Had you considered reconfiguring and adding to the pool fence in order to incorporate the pergola inside pool fence boundary? I can certainly understand there are pros and cons to this, but I thought I would throw it out there. In any case, landscaping, lighting and painting pergola a more harmonious colour seem very good ideas to me. If you sketch out on paper some of the various plans and ideas you like or have in mind, and colour-in the different features, this might help you visualise things better. It's sort of rudimentary, but I have done it several times and it did help me 'see'. Best wishes, and please keep us posted on how you are going.

Loving these hilarious stories ... makes mine seem tame. My flatmate and I had a spare room and kindly offered it to a friend. She moved in and all was going quite well (except the cartoons every morning, the late night fry ups and the various articles of clothing left lying ALL over the house). One evening when 'friend' was out, we two had a few friends over for drinks and a movie. Everyone was being polite and trying not to mention the smell that became increasingly offensive as the night wore on. Half way through the movie it was no longer tolerable ... "What the hell is that smell .. sorry girls, but I think you have a dead animal in here somewhere". So six of us went searching for about half an hour ... it was a pair of 'friends' shoes left pushed under the couch. The smell, up close, was worse than BAD ... no words! I decided to just throw the shoes into 'friends' bedroom but .. when I opened the bedroom door .. the full force of her many pairs of smelly shoes hit me and I almost passed out. The smell lingered in the living room for days later. We confronted 'friend' about the shoe problem and from that point her shoes had to be stored outside on the veranda, away from all doors or windows so the smell could never be allowed to permiate the indoors again. 'Friends' response was "how dare you open my bedroom door". All this led to us lying ... told her the lease was up, planned moving day, she moved, we stayed, and for the remainder of the lease we lied about where we lived. All that deceipt over smelly shoes.

For me, it would be colour. Maybe a feature wall for walls around dining, or living, pick colour from your favoured painting, and use same and other colours from pictures for cushions or even some occasional furniture in the brightest colour - I saw this done beautifully in a tarted up house for display - a small seat/coffee table painted and upholstered in an orange mix, which was taken from the splashback (everything else was neutral) and also in a throw for lounge.

As you haven't supplied any measurements, it's a little hard to gauge the correct size of the lounge etc, however, I would definitely take the dining table out of the lounge. Like oklouise, I would set that up in the kitchen area. I would opt to place it hard against the laundry wall and pull it out into the kitchen when it is required. I would also opt to have a narrow table that could be lifted to become fullsize. How friendly a terms are you on with your landlord? I would be putting a good case forward to him/her to install a heat-pump high on the wall above where the dining table is in your pic. There looks to be an area outside the WC wall to place the outside unit and it would be very easy to duct through to install the inside unit. While at it, get the heater taken out. Hopefully, the landlord would be able to see that a heat-pump would be cost effective whilst freeing up the corner for you. Do a little research beforehand. I would put the TV, and other lounge cabinetry on the white wall that backs onto the kitchen and if possible, around the corner slightly, where the heater is. That would free up the remainder of brick wall that has no window on it, for you to arrange your seating. As already suggested, I would also set your guitars up near the base of the stairs. Thoroughfare from the entrance, to the stairs, to the outside and to the kitchen and bathroom needs to be an uninterrupted flow.