So many great suggestions here for you! What a fabulous house to work with. I would extend the pergola out to where the BBQ is, but scrap it. I also suggest replacing the brick paved area with large creamish pavers & use the bricks to pave the path in a bit if a curve. Utilize the curved area for seating widening the steps as suggested. A couple of large pots with citrus either side. These could be planted later as the garden progresses. Also a grape vine or wisteria planted to grow over the pergola would give summer shade & let light into the house in winter. I would screen the granny flat with either a few hardy bushes or a lattice type screen & grow a passion-fruit, kiwi fruit or climbing rose. If you don't like the climbing thing something structural like yucca's or cordylines, both low maintenance - talk to your local nursery, they are the experts. They may offer garden design too. Also have a look at http://plantselector.botanicgardens.sa.gov.au/ Just put in your postcode & you get a list of plants with pictures, descriptions etc. Enjoy your garden room. Good luck.

These are great photos Siriusky. I notice they all have a double driveway on flat land. This might be a stretch with the council, and financially, to install a double crossover, and the retaining work required. This also would still require reversing onto road, from driveway. With flat retained parking in the front of home, there would be extra parking and ability to reverse out of parking bay, to drive forwards onto road. Duncangill12, you have, as per your survey, 8429mm available to make into flat parking and retaining wall, in the front of home. As previously mentioned, take your requirements to council. They will be able to investigate where service lines are to home, water, etc. Refer to comments from Paul Di Stefano Design,(yesterday)this may be an expensive but good option. Always pending council approval.

If your concerned about the screens not looking quite right with the house or railings, or if you dont have the budget for an expensive screen, you could also consider a growing an easy maintenance, fast growing vine like Star Jasmine over a less expensive screen and training it a little way through the railing to tie them both in. Star Jasmine will grow happily in a pot and will cover everything, hiding all sins! It will also give you a lovely green outlook, complete privacy and the scent of the flowers on a summer night is intoxicating. I have star jasmine covering two totally different 2m high cheap screens (one lattice and one rio metal bar) in my courtyard which separates my yard from my neighbours and it provides a gorgeous leafy outlook with total privacy and covers the screens entirely from base to top so you cannot see the unattractive lattice or rio behind it and all it needs is the occasional trim.

Some great comments and thoughts from you all. Trends are a consumer marketing tool to encourage you to continually spend and buy their products... A home should be a living curation of things you love that work for you and nobody else. Yes there are some design principles you can follow but these are a guide and should be considered along with the space, it's purpose, the light, the people and much more. Instead of buying more, consider what you have and carefully select things to complement them - update by changing things around and making sure YOU love the style and it suits the way YOU live!