Breaking up the great solid block of colour a little bit helps to hide it. Next is the choice of what to plant. I'm leaning towards: ficus pumila, climbing fig, which can be pruned to hug the fence tightly, Himalyan blue bamboo, (but might sprout on other side of fence as well, so should have a 60cm deep root guard or be planted in pots) or waterhousia floribunda, weeping lilypilly, which can be pruned to a narrow, non-climbable hedge but 30cm might be about as narrow as possible. I'm just a bit scared the bamboo will move into the neighbours yard too...You also have to be careful to not plant anything with massive roots that could eventually crack your pool, and it has to be tough enough to cope with a bit of chlorine... Then, put in a dip line so you don't have to water such a narrow spot. Good luck, and let us know what you decide.

@ Ba Beltramo, I think this dilemma might be better solved if we we had pictures, as suggested by rahnch but if that is too difficult to provide, it would help if you supplied more information about exactly where this pool sits as opposed to the home and what size and shape it is including the lay of the land, pool fencing etc... I'm a little concerned about some of the suggestions that even talk of possibly destroying the pool although I have nothing personally against the suggestion providing you are well informed and take into account what will best suit you personally. After reading you dilemma heading again, "Re-design the space AFTER pool" I'm now assuming that the pool may already be gone and you have a huge hole where it once sat?? If that's the case, then it could be as simple as filling the hole in as you suggested yourself. If the pool is still in place and you are considering filling it in, then I would be concerned about your thoughts to effectively destroy it when I personally know just how costly is it to have a pool in the first place with many people who could only dream of having one!! At the end of the day, your property must work for you but I would hope you give it allot of thought before you do anything.

What a great pool for starters. I do see your dilemma though. For the fence: I would give it a paint, choose a colour that ties your house in. Add laser cut screens or put in a vertical wall garden as you don't have a lot of room to have a row of pots. In saying that a few large pots around are great to add some interest and colour. Strelitzia's are great plants to use. Tough, can handle sun, lovely bright orange flowers. Certain sun loving bromeliads, great colours. Clumping palms are always a winner. Just watch yuccas, as previously suggested, as they are often spikey, with kids running around I would stick with softer foliage. Somewhere to sit is always important but again you don't seem to have a lot of space and you don't want to overcrowd the area. Perhaps a long bench seat along the far fence, include outdoor cushions and built in storage under seat for pool toys. A large umbrella in the corner for some shade. All of these can add colour while being practical. However I do like the idea of extending the back pool fence out to create more space, Bali hut here we come! This may not be an option.... Good luck, I'm sure with a bit of planning you can turn this into a beautiful space for everyone to enjoy.

my daughter in law was advised by the pool company not to plant bamboo as once established they do shedd quite a lot and as stated above a root barrier is essential and if leaves not cleaned out of pool will eventually cause trouble clogging the filtration, they planted a pleached hedge and magnolias in large tubs and it looks beautiful, I love the look of bamboo but just be wary , if you are a gardener like me you will sweep up your leaves daily so it's really a matter of choice as to the amount of work you wish to do, good luck, it looks a lovely area.