Help re do front of house plantings

The front of my house was planted for low care maintenance prior to my purchase. The grasses have overgrown, the holly bush has also overgrown and is encroaching on any plants. Juniper is a good ground cover, but I am tired of this much and some is dying off. I do like the 2 Japanese Maples and the dwarf magnolia. I would like to plant something with color, get rid of the grasses and holly, and use a different ground cover such as Veronica Umbrosa. The crepe myrtle to the left of the driveway is good and I have Carolina Jasmine around the mailbox. I like the weeping birch and would like to create a planter bed between them. Under the front window are my plantings. They just seem a bit too hodge podge to me. There are 3 asaleas, a dafney, a golden rose, a dwarf gardenia, and some bulb lilies. In front of that is an open area that I cleared and has a thornless blackberry to the left. I would like some color there also. The walkway is made of pebbles which is sparse now. I would like to put in a sand based fieldstone walkway. The walk turns at the right corner of the house and is tiered down to the back yard. I am trying to get a shade garden going there.
Any suggestions would be welcomed.
This is a link to some pictures of the front.
http://picasaweb.google.com/pattie.kline/HouseFront#5253030777441276930

I was sorta' alarmed to see so many trees growing in so small of a space. If you want the house to be safe in high winds, get rid of most of them that will grow taller than the house.

I agree with you on what to get rid of. There is just way to much stuff. I can't tell what the big rounded half ball bush is. I would certainly loose that. You can't even see your house. You do have some great plants that you are keeping though. You didn't say what zone you are in.

I X'd thru what I would take out. Def way too much planted there. Stick with a modern airy feel to match your house.

Yeah, what she said... Behind all of those inappropriate plantings, you have a lovely home.

Keep the magnolia. Over to the left of the drive, keep the small one and get rid of the tall tree (it has a weak trunk - that "Y" shaped split at the base will fail and you can lose the garage + )

Thank you all for your suggestions. Definitely plan to get rid of the holly (big round in the middle) and the 2 volunteer pines. I would like to get rid of the running juniper and use an evergreen that flowers. You confirmed my feeling of too much "stuff." I am in Zone 7. The tree to the back left is a Japanese Maple. There are 2 of them of different varieties. They are only about 10 feet tall. What would be some good flowering plants for the front? It is full sun.

I can see plants that are spiky and airy....yucca, daylily, different types of ornamental grass

beautiful area... in pics 1 and 2 you have what seems to be a pine of some sort on the left infront of a maple? i would be tempted to take that out (pine) and let the maple take center stage. it blends in to much with the texture of the grass infront of it. the maple looks like its being crowded. on the left side of the house the center really multi branched tree i would thin agressively and make it nice and airy, by doing this, it would lift that 'heavy' feeling from that area also keep it trimmed midway up the big tree on the right. so it has its own level and not competing with the larger tree. mosr interest that way. is that brown treee on the left yours or your neighbos? it looks dead. if so remove it.. it takes away from the area. try planting some colorful perrennials to add a splash of color here and there but not overdone. good luck and have fun!