We have always had Bearded Collies so we are used to the high energy thing - but we are lucky and have a farm with fenced pastures so they can run on their own twice a day. Ours don't dig up anything though so I guess we have been lucky. Good luck, I hope the trainer is right - for your sanity and your yard. We had to replace all the stretcher bars on our chairs with our last puppy. This is an example of what I was trying to describe. [houzz=]

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).

Hello everybody, I have lived in Europe and also built several houses for which I have used blue stone. It is particularly in Belgium and Holland the most preferred natural stone for architects and home owners. You can of course for the cheaper ceramic tiles with a concrete or blue stone look but it will never be the same. The blue stone quarries have traditionally been in Belgium so you will see there lots of homes, streets and public buildings that are built with this stunning stone. You find it in different varieties (honed, polished, rough, etc..) and you can use it indoors as well as outdoors. We are going to build a hew house close to Sydney and will definitely go for blue stone both inside and outside, including the area around the swimming pool. In Australia, I have been told that blue stone is mainly quarried in Victoria. I am presently considering either to buy it there or to i port it from Belgium (which quality is slightly better and available in more varieties). Another very nice alternative is blue lime stone which in Australia is presently being imported from mainly Turkey. I have built with blue stone before and the result has always been much nicer than with granite, marble, travertin and of course also than the cheaper ceramic tiles that you find everywhere. We will probably combine the blue stone inside the house with underfloor (hydronic, not electric !) heating. Nice and cool in summer and pleasantly warm in winter.

Looks like the drain that the down pipe goes into isn't working as it should, over flows before water enters the drain. Love the random pavers, these could certainly be reused adding a few more to replace the bricked area all on one level as this would enable a better space for outdoor table and chairs. The pergola is tired and would be great if as you mentioned could be raised up a bit, depends on what the Body Corporate will allow, a couple of see through panels inserted above next to the building would help with light. A BBQ kitchen on the back wall, plus I would try to re swing the door back to it, the door gets in the way as it is, can it open inwards opposite the sink. Certainly keep the garden beds it will help soften all the hard surfaces, taller planting along the boundary will also add privacy cheers