My initial thoughts are that you don’t have a path from the driveway to the front door. Would this be useful for you? Also, you don’t have a handrail on the left side of the porch. Perhaps it was removed at some point after construction? I think it’s a safety concern. I’m also wondering the reason for adding a fence. If it’s to keep children or pets safe, then I think it’s wise. If it’s only for esthetic reasons, I think the extra time and labor to keep it looking good and to control weeds is a good reason to rethink your desire for it.

It doesn't look like your windows are black, but they are in the inspiration photo, so you're not going to end up with the exactly the same look. Is there a sidewalk from the driveway to the front door, or do you usually enter the house from a door inside the garage?

Thanks all! Let me clarify — not looking to copy and paste that home exactly! It’s inspo — so we would add a gate / walkway to our front door from the driveway as part of landscape design

Nice possibilities ... looks like you might be getting rid of your lawn entirely? I love big aloes and such plants set in a gravel area -- but have no advice because that wouldn't work where I am.

What USDA planting zone are you? Landscaping should look appropriate to the style of house and the geographic area. Your house looks west coast bungalow and the inspo fence and grasses are western. If you want native plants keep the three smaller aloe as accents. Fill the area with bark or rock. Are you keeping your lawn?

I agree about the path from drive to porch, use flagstone pieces as stepping stones. We used Home Depot faux ones and they look good. I agree about the hand rail, make them functional, remove the pots on the right side of the landing and use one or two more flagstones on the ground on that side.

Widen the front walk visually. Remove a strip of lawn along each side to the width of the steps. Fill with rock or bark. Space some small plants if you wish and along the front of the planting area on each side of the steps.

Do you need a front gate? I like this style of fence and have seen them with no gate and it looks welcoming. The fence opening should be as wide as the new strip on the walk. I'm not sure you need a fence on the drive and opposite side, just along the sidewalk. Use small native grasses as in inspo.

The house will be nice in white with black trim around the windows as a rectangle, the black door, and paint the charming wood trim in gray to match the roof if you wish.

I love your cute house! And I think your inspiration is great. I do agree that you will lose some of the effect of the inspiration with your white windows, but I think it will still work. I really love your aloe plants. If anything, I think making the planting bed in front of the house a little deeper and adding more could be nice. Hope you'll share when you're done.

Add light to the numbers on the house so you can see them at night and at lanterns on both sides of the door maybe or one side of the door