@ deanli14...the problem is that the neighbours don't want the tennis court fence as it is..more they want it lowered...thus depriving johnmcintyre of his privacy and the local Council is dictating what can and cannot be done....its not about planting for privacy...quite the reverse, the neighbours want the view! I've had an idea that might help. It is my understanding that today anyone wanting to build or alter any structure can employ a private building surveyor/inspector to approve the plans and then the final structure...and I understand that this applies everywhere in Australia. So there is a way to by-pass all the nonsense. The Council does not have to know about or approve anything. You are employing (paying) a private building surveyor/inspector to help you get what you want on your own property. I think its all got beyond a joke. Just by-pass all the red tape and the neighbours! I've extended my house to incorporate a very large semi enclosed veranda, I've had a large water tank erected on a tall stand so it gravity feeds into my house..and have erected several 3m tall greenery covered screens along my fenceline adjoining the neighbours.. for reasons of privacy.....all without the local Council even knowing about it because I employed a private building surveyor for it all from start to finish. You would be paying him to be on your side and get you what you want and he does not have to submit to Council, he is his own boss and your client. You'd need to get a draftsman to draw up the plans to start with...then it should be smooth sailing.

There are those glass doors that have internal blinds between the glass. That would give you the option of privacy if you wanted it at some point. The double layer of glass would provide some sound insulation also.Those doors seem to come in various styles. Glass doors sound like a good option so you still get natural light through and wouldn't get a closed-in feel. You'd loose a little bit of the open look when having area framed out for a door. Unless you have a transom window above a door I suppose. Could you have something like a magnetic door stop mounted low on the wall so you can have the door stay open when you have the place to yourselves? I would be inclined to have a door fitted at the foot of the stairs and when left open, sitting up against that length of wall on the kitchen side in the short corridor. Hope that makes sense...

We had resin wicker chairs on our decking that copped extreme heat, wind, hail , downpours and they still looked great, (they are now residing on another verandah) can’t speak more highly of this product, nothing damaged them, timber or steel is great also but needs a little more attention than the resin.

Beacon and Bunnings are the Woolworths of lighting. Readily accessible, OK quality, reasonably priced, and very popular for these reasons. Check out the website for TecLed, who are LED specialists. They have thousands of specialist LED light fittings, better quality than Beacon or Bunnings, a good website, higher prices, and a limited number of showrooms. As with many things for your home you often get what you pay for... https://www.tecled.com.au/ Best of luck, Dr Retro Dr Retro House Calls/Dr Retro Virtual Visits