Yes. Remove the arborvitae.

"Is it a waste to remove established plantings?"

Not necessarily :-) It is your house and garden and YOU get to decide what to do with it. Plants are not permanent fixtures and the choices a previous homeowner made do not have to be your choices just by default.

Arborvitae are useful but not particularly valuable trees and if they have outgrown their usefulness - or their visual aesthetic (size, form, health, placement, etc.) - as these have done, then I wouldn't think twice about removal.

They have developed a shape that almost appears as a double thumbs up, giving the entry a bit of a funhouse vibe. It doesn't suit the home and I find them visually distracting. Like Christopher, I would remove them. Tout de suite!

“Double thumbs up” That hilarious! I’m happy to give them the boot. We’ll have them removed professionally. Will the area need any special attention to re-plant right away? They’ll take out the stump and root systems (if that can be done safely).

That’s a good idea. They are healthy and someone might find them attractive. I worry about then destroying the lawn or sidewalk removing them though. Is the root system in this plant deep? Would be possible it is under the sidewalk or even front porch stoop?

They do look too big also but what is really swallowing the house is the Japanese maple. And whatever the ball on a stick to the left of the leftmost arborvitae is that is blocking the window behind it.

Otherwise you should be sure there are no utility features beneath either of the conifers before anybody starts jabbing anything hard and sharp into the ground around and beneath them.

I agree that the maple is too large. It’s getting pruned which should help. We’ve got a large window with no coverings that the maple helps shade and adds privacy. It also keeps upstairs from getting so hot in the summer. I’m willing to listen to advice from someone with more knowledge than me though so please what would your recommend as far as pruning/trimming. The lollipop thing is blooming which adds some nice texture in the late summer. Not sure what it is. Once the “thumbs” come down, we’ll reassess.

The maple I would either mostly leave alone or cut down entirely rather than try to shrink markedly - so that its natural shape is lost.

Apart from the way it grows producing an appearance of explosiveness that conflicts visually with the character of the house I don't like that it is the same color as the house. Resulting in too much of the same color being present in the same small area.

The place I bought last fall and moved into early December also has a Japanese maple in front (but more to the center). From photos it appears to be one that has a sort of light bronze summer color which is not one I like. But the tree is probably decades old, provides something existing that softens the boring angularity of the habitation and goes well with the bluish gray color of the siding.

Showing that two generally similar basic situations can have differing outcomes depending on specific involved details.

I wouldn't remove the maple either, but I would redo much of the other shrubbery.

That’s a beautiful entry! There is a fairly large, in comparison to the house, lawn. The front needs work in general. I’ve hesitated doing much since we have a ribbon driveway in rough shape that needs replacing which will mean tearing out that area. Also, this street lost several huge old trees in a massive ice storm a decade ago. Many of the remaining trees are still recovering. We have 2-3 small ones that are obviously nearly dead and 2 massive ones that are in distress. I’m hoping to get an arborist out to assess those. The yards that were lucky enough to escape the carnage have lovely established beds and trees from curb to front door. The others, mine included, feel so bare. Other than the thumbs I would rather add to than remove what’s there. That’s a larger project for sure.
I’d love to post more pics and dimensions to get advice once the cleanup is finished.
Thank you to everyone for your help!

But you could have had twin garden gnomes, rats...

Leaves being off Japanese maple makes it possible to see just how much of the house facade it is obscuring when in leaf. Also that other, much bigger tree being visible to the right is resulting in a David and Goliath effect being produced by the Japanese maple being right there in the vicinity.

So it continues to be hard to see the Japanese maple as an asset in that particular spot.

You also need a bigger porch.

So much nicer the way it is now. I would plant flowers where the beasts formerly stood.

The first picture shows the maple in early August at its fullest. It’s large but fairly open and doesn’t obscure IMO. It could use some pruning.
We’ll definitely not be adding a larger porch or making any other changes other than to the landscape. I don’t disagree with the fact that’s it’s too small but not a priority. Old houses come with never ending To-Do lists. I actually love our little house, it’s the landscape that’s bugging me.

I’m waiting not so patiently for the ground to warm up so I can at least get some annuals in the ground this year. We’re still at and below freezing often overnight. Am I right to wait another few weeks? At what point can I begin to plant?

Is that Ivy growing up the brick by the front door? You may want to remove it or budget for repointing your brick at some point

Looks great❣️Such a difference. Really opens up your entryway. Bravo❣️I had a ugly weeping birch tree in the middle of my lawn that I detested ( it was quite ugly and quite misshaped) and when hubby and I removed it we got a streamlined look.

I'm in a zone 6 and consider May 15 the average safe planting date for annuals and new perennials.

The Japanese maple is perfectly fine where it is. Being in the vicinity of the much larger tree to the right is - so what? There is nothing unusual, odd or jarring about it. Looking at its bare structure, it would be easy to reduce the size by removing the large left and right ascending trunks leaving the two V shaped trunks in the center. The large left trunk in particular with its low connection on the main trunk would be the first to go. Then stand back and decide if the far right trunk should also be cut at the main trunk.

Some of us like a more cozy feel and like our vegetation framing a house to be a bit more lush and concealing. Its nice to look out and see leaves and birds and stuff ... but it is definitely a balancing act to not have it be too claustrophobic or blocking light into the house.

The Japanese maple is reaching its full mature height so I wouldnt worry about that. I liked how the pair of arbor vita balanced the large maple, as well as adding a touch of formality to your entry. But it doesnt have to be arbor vita..... I think a couple of rounded or fountain shaped flowering shrubs 4-6 ft would be about right. Ninebark? Hydrangea? (there are some shorter varieties)

I would put the bed of perennials/annuals elsewhere in its own dedicated bed where it can be its own thing to be enjoyed and admired - as well as not get shaded out by the house and the trees - perhaps closer to sidewalk or generously sized border along the drivewy.

I like it! Personally, I think the maple balances the porch, which is in perfect accordance with your house.