I'm just realizing this picture is not the best. I'll try to get some better ones tomorrow, I can't wait to see some green this spring =)

You should start from hardscape,add a porch,change the windows,the door...

You should start from hardscape,add a porch,change the windows,the door...

{{!gwi}}

Adding a porch is a lovely idea and for sure an ideal plan. Alas, we are first time homebuyers and have 3 little ones so it's just not in the cards for us at this point. Any budget friendly ideas?

This is a better pic. The small maple in the front is no longer there and neither are the ornamental grasses.

Sorry for the pic overload, just trying to give a good idea of the space.

anyone?

What zone are you in?
I think if you take out just the dead boxwood, the result may not be pleasing. Personally, I would remove all the boxwoods, especially if you are not into trimming. Then take a trip to local garden center and look at dwarf evergreen shrubs that appeal to you, are slow growers and do not need much trimming. More azaleas, rhodys maybe? You'll only need a few since it seems to be a small area.
Also, IMO the dogwood tree is too close to the house and walk and should be moved now before it gets to big. I would replace with a tallish, slim evergreen, like Ilex Sky Pencil.

Second the opinion on the dogwood. It's a baby right now and already looks like touching the wall. It needs to be a minimum of 10 feet away, and that may be too close too.
You have a cute house. What zone are you in? Or close to which city, what state? There are nice dwarf conifers, hollies, or you can do something that dies back, like hydrangea if you are framing with two evergreens on either side. You can plant things with contrasting leaf color in front as a second row. And mix in flowering perennials.

I must say the black color trim looks a little ghoulish. It does not present a look of cheeriness ... I mean, as opposed to how other colors could.

I wouldn't do as you are contemplating: remove 3 center shrubs. It would be better to replace the whole lot (but not go so far beyond the window) with something that didn't grow as tall. The whole window and trim should show. Some others suggest variety. I suggest uniformity and consistency. Just use a plant that better fits the space.

The picture would be better off if the dogwood was on the other side of the walk ... in order to put some distance between it and the house, as has been mentioned.

How would the front of your house look if the picture was taken from the corner by the street? Does the large tree need some lower limbs removed?

Varigated Pittosporum is evergreen and very easy. The ones I know of were slow growing and never pruned.

I was hoping that you all would tell me to rip them out, but to make hubby happy I was entertaining the idea of salvaging some of them. We are in zone 6, Cincinnati.

I appreciate the compliments...it is a cute house. It's actually a tri-level sears roebuck-you don't see too many of this style. The proportion of the windows etc keep throwing me off but I just don't have the money to throw at structure right now. I would love to add a small pergola (like this https://www.houzz.com/photos/over-window-pergolajpg-phvw-vp~743169-Window-Pergola-jpg---) over the window to try to balance everything out.

I'm a hydrangea, hosta smoke bush kind of girl. I love a relaxed cottage style garden and I feel like it will compliment the house well.

Any specific holly suggestions?...I noticed so many beautiful hollies over the winter.

I'm so looking forward to getting my hands dirty with this project....I'm still petrified of the bald house look though!

Here is the view from the other side. We have since trimmed it up a bit, it probably could us some more branches down?
As for the color, the decking is due for a paint job. I'm rolling colors around in my head. Hubby tells me to concentrate on the task at hand =) One effects the other though, right?

Rather than making the face of your house look inviting, the lower branches are obscuring it, like low-hanging hair can do to one's face. I would definitely go higher so that your house can be seen. Remember that as branches above grow, they will hang lower as they get longer and heavier.