Use the same ground texture from the in-game grass terrain. Also add black line around the small objects inside (tables, parasol).
The same texture as ground is not good idea - at least because powerplant would have to be built only in one climate - with the same texture, otherwise it probably would look strange if (for example) mediterranean climate texture would appear in desert. But at least I may unite all basic textures - that swimming pool surrounding and top of climbing wall would use the same texture. And maybe that tennis court would get the same texture too.
I thought about clay for tennis court, but only for very short time (in closed space it would not be good idea).
1. Move the tennis court to the middle of the "backyard" and move the small objects to that empty spot.
I am not sure what place do you think with backyard.
+---+-----+---+
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
+---+-----+---+
| 4 | S | 5 |
+---+-----+---+
| 6 | 7 | 8 |
+---+-----+---+
1,4 - tables, swing
2 - climbing wall
6 - tennis court
3,5,8 - swimming pool
7 - empty space
Please, use this plan to explain you idea. When I placed swing to close neighborhood, I did it to have place without much empty spaces between each item. Before adding of climbing walls, position 2 was empty too. If I understood correctly your idea, plan would be
1,4 - tables, swing
2 - climbing wall
6 - ?
3,5,8 - swimming pool
7 - tennis court
but it does not solve anything. Because still I need to know what to add there.
I thought also about campfire, but it is probably greater problem than clay on tennis court. And placing there any child-only things (like castle, sandbox) or more thrill-like things (like paint-ball or so) would not be good.
2. Draw it like the Pool building that is already on the SVN repository.
I looked at the pool on SVN.
I am not sure if I can reach the same shades of blue used there. Shading of inner space of own pool is needed, but I am not sure if pool bottom should be without tiles. I think that water surface texture is making it better (I can make it lesser transparent).
There are some things I can add
- wall between staircase and pool (with door that would be on side of wall)
- lockers
- shower
- lights (very modern)
3. Add multiple colourful grip points, basically many single or two pixel dots.
I counted with them. But I thought more about help ropes or so to add.