Smartening up a concrete patio- ideas needed !

My kitchen door opens out onto a concrete patio- well its the base of an old conservatory. Last summer I filled a lot of cracks in and painted it but its still shabby/un-even; both the surface and around the edges. Id like to re-surface it; maybe put some tiles down, and an edge around- perhaps stone/small bricks- anybody done this before ? Don't want decking/wood......
heres what it looks like now-

another pic....

You could build a small wall to just above the concrete and put wood chip or an artificial lawn down

i would be tempted to put some tiles down ...it would look nice

I was thinking of patterned/natural coloured stone tiles.Easy to clean too. Its the edge Im pondering over......

How about a few nice plants in pots to distract from the surface itself..? Or dig a bed around the edge and put in some things that will trail over the patio a bit..? Tiles would be nice, but can get a bit pricey and hard work to get right (as OH and I just found out ), but I reckon you could make it look really nice with some planting to soften it up a bit

Hi thanks for the advice so far ! I have lots of plants in tubs- bulbs earlier- now japanese maples, bizzy lissies, etc. I have them in the corner of the patio, as wnen Minnie runs out the back door into the garden I dont want her tripping up over them a border wouldnt work as she would dig it up what i worry about with the tile idea is the cost and getting it right.....or level more like. Any experiences with tiling out there- what are the pitfalls ?? Heres my pots

Personally-i would tile the entire surface in imatation 'saltillo' tiles.These can be ordered at most builders merchants and are totally frost proof cause they're made from concrete-unlike genuine terracotta saltillo which would crack in winter.

They have a orangey/yellowey appearance and makes a sunny garden look like the med with a few strategicaly placed plants!

I would attach big planks of wood around the edge so the top is a few inches above the concrete, then gravel the lot up to the top of the boards. That would help wedge the plants pots in, disguise the concrete perfectly, and is as about as instant as it gets! No maintenance, either!

Nice pics, I would choose an attractive slab and maybe put some trellis work up for a climber !