Paint, fixtures & hardware...  

Photos aren't working...
Dumping them over to Flickr...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35061158@N06/4474686222/

YUM!
I like your color selection....but then again, I'm rather partial to Olive 😉 Nice place, though

I'm a huge fan of ornamental...
I'm a huge fan of ornamental grasses. They are tough, drought-resistant and deer-proof, and the dry foliage looks good through most of the winter unless flattened repeatedly by heavy snow. (Mine bounced back after the first two snows but the 30" we got later did them in.)
In the early spring you simply cut the dead leaves back to about 6-8" and then the new growth goes nuts. I like Miscanthus "Morning Light" a lot--it's very popular.
I would get rid of those shrubs along the front of the house. They look like they're too big for the space and someone has been hacking them back for years. Find stuff that will fit the space when mature so that you can let it grow to its natural size and shape.
Are you sure about painting the brick? I ask only because once it's painted, you gotta keep painting it and that particular brick looks like it would be prone to peeling paint because of the texture. Also, make sure the mortar is sound before you paint. Looks like there are some problems in that half wall thing on the far side of the front door.

Yes, I'm definitely pulling up all of the bushes along the front...
And I was actually think of some sparce grasses/trees as my solution. Sorry about the one photo. My camera's battery seems to have had a meltdown so I only had the one mobile photo to offer. I'll get some more posted once I get a new battery. The "half wall" is a big planter attached to the house with a little ornate iron fence attached to the sidewalk/entryway. There's also a wall of brick about a foot tall running along the front of the house creating sort of a planter area for shrubs and such. But the overgrown jungle detracts from all of these highlights. The brick has already been painted sadly. There are a few spots of masonry I'll have to shore up first though as you said, Spanky. I was thinking of maybe digging up the pointless bed in front of the sidewalk and embedding some stones along with a cactus/grass plant here and there...
Thanks for the reaffirmation, Olive. You don't think that would be too much? I'm pretty monotone with color normally. But this house is a strange mix, sort of a "ranch modern" if you will. My tendency so far both inside and out has leaned towards color. The green would be really dark, not far from black. And I'd paint the bay window frame white to match the newer window treatments. So it'd really be three-toned in effect...

Would it be crazy-expensive to use redwood siding?
I think wood siding would be very handsome, with the brick. (Easy for me to say-- a lifelong apartment dweller with no grasp of what home improvements cost!)

Alright, camera remedied. Photos now...
Excuse the lads' play stuff. Until I finish up with renovations, we've nowhere else to put them...
caulfield, I'd love wood siding. I love wood siding. But I'm horrified of anything with the word maintenance attached to it...
EDIT: Images fixed by DA

Notable issues...
Aside from the jungle out front, we've got a jungle attached to the carport and alot of ornate, overly done landscaping(we purchased from an older couple) including a silly island flower bed out front. I won't even post photos of the backyard! There's also some lattice work which I'm not sure about along the exterior wall of the carport. I hate the look of it. But I like the privacy it offers. My thought at the moment is just rip everything out and re-sod where needed for now to at least get a clean canvas to work with...
EDIT: Oh, FFS! What am I doing wrong? You can go to the Flickr link above to view all these images as I'm obviously not smart enough to post them here...
EDIT: Images fixed by DA

Can't see your pics.
I grew up in a similar house with redwood siding-- I don't think that my father did more than paint on some sort of wood protectant once per decade, which seems like less work than repainting.

Nice looking house
Is that a car port? Fortunately, that rules out the possibility of any of your kids starting a garage band, once they reach their teens.

I like the sound of gravel...
I like the sound of gravel and grasses in front. Keep your eyes peeled for grasses when you're out and about to get ideas on what you like and how to use them. They're really popular in commercial landscaping, usually not very well done but at least you can see some of the different kinds. Look for contrasting shapes and heights---a tall, fountain-like grass with a shorter, rounder one. You can also contrast the textures (coarse, wide leaves with fine, silky ones) and colors (grayish blue with yellowy green).
Rocks are my other passion. Can you get river rock there? I would also recommend contrast, especially in size. Rock that is all the same size can be boring.

Cheers and thanks for the responses...
I guess there's no good way to go about ripping all this stuff up other than cutting the majority down and then going for the roots?

You shouldn't have to re-sod,...
You shouldn't have to re-sod, which is expensive ($3000+) compared to properly revitalizing the lawn ($200-500). Hire a landscaper that does the following
de-thatch (rake up and remove litter)
core aerate
water & fertilize
maybe some seeding
It'll look great within weeks. Repeat process in the fall.
I studied Ecology with an emphasis on Botany in college. When it comes to landscaping, I'm very partial to native landscaping. Definately a growing trend in my area. People don't realize how diverse the area they live in is...sure those Asian grasses are pretty, but they're causing problems in the wild. Native plants are already suited for their location and require less maintenance.
You have pretty good canvas to work with! Lots of possibilities.

Lunchpail, do you have photos...
Lunchpail, do you have photoshop? It's great o concept with so you can "see" your options.

Thanks for the knowledge, Woof...
That's certainly a load off if so. But this bed I'll be pulling up is 25 ft long at least and something like 12 ft across. Will revitalization take care of that large an area?