Personally I think the grass, yellow bricks and the fence are a bit too uninspiring. How about trying to break it up a bit - thin beds with climbers against fence and extra beds / pots / paths to add different levels. Think of cakes on a cake stand, the more levels, the better it looks. Red cedar slatted fence to replace the existing, trailing plants over the walls. Talk to a good gardener to talk about the right plants for their position and also consider doing a watering system to make it super low maintenance (they don't cost the earth). Good luck with it - post some photos of the project!

Hello! I would also advise you to spend your money in something more durable, as the decking, specially with a continuous wet weather, is not the best solution. It can be slippery as stumac23 has said, and it gets green with mould over time. If you think pale beige or grey tiles look dirty, then maybe you can go for a dark grey, that looks clean and will definitely last more. Important: if you go for tiles, try to find a non-slippery class type.

Hi all, thank you so so much for all of your input. We think we have come up with a plan that could work for us, and have taken many of your into consideration. We see this house as at least a 10-15 year house so think it’s worth spending the cash on. We are working with an architect with whom we will discuss our plans in more detail. The important factors for us, having been on this journey are: Keeping the kitchen where it is Squaring off the kitchen to make it a more open space Make the house ‘ready’ for what we hope will be a growing family in the near future We also don’t want a vast open space (that’s our personal choice) and want to keep our options open. The house is pretty big and with great proportions as it is. This whole exercise isn’t about having extra space but making the existing space work as well for us as possible. As a result, we think we are only going to extend across the kitchen and not the living room, and will have a side door opening out of the new extension on to a decking area which bi-fold doors in the sitting room will also open out on to. Our hope and plan is to also knock through from the kitchen to the sitting room, not sure whether this will be entirely or only partially and to potentially incorporate a ‘sliding wall’ or pocket door set up to enable us to change the use of the space depending on kids, guests etc. This plan may not be what everyone would advise, but we are excited to see how feasible it is and how we can make the space work best for our plans!

I personally wouldn't raise the level of the outdoor patio without first consulting a pro about the ramifications of that (rain/standing rain water, drainage etc). Have you considered painting the concrete? I've seen some cool diy painted stencilled concrete patios. Not sure of longevity, but I imagine it'd be easier to clean and touch-up than tile. https://dawnnicole.co/diy-faux-brick-stenciled-concrete-patio/