How about keeping the framework of the enclosed patio and the wall but opening it up... so pull off the roofing but keep the trusses... and grow some vines like a bouganvillea on a trellis over the area. It would protect your privacy and not waste the infrastructure of what has been built, but it would give the spot some beauty and street appeal. Bouganvillea or a similar brightly coloured vine would look amazing. Maybe a combination of vines so that you have maximum flowering... so some autumn leaf colour, summer flowers, spring flowers... think romantic like wisteria, jasmine, clematis, rose... or bold and tropical bouganivillea and mandevilla. You can paint the trellis a contrasting colour to add some appeal while the plant is growing up. Pulling off the roof will bring better air flow and light back into the living area.

What about Merbau which is yellowy/brown - remembering that most timber weathers to a gray colour unless you keep up staining and/or oiling. You could have a look at Ekodeck which is a bit more expensive but is a composite decking that claims not to warp, splinter or crack nor does it need oiling. Head on down to your local timber yard - the guys there if you can head down at a quiet time are super knowledgeable and very helpful. Good luck.

Hi Love the setting! From what you are describing, it sounds like you have a ventilation issue. A deck lower than 400mm off the ground needs to have ventilation just like the house. This typically means the sides are open (doesn't happen) and the spacing is around 5-6mm between boards. If you don't have this, the water that gets in cannot evaporate and will keep the ground and the underside of the deck moist, even with your drainage as it can pool in sections. This in turn means your deck is always wet. Once that happens, it is only a matter of time before fungus growth/soft rot etc occurs. We always excavate a low to the ground deck to ensure we have 400mm of clearance to the underside of the bearers. Another way is to ensure there is a moisture impermeable membrane across the ground (plastic) covered with gravel and graded down with vents placed all around. Cheers

I actually quite like the landscaper's option, and I imagine that the house is higher up than the lawn, so the three decks terrace down to the lawn level providing a good connection between the house and lawn. A good landscape design is much about the third dimension of height as a well designed home, and these plans don't show this dimension. In addition the terracing allows planting around each deck level which softens the transitions even more. Each change in level also provides an opportunity for seating. A single level deck that is at the house level may need a balustrade which divides your outdoor space in half. I would ask your landscape designer to explain the thinking behind the smaller decks in terms of change of height, which you can't read on this plan. If you wanted a bog-standard deck that any carpenter can throw together why did you engage a landscape designer to come up with a creative and interesting solution? Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls