Thanks so much everyone - this has been great. Sorry for the lack of response - been flat out!!!! It must be hard for you American guys to work on such old English designs.... The ideas have gradually culminated into what really would look good on the house. Ourfarmhouse - these are absolutely great ideas, and thanks Everything Beautiful for getting the jist and putting the ideas onto the house image - nothing like seeing an actual design on your own home. We've got an architech working on it, and he's keen on the iron-wrought idea... but we're not sure. Basically toss-up with this and Everything Beautiful's design (2 above). Going with a four-pannel door, but would like to incorporate some glass somewhere! Possibly a panel above with the house name engraved on it?? Victoria - absolutely right...! We don't need to sit outside with the weather.......... say no more! Just wanting something to cover yourself while you're unlocking the door. We've also done a tour of the local areas, and found a couple of porches - amazing what you find right on your doorstep! Will attach pics shortly...

Your garden has a lot of potential! For the maintenance side i would suggest replacing the turf and installing artificial grass if you go to the right artificial grass retailers such as First Choice grass all there products are child and pet friendly and that will reduce the maintenance work by a lot and you can remove all the bits needed to install a water feature. I would then suggest getting an awning or veranda over the patio area to protect your furniture and whatever flooring you choose from the weather to once again reduce maintenance needed to keep it looking as good as it can. This will also give you more chance to enjoy your garden for more time throughout the year as the weather wont keep you inside. You also have the option of enclosing a veranda into a glass room just leaving an entrance to the grass part of the garden which adds another room to your home and as it will be glass elements enclosing it you will have the same view and feeling of being outside even when the weather does not want you too

Awnings and porches both offer shelter from the elements and enhance outdoor living spaces. However, there are several reasons why an awning may be a better choice than a porch. Firstly, awnings are more flexible than porches. You can retract or extend an awning as needed, giving you greater control over your outdoor space. In contrast, porches are typically fixed structures that cannot be adjusted easily. Secondly, awnings are generally more affordable than porches. Building a porch can be a major undertaking that requires significant time and financial resources. In contrast, awnings can be installed quickly and at a lower cost. Thirdly, awnings are often more versatile than porches. There are a wide variety of awning styles and materials to choose from, making it easy to find one that matches your home's architecture and your personal style. Porches, on the other hand, are more limited in terms of design options. Finally, awnings are more adaptable to different weather conditions than porches. If the weather is hot and sunny, you can extend your awning to provide shade. If it starts to rain, you can quickly retract the awning to avoid damage. In contrast, a porch cannot be easily adjusted in response to changing weather conditions. Overall, while both awnings and porches have their benefits, awnings offer greater flexibility, affordability, versatility, and adaptability to changing weather conditions, making them a great choice for enhancing your outdoor living space. I recommend checking out this site https://wolfix.ie/

Try using the planting to form a fence... that way you won't lose any of your width. Trim what is presently there to a knee or mid calf height and into a box shape to see how it looks. If it appeals, plant out the remaining bed with like plants, let it grow and maintain!