DENS REINVENTED

Hideaway. Summer house. Screened-off corner behind some bamboo where you can read in peace (while drinking rosé). Whatever you call it, your grown-up den needs to offer you sanctuary and solitude without sacrificing comfort.

• If you’re lucky enough to have a shed or summerhouse, you’re quids in. If it’s looking a little tired, renew it with a lick of paint in a glorious muted neutral or pastel hue. Farrow & Ball has some wonderful shades, including dusky pink Cinder Rose and aqua-toned Teresa’s Green. Check out Cuprinol’s Garden Shades range too, which covers wood, terracotta, brick and stone. Add somewhere cosy to sit, a pile of squishy cushions, light-but-warm throws, mood lighting and maybe a heater to keep the evening chills off, and you’re set for summer.

• No ready-made bolthole to call upon? Fear not. With the clever use of screening – natural or structural – you can hide away to your heart’s content. Bamboo makes the perfect natural screen (and grows super-quickly too); as it can run wild, consider planting in a tub or go for clumping variants that won’t take over the whole garden. Fencing panels, trellis and pergola poles can also be used to hive off a space – as with the shed, these will take on a whole new look and feel once painted in a soft, summery shade, providing the perfect backdrop to your alone time. Voile panels, sail shades and even indoor screen panels pressed into outdoor use are all great privacy providers too.

• The simplest (and sometimes best) den is one that’s ultimately portable, and for this all you really need is a chair! Whether you go for a steamer chair, sun lounger, deck chair or swing chair under the trees, just add a side table and a good book and you’ve got your ideal summer reading nook – what more could you ask for?