I don't think that it is so much the wall that is the problem but the plants hanging over the wall. They are leaning on the wall and look as though they may be destabilising the whole wall to the point that it may fall over. If you removed all of the top heavy plants on the inside and then had a simple hedge that is a bit higher than the wall itself so that you get a solid green above the wall, then this green would break up the monotony of the wall. Keeping the weeds away from the base of the wall would also help, tho this is not too bad. You could paint the lattice but once you do this you have ongoing maintenance. You could paint it a bright, bold marine blue or yellow based red/orange, but as stated, the maintenance is then ongoing. I would look at the structure of the wall to ensure that it is stable before doing anything. Alison

3 bedroom house complete interior & partial exterior design project . Older home bought 8 years ago in Lawnton busy business couple wanting to update the home with a hampton inspired feal. Full kitchen & Bathroom redesign as well as new tiles, paint colours and furniture. watch this space

anything is possible with enough money but with such a modest budget you might achieve the new bathroom and kitchen OR the extension but it would be difficult to achieve both at the same time but you haven't answered the questions??? what is the distance from the house to the back fence, what are all the floors, walls and roof built out of (ie inside and outside walls, concrete slab on ground, or is it a timber floor with crawl space underneath the house?? and NB where is north? ...what is the shape of the roof (hip or gable tiled roof or??) ...do you have an aerial photo of the roof like Google earth??...extending over the retaining wall shouldn't be a problem with proper cosntruction and there isn't anywhere else to go without losing the best outdoor area that has easy access to inside...the extra lengths of pipe isn't the biggest cost of new plumbing and a ventilating skylight will make a great light source for an internal bathroom...

Hi Kathleen, Austere Hamlet’s comment about builders is poignant. We discovered that when a builder says, “it can’t be done”, it can be code for: • I don’t want to do it your way. Right through to, I don‘t intend on being flexible so tough luck about getting what you want in your house. • I only quoted the cheap way of doing it; variations are a nuisance. Like it or lump it. • My skills only extend to super simple solutions (but I’m not going to admit that to you). • I‘m under the pump. If I do want you want, it’ll blow my schedule (or profit). After you’ve spent heaps of money and endured the whole build, do you want to risk thinking, “I wish we’d known we could have done ‘X‘ differently”, every time you walk in the room? In your case, it’ll be every time you need that extra bench space. A good builder will give advice that helps, not hinders functionality. I’m not saying yours is bad, but they do lean towards simple and cheap solutions rather than best design for you. But their advice can only extend so far. Kitchen design is about details. Builders do the big stuff. Think of a painter. They can paint your house, but would you ask them to paint an artwork for your living room? All the very best with your project. :-)