I agree that adding photos will help immensely. Also, what do you want to do with your patio, and what direction does it face? For example, if you want to eat supper out there and it is west facing, you will want some shade to make it useable. How you plan to use it will influence other factors such as size, materials, etc. In the meantime, here is a link with lots of photos of designer patios. Look at them less as a blueprint than with an eye toward what appeals to you: Do you like a simple symmetrical shape or irregular? What materials do you like? Do you like them raised or level with the ground? Will you be planting around it and if so, generally what types of plantings appeal to you? Do you like structures such as walls or trellises, or do you want it more open? What do you need room for: a couple of chairs, a large dining table, a fire pit of some kind, etc? Are you planning yours as a DIY and if so, how much experience do you have, and how much work do you want to take on? For instance, what looks flat may not in fact actually be flat and so may require some evaluation and leveling as well as being sure that precipitation will move away from the house and not toward it. A zone or general area where you live will help also, since some choices will depend on whether or not you need to worry about freezing temperatures, snow removal, huge amounts of rain, etc. Here is a link that might be useful: [Houzz patios[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/patio-ideas-phbr0-bp~t_725)

The only place yet unseen is at the corner of yard from where original panorama was taken. If you took a photo from near the post (which is near drain,) I think that would cover it. A couple of thoughts, so far, is that some of the wood retaining walls look like they might be much higher than what is being retained. I'd consider removing a few inches off the top, if possible. And, I'd consider some plants at the top of the retained areas that "heap" and "weep" over the wall, covering some (or much) of it's upper portion. (The wood adds to the barren, hard surface. It would be easy to cover with plants that trail.) Likewise, the wood of the fence adds a barren quality. You are punctuating it with art, but it needs some foliage, too. It could come from hanging planters bearing trailing plants. Or you could create a small opening in the pavers (at strategic positions) from which a vine -- annuals or perennials -- could grow. If it's a permanent woody vine, think through carefully where it will grow and how it will be supported. If annuals, just some twine, wherever, that plants could grow on, ought to do it. Some moonflower vines with their awesome scent (and evening & nighttime show) might help the smoke condition.

You are off to a great start because you have shown up with probably the most useful design tool that it's possible to have ... the BASE PLAN! And beautifully drawn to scale!!!! In spite of its awesomeness, I'm wondering if, on a copy of it, you wouldn't make a few changes to it that makes it even more useful in forumland ... Remove the tree symbols and replace them with plain black dots that approximate the actual size of the trunk diameters (which will be our clue to their size.) Keep their names but don't draw any canopies. Since we don't yet know what's yet to come, the tree canopies are a little distracting and could end up being in way of brainstorming. Remove the color shading from the patio. Remove only those dimensions that are shown inside the fence (which will also potentially get in the way) and replace them with two plain, black ten-foot lines drawn inside the house or outside of the fence. Make one line horizontal and one line vertical and label them: 10'. Leave the dimensions that are inside the house or outside the fence. Are there any buildings, such as your's or a neighbor's garage or outbuilding that occur nearby to your fence? If yes, then add their outline to the plan. If neighboring houses are very close, you might even want to show their outline on the plan, because screening them from view or for your privacy will probably be something you'll want to do. Then, figure out your needs and desires. Since a main amenity is the patio, consider how many people you want it to serve, its functions for them, and if you might need to expand it. It'll probably need a place for a grill, table & chairs, side lounge chairs, etc. After figuring out what the necessary things are, draw out an overhead view of them to the same scale, print them out on paper, and you can toy with various arrangement configurations in order to see what works best. Share the drawn out furniture here, too. (It can be crude.) You'll likely want a permanent walk to/from the patio to the garage or outer yard. Ponder what other major features you'd likely want to incorporate. Fire pit? Pool? Recreational features? Screening to block view or provide privacy? Vegetable garden? This is the time to figure out what you want, both near term and far. Even if it's something that won't be installed for 10 years, you'll want to reserve the space for it. Bring the things you're contemplating back here and let's see what kind of shape we can get it into.

Thank you, you’re very kind. We like the pavers and occassionally have needed to adjust a few - primarily due to tree roots. The property began as dirt when we built in ’95/‘96. So, time is your ally with any landscaping. The patio was built in ’98 as a DIY project. Took all summer. My speculation is that your settling is a consequence of backfill not having been compacted before the concrete was poured. That is no longer an issue. So for speed and expense you might want to consider a stamped/stained concrete patio. Speak with a qualified concrete installer. If you have and questions someone here can advise.