I would start with the removal, and add back as you feel appropriate. Will you get enough light for a maple? Look for at least a three inch diameter trunk to start, it take 3 years to establish a tree and years to maturity, good luck.

Not sure why anyone would specify a certain trunk diameter for a JM! There are so many different cultivars with different sizes/heights and growth habit that spec'ing a size is rather meaningless :-) And in a hot and often arid climate like Dallas, you always want to offer some shade, especially in the hot afternoon, to any Japanese maple, which are by nature woodland understory trees.

I agree with Lyn. First remove everything you don't want. You'll probably benefit from adding some fresh soil/composted material, etc. once you remove everything. Take a picture of the kids 'kudo' signs and put them in the garage. Take a fresh photo of the house. Fall is a great time to plant shrubs and trees in the DFW area. Check out Shantung Maples. They may be a better choice than Japanese Maples. How much sun does the area get? What type of shrubs do you like? What height do you want? Check out Neil Sperry's book or website for some ideas. THEN go to an independent nursery to purchase quality stock, root stimulator and mulch. Trees take a while so buying a larger one and having it professionally planted might be worth it. I would recommend at least 5 to 7 gallon size shrubs when you purchase. They have some size but aren't so large that you can't comfortably do a DYI planting. Have fun!

The white painted dormers make the design look confused. Match them to the rest of the house.

First thing you need to do is decide on what style of landscape you want. What you have/had is a sheared hedge common as dirt suburban foundation planting. Changing out the bushes and ending up with the same look and style is not going to make you anymore of a fan of things.

If you plan to follow the same basic concept, the best thing would be to select much smaller shrubs that won't need so much shearing.

Get flowering shrubs for the foundation plantings, e.g. azalea, rhododendron, etc. Then I'd think about lining the concrete walkway with carpet roses or possibly even annuals like impatiens. You could still plant a Japanese maple toward the front of the lawn near the street.

With your plan for new landscaping, make sure you don't plant anything that will obstruct the bottom of the windows. Below is a diagram of plant placement. I drew red boxes around the windows I think should not be hidden.

I would open the area at the entry with smaller looser planting.

Include more perennials along with evergreen plants. Look for variegated plants to add to the mix.

I really like Japanese Maple. A tree like that will look good out in the yard as a frame to the property.

You could also add depth by planting out at the end of the walkway.

Y’all have been so helpful! I’m definitely looking for shorter bushes with a more “shaggy” appearance rather than boxy -if that makes sense. The house faces due east - so full sun in the morning, shaded in the afternoon. I honestly don’t know where to start and I don’t know what’s good in the Dallas climate. Also, would a Japanese Maple look good on either side of the house? We had a crepe myrtle on one end and removed it and a huge bush on the other end that died from the storm.

Yes, I think A Japanese maple will look good. Think of it as a frame. Make sure it is away from the house, so it has room to grow.

This is a good link for native Texas trees.

Search Houzz for "Dallas landscape" to get ideas and maybe find a landscape firm to help.

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You have a great resource near you in Ft Worth for JMs: https://www.metromaples.com/

I think what you mean by "shaggy" are shrubs allowed to grow in their natural shapes, not sheared into meatballs. To have that look choose shrubs that will not outgrow the spot they're planted in.

Former Richardson resident here. I would recommend that you go with native plants.

When I tried to redo my parents front flower bed, Shades of Green Frisco, TX was my go to place for plants. They offer landscaping services and can create a landscaping plan for you. If it were my house, I would extend the beds out from the house. If you aren't restricted by HOA guidelines, take out most of the grass and create a bee/bat/butterfly/hummingbird garden.

Dallas Arboretum is a good source for ideas. They have trial gardens.

Texas Discovery Gardens Fair Park good place to visit for info.