates for an entryway landing (patio), with some benches and very small trees to say "welcome".
Pondy

Love Pondy's idea about a U shaped driveway with flowers in front. I was going to suggest that you put fairly large beds (square shaped?) in your yard with those tropical plants that you want. Small palms, cannas, even butterfly bushes, coneflowers, salvia, etc. This may just bring your eye down enough to draw attention away from the lines, if it's too expensive to bury them. You would probably need to include some small evergreens to keep the interest all winter long.

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. They were all great. We got busy over the weekend, and installed a cobblestone walk across the front of the house, with a semi-circle sitting area, fountain and birdbath on the far end near the meter pan. This helps draw the eye away from the electrical service some, but still needs more work. Maybe some large, tall potted plants or a large potted vine on a trellis? Also planted 3 dwarf crepe myrtles, evenly spaced in front of the windows, and a grouping of 1/2 a dozen dwarf indian hawthornes near the chimney/drive. Put in a long narrow bed of pansies under the low front window, on the street side of the cobblestone walk. I'm pleased with the progress, but am still working on the "privacy" issue, since none of this really addressed my original issue. However, it did make it more inviting for me personally, so that I want to get up there and do more now.

I love the idea of a fence across the front dividing it from the street, and your feedback has sold my husband on the idea as well (he was previously skeptical when I mentioned it. Afraid that it would "hide" the house too much, which is part of my overall objective).

Bananas and canna would grow well up there, and achieve the tropical feel I'm hoping for. Also like the idea of a ground cover creeping up to the low front windows. The windows face directly west, and get full sun 6-8 hrs/day. Any suggestions on a nice low growing or creeping ground cover that will tolerate almost full sun?

Not sure if my utility companies will be helpful on burying the line. I previously asked the cable company to move their line to the carport (where the telephone line connects) and they refused, saying they were required by law to attach to the home at the electical meter pan. Moving the meter pan is not an option, so I kind of gave up and decided that we had to live with the overhaed lines. But I never thought about having them all buried. I can certainly call and ask. That would give us so much more flexibility.

Thanks again

Thanks to pondwelr for the idea on burying the utilities. We checked into it, and it's possible. Not nearly as reasonable as in the 90's. Going to cost us approx $1000 to have it done. But it's possible. Going to take some time to get it done, so in the meantime we've planted cordyline, coleus, castor oil plants, lilies and other colorful tropicals near the front corners to draw the eye away from the lines. Is all a work in progress. Will post updated before and after photos soon for additional suggestions. Thanks again.