I would go to a good nearby nursery and purchase 3 big pots to go between the columns on the patio. Then confer with the nurseryman about easy care plants that grow well in your area. They can help you put together something lovely. and a nice planter for the table on the deck. Something easy care like sedums.

When the nurseries get in the hanging baskets of annuals, get some of those and take the hangers off. If you can keep those alive for most of the summer, then start thinking about planters.

Overwintering potted plants in a cold climate can be tricky. There are the ones that come inside and are temporarily house plants, and the ones that get moved to space slightly above freezing. Very little is going to survive potted outside over the winter.

I'm also not really seeing a space for the planters.

Avoid black unless you like your plants well done.

Nope. That looks to me to be a fiberglass door & wood sidelite. Actually looking at the inside picture, these are two different systems already. The sidelite and frame is completely separate from the door. I do not think that door ever truly has a matching sidelite. I would get a full length clear glass sidelite. But I would also think long and hard about replacing the entire you as it is obviously quite old and not installed properly

A lot of "garbage" can be generated in either. It depends what you are creating in food stuff. It is both trash, and recycle and food scrap.

Usually? The folks that put the most over think into multiples of anything? Are the ones that can not use a single of anything, efficiently.....and just double or triple confusion and mess.

No different than those who have two hundred "organizing" bins and containers, only to find them all full, and no clue as to what lurks inside any of them. But that's a different discussion, for a different day......and shall apply to drawers, closets, and really, any room in a home.

Go right ahead and beat me up. What do you think I've seen in 33 years of this business: )?

A console table behind the sofa might help define the spaces and potentially add some storage.

I would definitely do a nice long console. The tv could stay offset to the living room side and you could add some nice art to the left or a couple of floating shelves or even a big plant.

Behind the sofas, you could do consoles there as well for additional storage.

You may want to add some drapes for some texture and warmth.

Good luck!