Step one set a budget as that will dictate what can be achieved Step two decide on whether its greenery, opaque or arty. Step three match budget to style and mix in time and you will know what you are going to achieve. Let's start with opaque. The quickest solution. Get your windows tinted with opaque film. Stops the view but let's in the light. If it's greenery then think huge pots full of creepers like jasmine or ivy or clumping bamboo. Screen off the air con unit, attach screen to the fence, place pots strategically and wait a couple of years. If it's arty, paint the fence white, red or yellow, invest in some trompe Leol concepts or hang outdoor sculptures. Arty needs a lot of planning but is great to reflect your style

Orange and blue are on the opposite ends of the colour wheel so together with the grey as the neutral to tone down, it all works!... with an open plan, you want to define the zones and the best way to achieve that is with rugs... start with the orange couch as it's the biggest item (and probably most costly to replace)... 1. Orange is a 'block' colour so break it up with a geometric & monochromatic rug (black/white or charcoal/white) and large enough (best is 2mx3m) for the edge of the rug to sit just under the front base of the couch (for a budget option check out Ikea's Lappljung Ruta 2x3m rug: http://m.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/art/20260520) 2. Pick a few scatter cushions for the couch... a couple of monochrome ones to match the rug (note Ikea's got matching cushions to the above rug) plus a couple of blue ones to tie in the blue hues and introduce a third colour and/or textured cushions to break it up 3. Find a large piece of abstract artwork, either canvas or just a framed print if on a budjet, which picks up the main colours of blue and orange plus a mix of any other colours. Place the artwork on that dining room wall on the left (no offense, but the current one there looks lost, it's too small and colour blends into the wall too much) 4. Love your dining chairs, but if there are only four and it looks like the table can accommodate six chairs, then you could do with a couple more but not in white. Get two more chairs in the same or a similar style, but in orange (or blue if you want a more muted look e.g. Freedom's Brandon dining chair: http://m.freedom.com.au/furniture/dining/dining-chairs/23437432/brandon-dining-chair-turquoiseoak) sounds out there, but mix-match dining chairs are very much on trend. 5. The exposed brick wall actually works really well with your colour scheme, but break it up with some floating shelves on one side (black/charcoal so the tv doesn't stand out so much, or just a natural timber to tie in the orange) for photo frames, books, objects, ferns, etc and one the other side create a nice little vignette of similar items on top of a cabinet noting to pick colours from the palette. A few inspiration photos I found on Houzz that sort of reflect what I suggested above... good luck! :)

Generally, I find it commonplace that approximately 10% of your properties value is a maximum figure to not over capitalize, however above and beyond that doesnt factor in personal choices, like upgrading to a specific stone or appliance to suit your needs or wants. These things I would weigh up depending on how long you plan to live with the kitchen, and if it will be a long term ownership or short term with potential to sell with profit. You can easily send off a benchtop plan to any benchtop fabricator or even a st e mason and ask them to quote, just include walls, and indicate exposed edges of the bench so they include a polish cost, and any cut outs indicating your ski or hotplate etc. Where possible, note your stone colour choice for accurate costing, and then ask your cabinet maker to quote Benchtops separately, this way you have disclosed the biggest cost and decide to get it where it works for you.

Other colours that work with red are turquoise, apricot, peach, any blues, yellow, even some pinks and greens. (Look to gardens for inspiration, or Old Masters paintings). I'd find patterns with combinations of those, or Vys colours, in a rug, and chairs or cushions.