The soggy British summer: how to make the most of it

Enjoying summertime in dear old Blighty is like trying to eat an ice-cream in a wind tunnel – if you love ice cream enough, you’ll give it a jolly good go. But the rest of us will just stay indoors and enjoy a tub of Ben and Jerry’s on their settee.

You’ll pull out the deckchairs after a sliver of sunlight, only to see a downpour drenching your garden furniture within minutes. You find yourself praying for a dose of global warming just to enjoy the heat for a while.

But while your trip to the seaside might be compromised by oncoming storms, you can still appreciate the summer from the safety of your home. All you need is the right design choices.

So, what can you do?

Get the right glass

Sometimes the summer gives you plenty of sun – but far too much rain to head outdoors.

That doesn’t mean you have to linger in the dank doldrums of a dark front room. All you need is some windows to welcome in the rays.

Find an effective double glazing company to fit windows that’ll absorb heat from outside and retain those rays for your skin to enjoy.

Just make sure to open your curtains when the rays are at their peak – it’ll heat your home for hours.

Pick up some plant life

As the flora and fauna gets soaked outside, you can revel in a greenhouse of your own. Invest in a plethora of plants to inhabit your home and you’ll find it’s brighter, breezier and a pleasure to lounge in.

There’s a science behind this – thanks to the process of photosynthesis, plants “breathe in” carbon dioxide and “breathe out” oxygen, giving your home a very literal breath of fresh air.

Naturally, you don’t need an entire rainforest’s worth of plant life. But dot your home with a tasteful variety of colourful leaves and petals to turn it into a cornucopia of oxygenating goodness.

P-p-p-pick up a patio

Here’s a little riddle for you: what’s not quite indoors but not quite outdoors? Answer: a patio with a sunroof.

Here you have the perfect solution to your soiled summer blues. For just a few thousand pounds, you could hire a professional contractor to craft the perfect patio and roof combination.

Just picture it – as the rain drizzles down you’ll still be able to appreciate the scintillating rays of the sun.

Before you rush headlong into preparations, make sure with your local council that you’ve got permission to start digging holes in your garden. While most wouldn’t have any problem with extensions, you might come a cropper if you live in a listed building.

Either way, you’ll be fully kitted out for a summer well spent – even if you are trapped on the British Isles.