I love shade sails but we have a lot of heavy breezes and wind gusts here in the Southwest. I don't know about Dallas, but a shade sail in my area (Albuquerque to Santa Fe) would probably end up in the next county within a week out here! And, yes, I do know that you close them up when not in use ;^P One local(SW) idea would be a ramada built with latillas, JWT. Build a simple, free-standing or attached frame and then nail on your latillas as needed~ close together for complete shade; farther apart for dappled shade. You can find precut latillas at any lumberyard, I'd think. Lynn

couple of space planning things pop up immediately for me: - that upper landing looks like it's more space than what you need for a landing, but potentially less than you need for an upper patio. What's the goal there? Given how expensive a raised masonry landing is that's an important question. - between the landing and the section of patio between the garage and the dining furniture, your ratio of circulation ("hallways" in a sense) to usable space is off. I think the space planning could be more efficient.

You might add a small rolling cart for serving snacks and use a colorful pitcher-and-tumblers set when serving family and friends. From the set, choose one or two accent colors to repeat in throws, pillows, and/or flowering plants and flower pots.

You've got a lot of brick colors and sizes and patterns going on. It's tricky complimenting existing brick with concrete pavers, but can be done. I had a similar patio at my last place, went with gray pavers and it was OK, but if I could do it again, I would have installed a low wood deck (one that didn't need a railing) or done poured cement or large cement blocks with bricks lining them. Less busy. Also, I recommend planting some pretty shrubs against the fence, gives you something to look at and enjoy when you are out on the deck. There are inexpensive options that will stay small and narrow. Not sure your zone but it looks like it is temperate, so I can tell you that I had good luck with globe arborvitae, Ms. Kim lilac and magic carpet spirea under similar circumstances. I also had some junipers but they were not as easily available and I did have to prune them some. I also had a blueberry bush, dwarf Japanese maple, climbing knockout rose and dwarf clethra that also did well in the confined space. I had a hedge of raspberries on trellises against the garage ad they were a huge pain, but I could never bring myself to tear them out when they bloomed and set fruit. Ninebark is also an easy peasy and inexpensive shrub to get but it has to be hard pruned every year to keep it confined. A similar substitute is wine and roses weigela which I see now has been bred to dwarf size. I also had some dwarf conifers, but they are more expensive, harder to find and harder to take care of. But sky pencil holly, sky rocket juniper and Alberta spruce are plant suggestions that you can get all the time in most places and could work. Also some of the dwarf azaleas if they grow in your zone.