I would not add shutters. I would landscape but don't put a hedge. Go to a local garden center with a photo of your house and measurements. I am concerned with the two large trees growing over your house and make removing or trimming them a priority.

No shutters, just rework the landscaping. Hard to tell from the picture but it looks like that tree adjacent to the driveway needs to go . I agree no hedges, Clear everything out and come up with a plan . Additionally, maybe new entry light, mailbox & house numbers. Nice ones available online too. Cute house, I could see window boxes under at least one set of windows.

Does anybody else think the white trim is too stark?

You don't have room for shutters.

Attractive small bushes to the right side. Maybe remove what looks like a large dark tree right outside the house (not the one in front) and replace with a flowering Rose of Sharon? Is that a metal storm door? Maybe replace that with a full view door and a pretty front door color to create a mid century look.

The white trim is too stark. Go for a trim taken from the brick grout color. Then add a bright door.

4831 Stillbrooke · More Info

All the other comments are spot on. As mentioned, no shutters.

Create a wide bed under those windows to the right. No hedges. Make a nice sized front entry porch - not necessarily covered (especially now), but larger than what shows in your current pic. What is to the left of the front door?

You don't mention your plant hardiness zone so the pic below is just for concept. Your local plant nursery can be invaluable for coming up with a good landscape plan to implement over time as your budget allows.

Paver Walkways · More Info

Love the brick.

I like white trim on brick houses. But with your house, if it were mine, I think I might go darker on the trim.

landscape lighting, also lights up front of house.

Kathy, you have nothing in your ideabooks. Everyone else is spot on with their comments. Go look at landscape photos on Houzz. You can filter for geographic area. Find the ones you love and save them. There are over 55,000 front yard photos here: [https://www.houzz.com/photos/front-yard-landscaping-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_728~a_38-250[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/front-yard-landscaping-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_728~a_38-250)

Grover is spot on. No window boxes unless you can be anal about tending to them. Looks like a low or no maintenance planting area too. I don't think the dog has lifted his leg yet, but I'd remove the blocks around that tree and mulch it further out.

Window boxes are great. you just need to put the right plants in them.

Yes; the right plants & the right window boxes. Mine have built- in water reservoirs....

If there is the thought of doing something major in a couple of years, what you PLAN now for the yard should take that into account. Without a doubt the stoop and sidewalk are killer for the landscape so that'd be something at the top of the list to redo. The stoop needs to be enlarged, the walk widened and pulled away from the house so that there is sufficient room for plantings.

Rather than a hedge across a portion of the house, I'd settle for a dome-shaped shrub (you prune) that fits and coordinates with the window features. This is enough to give presence without smothering and leaves plenty of space for other plant interest .... flowering perennial & annuals and groundcover.

Try to remove neglect and disfiguring of trees the best you can by pruning off lopsidedness and raising canopy bottoms so they permit your entire first floor to show without significant foliage obstruction.

If there is an island around a tree, it should be reasonably proportionate to the spread of the canopy. Pretend that the island represents a container that the tree is growing in. Could a tree grow in a flower pot the size it is in the first picture? I think not! It needs to be enlarged substantially. Also, It would be better to have a clean looking trench edge, or a flush mowing strip rather than a raised edging (unless you're going to invest in perfect, professionally installed hardscape.

Yardvaark, so glad to see you and your thoughtful, professional comments back.

Might a small portico be within your current budget?