Put log plastic skylights from timber place then put bleached wood up made from old timber it would be light &match ur white beams..rope light like they use at christmas in white meters of it around roof very cheap give a soft overall light weatherproof also all u need is a outside power point

Would you do the bench full length, from wall to pillar, or would you leave a small gap for people to transit from the alfresco to the concreted area? Hubby wants full length, I am more keen to leave a gap. What would you do and why?

I will move the laundry to the small bedroom location. This means I can remodelled the kitchen using the existing laundry space as a pantry or something else. I will remove the wall in the Living area to have the dining table locate there. You can rotate the dining table in parallel with the new laundry room. Will remove the wall on the right side from the front door and that will now be the entry to the Living Area. Will put in a new wall in alignment with the bedroom wall. This will allow to put in a small low display buffet table with a mirror hang on the plaster board wall facing the front door. This will make the space more open and allow for a sliding door to the decking area. To enclose the Alfresco area properly, you will probably need to pull down the existing roof and structure. The cheaper approach is to use the existing structure and use cafe roller up and zipper blinds to enclose it. You can also use timber framing and polycarbonate sheeting to give a more "habitable feel" enclosed room if you are happy to spend a bit more money without ripping the existing structure. Good luck.

I’d cut deck back a bit, but not the roof, to allow pool lounges on west side with some shade from afternoon sun. Just make sure pool filter is in a sound insulated box as they run a lot of the time and are noisy. Personally i would move the pool filter to your rear shed. Bbq where toilet was. Tv over or next to fire