Nice pool, but a shame that your neighbours can see you through the fence, and therefore, you get no privacy. If you were wanting privacy of some kind, bamboo, tikka plant or even lovely conifers will look quite nice, also as a backdrop to your pool area. I would also place a beautiful urn or two strategically near the pool, to add character and colour. I would finally add an order of large stones for good effect.

Id do a pergola with clean lines with retractable blinds/shade in the roof part. There are some DIY blinds on Pintrest. For your windows I think external blinds that stop the heat hitting the glass are your best option.

Also, if you take a look under the "Find Pros" tab on Houzz you can search for tradespeople in your area - tilers, landscapers etc.

Timber Decking near pools does look great! We do get lots of enquiries for replacing rusted timber connectors in decking areas near pools (usually replacing with our Stainless Steel Timber Connectors), that's not to say don't do decking, just make sure its done right! You might be interested in this article... http://vuetrade.com/blog/timber-decking-around-your-pool-are-you-planning-a-saltwater-pool/