So here are some of these ideas in place - photoshop "magic"

My thinking is that the trees in front kind of cut the house in half. With all of the other trees I have, I don't think I'd be losing the benefits of having lots of trees.

My wife said she didn't like the horizontal planter box idea, but would prefer a more traditional look like below.

Thanks Lulu, I tend to agree that a large portico like that doesn't do much justice to the ranch vibe. As for the door, the picture doesn't do it justice. We have a really cool art deco style cut class made by my mother in law who is a stained glass artist. It would be nice to highlight that door somehow, which is made more difficult because the entry is recessed into a sort of alcove. Agree with losing the shutters - I had previously taken them down on the two left windows, but never got around to the two on the right.

Here is an inside photo and outside photo of the front door.

• Front door is great!

• I, too, would remove the center tree. Then, to the left of the front steps put in a dwarf Japanese maple or conifer. Add some shrubs being careful to look closely at final size. Avoid anything that needs frequent trimming to maintain size. Looks like you have a tall, narrow tree/shrub starting to the right of the door. I like that choice. To me, these houses really lend themselves to a so called Japanese garden style.

• Love these 1960s ranches. They are homey and so plentiful that it seems silly that there is not more attention paid to them.

Hi Jack, I agree it looks better without those trees. Whatever you do, don't paint that great brick which also looks nice with the roof color. The windows just need the white trim (always good with brick). Great house and setting!