Do you have a photo of the front of the house? There are a few people here who can do pretty fantastic mock-ups, but only if they have a photo to work with. The rest of us might have some ideas, too.

You could extend the porch area out with a suitable outdoor stone about 4-5' until it connects with the drive way. For along the side of the house, consider something architectural such as a line of reeds.

Rather than grass for the "lawn", consider something like this: pavers over gravel.

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