SOARING temperatures changed our lives this summer as we embraced Mediterranean living.

With al fresco dining growing ever more popular, welcome to the new living room - it used to be called the garden.

The garden is no longer a place where you work weekends, but a place to eat, socialise and relax.

Builders have responded to the lifestyle change, by changing the way living space is planned, adding French windows to the lounge and kitchen diner to allow easy access to your outdoor space.