Thanks for the feedback tsudhonimh. Regarding the two tan walls. They are actually sandstone block walls that I built myself and when they and the rock is clean they are actually very similar in colour. See attached picture to give you a bit of an idea of a quick clean of the sandstone. Having said that the top wall is not structural and could be removed if it didn't fit the bigger picture I come up with, however the reason it was built was to keep the dirt from falling down the rock every time it rained and also to make it look somewhat more tidy. It is also somewhat of a railing as there is a dirt walkway and then some steps to get to the top rock. I have toyed with the idea of getting rid of all the dirt, surprisingly there is a fair bit of it and due to the weather in Sydney, most plants as well as weeds grow really quickly. I currently find myself about once a month removing weeds, which grow to about two feet a month in height specially in the spring/summer times. I do agree there are a number of somewhat flat areas, and I have been toying with the idea of multi-level terracing with a nice entertainment area. From the top rock I have a view of the city and the nice Australian weather means that we do spend a lot of time outdoors. I was hoping not to just do a boring timber balcony and the recommendation of John Lautner by makeArchitecture in the comment above has helped come up with some interesting alternatives. We have been looking at native plant options, we have quiet a few options for the area we are in and a lot of them such as the aloe vera and the other spicky plants you can currently see grow with no maintenance required except for some occasional trimming. Thanks for the suggestion to describe the garden as "rock garden" or "alpine garden" as that yielded some interesting results when goggling. I have also attached a photo of the house from the backyard to give you an idea of what the existing building looks like. We are currently planning on painting it white, as we have gotten some good ideas for similar barn style house on the Houzz site. This has definitely been beneficial feedback as sometimes it feels a bit overwhelming as it it not the standard backyard. I really wanted to have some ideas of direction before getting a professional to come in and design what the end product should look like as a whole. After I have that I can determine what I do myself and what I get a professional to do.

The house is fairly small from the photo but elevated on a basement or garage plinth. If the base is brick, leave it as is. But whatever colour you chose, eliminate contrasts so if, say, a soft French grey, paint the walls, window and door joinery and roof flashing the same colour. A contract could be the new deck rail, but I would even consider painting it the same colour as the basement to link the 2 levels or just the same as the top. A bright glossy front door could break up the monotone.

Did you know that you have posted on the Australian Houzz site? In Australia those products are not available so you probably won't get many opinions from this forum. If you were in Australia I would be suggesting that you consider some of the James Hardie smooth faced weatherboard products for a clean look, that is more resistant to impact than thin metal siding. Best of luck, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls

cladding over brick creates challenges around windows and doors so unless there's a structural problem with the bricks and they have to be covered over i suggest that painting the bricks would complement the cottage look and be much easier and cheaper than more cladding although another option could be to paint the bricks and reclad the garage with smooth cladding and i wonder if painting the garage a darker colour and the house a lighter shade of the same colour would also help balance the look of the different walls