This is in Los Angeles, btw!

Are you just moving in? Looks like a good sized space that's already been planted, but needs some TLC. Have you settled on a budget range already?

Oh you must be referring to the plants against the back wall by the fire pit. That's just a few podocarpus and silver sheen. We planted those 2 years ago and they refuse to grow in thick. Otherwise, it's bare dirt -- we removed the turf last year. Not sure about budget, but maybe under 5k. I know it's not much, this he minimalist design...

If the podocarpus and silversheen are affected by the drought and you don't have drip irrigation installed already, it might be good to wait until it rains to add more living plants. In the meantime, you could get the soil they are sitting in tested to see if organic matter needs to be added or just more water when available. For the summer, consider getting an indoor outdoor rug for under the chairs and table. The avocado tree is going to drop avocados and leaves, so shredded bark as a temporary groundcover may or may not work out well. A landscape architect can come up with some options for $5K budget that will be low maintenance and low water usage. Decomposed granite is hard on the bare feet. A deck would allow water to seep into the ground and be a lot more comfortable to walk on barefoot.

I love the pictures miacometlady posted. The first one is perfect because it shows how you can use the more expensive ground cover in a small section where it would have the most impact and then switch to mulch to stay within budget. Those details are why Apple_pie_order's suggestion to hire a landscape architect is perfect for you. It might seem like your budget is too small, but they can make sure you spend it wisely.

It'd be useful to buy, not borrow, some deck samples. Then smash an avocado on them and grind in a few avocado leaves, leave them for a week to see if either one stains. The oil in the avocado may stain most things.