Thanks so much, Elle, for your advice! I think you are right--taking out the big rhododendrons under the front windows will make a difference, for sure! I'm hoping changing the house color and trim might help, too? Any ideas there?

The space across the front of the house by the front window and front door is perfect for a porch.

What's behind the bush? Is there a window? What room is inside?

Do you know if you can extend the house forward? Houses are often built to the front setback and a variance is needed to go further.

Agree that your shrubs are overwhelming the house. Think about extending some front beds and getting someone at a small, local garden center to help you design the landscaping. Beautiful low shrubs, tall grasses, perennials, and mulching, along with forward curving beds, would balance out the extended roof you have.

That said, if you have the budget for painting, lose the tan, which has the same tonal value as the red roof. Instead go for a sage green, or blue/gray which would give you color contrast.

PPF- behind the bush where you circled is a small window you can't see, that belongs to an equally small bedroom. The small window you can see is the downstairs bathroom window. The normal size window to the far left of the house (facing the house) is a large bedroom. The far right of the house with the large window, is a nice big open room. We had toyed with the idea of moving the front door to the middle of the house and recreating the entry way in the center of the house, but we don't want to lose a bedroom.

Lambert Dias Architects--thank you for the inspiration photos on the porch addition to the right side--such a good idea. Thank you! House gal, love the paint ideas you provided for inspiration--I hadn't considered any of those pallets yet but love them all!

Do you live in front of a MOUNTAIN!?!

I would completely go all-out alpine chalet with that...my version anyway.

Deck on the second floor, roof thingys...Corbels?

So so cute.

Hi KJBJW-

Yep. We live in front of Mt. Si--below is a picture of our back yard. Do you have any images you've saved that would show what you mean by alpine chalet? We feel like our house has a serious identity crisis and its helpful to see fresh ideas from all of you to decide on where to go next.... Thank you!

PPF- I don't think we can build much further in front of our house. I believe we have to be 30ft setback and that is where we are....

Here are more rustic looking mountain houses if you could stain instead of painting your house. However, I do think the green house/red roof house in my second photo upthread is a good model for you. It also has a front porch if you take a closer look. Anyway, a couple others, one with a red roof

:

Dayum!!!!

Well, I would be happy in a tent there....

I'm so not any kind of expert...my taste is...unique. And I wouldn't really go crazy cliche. To me though, that long sloping roofline and the bumped out second floor lends itself to it.

Obviously money is always the question. I would think of this as my inspiration:

It really depends on the budget. I would do the balcony on the second floor where the bump out is and it would create the porch underneath. It would be lovely to wrap it all the way around...

I would then sit out there with my cocoa and apres-ski boots and be smug at the passers-by :)

HI KJBJW, Thank you for being so quick to respond with that awesome inspiration photo! ;) We are pretty psyched to be in an awesome location. I wish money wasn't a factor, and we have a teeny tiny budget, but i think your inspiration photo is definitely one that i will post in our kitchen to dream and work towards!!!! Love the look. You are welcome to come have hot coco here any time. ;)

Housegal2000- thank you so much your color advice! I think we will have to go the paint route since the paint on it now is so thick it would be so hard to get off for staining. I agree--the green house in your upper thread is really lovely!! I think that would work well with our surroundings, too!

Definitely remove the bushes! Landscape in a dry creek bed style that meanders through the front yard. I disagree with the green house red roof suggestion, it's hard to pull off. Try a more neutral color. Painting the belly board on the biggest addition the color of the trim and adding cedar shingles to the small bump out peak would look great with your red roof. Create variation and texture without having to add porches and decks and live with it for awhile.

https://www.houzz.com/photos/2016-native-plant-garden-tour-landscape-los-angeles-phvw-vp~51013328

with that view I could live with an ugly house lol. if those are rhodendron I hate to say rip them out but they should not block Windows especially with that view.
only replace them with low growing plants. Adding dry stream bed and rock features would fit here.
only repaint when it needs it. try different colors.

can you move one tall shrb to corner of house to hide trashcans?. a small vertical evergreen there and on other side of window would give height and not block windows. drastically trim or replace shrubs next to porch under the window too.