BRINGING THE OUTSIDE IN WITH #UKHOMEBLOGHOP

Good morning lovelies, I hope everyone is feeling fresh and relaxed after our bank holiday break here in the UK. I'm super excited to share today's post with you as I'm working with a whole heap of other amazing interior bloggers as part of the #UKHomeBlogHop, hosted by the gorgeous Kimberly of interior design blog Swoon Worthy.

There are 27 of us all together and throughout this week we're showing you how to bring a little summer style to your home and garden. If you've popped along from Kimberly's Summer Garden reveal post then hello! Welcome to Apartment Number 4. If you're unfamiliar with my blog then you'll find interior inspiration to help you create a Pinterest-worthy home on a budget. I'm all about that frugal life, but still creating a stylish space to live in so definitely pop back every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday for home decor and lifestyle posts.

Today I'm catering for those readers who, like me, might live in an apartment with no garden. It's definitely hard for city dwellers to be able to create a relaxing space to enjoy once the sun makes an appearance but it's certainly not impossible, and today I'm showing you exactly how you can create a summer sanctuary if you have a balcony or French doors that at least open to let a warm breeze through.

I live in a top floor apartment with a Juliet balcony, so the first thing I needed to do was create a space which not only looked stylish but could also be stored away at the end of the day. Comfort is obviously key, which is why my Big Bertha beanbag was the ultimate find. Not only was this perfect for a little outdoor relaxation - trust me, you'll fall asleep as soon as you lay on this thing - I could utilise it other areas of my house.

Made with SmartCanvas™ Technical indoor/outdoor fabric and containing SupremeX™ beans, this beanbag will make a fantastic addition to any garden furniture collection. With its XXL size, it can be used in three different ways, which are all as comfy as each other - the slab, which you can sunbathe on, the lounger, which encases you in comfort, and the gamer, which is more of a seated upright position. I use mine in the lounger position as this is perfect for reading and listening to podcasts as I drift off.

Although I chose hot cerise pink, which I love, there are twelve other colours to choose from and not only are they on sale from £99.99 to £59.99, there's also an extra £5 off when you enter the code SPRING5 at the checkout. I would highly recommend one of these if you're looking for a little-added comfort in the home.

So you've created a seating area, but what's a good garden space without refreshments. Using a slate and wooden side table I picked up from Homesense, I added my new Wayfair glass drinks dispenser with iced lemon water. I've been pushing myself to drink more water throughout the day to help my skin and concentration so to have this right next to me without even to having to lift myself out of Big Bertha was heaven. I absolutely love the retro feel of this Kilner coloured glass dispenser (£25.99), and it matched perfectly with my pink and blue Fleur tumblers (£18.99 for four). Just look at the detail on those things.

As you can see I'm not afraid of using colour, especially in such a sun-drenched space - the fact that this flat is south facing was what sold it to me in the first place. I wanted to incorporate a real bohemian feel to the area so I added details such as the string lights (£9.99 from Homesense), my gorgeous Adji storage bowl to hold my magazines from La Basketry (£25.00) and the most amazing gold and blue woven rug, again from Homesense (£29.99). The beauty of all of these pieces is that they're used throughout my flat already, meaning I'm not having to store a whole load of stuff away in my flat in the vain hope sunshine might appear one day.

Sticking with the bohemian theme, can I just introduce you ladies and gents to the most beautiful cushion that has probably ever dropped through my letterbox. I picked up this embroidered piece of artwork from the Sweetpea and Willow website, initially falling in love with the colour palette. It wasn't until it arrived that I noticed the rainbow pompom trimming - I mean, come on, does this not scream summer? I know that Sweetpea and Willow actually have a sale at the moment and this Carnival cushion is currently priced at £30 so pop on over and see what other treasures you can find.

So you're relaxing in the sun and you're feeling a little peckish - don't worry, I have that under control too. This serving tray is not only bold in colour, but it's big enough to fit a whole host of snacks on to carry over from the kitchen. Obviously, I've used fruit salad here as an example, but don't let that fool you, I'm partial to a huge bowl of crisps (Cheetos anyone?) when the sun's beaming down. Again, this teal metal tray is from Wayfair and is priced at £17.99. I have to say, I couldn't believe the fast delivery of these pieces and I only used standard postage - within two days of ordering, they were on my doorstep waiting to be unwrapped.

So there you have it, my example of how I'll be bringing the outside in this summer. I genuinely love how this turned out and as soon as I'd finished taking my photographs on Friday afternoon, I spent a good two hours sitting in my beanbag, relaxing my stresses from the week away with some iced water and a magazine or three.

I'm so pleased to introduce one of my favourite blogs next, The Ordinary Lovely, where Rachel is showing you how to create a botanical themed bathroom on a budget. This is a must-read so hop on over and be inspired. It would be amazing if you took a look at all the other amazingly talented bloggers in this #bloghop so I've added the list of must-read posts below for you to catch up on.

Swoon Worthy | Apartment Number 4 | The Ordinary Lovely | French For Pineapple | Dear Designer | Seasons in Colour | Melaine Lissack Interiors | Candy Pop | Sarah Akwisombe | Design Soda | Around The House | Lazy Daisy Jones | Old Fashioned Susie | Mademoiselle Poirot | Lisa Dawson Styling | Lust Living | The Pink House | Fabric Of My Life | Making Spaces | Ana Mum Diary | A Beautiful Space | We Love Home | Renovation Bay-Bee | Fresh Design Blog | Don't Cramp My Style | Well I Guess This Is Growing Up | Tidy Life 

Thank you so much to Wayfair, Sweetpea & Willow, Homesense and Big Bertha for making this post possible. I really hope this post has inspired you and I'd love to know if this is something you could work into your own space at home. Now go visit The Ordinary Lovely and have an amazing day. We just need to pray for a little sun now. 

Have you signed up for my new monthly interior design magazine, 4?