Hi Aletia

Lovely space you have!

I'd change the pavers to charcoal colour, to compliment the building and existing furniture.

Dark grey really allows greenery to display well.

Inject colour with planters, flowers and soft furnishings (perhaps an outdoor rug to anchor the lounges.).......

Greens for natural touch.

Blues and aqua tones for ocean feel - I did see a surf board!

Or maybe use yellows and tangerine for a 70's vibe.

Make it fun so you will get out there and enjoy the space.

HI Aletia,

to me the pavers are begging for a charcoal colour to ground the space & allow you to introduce colours you like. I also suggest aqua & turquoise with a touch of the dark purple & something bright like yellow as you don't want too much heavy colour.

If it is your place I would also suggest a roofed pergola over the door for rain protection leading to shade structure over the seating for protection from the sun when required. Add some large potted plants & a focal point maybe a good idea such as a water feature.

Creating an area for the bbq might work too which could be a simple timber bench & stools for outdoor dining & another idea would be raised herb beds nearby.

The seating seems to need a focal point along with the paver colour change.

Please post an after picture if you decide to make some changes ;)

Hi Aletia,

I agree, the pavers would be great in a charcoal colour, if the existing pavers are not a paint finish but coloured concrete you will get the best results and longevity of the finish by using a concrete penetrating stain type product such as Cementaids "Rokite" i have used this with great results.

Once you have finished your colour change adding some coloured tall pots will liven the space. You can add some outdoor coloured cushions for balance. Pots like this would look great between the pines.

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Hi Aletla, If your apartment is part of a strata make sure that you get their permission before painting anything (best ask then fall foul of them as many courtyards are deemed as common property for exclusive use meaning that the Strata has the last word). If you get permission, I'd be tempted to lean towards a mid gray the same colour as the exterior building so that you're able to blur the lines between vertical and horizontal areas and make the area look bigger.

You could think about putting in modular decking that will change the look of your courtyard that can be pulled up and that can be stained to any colour you pick. You would have to ask your strata but if you let them know it's modular and can be pulled up when you leave they should be OK with that as long as it cant be seen easily from outside the property boundaries.

Regarding putting up shade - strata will not have any problem if you invest in a large outdoor umbrella as long as you make sure that it doesn't become a hazard during high winds/storms - you wont have to ask them. You can put up outdoor awnings but you'll need to get permission, supply all the engineering specs and your Strata may have restrictions regarding colour and style and may require you to: provide a structural engineers report on the impact, indemnify the building and put the awning on your insurance (a lot of work) and if necessary pay for a change of by-law.

If you decide that you cant/don't want to change the colour of your outdoor flooring and as beige and grays are really popular, you could always tie the two together more with outdoor cushions for your seating that feature both of the colours.

If you can get a high pressure hose and remove dirt and flaking paint to see exactly what the condition of the tiles are, you could ask your strata to pay for their reconditioning (if you offer to paint them and give them the colour and say you're happy to pay for that then they'll probably say "OK" to avoid costs to the strata as they're responsible for the external parts of your building - remember you only own the airspace of your apartment).

I would say a light grey - won't get so hot under foot!