Even though that is a fairly small space you could put some decorative trellises just in front of the fence with some ever flowering vines on them. Install a paver patio between them and the windows you hope to transform into doors.. You could also have the wisteria trained onto a pergola that would create a little shade for the patio as well. Some beautiful potted specimens/flowers and a couple of attractive outdoor chairs and you would have created a beautiful "picture" to act as a focus to the room. Additionally you have extra space for entertaining. Obviously the reason the previous owner obscured the window was because there wasn't much to look at. By creating a "view," you change the dynamic of the room as well as getting the light you want. Actual light will brighten the room like no change of floor would.

Hi Melanie, The timber look floor tiles being produced at the moment are absolutely amazing. Our range of technical porcelain timber tiles are called PAR-KER and are produced by Porcelanosa in Spain. These floor tiles are incredibly durable, and once installed, require no maintenance whatsoever. They are scratch and stain resistant, require no sealing, have a high acid and chemical resistance - and look beautiful! I will attach some images of our PAR-KER tile ranges of darker shades, please let us know if you require more information.

How funny. I just renovated (on a budget) my small kitchen and added exactly the slate look in tiles you have, though they are in fact porcelain. And I placed them throughout the house for continuity. The tiler asked if I was after a retro hippy look but it doesn't look like that at all. My cupboards were the same colour as yours and I utilised the bones of the kitchen and had the doors and Benchtops changed only. I also have plenty of light in the kitchen but chose white doors and as I was on a budget I chose granite look Benchtops, they are very serviceable and it looks great. The blue backsplash was the colour lift and here you could choose any colour to your liking. Basically the kitchen ended up with white cupboards and appliances other than cooktop, with the stainless cooktop and coloured splash back being the focal point. The paint colour are: whisper white walls, integra splashback, white ceiling and for increased contrast I used the same white above the splashback on the rear wall. I would consider painting out the brick but leaving the texture.

Here's a video of an area of water damaged bamboo being removed and replaced Joyzzz. Maybe you'll consider replacing the area in front of your fridge. Like you I also have bamboo in the kitchen (and pot plants throughout the house), but haven't had any issues with spills marking the floor. It's a shame there's so much variation in the manufacturing process resulting in some floors tolerating spills and others not at all. I do have a damaged board though thanks to a guest leaving a tap running causing an overflow...that I wasn't told about until days later, grrr. Fortunately the damage is in a shadowed corner and the sealer is still intact, so it isn't noticeable, just a wrinkled surface to the touch. Which is lucky, because our home is earth-covered and there is nowhere for water to drain out of the sub-floor as we "tanked" it with a sealer to ensure no moisture can make its way in. That board sat there in a puddle for days! I still wonder why only one board suffered damage, very strange...