When it comes to re-decorating many people choose to do it themselves. Painting and decorating is a doddle right? In truth it takes forever as you need the right brushes, type of wallpaper and/or paint. There is also the preparation that needs to take place especially if the house is already furnished and carpeted. If you would rather pay a nominal fee what can you do to know you are getting a fair quote if you decide against DIY? A good place to start is Rated People – this site allows you to compare quotes after you upload a job to its website. You can view previous reviews of work which is fabulous as you might not know the difference from Bob the Bodger to Peter the Perfectionist. The site has also been running for ten years so you know it is reputable and it has the lovely Phil Spencer of Location, Location, Location as an ambassador.

Once you have someone booked and the work is in the diary you may need inspiration – bored of being a Mary Magnolia or a Wendy Whitewash there are many sites which can nudge your imagination. Pintrest has a decoration and bedroom section where you can get creative ideas and then raid your local charity shops in a thrifty mood as you secure items which will give your new room imagination and flair. To maximise room why not ponder a trundle bed – they provide an extra bed without the need for screwdrivers and allen keys. With so many wild coloured combinations and styles to draw inspiration it may be a good idea to plan something more sedate. Monotone colours look great on this trundle guest bed, offered by Bedstar. They also offer delivery, next day if needed, and a wide range of bedroom solutions. If seeking real inspiration it is always best to walk away from a radical idea and think it through as once the paint is slapped on the wall there is no going back, the last thing you want it to start the entire process again.

The final point about decoration is to start on one room and complete – do not strip the wallpaper off every room in the house even though you secretly enjoy using the wallpaper stripper. Removing paper and paint is relatively quick and easy – it’s the redecoration which takes time. Prophets say that painting is preparation but it can be worth it as it can transform a room and add perceived value to your home.

This is a collaborative post.

When you’re presented with a bar of chocolate, your natural instinct is to scoff your face and to enjoy its sweet splendor and never look back. But chocolate doesn’t just come in bar form. In fact, there’s so much you can do with it to make it even more spectacular than it already is.
Chocolatiers around the world have turned the product into an art form. And we’re going to look at a few of our favorite sculptures to leave you feeling inspired… and, quite possibly, hungry.

Arc de Triomphe

Italian chocolatier Mirco Della Vecchia created various landmarks for his Chocolate World Heritage exhibition in Hong Kong back in 2011, including the Arc de Triomphe. The entire collection was carved out of white chocolate by him and his team, which took days to complete. What’s most impressive is the detail, which is seen most clearly with the famous French building. The facade up close is perfect. What more is there to say?

A Working Well

Just a few weeks ago, we were all wowed by the chocolate sculptures in the semi-final of The Great British Bake Off. For us, it was all about Ian Cumming’s well, which not only looked the part, but also wound down to bring you a bonus chocolatey drink. Marvelous… if you ignore the fact that the handle came off in judge Paul Hollywood’s hand when being tested. What’s brilliant about this sculpture, though, is its accessibility. An average Joe created this in just a few hours. What’s to say you can’t?

Roulette Wheel

Ladbrokes has just created a chocolate roulette wheel with a family team at Artistry in Cocoa. The name says it all really… it’s a masterpiece. An incredible 438 individually-moulded pieces make up the design, while 18,000 large chocolate buttons were the basis for the impressive result. If you fancy taking it on yourself, be prepared for some hard work. The wheel took approximately 3 days to design and 69 man hours to create, which doesn’t include the making of the moulds or bearings.

Boyfriend Material

There are probably quite a few women out there who wouldn’t say no to a boyfriend made out of chocolate. This sculpture was included in The Magnum Chocolate Suite, which used over ten tons of chocolate and was directed by fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. Used to promote the ice-cream brand’s latest collection back in 2011, this certainly stirred things up in the world of chocolate. The possibilities really are endless.

A love of chocolate sculptures is definitely on the up. It’s impressive (sometimes hard to comprehend even) and, of course, it’s tasty. Though we wouldn’t want to be the ones to break into someone’s carefully constructed creation, that’s for sure.

This post was written by Luis Bronson.