shrubs?

This is my first attempt at shrubs. So, I hate that the front of the house looks dead in the winter. I'd like to get some sort of shrubs that stay green in the winter and are thick and can be shaped into a box like structure. I live in Michigan so I'm zone 5 and it's a brick house. Oh, and I have a personal irrational hate of junipers. What would you suggest and when do I put them in? thanks