Less gravel more plants even if you only spend the summer there that would be ahuge inprovement .Get some nice big planters that can be wtered when you are not there too

The roofline isn't a problem. If you want that house to look better, add some shrubs and reduce the sea of gravel. It looks like a parking lot.

Plants plants plants! Build beds in front of the deck at the very least

Simplynatural's ideas are spot-on. Plus add a handrail to left side of entry stairs for older visitors. Paint deck railings the same white as house and garage trim or paint them the same color as the house + deck slats to make them less obvious/disappear. Keep the horizontal slats the same color as the house as shown in the photo. Replace the two front deck unbrellas with two that match, perhaps a forest green or a lake blue color. These 9 ft. umbrellas are on sale on the rainforest site right now for $48.

@simplynatural already posted everything I had in mind plus two forrest green umbrellas. I really like a deep green umbrella for a deck that is out in nature. It ties your home to the wood around it.

Building off simplynatural’s rendering, a quick iPhone sketch adding an ornamental tree and additional planting bed to break up that parking lot a little more.

Thanks so much for your great ideas! The gravel is the driveway and we need space to have 3+ cars, so can’t very well plant the tree - but could likely do the shrubs! And love the green umbrella idea! Thanks!

Landscaping will help but the only way I can see to undo the "wonky" is to reframe the roof in a different configuration.

I would paint the house a different color so it blends with the roof, and I like the idea of taller bushes, but a really clean row of flower boxes with geraniums like in Austria would be cool, and block your view of the cars.

A sweet cottage! Why couldn't the front door the focus? There doesn't seem to be a focal point currrently. Paint the door a bright, inviting color. Maybe a full-light door? Plus lots of flowers around/near the door.

Landscaping and planters would be the cheapest way.