I had posted about this before but i cant find it, it somehow got deleted.

I need help to make the best of this beautiful backyard location. Its on a lake in Jersey Shore (North East). We bought this house few months ago and this will be our first summer here. I need the landscaping and finishes to be low maintenace. A lot of homes here use gravel, however i hate this gravel and i would like to see a neater and more structured space with maybe a border and path using large stones and a different type of gravel. I don't like the pavers around the pool either and wish i could use different pavers with lighter colors and get rid of the grey tones completely but i know that would be expensive. Any ideas or solutions of something reasonable i could use to replace the pavers? I would also like to see green grass but im not sure how i feel about artificial grass. I love white hydrangeas and adding few colorful plants. I don't have a big budget and would like to keep it cost effective.

I need a seating area, fire pit as well as lounge chairs. I love the idea of having a traditional round fire pit with Adirondack chairs closer to the lake more than a fire table, but im open to suggestions.

I'm going to move the large shed towards the back to open up that area.

We'll be using the deck for the grill and dining table.

I kinda like the round part at the end if I'm keeping the pavers for a round table and chairs.

There's also this sand area to the left, which seems practical to keep for the kayaks and paddle boards..etc. Thoughts?

Thanks