You need some earth to plant in. You could do it all in pots and planters but in the ground is better and less demanding on the maintenance front. You'll be removing the raised decking but may be replacing the pergola above it, shading the area probably too much for effective planting. Put something else such as seating or table and chairs there for now. The rest of the ground is currently covered in bricks and concrete apart from the barbeque area, which is decking. From what you've said that decking is in decent condition. So now we go to work. I'm setting this work out in sections as a DIY project which could be done stage by stage over any period of time, or periods of time with gaps between, that you choose. I would extend the period of my plan if progress is slow, speed it up if progress is better than anticipated. My plan would start with removing the weeds and dried out plants from the raised beds, both the brick walled and the wooden walled ones. They would be planted with what I want to put there after the soil had been seriously refreshed by mixing in a good amount of fresh compost. Something like three or four inches depth of compost mixed with the top four or five inches depth of soil in the raised bed. My next priority would be to create more growing space. To do that I would remove quite a lot of the bricks from the ground, clean them off as well as I could and store them for now. Some will probably break up, and those would be dumped. The good ones can be used as temporary access paths and pot stands, which will be moved around throughout the following stages. Lots of compost would be added to the newly revealed soil and that is where the next stage of planting would occur. The concrete next. We need to know how thick it is and that will be easy to see at the previous stage with a few bricks removed. Very thick? That's a tough job. Two inches thick? An inch? Less? The thinner the easier. A few whacks with a heavy hammer should break a thin layer up. If it is too thick for that you will need to hire somebody with the effective machinery for the job. I can't see the access in the pix so cannot guide you on what machinery. There is nothing broken up concrete can be used for so it has to go. The revealed earth needs to be revived in the same way as the rest was before planting takes place. We have ended up with bare earth, maybe some bricks left in the ground but otherwise just what we've planted and the loosely laid bricks. Where do you want your path now it's to become a more permanent feature? Don't forget access to the raised beds so you can tend the plants. Where do you want your potted plants? The path and the bases for the pots can now be made stable by putting the bricks back into the ground. I prefer them on their sides but that is up to you. Flat as they are now, on their sides, or a mixture, perhaps side on for the paving and flat as pot supports? I would experiment a little if I hadn't used bricks this way before. No way is right or wrong. It is all down to personal preference. Any bricks still in the ground from the beginning can now be either taken out and used in the plan or perhaps a few have happily ended up just where they're needed. So there is a way forward with very little spending involved. Seeds are mostly very cheap. Plants are cheaper than other materials, labour or professional services. You will swear a lot, sweat a lot and have lots of fun. You will also learn a great deal. If you do end up still feeling you need help you will understand exactly how to brief the professional you appoint.

Hi Rachel. It's a really pretty room. I would Keep it simple with a cottage look. Depending on your choice of patterns and colours it can either be traditonal or contemporary. If you have the bed on the opposite side, you may want to think about moving the radiator as It looks to be the only one in the room so you'd be blocking the heat although I appreciate cost implications. Ŵalls I'd just go for warm neutrals/whites and use the same in the skirting. If you look at little greene paints, they come in different shades of the same colour for most so you could go a shade or 2 darker in the alcoves. I'd have a large mirror opposite the fire to bounce light and increase feeling of space. The ceilings look low (?) so same as for your living room you could consider a floor leaning mirror. You could also consider painting the wardrobe to blend in with the ŵalls and perhaps try it facing the other way. I'm not sure what the natural light is like but coloured shutters with wide slats would look lovely. If not patterned Roman blinds on a light background hung outside the recess. I'd add a little chair in the rhs corner of the window. I don't know what other furniture you intend on putting in the room but I'd add some lamps and if in budget some ŵall lights. A rug with lots of texture for the bed and then a pile of cushions and throws for the bed and chair with a mix of colour, pattern and texture. Perhaps a set of 3 prints over the bed

Hello! The paint has been great - it looks the same as the day it was painted, no flakes or any other issues. The doors have been regularly sprayed with flash with bleach kitchen cleaner, and it's not made any difference to the paint finish etc. I would recommend the paint, the only issue is it is a bit ,limited on colors.

I think you can definitely go for dark walls. I had an East facing sitting room and painted it navy. It was still surprisingly very sunny in the morning and cosy. The only thing to keep in mind that you'll need to a good lighting design scheme to have enough light later in the day and to be able to create the right mood. In terms of furniture layout, it'd be good to draw it and see what can be done. The positioning of the sofas seems less than ideal for sitting on them in a group and chatting as it looks almost like 2 separate spaces. You could also add some storage for toys and grown up bits.