Thoughts on improving a deck

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Hey all,

I'm currently rehabbing a split level house that has a 16' x 8' deck in the front of the house.

The deck is built about 4 feet from the ground and leads to the front door.

I had my landscaper remove a ton of overgrown weeds/ brush from underneath/ around the deck, but now it looks quite bare with the exposed beams atop a pile of mulch. 

Does anyone have any  cost effective suggestions for sprucing up the deck/ front of the house?

My first thought was "cover it up with bushes", but I know very little about transplanting shrubbery, but it's nearing winter, and I imagine this could be fairly costly. 

I'm considering putting lattice around it, but am concerned this might look a bit cheap. 

The after-repair value of the house is going to be around $190,000 in an area where the average home price is ~$210,000. 

Thanks,
Patrick