Talk to an engineer. Starter bars drilled into the top & chem set into the holes may work. Then concrete bar tied across from starter bar to starter bar. Formed up and poured to form a wall. Then you would have to raise your skimmer box, and any deck around the pool. How big is the pool, tiled? Some pic's would be good, but the engineer is your first stop

Thanks Fiona. We'd love to landscape the far side but sadly that is our neighbour's property and the river rock lined area right beside the pool fence is an easement that runs like a creek when we get rain so can't plant in there :). I do plan to sneak in a few more of the Golden Cane palms onto the neighbouring paddock as some have self seeded anyway- hopefully create a nice screen. I have my eye on some nice pots and two lovely wooden loungers with cream cushions, all in budget. But I'll only get them once I decide what to do with the paving area to better blend with the pool surround. I've just had the area pressure washed about 2 weeks ago so my thinking is to go with the repaint in the medium grey and hope we get 5 years out of it.

I finally managed to attach photos as requested !! What I did last year was to mix one part house paint with 30 parts water and brushed in long dragging strokes to achieved the weather drift wood look 18 months later which about 4 weeks ago, I bought a grey deck paint and watered it down 1 part paint to 3 parts water Thus is the results It covered the grain a bit more

Hi. I agree painting the posts & blocks (if you need to keep them for structural support) white. Another idea if you are handy is to build a timber rail and balustrade (painted white?) in place of the lattice. The lattice does provide some shade lower down, but maybe you want a different look. Your bricks are a good colour, and I like your Acapulco chairs and the macrame pot hanger. I think you could run with those colours (along with the white paint idea) and pull off a Mexican theme in this space.