I totally agree about removing the lawn and adding a path if it works into your budget. It will highlight the area as a thoroughfare and also remove the maintenance of mowing. Now if you were in Melbourne, I would recommend adding some focal colour using Grevilleas and then underplant with Correa and Dianella. But you are in Perth and I'm not sure about their suitability there! WA is known for it's great array of wild flowers (including Kangaroo Paws) so I am sure you can put together a really attractive blend of local natives. Advice from a local nursery would be beneficial. Good luck with it!

Which Perth suburb? nearly all Perth is awful sand, takes years to get it good. Sabrina Hahn is the best for advice here in Perth; Josh Byrne on Gardening Australia is also wonderful. Succulents are brilliant low care plants, and I was in Bunnings Melville today and saw they have have good sized plants for under $12, so much cheaper than they have been. if you don't want to bring in massive loads of good soil, compost etc, go for the stunning succulents which are now available. North sun in Perth is pretty hot, but it is lovely to have warming your house in winter. perhaps try a tough small deciduous tree like Manchurian Pear - make sure it's not one of the skinny ornamental pears though. if using succulents I am not sure they would complement each other though. Do you really want lawn? It is lovely but quite time consuming. Whatever you do don't forget we only get 2 waterings of 10 minutes each a week; or three waterings if you have a bore, so don't buy anything which is a water guzzler. Josh Byrne, of Gardening Australia, has put in lovely WA natives in his garden - I love our banksia, grevilleas etc, and you can get fabulous different coloured kangaroo paws now too, you could fill in the front area with these, and use one iof our lovely Pepper trees, or one or two or three of the stunning Ficifolia Eucalyptus (smallish trees with blossoms of hot orange or dark red), or a wonderful Eucalyptus Macrocarpa with its large silver leaves and huge red blossoms - google it, you will love it. Orange gravel rolled into bitumen is a lovely driveway finish, if you can find someone to do it in Perth! I can't, only can find a coloured gravel which I hate. I also love the way smallish stones or gravel are used as driveway surfaces, but a bit tricky for older people like me to walk on. if you are going for lawn, perhaps a circle in the centre of the lawn, with a Meyer Lemon, which is quite low care, and would look lovely with tough blue and agapantus surrounding it - a simple garden, easily maintained. The lemon would love the north aspect. Improve the soil for the lemon though. Rosemary hedges are lovely, you could edge the drive with that. Also a tough plant which grows well in Perth.

They are most popular in temperate zones like Southern NSW & Victoria. You might struggle with humidity in Sydney and conifers. But the best people to chat to would be these people who can help you with selection and give you a realistic idea whether the intended plants would struggle in your climate. https://conifer.com.au/ The diosma's may be a bit more amenable to a Sydney locale since they aren't a conifer, but look very similar to one. They are a south african native and like so many other SA plants thrive in our local conditions and in the heat. Here is a blog about diosma. They are indeed a very pretty evergreen that prunes well into a nice low bush. https://thelinkssite.com/2013/05/26/diosmas-a-very-hardy-plant-for-your-garden/ If neither of those work there is a native with a similar appeal, it's a weeping wattle that might be just the ticket. I've seen this plant used to beautiful effect in cascading gardens and rockeries. It comes in several varieties and one a very bright lime green for a splash of colour. They flower too. https://www.nurseriesonline.com.au/plant-index/australian-native-plants/acacia-cognata/

Personally , I wouldn't try to sell the couch and buy something else -- the existing tenants have white , but why either spend money , or get something inferior ? Even adding white cushions ( maybe 2 standard size , 2 oversized , one shaggy ) would help . Problem there though -- who wants a white rug , cause thats what you'd need IMO if you went down that route . The kitchen is pleasant , but imagine it with lime appliances ( not the fridge haha ) , or orange or candy apple red . . . . . . . . .