I love your outside entertaining area. It does need a color that would complement but give the area a focal point. I like the darker red,orange colors you may find in natural. You could dress up the table with accessories and place cushions in a complimentary color on the benches. Colored potting containers would also bring it all together. I like the uplighting here in the photo you could place along the back fence to add drama. Your area reminds me of Modern mediterranean landscaping.

This is a really awkward space! What about trying to build a unit into the corner which seems to be dead space. This could house the television and other bits like dvr,amp etc. The unit could then extend out towards the door in length and in height either up to the start of the window or up to the start of the blinds. I would suggest drawers for toy storage and books above. In this way you leave the windows clear for light plus it looks like you have a pull down screen so the tv would be out of the way of that. This arrangement would also hide all those wires and cables! Ikea have some good examples of storage which you could adapt or copy, such as Besta which illustrates the extended toy storage. http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/S39927155/

The wall opposite the couch could hold the TV - would need to mount it on the wall and that would take a while as we would need to get someone in to do it (I love my husband but he's not the handiest). Where the photo was taken is a three seat couch, so couches are in an L shape.

If you are going to the effort of retiling the fireplace surround, would you consider going to a bit more effort and creating a full wall unit which incorporates the fireplace and the TV, with extra shelves and cupboards to display and store? (I also have reservations about the heat and the TV and associated wiring.) This may also address the lack of symmetry associated with the location of the fireplace, if that is a consideration. Do you use the fireplace often enough to justify keeping it? Alternatively, a wall unit on the left hand wall, which is where the power and TV points seem to be, may be the best solution - as previously suggested. All the best.