A lot depends on the temperature and how close the outdoor living areas are to the back door.
I have a south facing backyard. It gets really hot in the summer. I have an elevated composite deck outside my patio door that I use several times a day. It has a sectional on it, so I could take a nap out there if I wanted to. I keep the cushions just inside the door so that they last longer. The elevation lets me see a lot more of the view and it feels a little like a treehouse.
Composite decking does not need maintenance. Concrete and pavers get hot if not shaded.
When it gets hot, I have a lower composite deck with a wood pergola that is partially under the trees. There is no house exit to this deck, so it does not get used nearly as much. Vertical wood surfaces like the posts and pergola slats need maintenance, but not nearly as much as floor planks because water and snow don't sit on them for long periods. (Composite is generally too heavy and/or not stiff enough for posts or roof slats, so you are usually stuck with wood or vinyl/pvc.)
You can have beautiful outdoor rooms, but if they are far away from the house, or hot, you may not use them much. In that case, you would want to build up the scenery. Make a space close to the house to view the scenery, and make the yard into a beautiful view if you do not have a view beyond your backyard. Trees, shrubs, gardens. Hardscaping doesn't change, but plants and wildlife do. We can watch birds, squirrels, rabbits (in other people's unsecured yards), my dogs playing, sunrises and sunsets, blooming trees that change colors with the seasons... Lots of entertainment.
I'm a big fan of large grassy areas to play in. But gardens and water features are nice too. I go for low maintenance and skip flowers, but I have lots of low maintenance trees and shrubs around the perimeter. Big rocks are nice too. Potted flowers on the deck are good because you get a lot of bang for the work since they are close to where you sit and look out the window. They have a bigger presence since they are close.
Also if you grill, it's nice to have the grilling area close to the door which is hopefully close to the kitchen. You might want some sort of counter nearby.
If you do a pool, think about privacy, especially if your neighbors see you coming and going. I would plan on having the pool close to the door, or have a private path to get to it, or have a place by the pool to disrobe. It may not bother you, but over time, some neighbors may become a little more interested than you like. Think about what you will use the pool for, and pick the best size and shape for that. You could have a lap pool built or one of those small workout pools with a current.
