I love this so much. totally amazing and brilliant. As a designer i love to think outside the box which is what you have done.

Hi Aletla, If your apartment is part of a strata make sure that you get their permission before painting anything (best ask then fall foul of them as many courtyards are deemed as common property for exclusive use meaning that the Strata has the last word). If you get permission, I'd be tempted to lean towards a mid gray the same colour as the exterior building so that you're able to blur the lines between vertical and horizontal areas and make the area look bigger. You could think about putting in modular decking that will change the look of your courtyard that can be pulled up and that can be stained to any colour you pick. You would have to ask your strata but if you let them know it's modular and can be pulled up when you leave they should be OK with that as long as it cant be seen easily from outside the property boundaries. Regarding putting up shade - strata will not have any problem if you invest in a large outdoor umbrella as long as you make sure that it doesn't become a hazard during high winds/storms - you wont have to ask them. You can put up outdoor awnings but you'll need to get permission, supply all the engineering specs and your Strata may have restrictions regarding colour and style and may require you to: provide a structural engineers report on the impact, indemnify the building and put the awning on your insurance (a lot of work) and if necessary pay for a change of by-law. If you decide that you cant/don't want to change the colour of your outdoor flooring and as beige and grays are really popular, you could always tie the two together more with outdoor cushions for your seating that feature both of the colours. If you can get a high pressure hose and remove dirt and flaking paint to see exactly what the condition of the tiles are, you could ask your strata to pay for their reconditioning (if you offer to paint them and give them the colour and say you're happy to pay for that then they'll probably say "OK" to avoid costs to the strata as they're responsible for the external parts of your building - remember you only own the airspace of your apartment).

I'm very sorry, everyone, I am still not getting notifications of comments on this thread. Vy, that sounds like a fantastic idea! You should have a marvelous trip without children, and spend some time re-connecting with each other, having fun. I find that that is actually one of the important things to do in a marriage, is to find ways of laughing at life . It's also important to get on and do some of the things you have always wanted to do, because we never know how long we have on this earth - We see far too many patients who have been waiting for kids to grow up, the mortgage to be paid off, etc etc, and then they get a horrible diagnosis just before they are due to jet off on their once-in-a-lifetime trip. Even if you can't do the big things, try for some of the little things. Weed, get out some of those things you have been saving - rotate them around so you get to see them and take pleasure in them. Sorry, getting a bit carried away with the imperative voice there - we have seen some very sad situations lately that are really hitting us hard.

Thank you everyone for your great comments. There were design ideas I had never thought of and really valued like the floating shelf, a mural and larger cushions and changing the colour of the lamp shade. Attached is the latest room version. I have moved paintings around. I do love this aboriginal painting, I am not sure if it is a little small but I'd really like it above the couch so perhaps another complimentary painting beside it? Or do you think it works ok? I think I can pretty much choose any colour from the painting for cushions and to brighten up the space - was thinking brighter and larger like suggested above by littlethommo2 and littlethommo2 . I still think I have balance/scale to work on - thank you Paul Di Stefano Design and littlethommo2 . I can move the cupboard at the end of the couch with the plant on it and place something taller here ? Any further ideas are really appreciated. Thank you all !