The area looks as though it will be a real hot-box. And the dull, dark colour will absorb the heat. I would suggest that you consider a much lighter and glossy paint for the surrounding walls and then the large pot in the centre. Many succulents burn as badly as any other plant when exposed to high heat, especially when in a pot. Also for consideration after changing the wall colour is a small tree like one of the smaller crepe myrtles. Once you have a canopy you can then underplant with small ground covering succulents or liriopes. I would steer clear of the white stones - they are a fad and will die out. EVERYone is using them and they are really boring. We need more trees in our gardens and there is definitely a place for a small tree in every garden. Trees provide depth. Unfortunately most people can't realise this.

This area is well shaded already and a dark colour on the walls and floor would suck the light out further. The rendering effect looks rustic rather than a crisp finish (unless there is another coat to go on yet) so not painting makes it look unfinished. I fess up I think grey is over used, there are plenty of other neutral colours out there so suggest Dulux limed white (note the actual chip is a warmer light taupe the website shows it as grey, duh!) for the walls. This will still be a nice contrast against the window frames and compliment the darker slate tile you want for the patio. You appear to have plenty of greenery and you could add a pop of contrast colour with a large pot (red, purple?). All the best with your project.

Small deck, no view, except of the fence and the neighbour's garage. We have had a few BBQs there, and hope to get into a pattern of having breakfast and lunch there in better weather. I've got some herbs planted (but not really enough sunlight) and am working on other plants. Dog loves it: he sprawls on his bed or rolls on the 1.5 m of grass, and is content. Birds also love it: they come in at regular intervals to eat the dog's food. Me, I'm just deciding how to best enjoy the fairly new house, and I think the deck will be a big part of it as we go along.

the plants on the back fence will give good impact once grown. The rug is more of a pain. This would be a cleaners nightmare. Gives the area impact but not a suitable design choice near a pool. The mirror looks good but near a bbq you are always going to have to wipe the grease from off the mirror. The plant will also have to be removed once you start cooking. The chair is to close to the bbq and the fridge. So this would have to be moved to be able to work in this area or open the bar fridge fully. I do not mine any of the furniture but not a suitable out come for the area where the design seems not to be workable. Vision is important but design area must also be hassle free.