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Chateau DIY Season 11 Episode 2
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00:00Across France, there are thousands of spectacular chateaux, often neglected and run down.
00:09Oh my goodness.
00:10I want to stay to 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.
00:26Who are turning them into extraordinary homes.
00:29I feel quite emotional about it, I love it.
00:31And exciting businesses.
00:35The day has gone swimmingly well.
00:38Taking on monumental challenges.
00:41Whoa, 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.
00:49Terry, where's the water in here?
00:51But 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.
01:36Oh.
01:38And one couple clash over their latest restoration project.
01:43Are you sure it goes?
01:44Because there's a lot of colour.
01:45I think it's stunning.
01:47If it was me, this would be painted magnolia.
01:58In the picturesque region of Normandy in northern France is the delightful 18th century Chateau de la Lasselle.
02:09It comprises 25 rooms.
02:13And 21 acres.
02:16And it stood abandoned for four decades.
02:20Until it won over the hearts of former pet shop owner Terry.
02:25It did.
02:26And fiance Ashley from Middlesbrough.
02:29When we bought La Lasselle, I 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, we want it to be an experience for them.
02:47So they're not coming just to stay in a room that they could stop anywhere.
02:51This is going to be a memorable experience for them.
02:54Hopefully.
02:55It will.
03:01It will.
03:01Located an hour's drive from Le Mans, Terry and Ashley bought the Chateau for £250,000 in 2021.
03:12I tip it that way up.
03:15And set about building a high-end holiday let's business.
03:20Keeping them company here are Terry's mum, Tracy.
03:24Eleven-year-old nephew, Jonathan.
03:29And Das Hunt, Patrick.
03:33They've already worked wonders creating their first opulent guest suite.
03:40which includes a magnificent Edwardian-style salon, a majestic bedroom, and a stylish en suite.
03:58Wow.
04:00I was just at Versailles, and I think they've outdone Versailles.
04:06When we saw them last summer, they started to create an even grander two-bedroom suite, which they're eager to
04:14make the showpiece of the Chateau.
04:18But already, they've decided to adapt their grand plan for the master bedroom walls.
04:25The idea was to paint it red to give us that nice, deep, rich colour.
04:28But it didn't feel elegant enough.
04:32So 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 wood grain effect for the entire room.
04:44Obviously, it's been a tall order. It took us about four weeks to do.
04:48An easy job, then?
04:49Yeah.
04:50It looks absolutely fantastic.
04:51We're so pleased with it.
04:52It's out in this world, yeah. It really is.
04:54Yeah.
04:57Today, whilst Ashley heads to the suite salon to add another coat of paint, Terry is eager to finish off
05:05the ornate mouldings for the bedroom walls.
05:08What I need to do is mark out where each of these corner pieces are going.
05:13I've created a template, so I'm getting the exact same point, and then that gives me two points just to
05:20work where the mouldings are going.
05:22So I'll get some contact adhesive on the back of these, stick these on, and then I can start adding
05:28the trimming.
05:31Aiming for classic French elegance, Terry has created the centre panel mouldings himself.
05:39So we've cast it out of resin, and then we give it a paint in gold.
05:44We put some wax on, just give it a bit of age, and then once it's on the wall, we
05:48go over and highlight the golds a bit more prominent.
05:50We need to make it look 200 years old, really.
05:57Doing jobs like this, it's fantastic, because 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 has certainly not been lost on Ashley.
06:15He has some unbelievable skills in terms of being able to see something, have a vision, and then be able
06:21to create it as well.
06:23We've done all sorts together, we've built cars, we've renovated our house in the UK as well, but nothing on
06:29a chateau scale.
06:32With the bespoke mouldings painted, Terry just needs to attach them to the wall.
06:40All we're doing is just putting a contact adhesive on, and then we're popping a little screw in just to
06:48hold it in place, just so it doesn't slide down the wall.
06:57Last one.
07:00With the job complete, the walls have an extra touch of charm and character.
07:06But with the salon to get up to scratch, and a second bedroom to bring back to life, Terry and
07:14Ashley's extravagant vision is only just getting started.
07:26Further west, in the stunning region of Brittany, lies the dilapidated Moulin du Quenon.
07:33This crumbling flour mill dates back to the 13th century, and had been left abandoned for over 40 years.
07:44Inside, it was a total mess, and had been ransacked by trespassers.
07:50The huge property is spread over five floors, has a giant concrete silo for storing grain, and comes with its
08:01own gite.
08:03This colossal restoration project is just the latest for experienced chateau renovators Donna and Paul.
08:13Our plan was to take it easy, but on a weak moment, I was surfing the net, and I managed
08:18to find this particular property.
08:20When I got the first view of the mill, I mean, it's pretty breathtaking.
08:26Then I walked in the front door, and saw floor after floor of mill equipment, bordered up windows.
08:36Lots of holes in the roof.
08:37There's something about the place that kind of just captured us both, didn't it?
08:42That's it.
08:43The insanity of it for us.
08:44Yes, yeah.
08:45Yeah.
08:48Located 30 miles southeast of St Malo, Donna and Paul bought the property for under £100,000 in 2024,
08:59and planned to transform it into their new family home.
09:05When we saw them last year, they replaced the mill roof, and completely removed another over the giant silo,
09:16before clearing out the space inside, ready for the next stage of their project.
09:26So we're in the sous-sol, the lower ground floor of the silos.
09:32Yeah.
09:32We're actually in the swimming pool at present.
09:34We are, yeah.
09:35I mean, it's only this height, so we're okay, so...
09:38The plan for here is that we are going to create, in the future, a swimming pool.
09:42And then through the back is going to be a gym area, because it has some of the best views.
09:47So we thought that might actually motivate us to come to the gym.
09:51Come and do a bit of exercise.
09:55They also have grand plans for the floor above, which has since been emptied.
10:02We've done a lot of work here. It was full of equipment before.
10:06So we're going to have a kitchen over here.
10:08And a utility in the far room.
10:10Yeah, in the back of house.
10:11Here is going to be the main staircase.
10:14And then behind me is going to be the living room.
10:16And then to the rear here, we have the silos.
10:21Paul has ripped out all the concrete grain tanks to open up even more room for their dream living space.
10:28This is a dining area.
10:30Yes.
10:31This is the sun room.
10:32Sun room.
10:34So this is going to be a bar area.
10:35And then these three bays are going to be general entertainment.
10:38I think once we start cutting out the windows, it's just going to transform it, isn't it?
10:45But it's the top of the huge silo that has seen the most radical change.
10:52This is our beautiful new terrace.
10:54Yeah.
10:56Freshly created over the top of four silos.
10:59Look at those views.
11:00I mean, fantastic views all the way around, haven't we?
11:03So it's going to be a great, great space.
11:07The couple are gradually making progress.
11:11But there is one small corner at least that is finished.
11:18As they've transformed the derelict jeet into a habitable place to live complete with lounge, fitted kitchen and bedroom.
11:31It's certainly black and white between how it used to look, isn't it?
11:35Lot of work in here, but I think it's turned out great.
11:38Donna and Paul are off to a good start.
11:42But with a giant historic building to make into their permanent home, they have years of hard work ahead.
11:55Coming up, tensions rise for this chateau pair.
11:59It's going to stay where it is.
12:00You don't think it'd look better on a magnolia wall, do you?
12:03And Donna and Paul start to feel the strain.
12:07And, uh, toi.
12:09Are you pulling?
12:10Yes!
12:18In the stunning region of Limousin, in central France, is the fairy tale Chateau de la Grière.
12:27This 19th century castle comprises 12 elegant bedrooms.
12:35Two grands salons.
12:38And comes with over 10 acres.
12:41Nice and slowly.
12:42The proud owners are Oxfordshire couples Sharon and Tim, who have been renovating it ever since they moved here in
12:512022.
12:54I would say the journey has been fairly Herculean.
12:58Um, it's been emotional.
12:59It's been exhausting.
13:01It's been exhilarating.
13:02And for me, I've learnt skills that I didn't think I ever had.
13:05We never know what we're going to come across.
13:07There'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.
13:21Located just half an hour's drive from Limoges, Sharon and Tim bought the chateau for £500,000.
13:31OK.
13:32Right.
13:33Ready to go.
13:34And when we last saw them, they began decorating their new tower suite, which is set to become their first
13:42space for paying guests.
13:45So, at the moment, all you could see is this, what some might say, ghastly wallpaper, but I'm hoping it
13:51will work.
13:53Today, with the bedroom walls in full bloom, and the tower bathroom sparkling too, Sharon's plan is starting to come
14:04to life.
14:05We need to get this completed in the next couple of days.
14:08I've got friends coming, so I want them to see it, so we have an awful lot to do.
14:15Ready?
14:17Good.
14:18First, budding interior designer Sharon wants to fill the room with lots of antiques that came with the chateau.
14:27I really like this furniture.
14:30It's got a nice, classy look to it.
14:32Even though the wallpaper's a little modern, I'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, cos 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.
15:02Yeah?
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.
15:22Arm round it.
15:24..she's also planning to add a century-old rug that she hopes will complement the bold walls too.
15:32OK.
15:33Which way round should we do it?
15:35Put it somewhere here.
15:39OK.
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, Sharon's ideas are in full flow.
16:10But, with the rest of the room still to furnish, all she can hope is that it comes up smelling
16:18of roses.
16:25In Brittany, in northern France, Donna and Paul are starting stage two of their giant restoration project.
16:36We're now at the point where the demolition's finished.
16:39The vision is starting to appear, isn't it?
16:45Today, they're planning on creating a floor for the master bedroom, which 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.
17:03So, 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 trying to work in a way on that.
17:19I don't do heights at all.
17:22Terrifying.
17:23Absolutely terrifying.
17:25It's a dicey task.
17:27As first, they need to install fixtures to the walls to ensure they can take the weight of the hefty
17:35steel joists.
17:37We just need to mark the holes for the bolts and then we'll get them drilled.
17:42We'll fill these holes full of resin and then we'll put the bolts in.
17:46While Mick's left to do the final preparations...
17:51Just a bit of light DIY.
17:54..Paul starts wheeling in the first of the heavy beams.
17:59At over 100 kilos in weight, it's definitely a two-person job.
18:07Ready? Yep.
18:08And, uh, trois.
18:12Are you pulling?
18:13Yes!
18:14Go!
18:21Go!
18:28Having navigated a safe passage and with the property having trap doors on every floor,
18:35it's made the job simpler.
18:38That was easier than carrying it up the stairs.
18:41We just need to get in there now.
18:43I'll just hold the beam and just push that at the end.
18:46Give it a go.
18:52How far have we got?
18:53Er, seven-inch.
18:55Right, two.
18:56Ready?
18:57Yeah.
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.
19:20Yeah, I think I'm pretty confident that that's solid.
19:23You know, it's only me and Donna and a bed and some soft furnishings on this floor, so, er, I
19:28think that's great.
19:32So, does this mean I can start kind of voice in my colour scheme?
19:36Well, I'm sure you've thought about them already, but, as usual, you've not shared them with me, so...
19:41The first of the beans for their new floor may be in place, but with so much to do, Donna's
19:49dream bedroom will have to be put on hold for a good while yet.
20:01In Normandy, at Chateau de la Lasselle, Terry has begun to refurbish the antique chairs he hopes will add extra
20:12elegance to their new grand suite.
20:16We're just going to go over the horsehair with some calico first.
20:26So, the last chairs that we've done, they were, they 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, I've seen exactly the same salon set for sale.
20:45It's been reupholstered, and it was in excess of 3,000 euro, and we got this set for 80 euro.
20:51So, that's why we have to put all this effort into it.
20:57Meanwhile, Tracey and Ashley have been challenged with polishing up a dusty old chandelier, earmarked 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.
21:17Mankey, these.
21:20I'd say you're probably going five to six hundred crystals on this chandelier.
21:27It's very fiddly.
21:29I don't want to be too rough with them.
21:32This is going to take a long time.
21:39Ashley is hoping some water and vinegar will sparkle the crystals into life.
21:47So, that's one that I've had in there, and 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.
21:59So, they need to do more?
22:01Yeah.
22:03Every 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.
22:15We've got all of the old straps here.
22:17What I'm going to look at putting some new ones on just to help strengthen it.
22:22Better than, obviously, getting it in the room so one sits on it and then falls through it.
22:25So, I've had to make my own little stretcher.
22:28So, I've just used a piece of wood with some nails in.
22:32So, nails go through.
22:35And then, you can put it on the side.
22:38And you can see, obviously, that'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 be sorted.
22:59That's all the chair done.
23:01It's looking fantastic.
23:02You can see, the next thing is just to get all of the fabric on.
23:05I'm pleased that we've got another one together.
23:08Terry's graceful touches are moving in the right direction.
23:12But with 600 crystals to clean...
23:15We just need a little bit more of a polish.
23:18And, yeah, they'll be fine.
23:20Their new grand suite might take a long time to shine.
23:29Still to come.
23:31It's a recipe for disaster for these Chatelain.
23:34Well, grandma's not going to be happy.
23:37I think we 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 sew it.
23:44Oh, my God.
23:45Are you kidding me?
23:54In the Limousin region of central France, at Chateau de la Grière...
24:00Can you do your side?
24:02Sharon and Tim are continuing to enhance their new tower suite.
24:07Floating headboard. Nice.
24:10And 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, and 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.
24:54Probably above my pay grade to make a decision on these,
24:57but...
24:59I'm with the gold.
25:00Yeah, I think.
25:03This...
25:05brings 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 throw in it, don't you?
25:27What?
25:27The carpet.
25:30We haven't got a gold carpet, have we?
25:32All 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 would be a hot mess.
25:50I think standing back here, the sofa looks better with the gold.
25:54Having 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 tubs.
26:14While 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?
26:32People 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.
26:59And while it often means long days working...
27:05Well done, you.
27:06..it's also a chance to embrace the lifestyle.
27:10Especially when it comes to French food.
27:14Mmm. Just yummy.
27:16This is homegrown. It's delicious.
27:18Anne-Netherloire Valley in Western France.
27:22At the delightful Chateau de Borneau,
27:25Erin and her French husband, JB,
27:28want to indulge in a national favourite.
27:33Today we're going to make a tarte tatin,
27:36a recipe for my grandma.
27:39When it comes to tarte tatin, I'm in charge.
27:41As the genuine Burgundy man, I say,
27:44off you go, you can do dessert today.
27:47They begin by peeling and halving the fruit.
27:51My family has been growing apples for a huge generation now in Burgundy.
27:56And it's a good memory of it.
27:58So, for tea, coming back from school, it 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.
28:13Mm-hm.
28:13Made it look super easy.
28:15So, when I make it caramel, I 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.
28:23Yeah. I mean, yeah.
28:26But after adding the butter...
28:28Whoa.
28:30..things don't go according to plan.
28:32I'm sticking a bit too much butter in one go.
28:36Ah!
28:37This is not working.
28:40Well, grandma's not going to be happy.
28:42Don't you think that's rescuable?
28:44I think you'll only start again.
28:46Grandma would not be proud.
28:48This time, Erin takes over the reins.
28:53I can't believe the British have taken over the French classics now.
28:57Yeah.
28:58But it seems to be working.
29:01With the caramel saved,
29:04it'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.
29:16I think now it's fine.
29:18While the tart topping is put in the oven to bake,
29:22Erin has the perfect setting to sample the 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 tart tata here.
29:45With the apples baking nicely, JB adds the puff pastry.
29:51Tightly sealing the apples underneath.
29:56And then, it's back in the oven.
30:00And after half an hour, it's almost ready.
30:04Looks good.
30:06Yeah, I think it's fine.
30:09So, 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.
30:24It looks good.
30:25We now need to taste it.
30:29Crispy dough, so that's good.
30:32That smells amazing.
30:33It smells like my childhood.
30:40That's excellent.
30:42Good.
30:42Bravo.
30:44Well done.
30:44Really, really nice.
30:46I think that was definitely a success.
30:49One for the repertoire.
30:50OK, good.
30:50With or without the English caramel?
30:53Well, you can decide.
30:54That is la question.
30:57It's proved to be a triumph.
30:59And as they indulge in a second slice, it seems their ongoing renovation work will have to wait a little
31:07while.
31:08Longer.
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.
31:53Because the blocks are hollow, we've just filled these with concrete, so when we do cut them, it gives us
31:58a bit more concrete to support the block.
32:00And 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
32:31kitchen 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, which you
32:59can see where I've been putting pieces of wood,
33:01trying to juggle it round, because I want to retain that old beam.
33:07It's a lovely wood column that was used in the mail.
33:10We 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
33:20walk areas and that as well,
33:22to make sure I've not got them too close to the island.
33:26I've got plenty of room around it, because, you know, it's a huge room.
33:30I don't want my kitchen to be squashed up into one corner and the rest of the room empty.
33:36So that's what I'm doing. I'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.
33:50But 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,
34:03and then that'll allow us to get onto 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.
34:19And then, weather permitting, we can order some concrete for the final screen on top.
34:27It's done!
34:29Well, this phase is done.
34:31Well done, guys. It's huge.
34:33Yeah, it's our size.
34:36Once it's concrete on it, I think it'll look even bigger, you know, visually.
34:40It'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 floors to tackle,
35:06it'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!
35:34Bonjour!
35:35Come on in!
35:45In the Normandy region of Northern France...
35:48You need to go just a little bit more round.
35:51Yeah.
35:53Terry and Ashley are fitting the freshly polished chandelier
35:57in their new opulent guest suite.
36:00That way a bit.
36:02Yeah, perfect.
36:02Right there.
36:04Moment of truth.
36:06The electrics aren't actually all hooked up in here properly yet.
36:09No.
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?
36:22Well, we'll find out.
36:28Hey!
36:30Not working?
36:32Yeah.
36:33It's beautiful.
36:34It's stunning.
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
36:49using locally bought chic fabric.
36:55They've got the lovely tapestry design on these.
36:57And to complement it, we've got a lovely velvet fabric to go on the inside,
37:03which 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.
37:27But I'm enjoying it.
37:31Finally, I've got it all sewn and put together now,
37:34so 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,
37:43and then we're done.
37:52All 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?
37:57Yep.
37:59Well, it ties in better with the trim now, doesn't it?
38:02Yeah.
38:02Mm-hm.
38:03Yeah?
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.
38:12Exciting.
38:13Mm-hm.
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.
38:29Yeah.
38:29So I have to do from the middle there to the fire.
38:31And then that end part.
38:32Then that end part.
38:33And then the middle.
38:34Yeah.
38:34Yeah.
38:35It's an intricate job, especially as renovating the floor took them several weeks.
38:42So the finish we're going with is hard wax oil.
38:44Yeah.
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,
39:04so 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.
39:25The last bits.
39:32It's nice doing such an easy job, but with instant results.
39:37And...
39:37It is instant gratification, isn't it, when you see it?
39:40Yeah.
39:41The master bedroom is certainly starting to shine.
39:45But with the salon still a work in progress,
39:49and the second bedroom to also dress,
39:52Terry and Ashley's grand new suite
39:54is not yet ready for kings and queens.
40:07In 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 okay.
40:25Oh, it looks good.
40:27Sort of tidied it up.
40:28Yeah, it's been trickier than I thought.
40:32So I'm just going to finish this bit of thread now.
40:39Done!
40:40With 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,
40:53Sharon wants everything in pride of place.
40:58Are we on the carpet?
41:00Yeah, go on the carpet.
41:07Happy with it?
41:08Happy with it?
41:08Yeah, I think, um...
41:11Yeah, I am happy with it.
41:12It's very nice.
41:13Well done.
41:14We did it.
41:15Good job.
41:1812 months ago,
41:20this empty space was bland, uninspiring,
41:25and very dated.
41:29Now it's been transformed into an elegant
41:33and sophisticated guest bedroom.
41:38Complete with an equally impressive en suite,
41:43Sharon's choice of bold floral wallpaper
41:47makes an instant statement.
41:50While 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.
42:08OK.
42:09Allez.
42:12Bonjour!
42:13Bonjour!
42:14Come on in!
42:16It's time to see if their hard work has paid off.
42:24Wow!
42:26Wow!
42:27Good, this me!
42:29Ooh!
42:30Beautiful!
42:31Impressed!
42:32Are you?
42:32It really is beautiful.
42:34You like it?
42:34Oh, yes.
42:35The lights and the chandelier are gorgeous.
42:37You did it all.
42:38Marino, what do you think?
42:39Because it's your country,
42:41it's one of your chateaus.
42:42Oh, you don't break the rules or something like that.
42:46No, no, really.
42:47Everything was in the chateau,
42:48so I've just rearranged it in here.
42:50Just replace and use the best of what you could.
42:54Yeah.
42:55The bed crown, that was in the attic.
42:57Oh, yes.
42:58So I dusted that off and brought it down.
43:00I like the trimming.
43:01It's beautiful, isn't it?
43:02It matches all the...
43:02Yes.
43:03He picked it all up, all the different shades and colours.
43:05You must be crowned.
43:07Good.
43:08Would you like to see the bathroom?
43:09Oh, yes.
43:10Oh!
43:12I like the painting, that it reflects...
43:15Yes, it's a smaller version.
43:17Yeah, it's original.
43:19You must be happy to have finished.
43:22This has been going for a long time.
43:25I'm super pleased that you both like it.
43:27I'm just amazed at the amount of work they've done
43:29since they've moved in.
43:32This is the first chateau I've ever been in,
43:34and it is absolutely wonderful,
43:35and to actually stay here would be lovely.
43:38As a French woman,
43:39I'm happy to see that it's done in respect.
43:44It's done with really good text.
43:48I was really pleased with how that went.
43:50To have two friends come round and like the room,
43:54that's such a relief.
43:56It's an appreciation.
43:57It's a validation that it was a nice room.
44:00So that's what we want,
44:01because we want the general public to enjoy it.
44:03So it can't just be my opinion,
44:05because I wouldn't want to have to take that wallpaper off
44:07and start all over again.
44:08So, yeah, nice feeling.
44:10It's been a huge success.
44:12And with Sharon and Tim's first bedroom suite ready for paying guests,
44:18it will only be a matter of time before the money starts rolling in.
44:31Next time, it's one step forward, two steps back for Terry and Ashley.
44:37I'm going to have to take up all of the bigger square ones.
44:41This Chatelaine takes on a marathon of a mural.
44:45It's going more slowly than I had originally thought.
44:48We absolutely have to have this bathroom ready.
44:51And one couple are at the height of a tricky turret makeover.
44:56Can you come out from underneath there?
44:58Because if it does collapse,
44:59I've got no one to drive me to hospital.
45:29I'll tell you first.
45:30Let have ahost,
45:31We decide to do well.
45:31We need to do well.
45:32You can choose from now Sekai,
45:34It's fucking a weekend.
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