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).

How beautiful Faye,so lucky to have your Mum near you, statice has a papery type flower, use also as a cut flower and it is such a hardy plant, it is such an underrated plant but itstarting to be used more often , great colours will go well mixed with the others, gaura ‘butterfly plant’ is gorgeous, so named as it looks like little butterflies in the breeze, it’s taller and blends in perfectly.

I'd take a different path . You say you are on a budget , but then you want possibly the most expensive brand of barbie ( yes , they are good , but they are good because they are portable . . . . . ) and getting in a builder to build in furniture . Personally , I hate the mushroom trim -- see how much better the charcoal screens look ! So get 4 litres of charcoal , and a brush . Get a $300 4 burner stainless steel if you can , barbeque , preferably with a lid . Or even a $600 one with side burners ( put pots on them ) and a rotisserie . Go to K Mart or Bunnings and buy attractive table and chairs ( similar to in the pics -- I assume that was previous owners ? You can move them round , stack them up , more versatile . Get colourful outdoor cushions and maybe a big colourful glazed pot with plants to suit . Go with your favourite colour or two . Your concept would be double the price , a bit better in some respects but not so in others , but at least you have another idea .

There are so many options and ideas available, but getting your drainage fixed if it’s a problem would be best, other than pressure washing and painting here are are few inspiration ideas that could work for your courtyard, a layer of stones and pavers, or something adding a mixture of both. If you went the ivy as you suggested you could use stepping stones scattered amongst it, but would that be ok with the water running through.