How far are you willing to go with making changes? The shape of the house is simple, and that fits well with contemporary design.

Do you have any examples of the look you are drawn too?

Pretty house. Needs landscaping to look its best.

When you add railings to your porch and porch steps, consider adding railings to the steps in your front walkway too, both for safety and style.

Here are some house styles I’m really drawn to. Not sure what could be done to my house to get closer to something like this?

Replace the steps and walkway to a more contemporary design, something in a block pattern. Replace with the lantern and mailbox, maybe in brushed nickel. For the patio, a rail in black going down both sides of the steps. Landscaping and contemporary flower pots go a long way.

I agree that a black (maybe wrought iron) railing is the way to go around the porch. I'd also consider removing the shutters and painting the white panels under the windows to match the brick a bit. For sure you'll want to beef up the columns.

Thank you for posting the inspiration images, that is helpful to see. Based on that, it seems like it should be fairly straightforward to transform your house into something similar to that.

The biggest move would be to remove the small gable element and replace that with a roof shape that is similar to the first and fourth image. It might also be worthwhile to extend the area of the porch below that roof towards the street so that you have a more functional area there and give a more three dimensional roof a purpose.

The columns are also out of scale, and should be replaced with something more substantial. Agree with ACM that a metal railing would likely be the best fit to take care of the code issue, and would suggest horizontal bars or cables for that. Removing the shutters, simplifying the panels at the windows, and painting the brick would help to bring the overall aesthetic into a more contemporary design style.

Landscaping and updating your walkway and steps are certainly other areas which will greatly enhance the curb presence of your house.

How would you suggest simplifying the panels under the windows? I've thought about bricking them up, but it might be hard to find a matching brick. I've also thought about replacing the current windows with longer vertical windows (like the one on the right of the house) so that the paneling is cut away. I only worry that it might look weird to have so many long vertical elements all the same height (door + 3 windows).

I'd get rid of the gable altogether. Extend the porch and put a simple cantilevered shed roof over. Face it in limestone and use natural stone steps. Add a stainless cable rail.

Oh. yeah, paint the windows charcoal and add a basset hound.

I would change the gable to a hip to reduce the apparent height. Remove the side shutters, but keep that feeling by filling in the area below each window with slim clapboard. Paint the door and the window units a bright colour. Use glass or marine style stainless wire/cord for the required railing.

Everyone above seems to have given good advice, but I would also paint the downspouts to blend better with the brick.

I decided I wasn't crazy about the cable rail, so I tried a simple modern geometric rail in stainless steel and in wrought iron.

Better, I think.

No gable does look nice

Cantilever would be absurdly expensive now, but I agree on flat roof.

Milly, I doubt that a cantilever would be absurdly expensive. That roof is not very deep and I imagine it could be tied into the existing rafters pretty easily.