Both really great designs, we are seeing so many of our clients decide to get creative with their outdoor living areas and the patterned styles are very popular, also painting them different colours adds a special touch and something different to an outdoor area!

You can actually do a lot with a little if your prepared to have a go and get a bit experimental. Firstly, get the high pressure hose out and some outdoor cleaner to get rid of any moss build up on the paving and any of the walls and get a hose caddy/cart that when entertaining can be moved out of the way. These things will instantly make it feel better and tidier. use the vertical spaces available with hanging baskets with colour from the roof beams (use light weight baskets and potting medium) and window troughs that you can use with hooks off the fence (again, use light weight potting medium and troughs so as not to interfere with the structural integrity of the fence and beams). Use screen panels or lattice to hide any tanks/plumbing that exists and use well behaved climbers to continue to cover it. Look for some old outdoor timber settings to recycle by painting it up in either white or bright colour(s) (remember you can use outdoor cushions to introduce colour too) and then add hurricane candle holders - this looks inviting and casual. Look at your local hardware for either solar or electrical outdoor bollard lighting to make the space inviting of an evening (don't forget fairy/icicle lights for parties and/or Xmas) - look around for specials as you can save a bunch if your local Bunnings/Masters/Mitre 10 has a sale. Shade sails are an option if the area gets unpleasantly hot can also be used under the transparent roofing as is inserting some hooks into the beams and jerry-rigging a canvas awning that can be put up and taken down in minutes (just remember that you'll need eyelets in the canvas for the hooks to go through) are easy and cheap. The same idea can be done with net/muslin and LED fairy lights for evening parties. Have a colourful gorilla tub to do double duty around the house - gardening, laundry and as a good sized esky. If budget permits and there isn't already one - get an outdoor powerpoint - it's so handy for lights, the high pressure hose etc.

Small deck, no view, except of the fence and the neighbour's garage. We have had a few BBQs there, and hope to get into a pattern of having breakfast and lunch there in better weather. I've got some herbs planted (but not really enough sunlight) and am working on other plants. Dog loves it: he sprawls on his bed or rolls on the 1.5 m of grass, and is content. Birds also love it: they come in at regular intervals to eat the dog's food. Me, I'm just deciding how to best enjoy the fairly new house, and I think the deck will be a big part of it as we go along.

Although we have very deep eaves and lovely large decks, we don't actually have proper shade at our new house so that we can enjoy the outdoor living. Trying to resolve this. Thinking about a big shade sail further away from house where we have a big table and chairs, and perhaps decorative metal panels attached to either the roof or wall cladding on the west deck. The sun is harshest during afternoons to sunset and so far we cannot use this deck for '5 o'clock somewhere' drinks.