That's sounds like a lovely plant...... japanese maples often aren't large enough to encompass a shade garden....... you could plant a japanese garden...... if you want small scale you could put a japanese planter with some shade plant tumbling out...... or you can underplant the tree with bulbs..... daffodils...... and plant hosta around the base for later...... azaleas do well around japanese maples....... try anything they're pretty versatile.......

I planted a butterfly JM in my entryway (eastern exposture). I've read that some people think the butterfly can blend in too much without a dark background. I think it looks just fine in front of my light yellow house. I have it in a small bed with a phormium 'Amazing Red' and a stone. To the right of it, I have a 'Shishigashira' JM which is my favorite, with some Yaku princess rhododendrons. If you haven't been to the Washington Park Arboretum or the Seattle Japanese Garden lately, check out their Japanese maples for further ideas. It'll give you a good idea on how big a mature specimen will get also.