Thanks all for the suggestions! White ceiling really makes sense thanks Helen. I would not have thought to do that but as i sat out there over the weekend it makes perfect sense. At this stage I'll stick to repainting the deck as well due to the cost but long term I'll definitely be looking at sanding or replacing the timbers of the deck. With all the dark colours it really does have an oppressive feeling and i almost feel like i need to hunch over as i walk through so lightening up the colour scheme is definitely the way to go. And yes Angela those blind will be going :)

Are you still deciding? If so, i think you can get paint experts to match any colour that is by a big brand....

Nice pool, but a shame that your neighbours can see you through the fence, and therefore, you get no privacy. If you were wanting privacy of some kind, bamboo, tikka plant or even lovely conifers will look quite nice, also as a backdrop to your pool area. I would also place a beautiful urn or two strategically near the pool, to add character and colour. I would finally add an order of large stones for good effect.

Thanks for this suggestion. I've just had a look at a photo of a fence painted in this product and it looks great. ... It's been almost three years since we posted our original question on this site and we still haven't painted the fence! Some parts of the fence have turned grey, as they are exposed to more sun, but overall I do think a dark charcoal finish would be more attractive. :)