Umm, I think you could afford an interior designer! But as I'm awfully generous with my pearls, here goes. The lower balcony is an informal extension or your living areas, and will probably count as living floorspace more often than not. I would include an outdoor kitchen along the side wall, and install a floating timber bar top along the balcony wall, as a drinks bench or informal dining slab overlooking the city skyline. At the opposite end a vertical garden wall and a grass carpet, turf lawn rug in that area. I would introduce round outdoor furniture to encourage relaxing, perhaps exterior grade beanbag or more contemporary rattan tub chairs, with charcoal upholstery. Ones that can rotate to face your flat screen when entertaining. So one end is lounge the other dining, although not sure a table would be needed as the dining area links from the inside and doors can open Ruhr up, so the bench and stools is all I'd do, to keep it feeling light and spacious. Use bold and bright pops of colour in cushions along a built in timber slatted bench at the lounge end along the balcony wall, build this is a seat with storage capacity running almost full length stopping a t the mid wall section, change direction so it's an L shape, with the L a planter box also in slatted timber, but filled with plants like ginger plants. Tis will act as a divider between both ends but not all across. Upstairs as it's huge, divide with a slatted wall, perhaps with stainless steel mirror sandwiched here to reflect each end, my reason is to give both bedrooms their own private balcony. Box furniture each end, and Provide a pull out line both sides of the screen. Mobile planter boxes on castors so they can be moved for sunlight. Let these two separate decks be an extension of the personal bedrooms, with individual colour and finish. Although I'd paint the inside of your balconies in a concrete grey so they disappear into the horizon. Try horizontal bands of grey, graduating from charcoal at the bae, then into lighter greys at the top, take your colour cues from the city skyline.

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.

Hi Julie. The sales people often promote products as being 'all weather' but when reading the label on some it suggests keeping the item under shelter. However It's good to hear of your experience with your chairs, and as you said before you've had them for 5 years which is a great test. This is very reassuring. Thank you for your advice and for taking the time to respond.

This is another way, the dining table is a great put down for bringing things in from the car and behind the door, "Mudroom" for all those coats bags keys etc. A large artwork on the wall next to the dining table would dress up that wall Your outdoor area is big enough for an outdoor setting and BBQ, and you will be able to pass food through the kitchen window by taking down the fly screen while having BBQ's great apartment, cheers