Hi, Paint could be your cheapest option, painting a dark colour would highlight any plants beautifully, you could stagger shelves and have trailing pots of ivy could look fabulous, a Criss cross design for star jasmine to climb, screens with greenery surrounding them could look great, even a sheet of Perspex mirror set amongst the plants could look fabulous

most effective solution would be to have the renderer attempt to repair the hole or put your name plate over the bigger hole and add a doorbell where the name plate is now

hi svdp84, Attached is an idea (not the wall on right of photo.). I chose this picture on Houzz because I think it could be constructed with large Besser(?) blocks and painted, a cost effective option. Its all about the landscaping in front of the wall on the street side which would not require a little retaining wall as this has. Camellias all in one colour would be lovely and they grow quite quickly depending where you live but you could be guided by your local nursery. Hope helpful!

If you are doing a Hamptosn style renovation then I would be consistant, and play up the symmetry, such as in this photo. You really want the pool and outlook to be the focal point, and not your splashback. I would go with a mirrored splashback to brick more light into your space and provide a better connection with your pool, rather than making the splashback a feature element. Best of luck with your considerations, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls