You don't say what zone you live in, but since you have a pool, I assume it's a warm one. You basically have a blank slate and everyone will have a different idea, I bet. All the inspiration pictures you posted are of a formal nature. I would line the two walls with boxwood, kept trimmed to just under the windows, plant white roses in front of them, and then plant liriope, artemesia, lavender, or some small planting in front of that. Then, in front of those plantings, I would put crushed gravel (or grass) from side to side except for a circle in the middle, (or square or rectangle, whichever you feel suits the space the best) where I would outline it with boxwood, trimmed shorter, with white roses planted around a fountain. I think this will give you the feeling you want to achieve. If you don't want to do just white roses, plant some white roses with white dayliles, white iris, white butterfly bushes, white coneflowers, etc.

I like where you are headed with this. At first glance, my thought was a formal style since the area is very symmetrical. I love formal landscaping and all your inspiration pics, hedges, boxwoods and evergreens.

I would start with a three tier-fountain dead center in the courtyard, as that will also be your view from the pool AND the focal point from the interior of your home as well.

Start there, design around that. Put it on paper, taking into consideration the heights of plants, the views from various angles and whether it will hide or accentuate views from a seating area, inside your home, etc.

I'd plant some tall arborvitae on the far side of the pool for an evergreen backdrop. Where the pool stairs come up to the courtyard, I'd plant a row or hedge of boxwood along this concrete platform with a minimum 36" entryway dead center, but no smaller than the width of those stairs in the pool. Lay a path of lannon fieldstone that goes up to and around the fountain, similar to your first inspiration pic. Or you could go with stone more formal than that, maybe a slate that coordinates with the grey color in the tile in your pool. Similar to your last inspiration pic.

For main walkways, never go smaller than 36" for the width. A pergola at the back of the house would be stunning. Adorable house, and so much potential!

Thank you kimcoco & holleygarden for your advice. I live in Baton Rouge, LA - very, very warm. My last home had an overgrown courtyard, like New Orleans style that grew so fast we were constantly cutting it back. The landscape architects here tend to all design with that look so I really needed help on the more formal garden look. I love your idea holleygarden about all the white flowers. I really like white daylilies. I will do some thinking and drawing now with both your ideas. Thanks so much. I'll let you know how it turns out.