A small can of paint will cost less than anything else you mentioned and remove that jailhouse door .

I'd trim back or remove the shrubs. I started a mock-up to show what it would look like. They look like they're really hugging the house--blocking the light and caging it in. Also remove the jailhouse door as Patricia mentioned. You could widen out the front walkway by lining it with bricks to make a wider path.

The current landscaping is not appealing. I suggest only ground cover below the bay window. Anything else would require frequent pruning.

Beds should be five feet deep.

You can see how much better it can look in the image provided by Picturebug. A house is meant to be enhanced by plantings, not dominated or hidden.

The jailhouse door is definitely going, and I agree the plantings need to be removed. I hadn't thought of widening the walk -- thank you. Someone suggested a black door. I'm planning to paint it but I don't think black is the color I'm heading for. I was thinking something warmer, like red or orange. Not sure how'd that would look with the brick though. Thanks for all the ideas!

Perhaps black is not the right color for you, but please do not paint the front door red or orange. I cannot explain why, other than it will look bland at best and wrong at worst.

For the porch light, don't be afraid of a large fixture. I'd look for 15" to 18" tall for your entry. Good luck!

I see what you mean about orange or red simstress. Maybe a cooler cooler, like a navy blue.

I would paint the front door with Valspar's La Fonda Turquoise.

A bright blue looks great with yellow, which appears to be the color of your brick.

You have gotten great suggestions. Are you in a warm climate? Do you need to have the Windows completely covered? If not, I would opt for new window treatments. They should look nice from the outside as well as the inside.

Hi Grapefruit1_ar. I'm definitely in a warm climate - New Orleans. I generally leave windows uncovered (I love light), which is why I was thinking of leaving a plant of some sort to screen the view into my living room. However, the image of the house with the plants removed that picturebug posted is making me rethink that. I'm going to look into some kind of view obscuring window treatment that would still allow light. Do you have ideas?

I always like the look of white plantation shutters in warm climates. You can then adjust the slats as needed. Your house is charming.