Oh, it should be said that we have a 15 month old - so that's a thing. And the granite in the kitchen is kinda of a pinkish color.

The view from your new porch might do well with outdoor art. Perhaps around the fireplace or on some of the exterior wall areas. You might even consider hanging it on the fence in strategic locations - combined with a landscape upgrade. Do you have room for an outdoor kitchen? Please have a look at my Houzz profile to see photo examples.

It would be a huge impact to have that fireplace/TV wall covered in cultured stone veneer. Maybe a drystack ledgestone. Plantings all along the fence line and staining the fence would go a long way;)
If that is a plain concrete floor on the patio, I would stain it a charcoal gray.

That patio floor also be slip resistant, custom imaged, large-format porcelain - for a stunning look beyond what anyone else can deliver. The pricing is relatively low and can be quite tempting.

The picture below is just an example of what you might select for a image. But it can be most any digital image capture.

love the paint color in the kitchen photos, I realize this is from previous owners, but do you know what color or brand the paint is?

Thanks, all! Super appreciate the feedback! I like the idea of cultured stone or ledgestone on the fireplace. And good call on staining the fence - that is definitely needed!

Deanna - I'm afraid I don't know the paint color in the kitchen but when we move in, I'll see if I can find it out!

Oh - and I WISH I had room for an outdoor kitchen. Even just a small one...but what you see is the size I'm working with. The photo was taken from just outside the door.

From the photo it appears there could be room just to the right of the patio. You could have a (for instance) brick or paver patio at the level of the grass with the outdoor kitchen arranged perhaps near the house. I'm certain you could find someone in your area to help with the design.

By the way, an outdoor kitchen is a perfect place to include outdoor art.

Thanks for your response, Laurel! We're moving in to our "dream house" in a few weeks and my kitchen is perfectly lovely except for the perfectly hideous wallpaper, the removal of which is my #1 task. I think a paint color similar to what yours is, would be exactly right!

I love the kitchen cabinet color. I think the whole kitchen is beautiful. The ideas and pics you've been sent for the porch are awesome - it's going to be your favorite place!

Deanna - I was looking at another Houzz discussion and saw this color:

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/squishsquash

It looks similar to our kitchen color. Still, I can confirm once we move in (I hope!) and let you know for sure. But it looks very similar.

Nan - Thank you - I agree. We practically live outside so I'm sure the porch will be our favorite! I was second guessing the kitchen cabinets because all of the doors and trim, etc. are white - you can see the door to the laundry room in one of the photos and it's white. I'm sure this is pretty normal but it stands out to me and makes me feel that perhaps the cabinets in the kitchen should also be white. Could just be me though!

Maybe not as strange as you might think...
https://www.houzz.com/magazine/kitchen-ideas-12-refrigerators-in-disguise-stsetivw-vs~835435

I think the cabinetry in your kitchen is great. Think it looks beautiful! And your patio has great potential. You've got an awesome start with a fireplace already there. I'd agree with a few past comments...a stone veneer would definitely boost the existing fireplace. Give it that wow factor! If an outdoor kitchen is a thought, the biggest factor is function and utilizing space efficiently. You don't have to have a huge backyard/outdoor living space to build what you want. Here's a couple that we've combined with outdoor fireplaces and one that we installed right out their door. (maybe help you with some brainstorming) I think you have lots of potential and I hope you have fun with your future projects.

Brown Bros. Masonry - and please don't forget to think about kiln-fired art. And I'm local to you in Beaverton.