Why I love my new house

[ShadowHM]

The steps are 3 feet wide. The junipers definitely make them seem more narrow than they really are.
If I replace them with another shrubbery, it's definitely going to be something coniferous. I'll have enough leaves to rake up as it is. I want something that will grow slowly and vertically. The pictures I saw of nest spruces look nice, but they seem to be more of a horizontal-growing plant.

There are ornamental cedar varieties that do grow slowly and vertically. A visit to a good nursery and a consultation with one of their shrub specialists would likely come up with some possibilities, if you really want another shrub there.

I planted Hicks Yews at either side of my front door, some 20 years ago. They are slow growing and have a nice pyramid shape. After all this time, they are still about 5 feet high.

No vines and no flowers! My wife and I are not flower people, and vines are just nasty. I'd like something low-maintainance to visually frame the entrance. I'm still leaning towards a pair of cedars.

Another thought for you (although they are classified as flowers :whistling:) is hostas. They are incredibly hardy - the flowers for folks who don't want to have to actually do anything. Their flowers are generally not very showy - people grow them for the look of the foliage. You may already have some - if I squint at the photograph of your house, I can see what might be hostas just to the left of your drain pipe. They come in an amazing variety of types, from small to large, with differing colours of leaf. You will be able to pile snow on them with equanimity in the winter (London's snow is famous for its volume) even if you have sprinkled salt on the driveway, and they will survive nicely.