- 2 days ago
Chateau DIY - Season 11 - Episode 02
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00:01Across France, there are thousands of spectacular chateaux,
00:06often neglected and run down.
00:09Oh, my goodness.
00:10They weren't in the state of it.
00:12In desperate need of loving restoration.
00:15He's in his element down there doing this.
00:18Now being brought back to life by brave new owners.
00:22Fingers crossed that it's actually going to work when it's finished.
00:25Yeah.
00:26Who are turning them into extraordinary homes.
00:30I feel quite emotional about it. I love it.
00:32And exciting businesses.
00:35The day has gone swimmingly well.
00:39Taking on monumental challenges.
00:42Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
00:43With highs.
00:45I just think it's got elegance and I love that.
00:48As well as lows.
00:50Terry, where's the water in here?
00:52But with ambitious ideas.
00:54Terrace here, kitchen there, right next to the river, hook out a trout.
00:58And hard work.
01:00Comes great joy.
01:02It's absolutely fantastic.
01:05As they fulfill their dream.
01:07Cheers.
01:08Cheers, honey.
01:09To be custodians of their very own castle.
01:15Today.
01:17They're trusting me to clean crystals.
01:20One family take on an extravagant new challenge.
01:24This is going to take a long time.
01:27This pair face a risky renovation job.
01:31I don't do heights at all.
01:33Terrifying.
01:34Absolutely terrifying.
01:38And one couple clash over their latest restoration project.
01:43Are you sure it goes?
01:44Because there's a lot of colour.
01:46I think it's stunning.
01:48If it was me, this would be painted magnolia.
01:58In the picturesque region of Normandy in northern France
02:02is the delightful 18th century Chateau de la Lacelle.
02:09It comprises 25 rooms.
02:13And 21 acres.
02:16And it stood abandoned for four decades.
02:21Until it won over the hearts of former pet shop owner Terry.
02:25It did.
02:26And fiancé Ashley from Middlesbrough.
02:29When we bought La Lacelle,
02:31I think the one thing that we loved was the originality of it.
02:34How much of the original features were still here.
02:37And that's always been kind of our mantra.
02:39It's a restoration rather than a renovation.
02:41A renovation would have been done two years ago.
02:43Yeah, definitely.
02:44And obviously when people visit,
02:45we want it to be an experience for them.
02:47So they're not coming just to stay in a room
02:50that they could stop anywhere.
02:51This is going to be a memorable experience for them.
02:54Hopefully.
02:55It will.
03:01Located an hour's drive from Le Mans,
03:06Terry and Ashley bought the Chateau
03:08for £250,000 in 2021.
03:13I did, but we're...
03:14And set about building a high-end holiday let's business.
03:20Keeping them company here are Terry's mum, Tracy,
03:2511-year-old nephew, Jonathan,
03:28and Dachshund, Patrick.
03:33They've already worked wonders
03:35creating their first opulent guest suite,
03:40which includes a magnificent Edwardian-style salon,
03:47a majestic bedroom,
03:52and a stylish en suite.
03:58Wow.
03:59I was just at Versailles,
04:01and I think they've outdone Versailles.
04:06When we saw them last summer,
04:08they started to create an even grander two-bedroom suite,
04:13which they're eager to make the showpiece of the chateau.
04:18But already,
04:19they've decided to adapt their grand plan
04:22for the master bedroom walls.
04:25The idea was to paint it red
04:27to give us that nice, deep, rich colour.
04:29But it didn't feel elegant enough,
04:31so we decided to create a, like, fake wood effect,
04:36so trompe l'oeil, here in France it's called,
04:39and it's just creating a whole woodgrain effect
04:42for the entire room.
04:44Obviously, it's been a tall order.
04:46It took us about four weeks to do.
04:48An easy job, then?
04:49Yeah.
04:50It looks absolutely fantastic.
04:52We're so pleased with it.
04:52It's out in this world, yeah.
04:53It really is.
04:54Yeah.
04:57Today, whilst Ashley heads to the suite salon
05:00to add another coat of paint,
05:03Terry is eager to finish off the ornate mouldings
05:06for the bedroom walls.
05:08What I need to do is mark out
05:11where each of these corner pieces are going.
05:13I've created a template,
05:16so I'm getting the exact same point,
05:18and then that gives me two points
05:20just to work where the mouldings are going.
05:23So I'll get some contact adhesive on the back of these,
05:25stick these on,
05:26and then I can start adding the trimming.
05:32Aiming for classic French elegance,
05:35Terry has created the centre panel mouldings himself.
05:39So we've cast it out of resin,
05:42and then we give it a paint in gold.
05:44We put some blacks on, just give it a bit of age,
05:47and then once it's on the wall,
05:48we go over and highlight the gold a bit more prominent.
05:50We need to make it look...
05:52200 years old, really.
05:57Doing jobs like this, it's fantastic,
06:00because it's going to be unique to us.
06:02I think I've always been, like, quite creative and stuff.
06:05As a kid, I always had stuff like Lego and Meccano.
06:11Terry's eye for detail
06:12has certainly not been lost on Ashley.
06:15He has some unbelievable skills
06:18in terms of being able to see something,
06:20have a vision, and then be able to create it as well.
06:24We've done all sorts together.
06:25We've built cars.
06:26We've renovated our house in the UK as well,
06:29but nothing on a chateau scale.
06:32With the bespoke mouldings painted,
06:36Terry just needs to attach them to the wall.
06:41All we're doing is just putting a contact adhesive on,
06:45and then we'll pop in a little screw in
06:48just to hold it in place,
06:49just so it doesn't slide down the wall.
06:57Last one.
07:00With the job complete,
07:03the walls have an extra touch of charm and character.
07:07But with a salon to get up to scratch,
07:10and a second bedroom to bring back to life,
07:14Terry and Ashley's extravagant vision
07:16is only just getting started.
07:26Further west, in the stunning region of Brittany,
07:30lies the dilapidated Moulin du Quenon.
07:34This crumbling flour mill
07:36dates back to the 13th century
07:39and had been left abandoned for over 40 years.
07:44Inside, it was a total mess
07:47and had been ransacked by trespassers.
07:51The huge property is spread over five floors,
07:55has a giant concrete silo for storing grain,
07:59and comes with its own gite.
08:04This colossal restoration project
08:06is just the latest
08:08for experienced chateau renovators Donna and Paul.
08:13Our plan was to take it easy,
08:15but on a weak moment,
08:16I was surfing the net
08:18and I managed to find this particular property.
08:20When I got the first view of the mill,
08:24I mean, it's pretty breathtaking.
08:26Then I walked in the front door.
08:28Yeah.
08:30And saw floor after floor of mill equipment,
08:35bordered up windows.
08:36Lots of holes in the roof.
08:38There's something about the place
08:39that kind of just captured us both, didn't it?
08:43The insanity of it, perhaps.
08:49Located 30 miles southeast of St. Malo,
08:54Donna and Paul bought the property
08:56for under £100,000 in 2024
09:00and planned to transform it
09:02into their new family home.
09:05When we saw them last year,
09:08they replaced the mill roof
09:10and completely removed another
09:12over the giant silo
09:16before clearing out the space inside,
09:19ready for the next stage of their project.
09:26So we're in the sous-sol,
09:28the lower ground floor of the silos.
09:32We're actually in the swimming pool at present.
09:34We are, yeah.
09:35I mean, it's only this height,
09:36so we're OK.
09:38The plan for here is that we are going to create,
09:40in the future, a swimming pool.
09:42And then through the back is going to be a gym area
09:45because it has some of the best views.
09:47So we thought that might actually motivate us to go into the gym.
09:51To get into the gym and do a bit of exercise.
09:55They also have grand plans for the floor above,
09:59which has since been emptied.
10:02We've done a lot of work here.
10:04It was full of equipment before.
10:06So we're going to have a kitchen over here.
10:08And a utility in the far room.
10:11Yeah, in the back of the house.
10:12Here is going to be the main staircase.
10:14And then behind me is going to be the living room.
10:17And then to the rear here, we have the silos.
10:21Paul has ripped out all the concrete grain tanks
10:24to open up even more room for their dream living space.
10:29This is a dining area.
10:30Yes.
10:31This is the sunroom.
10:33Sunroom.
10:34So this is going to be a bar area.
10:35And then these three bays are going to be general entertainment.
10:39I think once we start cutting out the windows,
10:42it's just going to transform us, isn't it?
10:45But it's the top of the huge silo
10:48that has seen the most radical change.
10:52This is our beautiful new terrace.
10:55Yeah.
10:56Freshly created over the top of four silos.
10:59Look at those views.
11:01I mean, fantastic views all the way around, haven't we?
11:03So it's going to be a great, great space.
11:08The couple are gradually making progress.
11:11But there is one small corner, at least, that is finished.
11:18As they've transformed the derelict gite
11:21into a habitable place to live complete
11:25with lounge, fitted kitchen and bedroom.
11:31It's certainly black and white
11:33between how it used to look, isn't it?
11:35A lot of work in here, but I think it's turned out great.
11:39Donna and Paul are off to a good start.
11:42But with a giant historic building
11:45to make into their permanent home,
11:47they have years of hard work ahead.
11:55Coming up, tensions rise for this chateau pair.
11:59It's going to stay where it is.
12:01You don't think it'd look better on a magnolia wall, do you?
12:03And Donna and Paul start to feel the strain.
12:08And the plot.
12:09Are you pulling?
12:18In the stunning region of Limousin, in central France,
12:23is the fairy tale Chateau de la Grieire.
12:28This 19th-century castle comprises 12 elegant bedrooms,
12:35two grands salons,
12:38and comes with over 10 acres.
12:41Nice and slowly.
12:43The proud owners are Oxfordshire couples Sharon and Tim,
12:47who have been renovating it ever since they moved here in 2022.
12:54I would say the journey has been fairly Herculean.
12:58It's been emotional, it's been exhausting,
13:01it's been exhilarating,
13:02and for me, I've learnt skills that I didn't think I ever had.
13:06We never know what we're going to come across.
13:08There's still areas that we haven't seen, but it's part of it.
13:10It's a privilege to be able to spend some time in a chateau.
13:14Not everyone gets to do it, so we're very lucky.
13:22Located just half an hour's drive from Limoges,
13:26Sharon and Tim bought the chateau for £500,000.
13:31OK.
13:32Right.
13:33Ready to go.
13:34And when we last saw them,
13:36they began decorating their new tower suite,
13:40which is set to become their first space for paying guests.
13:45So, at the moment, all you can see is this,
13:47what some might say, ghastly wallpaper,
13:50but I'm hoping it will work.
13:54Today, with the bedroom walls in full bloom
13:57and the tower bathroom sparkling too,
14:01Sharon's plan is starting to come to life.
14:05We need to get this completed in the next couple of days.
14:09I've got friends coming, so I want them to see it.
14:11So, we have an awful lot to do.
14:15Ready?
14:16Oh!
14:18Good.
14:18First, budding interior designer Sharon
14:21wants to fill the room with lots of antiques
14:24that came with the chateau.
14:27I really like this furniture.
14:30It's got a nice, classy look to it.
14:33Even though the wallpaper's a little modern,
14:37I'm hoping that the wallpaper will be secondary to what you see.
14:41That's the idea.
14:43She's also found an old tapestry to help blend things together.
14:48Are you sure it goes?
14:49Because there's a lot of colour.
14:52I think it's stunning.
14:54I really like it.
14:56I think it's really dramatic, and I absolutely love it.
14:59So, it's going to stay where it is.
15:02You don't think it'd look better on a magnolia wall, do you?
15:05No.
15:05OK.
15:06No, I don't think it would.
15:07This has allowed my inner colourist to come out, this house.
15:12If it was me, this would be painted magnolia.
15:19With Sharon standing firm...
15:21On your shoulder, arm round it.
15:24..she's also planning to add a century-old rug
15:27that she hopes will complement the bold walls, too.
15:32OK.
15:33Which way round should we do it?
15:36So, put it somewhere here.
15:40OK.
15:43It's nice.
15:47Good condition, actually.
15:49Just trying to work out whether it works.
15:51Does it work?
15:53We have some green that's in there,
15:56and that okra peachy tone.
16:02OK.
16:02In for a penny, in for a pound.
16:04Having proved a winner,
16:07Sharon's ideas are in full flow.
16:11But, with the rest of the room still to furnish,
16:15all she can hope is that it comes up smelling of roses.
16:25In Brittany, in northern France,
16:29Donna and Paul are starting stage two of their giant restoration project.
16:36We're now at the point where the demolition's finished.
16:40The vision is starting to appear, isn't it?
16:46Today, they're planning on creating a floor for the master bedroom,
16:50which they're building inside the old silo.
16:53Halfway up, what would have been containers filled with tonnes of grain.
17:01It's an epic job.
17:04So, to help, they've roped in builder mate Mick.
17:08And both are having to balance on scaffolding boards six metres high.
17:16Yeah, I'm quite happy him kind of working away on that.
17:20I don't do heights at all.
17:22Terrifying.
17:23Absolutely terrifying.
17:26It's a dicey task,
17:28as first, they need to install fixtures to the walls
17:32to ensure they can take the weight of the hefty steel joists.
17:37We just need to mark the holes for the bolts,
17:40and then we'll get them drilled.
17:42We'll fill these holes full of resin,
17:44and then we'll put the bolts in.
17:47While Mick's left to do the final preparations...
17:51..just a bit of light DIY.
17:55Paul starts wheeling in the first of the heavy beams.
17:59At over 100 kilos in weight,
18:03it's definitely a two-person job.
18:07Ready?
18:08Yep.
18:09And, uh, trois.
18:12Are you pulling?
18:14Yes!
18:15Go.
18:28Having navigated a safe passage,
18:31and with the property having trap doors on every floor,
18:36it's made the job simpler.
18:39That was easier than carrying it up the stairs.
18:42We just need to get in there now.
18:43I'll just hold the beam and just push that in.
18:46Over to go.
18:52How far have we got?
18:53Er, seven-inch.
18:56Right, two.
18:56Ready?
18:57Yep.
18:59Right, hang on.
19:05Right, I'm on here.
19:13Yay!
19:14That's it in!
19:16Let's see if it's strong enough now.
19:21Yeah, I think pretty confident that that's solid.
19:23You know, it's only me and Donna and a bed
19:25and some soft furnishings on this floor,
19:27so, er, I think that's great.
19:32So, does this mean I can start kind of voicing my colour scheme?
19:36Well, I'm sure you've thought about them already,
19:38but, as usual, you've not shared them with me, so...
19:41The first of the beams for their new floor may be in place,
19:46but with so much to do,
19:48Donna's dream bedroom will have to be put on hold for a good while yet.
20:01In Normandy, at Chateau de la Lacelle,
20:07Terry has begun to refurbish the antique chairs
20:10he hopes will add extra elegance to their new grand suite.
20:17We're just going to go over the horsehair with some calico first.
20:26So, the last chairs that we've done, they were...
20:28They were nice.
20:29They were the 15 little armchairs.
20:31That was obviously a start for it all.
20:33But, with the suite, we're wanting it to be a lot more, sort of, extravagant.
20:40And to get something like this,
20:42I've seen exactly the same salon set for sale
20:45that's been reupholstered,
20:46and it was in excess of 3,000 euro,
20:49and we got this set for 80 euro,
20:51so that's why we have to put all this effort into it.
20:57Meanwhile, Tracy and Ashley
20:59have been challenged with polishing up a dusty old chandelier
21:04earmarked for the master bedroom.
21:06They're trusting me to clean crystals.
21:09I don't normally get to play with the fancy stuff,
21:12so this is a new one for me.
21:17Man, get these.
21:20I'd say you're probably going 500 to 600 crystals on this chandelier.
21:27It's very fiddly.
21:29I don't want to be too rough with them.
21:33This is going to take a long time.
21:39Ashley is hoping some water and vinegar
21:41will sparkle the crystals into life.
21:47That's one that I've had in there,
21:49and that's one that hasn't been in there.
21:51You can see the difference in the two.
21:53You can actually see through these ones.
21:55These ones actually look opaque.
22:00So they need to do more?
22:01Yeah.
22:04Every single one?
22:05Yes, every single one.
22:07They've had about 100 years of muck on them.
22:12Terry, however, is having no such problems.
22:16We've got all of the old straps here,
22:18but I'm going to look at putting some new ones on
22:20just to help strengthen it.
22:22Better than, obviously, getting it in the room,
22:23someone sits on it and then falls through it.
22:26So I've had to make my own little stretcher.
22:29So I've just used a piece of wood with some nails in.
22:31So nails go through.
22:35And then we can put it on the side.
22:38And you can see, obviously,
22:39that's just creating the tension for us.
22:42And then get our staple gun.
22:46We can just staple it in.
22:48And that'll get sorted.
22:59That's all the chair done.
23:01It's looking fantastic.
23:03Let's see, the next thing is just to get all of the fabric on.
23:05Please let me go another one together.
23:08Terry's graceful touches are moving in the right direction.
23:12But with 600 crystals to clean...
23:16We just need a little bit more of a polish.
23:18And, yeah, they'll be fine.
23:20..their new grand suite might take a long time to shine.
23:29Still to come.
23:31It's a recipe for disaster for these chatelang.
23:35Well, Grandma's not going to be happy.
23:37I think we'll need to start again.
23:38And the problems start to mount for Sharon.
23:41I'm not sure how easy this is going to be to say.
23:44Oh, my God.
23:46Are you kidding me?
23:55In the Limousin region of central France,
23:58at Chateau de la Grière...
24:01Can you do your side?
24:02Sharon and Tim are continuing to enhance their new tower suite.
24:08Floating headboard. Nice.
24:09And with their friends arriving later today,
24:13Sharon's eager to ensure everything is picture-perfect.
24:19I've got two options for the curtains.
24:22One with some pink and red in,
24:24and one that's got gold in.
24:26But now I've got gold over there.
24:29I'm thinking gold here.
24:31So I'm just going to put both of them up, make a decision.
24:36I'm going to try the red one first.
24:44The red curtains pick out the red in the carpet.
24:47Let's just see.
24:55Probably above my pay grade to make a decision on these,
24:58but I'm with the gold.
25:01Yeah, I think.
25:04This brings out this.
25:07Yeah?
25:08Yeah.
25:09Shall we get the sofa in?
25:10I think it's a good idea.
25:12As Sharon is a stickler for detail,
25:16she is leaving nothing to chance.
25:19I thought this would bring it...
25:23bring it all together.
25:26You know what's thrown in it, don't you?
25:27What?
25:28The carpet.
25:30We haven't got a gold carpet.
25:32Have we got a goldy colour?
25:34No.
25:35One minute the room works,
25:37and then the next minute I put something in that I think might work,
25:40and it just goes off kilter slightly.
25:42So I'm hoping, when I get everything in,
25:46it will be cohesive.
25:48Otherwise it'll be a hot mess.
25:50I think standing back here, the sofa looks better with the gold.
25:55Having reached a verdict,
25:56and with time in short supply,
25:59Tim decides to finish off his odd jobs in the en suite.
26:03We need a silicone behind the back of the bath here.
26:11Always the most difficult bit is behind the back of the taps.
26:15While Sharon adds more glamour to her lavish bed crown.
26:19I'm not sure how easy this is going to be to sew it, you know.
26:23Up here.
26:29Oh, my God.
26:31Are you kidding me?
26:33People will be arriving soon.
26:35With their friends due in a couple of hours,
26:38there is no time to be hanging around.
26:50Taking on the restoration of any size of French chateau
26:54is not for the faint-hearted.
27:06It's also a chance to embrace the lifestyle,
27:11especially when it comes to French food.
27:14Mmm, it's yummy.
27:16This is homegrown.
27:17It's delicious.
27:19Anne-Netherloire Valley, in Western France,
27:22at the delightful Chateau de Borneau,
27:25Erin and her French husband, JB,
27:29want to indulge in a national favourite.
27:33Today, we're going to make a tarte tatin,
27:37a recipe for my grandma.
27:39When it comes to tarte tatin, I'm in charge.
27:41As the genuine Burgundy man, I say, off you go.
27:45You can do dessert today.
27:47They begin by peeling and halving the fruit.
27:52My family has been growing apples
27:54for a huge generation now in Burgundy.
27:57And it's a good memory of it.
27:58So, for tea, coming back from school,
28:01it was tarte tatin.
28:02Oh, lovely.
28:04After cutting the apples, JB starts on the sugar caramel.
28:10Grandma used to make it, like, super quickly,
28:13made it look super easy.
28:15So, when I make it caramel,
28:17I wouldn't melt the sugar first?
28:18So, your grandma would have done the sugar first?
28:20My grandma would have done that.
28:21So, maybe that is the key to why the flavour's so good.
28:24I mean, yeah.
28:26But after adding the butter...
28:29Whoa.
28:30..things don't go according to plan.
28:33Sticking a bit of butter in one go.
28:36Ah!
28:38This is not working.
28:40Well, grandma's not going to be happy.
28:43So, you think that's rescuable?
28:44Oh, I think we're going to start again.
28:46Grandma would not be proud.
28:49This time, Erin takes over the reins.
28:53I can't believe the British have taken over the French classics now.
28:58But it seems to be working.
29:02With the caramel saved, it's just a question of adding the vital ingredient.
29:08So, what I'm trying to do now is to cover all of the caramel with apple,
29:13not to avoid any gap.
29:15Yeah, I think they're always fine.
29:18While the tart topping is put in the oven to bake, Erin has the perfect setting to sample
29:25the French delicacy.
29:26This is the solarium, which is really where we host breakfast for our wedding couples.
29:32It's so pretty here.
29:33It's like an interior winter garden.
29:35Sometimes, I think, when we have a little moment to ourselves,
29:38it's a really lovely place to just sort of escape, have afternoon tea.
29:42And today, we're going to have tat-tat-tat here.
29:46With the apples baking nicely, JB adds the puff pastry.
29:52Tightly sealing the apples underneath.
29:56And then, it's back in the oven.
30:00And after half an hour, it's almost ready.
30:05It's good.
30:06Yeah, I think it's fine.
30:10So, now I'm going to flip it, because it's obviously an upside-down tart.
30:14And discover the result.
30:23Yeah, I think it's successful.
30:25It looks good.
30:25We now need to test it.
30:29Crispy dough.
30:31That's good.
30:32That smells amazing.
30:34It smells like my childhood.
30:41That's excellent.
30:42Good.
30:43Bravo.
30:44Well done.
30:45Really, really nice.
30:46I think that was definitely a success.
30:49One for the repertoire.
30:50Okay, good.
30:51We are without English caramel.
30:53Well, you can decide.
30:54Well, you can decide.
30:54That is, like, question.
30:57It's proved to be a triumph.
31:00And as they indulge in a second slice, it seems their ongoing renovation work will have to wait a little
31:08while.
31:09Longer.
31:17Up in the region of Brittany, work is beginning to progress.
31:22Today, Paul and builder mate Mick are putting in the final blocks for the new terrace floor.
31:30Having previously been the roof of the old silos, it's another floor they've had to build from scratch.
31:40Originally, that block was about 615 mil, and then it sits in the beams here and here.
31:48We've got the final beam here, and it's only about 320 millimetres, so we need to cut them.
31:53And because the blocks are hollow, we've just filled these with concrete, so when we do cut them, it gives
31:58us a bit more concrete to support the block.
32:01And we'll see if this one fits.
32:08Happy days.
32:10It's been two months in the making, but finally, the end is in sight.
32:17But down below, Donna is cooking up another major project.
32:24Paul's upstairs, making a lot of noise and dust, as usual, so I've escaped into my space, which is the
32:32kitchen on the ground floor.
32:33And basically what I'm trying to do, I've got all of these plans of my kitchen, but before I go
32:40and kind of finalise the order and spend lots of money,
32:44I'm trying to really get a visual of how it's going to play out in this space.
32:52I've basically got an L-shaped kitchen, which is down there and here, and then the big island,
32:58which you can see where I've been putting pieces of wood, trying to juggle it round, because I want to
33:04retain that old beam.
33:08It's a lovely wood column that was used in the mail.
33:11We have three of them in this room, and we want to retain all of them.
33:14So I think putting the wood and that out is, it kind of allows me to see, you know, the
33:21walk areas and that as well,
33:23to make sure I've not got them too close to the island, I've got plenty of room around it, because,
33:29you know, it's a huge room.
33:31I don't want my kitchen to be squashed up into one corner and the rest of the room empty, so
33:36that's what I'm doing.
33:38I'm kind of playing with pieces of wood and spray paint.
33:43Once I'm happy with it, then I can go ahead and get it all ordered.
33:47It's set to be another ambitious job, but for now at least, the new terrace floor is almost done.
33:57This is our last block.
34:00Good day's work, actually, half a day's work, just getting these finished, and then that'll allow us to get on
34:05to the reinforcement.
34:07And then some back props in, and we can get the concrete ordered.
34:10Put shrimp on the barbie and no time at all.
34:14Like a glove.
34:18So that's all the blocks in, and then, weather permitting, we can order some concrete for the final screen on
34:24top.
34:28It's done!
34:29Well, this phase is done.
34:31Well done, guys.
34:32It's huge.
34:33Yeah, it's all size.
34:37Once it's concrete on it, I think it'll look even bigger, you know, visually.
34:40Yeah, it's a great space, absolutely great space.
34:43Yeah.
34:44Who do believe this one starred Grin?
34:47It's amazing what you can do with a bit of imagination, isn't it?
34:50Yeah, and hard work.
34:52And hard work.
34:53And cash.
34:54And money.
34:55And time.
34:56And time.
34:59Donna and Paul are beginning to make small steps.
35:03But with five derelict flaws to tackle, it's going to take years to bring this historic building back to life.
35:18Coming up, it's the moment of truth for Terry and Ashley.
35:23Have you tested this before?
35:24Yeah.
35:26You haven't, have you?
35:27Well, we'll find out.
35:29And it's crunch time for Sharon and Tim.
35:33Bonjour!
35:35Bonjour!
35:45In the Normandy region of northern France...
35:48You need to go just a little bit more round.
35:51Yeah.
35:52Bang on.
35:53Terry and Ashley are fitting the freshly polished chandelier in their new opulent guest suite.
36:01That way a bit?
36:02Yeah, perfect.
36:03Right there.
36:04Moment of truth.
36:06The electrics aren't actually all hooked up in here properly yet.
36:10No.
36:10We're waiting for the electrician to come and sort that out.
36:12But we can put a little plug on and plug it into an extension and try it.
36:17Have you tested this before it went up?
36:19Yeah.
36:21You haven't, have you?
36:23Well, we'll find out.
36:29Hey!
36:31All working?
36:33It's beautiful.
36:34It's stunning.
36:35Mm-hmm.
36:35Absolutely stunning.
36:36And it really makes the wool glow in here as well, doesn't it?
36:39Yeah.
36:40The master bedroom is coming together nicely.
36:44And downstairs, Tracy is making some elegant curtains for the space using locally bought chic fabric.
36:55They've got the lovely tapestry design on these, and to complement it, we've got a lovely velvet fabric to go
37:02on the inside, which both go really, really well together.
37:05I think they look fantastic.
37:07So I'm just going to put some of the header tape on now.
37:10This is what the hooks will go into.
37:13Making curtains on a chateau scale means they need to be at least three metres long.
37:23I've made curtains before, but nothing on this scale of what we make here, or I'm enjoying it.
37:31Finally, I've got it all sewn and put together now, so this is the last bit.
37:36I'm just going to put this trim on, what we found.
37:40I'm just going to fit this all the way down, round the bottom, and then we're done.
37:53Well done.
37:53Do you think about that length, leave?
37:55Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
37:56Shall we get them out and see what they look like?
37:58Yep.
37:59Well, it ties in better with the trim now, doesn't it?
38:02Mm-hmm.
38:03So I'll pull this over there, get the other one out.
38:06Match the fabric.
38:08Fabric, exact, yeah.
38:09Yeah, it'd be brilliant.
38:11Perfect for the room.
38:12Lovely.
38:13Exciting.
38:13Mm-hmm.
38:15It's yet another special touch.
38:19But there is still some dirty work ahead for Terry and Ashley,
38:23who are eager to scrub up the newly restored floor in the master bedroom.
38:29So I have to do from the middle there to the fire,
38:31and then that end part, then that end part, and then the middle, yeah.
38:36It's an intricate job,
38:38especially as renovating the floor took them several weeks.
38:42So the finish we're going with is the hard wax oil.
38:45Yeah.
38:45It's going to give us more of a sort of authentic look that we're wanting.
38:52So we have to put this on in quite a specific way,
38:54and it means that we, first off, we go against the grain.
38:58Second off, we pull it with the grain.
39:00We have to, when we do it, lift the roller off in a gentle motion
39:05so that we don't leave any marks.
39:08With two of them to do the task,
39:10it should prove to be relatively straightforward.
39:15I think because we've done exactly half the room,
39:18to see the difference, it's unbelievable.
39:32It's nice doing such an easy job, but with instant results.
39:37It is instant gratification, isn't it, when you see it?
39:41The master bedroom is certainly starting to shine.
39:46But with the salon still a work in progress,
39:49and the second bedroom to also dress,
39:52Terry and Ashley's grand new suite
39:55is not yet ready for kings and queens.
40:08In the Limousin region of central France,
40:12Sharon and Tim are racing to finish off their tower suite,
40:16as their friends are due imminently.
40:22How's it going?
40:24It's OK.
40:26Oh, it looks good.
40:27Sort of tidied it up.
40:28Yeah, it's been trickier than I thought.
40:33So I'm just going to finish this bit of thread now.
40:39Done!
40:41With the bed crown complete,
40:43they're just hoping they have enough time
40:45to do the finishing touches.
40:48It's called attention to detail.
40:51Having put so much thought into the room,
40:54Sharon wants everything in pride of place.
40:58Are we on the carpet?
41:00Yeah, go on the carpet.
41:07Happy with it?
41:08Yeah, I think...
41:11Yeah, I am happy with it.
41:12It's very nice.
41:13Well done, we did it.
41:15Good job.
41:1812 months ago, this empty space was bland,
41:23uninspiring, and very dated.
41:30Now, it's been transformed into an elegant and sophisticated guest bedroom.
41:38Complete with an equally impressive en suite,
41:43Sharon's choice of bold floral wallpaper makes an instant statement.
41:49While the addition of luxury curtains,
41:53a lavish bed crown,
41:56and antiques belonging to the chateau
42:00ensures the rich history of the castle
42:03will be on display for many years to come.
42:16It's time to see if their hard work has paid off.
42:25It's time to see if their hard work has paid off.
42:26Wow!
42:28Good, this me.
42:29Ooh.
42:30Beautiful.
42:31Impressed.
42:32Are you?
42:32It really is beautiful.
42:34You like it?
42:35Oh, yes.
42:35The lights and the chandelier are gorgeous.
42:37You did it all.
42:38right now what do you think because it's your country it's one of your
42:42shadows link in English break the rules or something like that no no really
42:47everything was in the shadow so we just really just replace yeah and use the
42:53best of yes you could yeah the bed crown that was in the attic so I dusted that
42:59off and brought it down I like the trimming it's beautiful in it matches
43:02all the he picked it all up all the different shades and colors thank you
43:05you must be proud would you like to see the bathroom oh yeah you must be happy to
43:20have finished this has been going for a long time I'm super pleased that you both
43:26like it I'm just amazed at the amount of work they've done since they've moved in
43:32this is the first chateau I've ever been in and it is absolutely wonderful and to
43:36actually stay here would be lovely as a French woman I'm happy to see what it's
43:42done in in respect it's done with really good text I was really pleased with how
43:50that went to have two friends come around and like the room that's such a
43:55relief appreciation that it was a nice room so that's what we want because we
44:02want the general public to enjoy it so it can't just be my opinion because I
44:06wouldn't want to take that wallpaper off and start all over again so yeah nice
44:09feeling it's been a huge success and with Sharon and Tim's first bedroom suite
44:16ready for paying guests it will only be a matter of time before the money starts
44:29rolling in next time it's one step forward two steps back for Terry and
44:37Ashley going to have to take up all of the the biggest square ones this Chatelaine
44:42takes on a marathon of a mural it's going more slowly than I had originally
44:47thought we absolutely have to have this bathroom ready and one couple are at the
44:53height of a tricky turret makeover can you come out from underneath there
44:58because if it does collapse I've got no one to drive me to hospital
45:16I'll see you guys ready for next time
45:17the next thing is
45:27the next thing is
45:29the next thing is
45:31the next thing is
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