From the photo it looks like your backyard has zero privacy. I would address that in your design as well (lattice panels, covered pergola, etc).

I would not create privacy with lattice panels, but with trees in your yard. Screens will make you feel closed in. Trees will give you something lovely to look at.

Screening upper deck? Where are you - what’s your climate? Looks like no fences between homes - is that a clearance reason? I agree about plantings for screening but that’s a landscape design first need & not something to be done piece meal. What’s that structure on lower deck next to house? Is the only way to get onto that deck to step up from grass? I can’t see the concrete patio you mention - looks all grass.

Where does the door lead to? Is the deck off the kitchen?

Very interesting back of the house that the deck set up is ruining. I think I would want the top deck stairs and the door stairs to somehow connect.

Paint the drain spouts to match the siding they are not design features

Re planting trees. For shade from the hotest sun of the day--trees to S/SW. For morning shade--trees to E/SE. Large trees at appropriate distance, smaller trees closer in.

Shade cloth will offer some relief, but nothing compares to the cooling provided by layers of leafy shade.

Plant now and enjoy in less than 5 years. Choose the trees well and plant them properly.

Larger shrubs will provide privacy.

I did a deck design for a customer with a similar situation, more or less.

Check with your zoning department 1st. If you can put the stairs on the left of the deck, to make sure there is no side-yard setback issue.

You can try something like this just to give you an idea and put the stairs on the front of the deck, coming down onto a patio, which will start from the door.

Located in Kansas so all 4 seasons. The neighborhood is newer and this house is onlly 3 years old, hence the lack of trees. Sounds like I need to look into landscaping. The staircase that is there now walks into split stairs leading up to kitchen and down to the basement. The deck goes into the kitchen. Sorry for the confusion, there is no patio there now, was wanting to put one in. I was thinking about putting in stairs on the left side (as you look at the deck) that leads to a patio. The back of the house faces due South, so it gets plenty of sun. It sounds like I should start with landscaping layout first before tackling deck/patio.

Your deck foundation probably wasn't designed for the added weight of a roof structure, so you probably can't screen the upper deck unless you do a very lightweight screen structure (no roof, maybe one of those pop up tent sort of things). You can look at screening the bottom by adding a ceiling to the patio and adding screens between the deck supports. We looked at doing that under our deck but didn't want to pay (we had motorized screens priced, which admittedly are going to be way more than fixed screens, and were quoted around $20k for that alone - the ceiling was another $15k).

Stairs will require additional foundation, and stairs are expensive to build, so be aware of that. I would not want the stairs in front, as that blocks off the patio. A few neighbors of ours built their stairs that way and it makes their patio feel closed off. I don't see a way to connect to the other door.

Regarding your patio, are you talking about having it both under the deck and beyond it? Otherwise a fire pit would not be a good idea.

I would put the pizza oven on the deck as that is probably closer to your kitchen/closer to where you will make & eat your pizzas. We have a traeger on our upper deck and a blackstone on our patio and the blackstone is kind of a pain to use FWIW.

Also yes landscaping but it needs to be thought out as a whole. Where you want a patio will influence your landscaping.

I live in the Kansas City area & our deck is open like yours & south facing. Hot, hot, hot in the summer. We are seriously contemplating a sunsetter awning. It would shade the house in the summer but still allow the sun to help heat the house in winter. A friend has one & really likes it.

As far as the rest I would definitely start looking at getting trees planted in the fall. I would live with the rest of the setup for a year to see how it works for you.

Good Luck!