We really need some type of a plan view to provide the most helpful feedback. I can’t tell how deep the porch is and how much space there is between the house and the pool. But my gut reaction is that a patio between the house and the pool won’t be an improvement based on what I can see from your photos and based on photos others have posted of similar homes but without the porch. The multiple sets of stairs will look busy and the house won’t look grounded as it currently does with the porch across the back. It will look stark and tall. If you want a paved patio area, add it on one of the three other sides of the pool.

I might get a narrower outdoor table that moves easily enough to park against either the house or the railing to improve traffic flow. Or is there a spot on the deck beyond the pool end that you could widen it enough to have part of the table set in there without impeding traffic around the pool? Either would more likely avoid the issues with the patio against the house and be far less $$$.

You are proposing solutions which impose many constraints, but without identifying needs and objectives. It would be better to begin with a list of objectives, starting with the biggest ones first, that don't propose any solutions at all. Let minds here explore possibilities without being constrained beforehand. Then, you'd need to show us what's there. As Babs said, a plan view would help a lot. [BTW, regardless of whatever ideas you end up with, they will need to be converted into a plan view in order to be understood and implemented. Creating a base plan -- which shows all the existing features that will remain: house, pool, landscape bed, walks, slope, drive, etc. -- would be the first thing that a landscape architect or designer would do, as soon as they collected measurements and basic information about your project. Anyone looking at the plan would instantly see the size of everything and how far it is from everything else. Not having a base plan would create a great obstacle to being able to "visualize anything."]

Continue on with "showing what's there," you need to supply better pictures so the features of the space can be understood by people who will never have the opportunity to visit it in real life. For this project, you'd need essentially two panoramic batteries of photographs as a starting point. The first battery would be taken from standing just outside with the sliding glass doors at your back. You'd aim camera to the far left (toward the garage) such that the left wall of the house is showing at the left side of the frame. Then you'd pivot rightward to take the next photograph that OVERLAPS SLIGHTLY with the first. You'd continue pivoting and taking slightly overlapping photographs until the camera catches the right wall of the house. It's probably going to be about 6 photos. Post them here. Don't try to substitute a computer or camera generated panorama as the picture will be too small for anyone to see detail.

For the second battery of photographs, you'd again stay in line with the patio doors (because they are central to your house and therefore, the scene) and walk across to the other side of the pool, and into the grass about 5 or 6'. Now face the house. Take another panoramic set of slightly overlapping photos that span from the far left to far right (180*) so that we can see the entire scene of what is at the left, right and beyond each end of the pool including the backdrop, which is the house. Hopefully, with all of these photos, we could understand what's in the vicinity of all side of the pool.

With all of this accurate information in conjunction with your objectives, you can probably get some good feedback.

A plan is definitely needed. But I will add that in addition to the pavers I believe additional landscaping will be needed.

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