we had a beautiful view from an outdoor living space but tormented by insects we decided to screen the area with the cheapest option for the opening size (5m long and 2.5 high) was black Sarlon cloth attached with timber frames and a single old wooden framed hinged screen door.....a fabulous unexpected additional benefit was that the screens reduced the wind, maintained our view from inside but is not see through from outside, made the area more secure and weatherproof but also reduced temp in summer and maintained some warmth in winter while still allowing the lovely feeling of being outdoors..good luck with yours

I guess this is an old posting but here are a couple of thoughts: Low barriers like railings on the windward side will cut the wind down. I noticed it on my porch which just has a wide top railing. So add railings and clear glass panels to that side of the deck. Also, add low shrubbery out in the yard like a low border or fence so the wind will go up and over it and maybe over your patio. The wind also hits the flat side of your house and 1/2 goes into the patio area. So add shrubbery on this side and maybe even a post or short wall sticking out 6" or a foot on the corner of the house to direct the wind away from the patio.

Thanks for the great thoughts asquithoatley and Damien. I especially like the suggestions that I add a bit of colour and texture with cushions and lamps. I really favour a natural and organic palette, but having largely achieved that, the room just didn't seem to 'pop' in quite the way I'd hoped. Asquithoatley - are you able to give me a source for the red lamp? I really like it. It is funny you mention knitted pillows, as I just took up knitting for the first time in years and I did some for upstairs. They look really good. Maybe I'll get the knitting needles out again! And I'll start looking around at coffee tables. I think you are right. Thanks again to both of you. Isn't this site fantastic?

What an exciting project - providing you have adequate ceiling height and the budget to pay for the services for a bespoke solution. You may want to consider using one of the better shop fitters who can design, build and project manage the whole job. They are used to doing quirky, small scale projects to a high level of detail. The better ones don't come cheap as you are paying for a multi-disciplinary service that is project managed and co-ordinated.