Here are some of my interior inspiration pics.

Belvedere (Marin) Contemporary Living Room · More Info

armoury district residence · More Info

Яркая полоса · More Info

Magnusson Residence · More Info

Яркая полоса · More Info

Mews House refurbishment in London Fitzrovia · More Info

This is probably the closest image to my exterior I've found on Houzz -
I'm wondering if I should take off my shutters and add a trellis
somewhere? BTW this shows a much more involved landscape than I'd like
to put in.

Garden Cottage / Guest House · More Info

You could put boxwood against the foundation on the left side, slow grower and low maintenance. Hydrangeas in front of the boxwood. Make the garden as deep as where your sidewalk is, that way you can actually see the hydrangeas from inside the house too. Add Bark mulch. Climbing hydrangeas if you go with a trellis. Not sure how much blooms you would get on a climbing hydrangea because this is the north side, but the greenery would add some colour and lushness. The photos are my climbing hydrangeas on the north side of my house but up here in chilly Ontario Canada, zone 6. It's also shaded by a maple tree. My husband built the freestanding trellis out of pressure treated wood and I coated it with a stained clear coat. Looks like cedar but it's not, budget friendly.

The photo you added shows the windows with a second layer of trim, which adds to the look. Could you do this if you removed the shutters? Is the trim paintable, (wondering if you could go with a deeper colour) or vinyl?

Paint your front door a bright colour since it's in the shadows. Add a couple of bright chairs or a bench. Paint your garage door a deeper tone of your siding.

Thanks, Bette! Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers, I like the idea of pairing them with boxwood.

What front door color would you suggest to go with a tan/beige house? I can really only imagine white, black, or natural wood. Yes the siding, trim, everything is vinyl.

I also like hydrangeas with boxwoods.

Pepper Pike · More Info

Putting lariope/monkey grass/Japanese forest grass/maiden grass in front of them to create a border also looks super sharp.

I like this color scheme. I'd paint the foundation and trim the darker taupe, and do the shutters and door in the blue. Pick a blue like SW Oceanside.

Traditional Home West U Home with a Modern Twist · More Info

Thinking that if you remove the shutters the you will probably want to put brick moulding around the windows to give them a stronger presence since you would be removing the shutters.

soosun, brick might be a little fancy for my vinyl house!

emmy - I'm definitely intrigued by the blue. The house you posted is beautiful - I'm wondering if my house has enough architectural interest to pull it off/not look silly.

Oh, no. Brick mould is wood desgined to go around windows as a wood paintable trim. It makes the windows look more important and bigger all around. It is like a frame if you will.

Ok, that makes a lot more sense! Would it be expensive to install/ require much upkeep?

Emmy - what about black shutters and doors? I'm not sure if it would come across classy or depressing.