LONG summer days, with hours and hours of daylight, are great for lounging around, sitting in the garden, and entertaining.

But the extra daylight hours can also be good for something else - house renovations!

During winter, major refurbishments are a daunting proposition.

Driving rain doesn't lend itself to knocking down outside walls, and when it's cold and dark outside you don't feel inclined to jump in your car and zoom off to the nearest Homebase.

But summer is the perfect time to carry out major overhauls, if only because you can spend more time outside and less time inside with the rubble, the dust and the noise.

And the long days mean workmen can work longer, and the job is finished sooner.

One of the most popular rooms for a major makeover is the kitchen.

Probably because it is the "powerhouse" of the home, the kitchen environment is of paramount importance to all family members, not just the cook.

It is the hub of the household - a place for nourishment, sustenance and comfort.

Whatever size or shape your kitchen, there is such a fantastic array of products to choose from, that you really can have anything you want nowadays.

So, what's out there at the moment to entice and delight?

MFI is pushing its Metro kitchen for summer, described as a "clean-cut, loft look" range.

"The contemporary, 'city chic' Metro range boasts a hi-gloss white finish that gives the kitchen a stylish feel," said a spokesman.

"Its fashionable long-bar brushed steel-effect handles make an effective addition to the simple, flat-fronted doors and results in a stunning, minimalist look."

For details of your nearest MFI store, call 0800 192 192, or visit the web site at www.mfi.co.uk.

Four Seasons Kitchens, meanwhile, is publicising its Hartford Ivory range for summer.

The "delightful, creamy-coloured, summery kitchen" adds a taste of "American picturesque", according to the company.

"The combination of Shaker style and pale tones is reminiscent of white board front houses and fine white sand, which typify the seaside towns of New England," said a spokeswoman. Very Martha's Vineyard!

For stockist information or a brochure, call Four Seasons on 01942 844268.

Magnet Limited, which has two stores in Worcester and one in Kidderminster, stock a wide range of kitchens.

From the slick, ultra-modern look of the Alpha kitchen, with its sleek, aluminium-effect finish, to the country warmth of the birch-wood Bakersfield range, there really is something for everyone.

"Clean sharp lines and angles give the Alpha kitchen range a simple, industrial look that oozes style," said a spokesman.

The Bakersfield range, on the other hand, features solid birch cabinet doors and drawer fronts to give it real country charm.

"Subtle graining enhances the country scene, while its pale colour reinforces the design's contemporary feel," said the spokesman.

For more information, phone Magnet Ltd on 01905 22277.

An island unit is a great way of maximising space and adding a focus to a kitchen.

One of the problems, however, is that to install an island you also have to install services - electricity, hot and cold running water and waste pipes - and to do that you have to dig up the floor!

But now there's another way - with the Saniflo Sanivite.

The Sanivite is an unobtrusive, fully automatic, self-contained pump unit that fits underneath the sink and takes the hot, waste water from the sink, and the pumped, soapy waste water from the washing machine and dishwasher, to a distant drain through small-bore pipe work. Electricity and hot and cold water are supplied through a hollow column. See Saniflo stockists for details.

And last but not least, in this stiflingly hot weather, I feel compelled to mention the Zanussi Vivo fridge, which surely must be the ultimate in fridges!

The sleek Vivo, which comes in white, silver and sand, features a curved door which can fit a five-litre bottle of water and a full six-pack of fizzy drinks or beer.

Separate fridge and freezer controls mean you can turn the fridge off when you go on holiday but leave the freezer on, and audible door alarms are fitted to all models.

With its energy-efficient "intelligent airflow system", its removable "super-chill" compartment for meat and fish, the special quick-freeze facility for fresh summer fruits, and the "maxi" draw, big enough for a 28lb turkey, the designers really have thought of everything.

If this hot weather continues, forget the renovations and just go for the fridge!