Edit your post (or add a follow up) to include pictures. A wide span shown in slightly overlapping pictures from not too far away is best.

Yes, I notice my picture did not post... I'm trying to figure out how to add it

Finally got my picture added! I would love any ideas.

What is your budget for this project?

Could not see your photo here.

This is our forever home, so I would like to establish a long-term plan that we can implement in stages. Next biggest planned change will be a new roof (probably next year) so I want to make sure any smaller changes will work with the new roof color/style. So budget is not the biggest consideration because, if we really like the plan, we will save up to pay for it.

Not sure what's up with the photo... it's showing for me

Landscaping and I'd replace the deck at the front door with a concrete slab and steps from the front instead of the side.

Remove shutters from the right side window, and maybe the others as well.

Darker gray roof. Paint garage door and wall above above something other than white so they don't stand out as much.

With the brick color, I would consider forest green shutters and a red door. The rounded evergreen, ?yew, seems to detract from your porch. I would paint out the garage door and trim to match the color of the brick. Window boxes would be very pretty with bright flowers during the spring-fall and greenery with red berries for the winter. The star would stand out more if a different color. If no window boxes, then plants of different colors in front of the house would be nice. A darker brown roof might be nice too. Looks like you have a home with great bones to be your forever home!

PPF, thank you for removing the deck and the shutters, those where both changes we are considering, so it's nice to see what that might look like. I really hate the deck and we were definitely planning changing that. I was thinking a darker color for the roof (maybe a warm charcoal gray?) and for the remaining shutters and garage door as well. And doing the gutters and other trim in one of the grays from the stonework. Do you all think that could work well? I think the current white is just too bright with the earthy tones of the brick/stone.

The two big bushes in the front are rhododendron and boxwood. I think they are probably too big for the house, but I hate to rip out such nice established shrubs. Not sure if we should try to tie them in with other plantings or just get rid of them?

The house style and windows really aren't suitable for shutters. The window close to the garage is way too big for them. A wide trim around all the windows is a better fit. I agree with PPF regarding a color for the garage other than white. Have it blend nicely with the brick. White pulls too much focus to the garage.

some ideas:

I like the look of the wider pathway and the planting beds in front of it, we do have to careful about how far into the yard we come, though, because our septic tank is buried in the front yard. I love the wooden garage door in the last pic, celerygirl! I actually like our original front door, though. Not sure if it should stay stained (maybe changed to a more walnut tone?) or painted?

Not sure about adding a portico. Most of the other houses in the neighborhood still have the original horizontal rooflines. Would we stand out too much?

Dare to be different, you may start a trend!

Of architectural changes, I think I'd add a porch, bring the walk away from the house and add a bank of windows at the top of the garage door. In the yard, it would be basic, simple landscaping.

Thank you all so much for the visuals! What do you think of a portico style like this on our house? Maybe without the double columns?

This is rather rough, but shows what might be more appropriate for your house.

This one with a railing I think looks better. It disguises the rock a bit.

I actually kinda like the rock feature and don't really want to hide it

I like Aardvark's and celery girl's first portico photos.

Yaardvark's renderings are by far the most appropriate and attractive.

I love the portico with the double columns best with the landscape shown as well!

I will second/third your heading for a portico and or proper porch. The added front deck look, people all did in the 90s, is not one I appreciate. It was a band-aid. Adding the needed portico and proper porch will take your home into this century. You will stand out and that will be a fabulous thing for your resale and curb appeal.

Yaardvark nailed it. You want a walkway from the driveway to the front door because really who actually has room in the garage for a car!!!

Oh and I forgot to complement your house! Very nice house for a forever home, have fun making it your happy place!

Wow thank you all for the awesome feedback! So far I think my favorite ideas are darker roof, darker shutters on just the two smaller windows (removing them on the picture window), stained garage door, staining our original door a bit darker, and maybe a portico style that has the open rafter look with a shallower peak (larger than a 90 degree angle). We definitely need a path to the driveway and not the street, as our subdivision has no sidewalks. I would love to see some landscaping ideas with more grasses and smaller shrubs, as I think anything too big swallows up the house. Thank you all again, these visuals and ideas are so helpful!

Oh, and I would love to see the trim color a bit darker, maybe pulling a grey color from the stone-work. What do you all think?

I think your plan is on point, Katie Em. You can trust your eye. It's going to look fabulous! Looking over the mock-ups, the biggest visual bang would be staining the garage door, imo. I'd start with that. The rest is tweaking according to your taste and needs.

Katie I like the picture you posted with the double columns the best. Whatever you do if you add something please make the post a substantial size and trim out the door so that it looks bigger than it is now. Toothpick columns on a porch will kill the look.