Are you keeping the body of the house brown? If so I would paint all the trim an off white to tone it down and maybe a blue door. .

I'm wondering what your budget is. This is a really unusual and problematic facade. I think the most budget-friendly solution might be to increase the size of the pillars, and grow a gorgeous creeper, clematis perhaps, up the one to the left of the door. But before you plant it, repaint/replace the siding (if you can), the window trim (if you can) and the pillars to a choice of much lower-contrast colours. Siding colour A, windows/door A+2, and pillars A+5. And I just invented that scale, so don't go looking it up. Not to make it gloomy, A should not be very dark.

Hmm, no. Windows should be the same as the pillars, A+5 on my magic scale. They're in shadow, after all.

Oh dear, I think Jan may be right.

Beef up the columns. Change the stairs to be circular with a landing in front of the doors and space to walk between the stairs and the patio area. Add a railing around the patio area to give the space definition. Paint your front doors. Add more plants to your landscaping. What zone are you? How much light?

Is the current budget range for sprucing up $500, $5000, other? All new paint?

It's a beautiful wooded setting. Are you planning to change the landscaping or just prune the bushes?

The columns are way too spindly for their height. And the house is way too dark (brooding is the word that comes to mind). Take Jan's advice and hire a professional to advise you on how best to spend your money.