Hi marisalyons6. You certainly do have a (fabulous) blank canvas to work with. If I may - starting with that pink wall, someone had already suggested painting it a dark colour. I agree. Great and easy place to start. A deep grey or a Prussian or Oxford blue. Prussian would be my go. On this wall I would hang 2 or 3 "living wall pockets" or some "plants ape vertical" to add a wonderful touch of nature. The garage door has to go, sorry. Either replace with some folding wooden doors to match the stairs and inner doors, or if this is out of your price range simply paint it the same colour as the back wall. If the garage is not in use, it becomes your perfect storage and work area. Maybe even use it as a guest room if you make it over. I'd also be inclined to pull up that fake grass. Sorry, but yuk! Again, depending on your budget add either a shallow floating deck or better still (cause I love stone) is to have a beautiful river stone floor laid. The "drop" from the top to bbq area concerns me, especially if you're having friends over for drinks. Add a tapered stair for both safety and to conserve some space on the bottom there. The angle of closure doesn't really matter, and in fact you may find the greater this angle (from a narrow bottom step to the top step being as wide as the upper area) using a lovely chrome and wire hand rail, will really bring the spaces together and won't really take too much space away from the bottom bbq area. Again, to bring the lot together either floating wooden decking/floor or the stones. Just some thoughts I hope you enjoy reading, and more so enjoy the project. I'd love to get my mitts on it, but I'm a bit far north. Best of luck, and please post updates. Would love to see what you end up with.

A couple of ideas: 1) An outdoor umbrella can help shade a seating area, making it more versatile and your outdoor seating can still be used during those hot sunny summers or even when there is a bit of rain. It also provides you with some privacy from peeping neighbours when you entertain guests. 2) Outdoor furniture with aluminium frames are lighter and easier to move especially for an apartment, and can also help create the illusion of more space compared to using more solid bulky outdoor furniture. Here is an example from one of our outdoor styling projects-> [https://www.houzz.com.au/photos/castle-hill-p143-contemporary-patio-sydney-phvw-vp~101986640[(https://www.houzz.com.au/photos/castle-hill-p143-contemporary-patio-sydney-phvw-vp~101986640). Something similar (i.e. white frame with light grey cushion covers) may potentially work really well in your courtyard. 3) When you get outdoor plants, ensure they are hard wearing plants that thrive in direct sunlight and is low on maintenance to make your life easier. I find a couple of outdoor yaccas like the one below, are always a safe bet. 4) Adding a outdoor cushions will summer designs and colours immediately add a bit of charm to your seating area. Freedom has a great collection->Freedom outdoor cushions. As annb1997 mentioned, UV resistant is definitely the way to go. Happy decorating!

Hi all, wow, Im so impressed with the feedback. I had a very busy weekend with weddings and birthday parties so can only just now respond. I can also offer a bit more info to help explain why some of the decisions that have been made, were made. If I miss any points its unintentional. We have an ROW at the rear, hence why the shed is orientated the way it is - to have easy access into the lane way. I am open to exploring a different layout of the back yard. The 'courtyard' is actually our drying area. Its the most logical place for it, again want to re-evaluate based on the feedback above. The alfresco is designed on the northern side to make most of northern sunlight. The kitchen/dining is on the north to give a longer view down the backyard to keep an eye on the kids. The bathroom is designed with a future en-suite in mind when funds allow. I agree that the powder room requires walking through the laundry, but we also did that for a bit more privacy, and that allowed a window outside. I do like the idea of the highlight windows above the alfresco, but almost below them is the TV which will cause to much glare. I'd be worried in summer to have such unprotected north facing windows and would find they would be covered most of the time with blinds kind of defeating the purpose. We love the 2 sets of stacking doors. They are our only non-negotiable. Ill keep think, im sure there are more points there I missed.

Juli's examples look perfect and my suggestions would include three separate zones starting with an entry area at original tiled floor level including the hot water heater (the wiring and heater can be painted to match the wall as long as the identifying details are still visible}. there's space for bins (garbage, recycling, compost or worm farm?) and raised gardens beds in troughs not in ground and then a step up to a deck, level with inside and a pergola that can include adjustable shade cloth and/or waterproof permanent roofing depending on sunscreen and privacy needed all year..the depth of the pergola (from house to fence will depend on local council and any body corporate conditions but even partial shading will be worthwhile and can include horizontal and/or vertical screens, climbing plants or hanging pots ...all the planting should be in deep troughs or pots and the problem with bamboo should be discussed with neighbours as control should be on their side of the fence and any bamboo that keeps sprouting away from the parent plant will be a constant problem for all the neighbourhood and needs to be removed permanently... the last unroofed zone includes the clothesline barbq and space for extra chairs...my choice for the flooring would be one of the composite decking products that are cooler on bare feet and the pergola could be built out of narrow powder coated steel...both more expensive than some other options but once installed should be low maintenance and an excellent investment in the quality of your family's outdoor lifestyle