A paver or stone in square cut that coordinates with the wall brick is my thought.

Vertical wall planters….

Redo with pavers. A rug and cushions for the chairs. Are you using the chain trellis on the wall?

"easy to maintain"

That would be a few large planters, if it's not possible for you to plant in the ground. Wall hung planters are high maintenance unless you have automated irrigation. And is there a nearby source of water? Or will you be carrying cans through the rooms from a bathroom or kitchen?

It desperately needs some color. Not necessarily from flowers but a couple of large pots of living greenery, some throw pillows (and a rug if switching to pavers) would help a lot. I'd also consider some sort of wall art for the brick wall

You need plants. I'd put climbing vines up the back wall. Gravel is not easy to maintain if leaves fall on it, so I'd replace with pavers or a wooden deck. It's hard to recommend where more plants should go, as there are lots of windows. It's a small space and you have a lot of furniture there. Are you going to use it all? If there are just two of you, maybe more plants and less furniture might make it a place you use, rather than a place you never use. Ferns are a good choice for low light.

This is the kind of thing you should be thinking about. Plenty of greenery, high quality flooring, focus on style. So, another option is to pull your two-seater forward, make an oval with pavers or decking and plant up the edges.

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Thank you! These are great ideas! We are considering pavers and container plants. Thanks you!

I love some of the lessons from this courtyard that can be applied to yours:

- Yes to containers, no to in ground planting.

- Don't push your furniture against any of the walls. Have it float so you can put greenery behind it.

- Plant very tall shrubs in at least on corner to give height and connect the seating area to the top view of the outside trees that are peeking through - it is such a nice feature that you can see nature beyond this courtyard. Highlight that!

- I'd place at least one cross beam somewhere from which to hang a lantern or grow a vine. Having the space encompass you from all sides and above will add to the serene feeling.

- Angle your two chairs to give the space more dimension.

- Because you do not have any architectural features on the side walls, I'd use that back wall as an architectural feature from which to hang a mirror or other architectural objects like a modern metal or wood trellis - not for growing plants up but just for added decor to the space as is done below with the white metal screen, which is behind one of the chairs. You could also add a large lantern on one or both sides of the screen.

Thank you ! All great ideas! I am motivated to make this space work for us and will share once it’s built up

I would absolutely plant a vine up the back wall. You want your space to look like a garden, not a pit.

What climate do you live in?