You want focal point to be your front door, as you aren't welcoming people to your garage. Also, I know you didn't ask, but I personally feel you should ditch your shutters altogether and paint your window trim black. Will modernize the look quite a bit.

Agree that the garage should be made a non-focal. Then remove faux shutters, paint window trim, beef up porch posts, and replace the tired looking low hedges with some up to date landscaping.

The less you see it the better it is , paint the front door a vibrant colour instead.

Agree on the landscaping too. something along part of the driveway would be great, a curved path in stone branching off and leading to front door instead of that angled concrete walkway.

Thank you all for your great advice.
The front door is a solid wood stained door that will be staying that way as it is just too nice too ruin with a coat of paint.

We are getting brand new windows - white vinyl since custom color is stop expensive. The current windows are original 1950s aluminum windows.

The inside of the home is very traditional. I'd like to keep the outside in a similar style.. aren't shutters very traditional?

Your look is traditional with a modern twist. I just don't think the shutters add any kind of appeal to the place. Removing them will give a whole fresh new look.

I'm swimming against the current. I think if you keep the shutters, you should paint the garage door to match them because it pulls the accent 'colour' to the back of the property. Because the garage is way back on the stand, and the door is partly obscured from the front, I don't believe you have a problem at all with the focus going there instead of to your house entrance. The strong feeling that garage doors should be painted to blend with the walls I believe comes from the fact that so many garages are placed to the forefront of the property with the house standing back like an afterthought.

As for the shutters, I rather like them in your case. The background thinking here, which is very valid, is that shutters should look as though they might close over the windows -- i.e. should at least nod in the direction of being real shutters. In your case, that test is reasonably well passed on three of the windows, but not on the big window. However, I think it would be okay to regard the shutters on the big window as decoration to tie in with the others. I don't find them 'off'.

Im curious what yalls thoughts are on new windows - grids or no grids? We are replacing the windows in October,

Personal preference re grids. I dislike them ( look good on some houses ) but either would look fine, but no grids would be my choice. I like your house very much, the shutters are okay IMO.

No grids.

No shutters unless they fit and are functional looking.

Brief shutter article so you know what to look out for: https://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/residential-architecture-101-shutters/

No grida for that home style.