How would you make a townhouse with steps "flow" better into the garden?

[Pannacotta]

We will be talking to architects but am having a think about this before we do.
Basically our house is at a higher level than the garden and the whole plot slopes downwards from lef to right.
Our kitchen opens onto a small patio area of the garden but there are four steps down and the house really does not "flow" into the garden (also not very child friendly).
Not too sure about raising the patio with decking as we would overlook our neighbour's garden, though it may be an option.
Is there anything else we can do?

[WilfSell]

Could you build a series of walled terraces with a gently sloping path between them (just sloping enough to ride bikes down etc?)

I'm sure I saw Diarmuid Gavin (drool) do a garden like this once on telly...

[Pannacotta]

There are already some terraces in fact though they aren't that well designed as there are just too many steps, but its the area just outside the kitchen I was wondering about, ie how to make it more accessible from the kitchen, just wondering if anyone had done anything ingenious as my mind is a bit blank!