SFGate

Diane Mazefsky Love the house! And it's the rare time when I like the shutters, too!

claudiann You could make a bed in a c shape from the drive to the front walk. Add some boulders, plants, and a light. Take up the strip of grass by the house and bushes and add perineals . Of course that's if you like to garden.

Diane Mazefsky ^ Yes, I was thinking the house itself doesn't need anything- although picking a special door would be fun. It's the walkway and landscaping that could really set it off. Some nice pavers, stone or brick for the walkway- and great gardens.

Diane Mazefsky Leaving the shutters as is- maybe a planter or stone carving between window 1 and 2 , and between 2 and 4 on the brick, and then change the door. The shutters look great as they are.

rinqreation Give the door a brighter color. And if you want glass, pick a door where the glass covers more than half the door, maybe with some cast iron in it.

Jennifer Smith The house is great! Maybe I would just change the door into a brighter one. Rinqreation is right, have a door which half is covered with glass so that it will look brighter in the inside.

Then I would love to improve the outdoor place. Some plants will make it more lively and attractive. Maybe you can add an outdoor place where you can stay during spare time or at night. A wooden table and chair near the big tree will do. One of my friends decided to have this in her own house too, and it made her house a better place to stay with her children. For her outdoor lighting, she got some string lights from http://www.buytikitorches.com and she installed a pole in the middle of her yard and this is where she put the string lights. She often tells me that her husband and children got more time together because of their outdoor place.

Ann I also think the house (and shutter color) are great. I think the biggest impact would be made as Claudiann says - landscaping. I think the landscaping needs depth by planting along both sides of the sidewalk (that runs from driveway to house) and at least part of the way or all the way down the driveway. I'd let the separation line between the new garden and grass be somewhat curvy or C shaped and everything from the new grass line to the house becomes garden. The garden doesn't have to be heavily planted, lots of landscape rock would be fine, some perennials and shrubs with great foliage variety.

Sweet Caroline Garden Design The house is nice but I would paint the shutters a charcoal gray to contrast with all the red brick. I think that emphasis should be placed on the entrance. Creating a small landing with outdoor tiles/paving and a wider walkway with pavers would add a appeal as would two containers by the entrance and window boxes for seasonal color. A bed with a blooming deciduous or evergreen shrub on the left and ornamental grasses, perennials and annuals on both sides of the walkway would be attractive year round. Here's a doodle of my ideas for curb appeal, which btw, I've just written an article on in the March issue of Carolina Gardener magazine.

Sweet Caroline Garden Design P.S. If the area of grass above is not too large, or if you are so inclined, I would plant a nice evergreen groundcover to make your landscape more enviornmentally friendly and lower maintenance.

Sweet Caroline Garden Design Hey Lindsey are you in Tuscaloosa ? I'm a 'bama gal myself.

Lindsey Johnston Thanks guys. We're looking forward to using some of these ideas this spring.

Lindsey Johnston Sweet Caroline, I am Tuscaloosa born and raised. Unfortunately we don't live there anymore. Can't complain because we are coastal now.

Sweet Caroline Garden Design I hear ya, Lindsey. Born in Jasper but moved to Chicago and lived there for 45 years, now down in N.C. where my first Irish ancestors landed in the 1700's. Hope you like the coast .

Ashley Gibler I would include a lilac bush or a weeping willow to give the house a softer look.