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Chateau DIY S11E03 H 264

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00:00Across France, there are thousands of breathtaking chateaux.
00:06Many forgotten and crumbling into disrepair are now being brought back to life by adventurous
00:15new owners.
00:16The plan for here is a swimming pool.
00:18We are, yeah.
00:20They're taking on monumental challenges.
00:23Nice and slowly.
00:24Restoring history while building homes, wow, I think they've outdone Versailles, and thriving
00:32businesses.
00:33Squeeze in much tighter.
00:36There'll be triumphs, welcome to the tower suite, oh my gosh.
00:42And setbacks.
00:44I wish you hadn't come up with this sort of thing.
00:46Nightmare.
00:48But for those who dare, I love all this, I absolutely love all this.
00:53The rewards are extraordinary.
00:56Today is a very good day.
00:58Very, very good day.
00:59I'm really happy.
01:00Because this isn't just restoration.
01:03The best thing about having a chateau is being able to gather all the people you love.
01:07It's the chance to become custodians of their very own castles.
01:15Today, an intricate mosaic floor derails one epic suite renovation.
01:22I'm going to have to take up all of the bigger square ones.
01:27We want it absolutely right.
01:29A bathroom transformation goes freestyle.
01:33Right now I'm painting hills, and then I'll be painting trees, and maybe, I don't know,
01:37wherever the mood takes me.
01:39And one couple tackle a tricky turret makeover.
01:43Can you come out from underneath there?
01:45Because if it does collapse, I've got no one to drive me to hospital.
01:53Set amongst the rolling hills of the Normandy countryside in northern France is the 18th century Chateau de La Lacelle.
02:05With a charming tower, 25 impressive rooms, and 21 acres, the property stood empty for four decades,
02:19until it became a dream restoration project for Middlesbrough couple Terry and Ashley.
02:26Come on, come on.
02:28When we first saw La Lacelle, just the symmetry and the simplicity of it was just beautiful.
02:35The beautiful grand staircase.
02:36I think that's what sold it.
02:38That was it.
02:38We fell in love.
02:39Yeah, I think that was the part that made this place completely different from every other shower that we'd seen.
02:45Yeah.
02:49Situated 130 miles west of Paris,
02:51the couple bought the property in 2021 for £250,000, hoping to transform it into high-end holiday lets.
03:05Joining them on their adventure are Terry's mum, Tracy.
03:09Are they all right?
03:10Yes, boss.
03:11Are you OK?
03:11Yes, boss.
03:12And 11-year-old nephew, Jonathan.
03:16Last time we saw them, the family were elbow deep in their latest project, the two-bedroom 401 suite.
03:27And voila.
03:30Today, whilst work continues on the master bedroom, they plan to make a start on the suite's bathroom.
03:38Well, Terry's set me a challenge of getting this mosaic floor down.
03:43This corner is the only one in the bathroom that is completely square,
03:46so I need to work from this corner outwards to be able to get my straight lines.
03:56I've now learnt, having done one of these floors before, to get the right adhesive,
03:59because this one takes about two, three hours to go off.
04:02The last one I bought went off in about 20 minutes,
04:04so I got about a quarter of the way through the bucket, and it was completely useless.
04:08But I'm learning as I go.
04:16With Terry's design, he's picked some beautiful travertine stone,
04:21which is a natural porous stone.
04:23Not only is it porous, it has some quite big holes in,
04:26so I'm having to be quite delicate as to where I put the adhesive,
04:29otherwise I'm going to end up with dollops of grey adhesive in between all of the tiles.
04:35Meanwhile, in the master bedroom, Terry's going for opulence.
04:41This one's just imitation gold leaf.
04:44Obviously, the amount that we're going through,
04:46it'd cost an absolute fortune to do it all in real gold leaf.
04:50So, just touching up a couple of bits, just to get it all uniform.
04:57It's still giving the look that we're wanting to create.
05:00It just captures the light,
05:02and it just gives you that really luxurious and, like, elegant feel.
05:12This is a little bit challenging, trying to get around the pipes,
05:15but the attention to detail is something that we're quite serious about.
05:20If I don't do it properly, it's going to throw the whole dimensions of the room out,
05:23so it's vitally important, even in this space, you can't see that it's done right.
05:28It's a painstaking task.
05:30And with a salon and two bedrooms to work on as well,
05:34Terry and Ashley have a long road ahead.
05:45Overlooking the Vienne département of Western France is the medieval Chateau Mareuil.
05:53A former fortress, it boasts a 500-year-old donjon, or castle keep,
06:00a pepperpot turret, and accommodation for up to 22 guests.
06:07Since 2015, it's been the home of London couple Lee,
06:12a lighting designer, and his wife Melinda, a former commercial director.
06:18It still feels like a bit of a dream.
06:21It's got such a fairytale quality about it.
06:24Yeah, you're right, it is pretty amazing.
06:26And I don't know how I wound up to end up here, really.
06:31I really, I don't know, I've just been sitting in a castle in France.
06:36How did that happen?
06:37How did that happen?
06:38Yeah.
06:39Life's a wonderful thing, isn't it?
06:43Located 45 miles south-east of Poitiers,
06:47Belinda and Lee bought the Chateau for £378,000
06:52and have since transformed it into a successful B&B and events business.
07:02Maintaining an ancient property, though, does have its drawbacks.
07:06Last time we saw them, Lee was forced to face his fear of heights,
07:11fixing the Don John roof.
07:14OK, you can get me down now.
07:16That's it, we're here for the night now.
07:18Yeah, you can get me down.
07:23Today, it's love that's in the air.
07:26We've got a Valentine's event at the end of this week
07:29and the turret is the main access up to the first floor bedrooms
07:33and is in dire need of some tender loving care.
07:37And we've only got a few days to do this
07:39and that worries me slightly, yeah.
07:42Right, Belinda, if you bring the tools up,
07:45we're going to start at the top and then work down.
07:50The Valentine's event comprises an evening of fine dining
07:54followed by an overnight stay.
07:57So the couple's first task is to clean the black mould
08:01from the medieval staircase.
08:04It's a very awkward job because, first of all, it's a circular wall.
08:11It's a circular stair that's going in the opposite direction
08:15and there's no flat surface to pin this on
08:17and I don't like working at heights much.
08:20It's this bit up here and that bit there.
08:23That's very difficult.
08:25Move your end towards the wall.
08:27Hold on.
08:28That's it.
08:30No, it's not on.
08:31OK, well, do you know what?
08:32I think you'll be OK, actually.
08:35Can you come out from underneath there?
08:37Because if it does collapse,
08:38I've got no-one to drive me to hospital.
08:41OK.
08:42OK, I'm there.
08:44That's it, I've got it.
08:46Treating mouldy walls is always a dirty job,
08:50but on a chateau scale, it's a major operation.
08:54It is coming off really, really well.
08:57Oh, yes.
08:58There he goes.
09:04I've got to say, I never envisaged my life to be like this.
09:08When we bought the chateau,
09:09we had dreams of sitting in front of the pool,
09:13drinking cocktails.
09:16But no, that doesn't happen.
09:19You end up washing walls and mould.
09:24But I wouldn't change it.
09:27This is amazing.
09:32The cleaning is a success,
09:35but it has taken up a lot of valuable time.
09:39There's loads to do.
09:40We've got to get the primer coat on,
09:43got to paint the turret walls
09:45and prepare a beautiful meal.
09:48Oh, lay a beautiful table,
09:51fresh flowers, table decorations.
09:54It goes on.
09:55A heart doorway.
09:56A heart doorway!
09:58A doorway to love.
09:59A doorway to love.
10:01How could I forget that?
10:02How could you forget my doorway to love, darling?
10:06But with just three days to turn their chateau
10:09into a love nest,
10:11this isn't a project for the faint-hearted.
10:18Coming up, there are decorating disagreements.
10:22He still is not sure if it's a good idea
10:27every single time.
10:29And Terry and Ashley's palatial dreams
10:32could face financial ruin.
10:35You're talking four and a half grand
10:36for three sets of bedside cabinets,
10:38and that's, it's not doable.
10:39No.
10:45Located above the lush Loire Valley
10:48is the exquisite Art Nouveau style
10:51Chateau de la Croix Boisille.
10:57Sitting in seven acres,
10:59it has 12 beautiful rooms,
11:03plus an indoor pool and spa area.
11:09It's home to American-born artist
11:11and antique jewellery dealer Vivian
11:14and her British husband Simon,
11:17a software manager.
11:1825 years ago,
11:20we bought our very first chateau.
11:23We moved over from England
11:24and then, seven years ago,
11:26we decided to downsize
11:28and decided to buy this place.
11:30We love it.
11:31The thing is about owning a chateau
11:32that once you buy one,
11:34you get addicted to it a little bit.
11:37It's a wonderful adventure.
11:38It's definitely a process.
11:39It's a lifestyle.
11:41It's also a big, big job.
11:44It's a full-time job.
11:49Situated an hour's drive south of Le Mans,
11:52the couple bought the property in 2019
11:55for £716,000.
11:59They live with their 23-year-old daughter Isabella
12:04and split their time between Paris and the chateau.
12:09In the future,
12:11they hope to run holiday lets
12:13and tours of the local area.
12:16So, here we are in the dining room of our chateau.
12:19Just last year,
12:20we hosted our friend's bachelor bachelorette party here.
12:25And it did get a little bit wild.
12:28It did, yeah, yeah.
12:35So, now, this is the orangery through here,
12:39one of our favourite rooms.
12:41We've done a lot of work in this room.
12:43We've replaced 95 of the window panes,
12:46all individually cut.
12:47We've cleaned up all of the tiles.
12:49So, yeah, we've done a lot to it.
12:55Upstairs, the couple have renovated four of seven bedrooms
13:01and have recently replumbed and panelled a guest bathroom
13:05in the very top of the building.
13:08But now, they're on a mission to complete it...
13:12Right, up we go.
13:14..in time for Vivian's mother,
13:16who is due to arrive next week.
13:19Oh, my gosh.
13:21I certainly got my steps in going up and down this staircase.
13:26So, what I'm thinking...
13:28All right, here we are.
13:29..is that we need to get started with the tiles.
13:32So, I got this one up.
13:33OK.
13:33And I need your help to fix this.
13:36OK.
13:36Because I don't want it to fall behind the buffet.
13:42OK.
13:42As soon as I get this in place,
13:45as quickly as you can,
13:46I need you to drop a couple of nails...
13:48OK.
13:48..in.
13:49I do love my tiling.
13:50You do.
13:55Now, does it look lined up?
13:57Does it look level?
13:57Yeah.
13:58It's pretty lined up.
13:59OK, now.
13:59Now.
14:00Quickly, quickly, quickly.
14:01Hold on.
14:02With your fingers.
14:03With your fingers.
14:04OK, and I think it might have...
14:06I think it might have shifted.
14:08Has it dropped?
14:08It's not bad.
14:09It's not bad.
14:10I can make that work.
14:11Well, it always looks a little wavy
14:13when you use these tiles, anyway.
14:15LAUGHTER
14:23There you go.
14:26That's fine.
14:27Perfect.
14:28Great.
14:30So, Vivian's the creative director.
14:32She has the vision.
14:33And I'm the carpenter.
14:36And the doer, to some extent.
14:39And the moral support.
14:41And the moral support.
14:42Yeah.
14:42And moral support, too.
14:45The only thing is that we've been doing this now together for 30 years, and he still
14:52is not sure if it's a good idea every single time.
14:57And then at the end, he says, oh, that was a great idea.
15:02And I guess he'll never learn.
15:05LAUGHTER
15:10OK, done.
15:11Then, with some bathroom bling to add
15:14and a spectacular freestyle mural to paint,
15:18Simon and Vivian have a busy day ahead.
15:26In the Vienne département, ahead of their special Valentine's Day event,
15:32Belinda and Lee are giving their mould-free turret a lick of paint.
15:41The quicker I can get this done, the better.
15:43Belinda and I have got a huge amount to do before the guests arrive tomorrow.
15:48And we started off with loads of time to do this,
15:51and we're now running out of time.
15:53And it's just like leaving it really to the wire to get this stuff done.
16:06It's looking good.
16:07But it's these bits I can't get to because they're too high up.
16:10OK, yeah.
16:10So if you could hold this...
16:11Yes.
16:12..while I go up.
16:14You want to go up there? That's it. Go on.
16:17This is just the last bit.
16:20I'll hold it like that.
16:21OK.
16:24Let me go, woman.
16:25Where are you going?
16:26No, don't let me go.
16:28No, let me go. I'm coming down.
16:30OK.
16:31Let's get on.
16:31Let's move on.
16:33We have a Valentine's due to look forward to.
16:41Lee's next decorative challenge is to transform an old bridal arch
16:47into a romantic entrance.
16:50My plan is to reuse some of this material, add to it,
16:59and create a really nice archway of flowers and things
17:06that a Valentine's Day couple can literally walk through.
17:12So while Belinda forages...
17:15Here we go.
17:17Lee creates a floral framework before sprucing it up.
17:24What I was thinking with the curved one,
17:26it could be coming in like that.
17:28Yeah, that's nice.
17:30And then we've got one the other side like that.
17:32Yeah, that's a match.
17:33Would you say that's about the middle?
17:35One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
17:38Yeah, it is the middle.
17:39OK.
17:43You want to pass that one?
17:51Yeah, that's fine.
17:53I think it's looking really lovely.
17:54I love the natural look of it.
17:58By the end of the afternoon, Lee's doorway to love is beginning to look the part.
18:05Once you've decorated it, once you've put the lights, you can delineate the hearts.
18:11But with the arch still to finish, plus bedrooms and a three-course dinner to prepare,
18:17Melinda and Lee's labour of love is far from over.
18:26200 miles north in Normandy, Terry and Ashley are taking a break from DIY to go on a shopping trip.
18:36We're looking for, what, for the 401?
18:38We need a couple of little bits, like bedside cabinets.
18:41Yeah.
18:41Vases.
18:43Yeah.
18:43Two chandeliers.
18:45Maybe some wall lights.
18:47Here we go.
18:53We're out for the day.
18:54We've come to one of our favourite brocantes in France.
18:57We've never came here and left empty-handed.
18:59It's never happened, so I can't imagine it's going to happen today either.
19:05The brocante is an Aladdin's cave of vintage French pieces.
19:12With plenty to tempt a pair of chateau owners.
19:17Chandeliers nice.
19:18How much is it?
19:201,280.
19:21Ah, well, I won't be leaving that one.
19:27This is what I've been looking for.
19:28Yeah, exactly that.
19:29Yeah.
19:31This cabinet's perfect for one of our bedrooms, with it being a Louis XV style.
19:36But there's only one, and this is the problem that we're finding.
19:39We just can't find a pair of bedside cabinets in this style, in this condition.
19:45So, I'm guessing we'll move on.
19:47Keep searching.
19:55These are exactly what we're looking for in terms of a pair of bedside cabinets in the style that we're
20:01looking for as well.
20:01However, you have to bear in mind we've got a whole chateau to deck out.
20:06At this price, if you think we need three sets, you're talking four and a half grand for three sets
20:11of bedside cabinets, and that's, it's not doable.
20:13No.
20:16Yeah.
20:16It's stretch, isn't it?
20:18Mm-hm.
20:18I think it's like a piano.
20:20Yeah.
20:21Ooh.
20:22Ooh.
20:23They're nice.
20:25I knew they'd catch you right.
20:26Yeah.
20:27Ooh.
20:27I think they'd be good for one of the rooms.
20:29It's probably a hallway, I think.
20:31What are you thinking price-wise?
20:34Well, you have to try and bargain.
20:39See if you can get within budget.
20:43Philippe?
20:43Oui, I'm here.
20:44Ah, very good.
20:45It's how much?
20:47Well, the pair of applique.
20:49It's the style Louis XVI.
20:53I'll give you a good price.
20:54300 for the pair.
20:56300?
20:58They're, I mean, they're beautiful.
21:00Yes, yes.
21:02250?
21:03Oh.
21:09Okay, if you want.
21:10Okay.
21:10Okay.
21:11It's a good price, really.
21:13No, it's very good.
21:14Because they're very chic.
21:15Do you want them?
21:16Yes.
21:17Okay.
21:18Okay, okay.
21:18Thank you, Philippe.
21:20Philippe's amazing.
21:21From the day we started coming here, he's always been so kind with us.
21:24And he understands that it's a chateau, he understands that we've got a budget.
21:28And it's just good that we've got that sort of rapport with him.
21:30Absolutely.
21:31Terry and Ashley have bagged themselves some bargains.
21:35But with the tricky mosaic tiles in the bathroom barely begun, they need to get back to work.
21:46Still to come.
21:47Be careful.
21:48Vivian and Simon size up a hefty brocante by...
21:53We need to figure out if this mirror is going to fit.
21:56I think it will.
21:57You think it's going to fit?
21:58Take it back, take it back.
21:59And all Belinda and Lee's Valentine's plans are frozen.
22:04This is the heating system for the chateau.
22:07It's packed up.
22:14Over at Chateau de la Croix Boise, in the new guest bathroom, the clock is ticking ahead of Vivian's mother's
22:24visit.
22:26So, bathtub behind you.
22:28The feet, a lovely shade of beige.
22:30Yeah.
22:31The first thing I need you to do is put masking tape around the edge of the foot.
22:35See that little thing there?
22:37This one here?
22:38Uh-huh.
22:39Okay.
22:39So that is called gilding fluid.
22:42Okay.
22:43And you're going to paint a very thin layer all over the foot.
22:48Okay.
22:49And then we are delicately going to lay sheets of silver leaf on top.
22:55Okay.
22:55Okay.
22:55I'll do my best.
22:56And after that, I'll talk you through the aging process.
22:59Through the aging process.
23:01I don't think I need to know much about that.
23:02I think you did pretty well on aging already.
23:03I think I'm naturally in that process.
23:08The height of the bathroom's window has restricted the view.
23:13But artist Vivian has a trick up her sleeve.
23:19So what I'm doing is creating what's called a grisaille mural.
23:23Which basically means a grayscale mural.
23:25This was really popular in the 18th century.
23:28And so we're trying to give it kind of the spirit of the outside coming in.
23:36Right now I'm painting hills.
23:38And then I'll be painting trees.
23:39And maybe, I don't know, wherever the moon takes me.
23:42Maybe some buildings.
23:43Maybe some birds.
23:44I don't know.
23:44Let's see.
23:45Let's see where we go.
23:51This is the second chateau we've lived in.
23:53We've been living in chateau now since 2000.
23:57So 25 years.
23:59And after a few years, you get a little bit of experience of what you can do economically.
24:06Because these houses will cost you a fortune if you're not careful.
24:10So you have to kind of do things which help preserve the chateau.
24:14But at the same time, don't cost you an arm and a leg.
24:18Hold on.
24:19So.
24:19Scoot forward a little bit.
24:20Yeah.
24:21I'll sit down and talk you through it.
24:22Okay.
24:22Okay.
24:23So.
24:24Gently take with the backing on.
24:26Yeah.
24:26Press really gently.
24:28As much of it as you can.
24:30Okay.
24:30Using your fingers to press gently inside.
24:33Okay.
24:33Just put it on there like that.
24:38I think that's pretty good.
24:40So while you do that, I'm going to crack on with the mural.
24:42Okay.
24:43Well, I think I know what I'm doing now.
24:44So thank you.
24:45Awesome.
24:50The thing I really love about living in a chateau is that I would say 80% of the time,
24:54it's like being Cinderella.
24:56It's all cleaning.
24:57It's DIY.
24:58It's renovating.
24:59It's trying to manage the bills.
25:04And then occasionally, Cinderella gets to go to the ball.
25:07But I love both sides of it.
25:16What do you think, Vivian?
25:17It looks really great, sweetheart.
25:19Well done.
25:19Cool.
25:20Well done.
25:21Well, should we do the mirror now?
25:23Absolutely.
25:25Isabella?
25:26Yeah?
25:28They've enlisted the help of daughter Isabella.
25:31It's finally going up.
25:33To get their 18th century brocante bai into the bathroom.
25:38Now, this is pretty heavy, so...
25:40Gosh, that's bigger than I remember.
25:42If you both lift it up and take it in, I'll help balance it.
25:46Yeah.
25:46Isabella, if you can take that side there.
25:48Okay.
25:50Vivian, I'm going to need you to help me.
25:52Yeah.
25:54I'll help support.
25:55This thing is so huge.
25:56Yeah.
25:56Let's be careful in the doorway.
25:58Weighing around 35 kilograms, the mirror is a hefty load.
26:04Drop down, drop down, drop down.
26:06Okay, now, be careful.
26:09It's very tricky.
26:11The wiring's out of the way.
26:12This is just going to be pushed on top of the wiring.
26:14Okay.
26:16We need to figure out if this mirror's going to fit.
26:20I think it will.
26:21You think it's going to measure it?
26:21Take it back.
26:22Take it back.
26:23Okay.
26:23Right, now, hold it there.
26:25Go back.
26:26Hold it.
26:27Hold it there.
26:30I'm pretty sure this isn't straight.
26:33It has to come up on the left a little bit.
26:36There.
26:37That's good.
26:37Oh, I see.
26:41Is it up?
26:42Yes.
26:43It's up.
26:45Good job.
26:46Well, well done, everyone.
26:48Well done.
26:48Great teamwork.
26:49Good job.
26:51Good job.
26:52Don't leave me hanging.
26:53High-fived you already.
26:56The bathroom is coming together.
26:59But there's still lighting to put up and Vivian's elaborate mural to finish
27:04before they can down tools and fully celebrate.
27:12Back at Chateau Marais, there's just one day to go
27:16before guests arrive for a romantic Valentine's night.
27:21But a warm welcome might not await.
27:25This is the heating system for the chateau.
27:27It's packed up.
27:29Not quite sure why.
27:31I'm just going through a reset process now.
27:34This is critically important to us because tomorrow we've got guests coming.
27:40It's cold in the chateau and it needs to be working.
27:43We've got a bit of a manual here, which is all in Italian, which doesn't help.
27:50So I'm going to get on with something else because I can't just stand here worrying about it.
27:54I've got too many other things to do.
27:57So, whilst Lee carries on with his doorway to love, Belinda's in the kitchen,
28:04well aware that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
28:08I am making a tiramisu for tomorrow night's dessert course.
28:15It's very much one of Lee's favourites, goodness.
28:17He loves this.
28:19I remember Belinda very clearly on our very first date.
28:23She came through the front doors of a restaurant in central London
28:27and she was so elegant and so well dressed.
28:30She looked gorgeous.
28:32Might have to be the cook's treat in a moment.
28:35It's getting too thin to grate.
28:40And we sat down and just immediately started talking.
28:43And we didn't stop talking for 12 hours.
28:47And I thought, I'm not letting this one go.
28:51Lee proposed on...
28:53It was Valentine's weekend, actually, in Venice.
28:56It was literally that weekend the then Prince Charles
29:00announced his engagement to Camilla.
29:02And I remember feeling slightly, you know, hard done by
29:05that our thunder had been slightly stolen
29:08by somebody a bit more important than us.
29:12Look at those!
29:15After adorning the arch with flowers and lights,
29:19Lee tests it on the love of his life.
29:22Oh, look at it!
29:24Oh, that's gorgeous!
29:26Do you think it needs more flowers?
29:28Maybe what we can do is get a bit more colour into it,
29:32but I think it's so pretty.
29:33It's lovely.
29:34Well done.
29:36The tunnel of love might be complete,
29:39but an ongoing concern is sending shivers up their spine.
29:44Guests are arriving tomorrow and the main problem
29:47is that we actually have not been able to get our central heating working
29:51and the inside of the chateau is freezing cold.
29:55So we've got some work to do, I think, still to try and get that going.
30:00If Belinda and Lee don't sort something out,
30:03their guests could give them the cold shoulder.
30:13Over in Normandy, in the 401 Suites bathroom,
30:19Ashley is struggling with the intricate mosaic floor tiles.
30:24The outside's fine, it's just the inside ones.
30:28So I think that's going wrong, because they're not lining up.
30:37We ran into a slight little problem, and it's the spaces.
30:41So when we actually bought all the tiles,
30:44the place sold us 2.5mm spaces.
30:50As we're getting them down,
30:51it's ever so slightly just pushing every other set of tiles out of place.
30:57I think you need 2s, 2mm.
31:02That would make it all fall in line.
31:07We're going to pull them all up and get the correct spaces.
31:11It seems it's one step forward, two steps back.
31:16I'm going to have to take up all of the bigger square ones.
31:22I was noticing more as I went along this way,
31:24I was coming further and further out,
31:25and obviously, as we've said, we want it absolutely right.
31:31So I'd rather do this now.
31:35Get it right.
31:38While Ashley prepares to start over again,
31:42in the master bedroom,
31:45Tracy's also set on perfection.
31:48I'm just going to scrape all this gold off now.
31:50Terry's finished all the gold leafing on it,
31:52and there's just a couple of little tiny bits now that need taken off.
31:57So we can get that done and get the rest of it cleaned up.
32:01We'll have a nice fire at the end of the day.
32:06Next thing now is just to get all this waxed off.
32:09We just use, like, a beeswax, and to be fair, it works amazing.
32:13All the little tiny scratches that you see just get covered up.
32:18You can just see the difference, even before I've wiped it off.
32:22It just brings it back to new.
32:30It looks absolutely amazing, that man.
32:39This is the difference it was out by.
32:41I haven't moved these two tiles, and I've built the new tiles back up to that.
32:45It is literally five mil, but five mil across this whole floor is a huge amount,
32:49and I couldn't have lived it myself.
32:52Posey.
32:52So that's with all the new spaces in.
32:55It looks better already.
32:56The lines are perfect now.
32:57Absolutely right the way across, so I'm really happy with it.
33:00Yeah, you can tell.
33:01It looks a lot better.
33:03Yep. Well done.
33:05I'll leave you to it.
33:05Thank you, boss.
33:11Right, I'll get these up.
33:15With the master bedroom coming together,
33:18Terry's eager to try out Tracey's homemade curtains.
33:23Oh, there's so funny, these.
33:25Yeah, right.
33:27That's it.
33:29Ready.
33:35Pleased with them.
33:37Perfect.
33:41I think just having that fabric has just sort of brought in some extra colour into the room.
33:48It goes really well.
33:49With the style and the age of the room, it just goes.
33:52Perfect.
33:53Perfect, yeah.
33:56Let's see how far it goes.
33:59Eh, that way, yeah.
34:01With the decorating in here nearly finished, they can finally try the furniture out for size.
34:08Oh, wow.
34:10Do you like it?
34:11Hasn't it changed?
34:12Yeah.
34:13It's all coming together now.
34:17What an amazing job your mam's done.
34:19I know.
34:19They look fantastic, don't they?
34:20Out of this world.
34:22Yeah.
34:22I'm pleased with it.
34:23Need to clean a couple of mirrors.
34:25Get a couple of the little bits finished, but I think it's coming together.
34:29It's been a productive day, but with the bathroom only just started, and the rest of the suite to restore
34:37and furnish, there's plenty of work ahead.
34:48Coming up, will Belinda and Lee's Valentine's event be in a class of its own?
34:54It's bordering on good taste.
34:57Just.
34:57And Vivian and Simon are up against it.
35:01It's going more slowly than I had originally thought.
35:05We absolutely have to have this bathroom ready.
35:13Back near the Loire Valley, Simon's had an arduous afternoon.
35:19They've put those together.
35:20Why would they do that?
35:22Installing the crystal wall lights in the new guest bathroom.
35:27Oh, you did it.
35:33Well done.
35:35I thought you were going to have to stand there for the rest of your life holding it up against
35:38the wall.
35:39I may have to.
35:40What I have to do now is test it, so I'm just going to put the electricity back on and
35:45see if I have it wired correctly.
35:53So this is going really well.
35:54It's going more slowly than I had originally thought.
35:58I think I will have to pull an all-nighter because we absolutely have to have this bathroom ready.
36:02We have guests coming next week and looking around at the rest of the room.
36:06We've got a few other last-minute things to do.
36:10OK, moment of truth.
36:11Are you ready?
36:12Yeah, yes.
36:13OK, let's try it.
36:18Look.
36:18Look.
36:19Oh, my God.
36:21It worked.
36:22Cool.
36:22That works.
36:23You did it.
36:23It hasn't blown up.
36:25Aw, you did it.
36:26Now we have to just do the second light.
36:29So you just have one more light to do.
36:31Mm-hm.
36:31Sadly, I have to finish this.
36:33Aw.
36:34But I think it's been a really good day.
36:35Yeah.
36:42The following morning, with the mural finally completed, they can get styling.
36:52Where do you want me to put these?
36:54OK, one under the window.
36:56OK.
36:58One to the other side.
37:02There you go.
37:04Oh, where are they going?
37:05Well, I mean, obviously.
37:08Oh, behind the bath.
37:10So you can have a candlelit bath.
37:12Absolutely.
37:13Very nice.
37:16Vivian and Simon have spent months transforming the compact bathroom on their top floor
37:25to create a luxurious and decadent retreat
37:30with classic tiling, elegant wood panelling, and silver tones throughout.
37:39Beautifully styled with brocante-bought antiques,
37:43the whole look is elevated with Vivian's stunning hand-painted mural.
37:52It's the perfect escape for guests,
37:55and here, to get a sneak preview, is daughter Isabella.
38:01Come in!
38:03Oh, my gosh!
38:07Oh, my God!
38:10This is incredible!
38:11I...
38:12I can't believe it!
38:13You painted all of this!
38:14Yes.
38:15I thought, if it's a grey-cold day, would you want the south of France?
38:19Would you want Tuscany?
38:22Oh, my God! Look at the mirror!
38:23It looks so good with the lights next to it,
38:25because it's all bouncing off of each other
38:27and then just creates this really open space.
38:29It's incredible!
38:32I think we did a great job with it.
38:34I think it really works.
38:35Yeah, and I was scared I was not going to get the mural finished.
38:38Yeah.
38:39But got there in the end.
38:41Well done, you did a great job.
38:42Thank you, thank you.
38:44The bathroom is ready for Vivian's mother's visit.
38:49But the couple have plenty more rooms yet to be renovated.
38:58One hundred and twenty-five miles south, in central France,
39:03Lee and Belinda's guests are due in just a few hours.
39:08Today is Valentine's Day and the sun's shining,
39:11and we are so grateful that it's warmed up a bit
39:13because the heating is not fixed.
39:16So we've just gathered together every single plug-in heating appliance
39:21that we could lay our hands on,
39:22so the electricity will be going round and round and round and round.
39:26But, you know, who cares?
39:27Because it's got to be comfortable indoors.
39:29We're really looking forward to today, actually.
39:31I've still got quite a lot to do.
39:32There's loads to do.
39:34Yeah.
39:36Top of the list is manoeuvring Lee's floral arch into position.
39:42Oh, no, you can't do that. Not tall enough.
39:45I hate being short.
39:48Right.
39:57Shall we go and have a look?
39:59Let's have a look. Hang on.
40:02Oh, yeah.
40:03I think it's great.
40:05It's quite attractive.
40:06It's not kitsch, well, slightly,
40:09but, yeah, it's bordering on good taste.
40:14Just.
40:17Inside the chateau,
40:18Belinda is also keen to add a touch of romance.
40:22Like those there.
40:25Finishing off the rooms.
40:26And what better on Valentine's Day than roses and chocolate?
40:30So, er, just going to pop a few more treats in.
40:34And there we are.
40:35Oh.
40:36I think everything looks absolutely fine.
40:44Downstairs, Lee sets the stage for the ultimate dinner date.
40:49There's one thing I can't stand.
40:52And I really don't think it's me being a lighting designer.
40:56But I can't stand it when you look at it in a room
40:58and all the candles are tipped in different places.
41:02It does my head in.
41:05As dusk falls, the medieval chateau is transformed into a candlelit love nest,
41:13complete with a fairytale tower.
41:17I'm really, really pleased with the amount of work that we've done.
41:21It's been a bit of a sweat, but it was worth it in the end.
41:26What was a cold stone staircase?
41:30Damp, mouldy and uninviting...
41:38..has now been brought back to life.
41:41Its freshly painted walls adorned with candles.
41:45Its soft light, once again ready to guide guests
41:50up its well-worn steps.
41:53Oh, it's lovely, isn't it?
41:55Isn't that beautiful?
41:56Yeah.
41:57It really looks pretty.
42:02Oh, we did it.
42:05Just in time, as their guests are ready for some romance.
42:10And Lee's doorway to love...
42:13..is just the start.
42:16Merci.
42:19To get them in the mood,
42:20Belinda serves a delicious dinner.
42:24Bon appetit.
42:25Bon appetit.
42:25..while Lee acts as their wine waiter.
42:32The main course tonight is beef stroganoff,
42:35which is everyone's favourite.
42:37It's absolutely lovely.
42:41It's fabulous.
42:43It's very nice.
42:45To round things off, Belinda gives her dessert the tender touch.
42:50I am decorating my tiramissus with little strawberry hearts.
42:55Wow.
43:00Belinda is an excellent cuisiniere.
43:03It's really perfect.
43:05We really feel like we're here.
43:07We're in a castle.
43:08It's princess.
43:10Belinda.
43:10Belinda.
43:11Belinda.
43:14It's been lovely.
43:16A special night,
43:17and to actually be able to spend it in such a lovely special place
43:21was terrific.
43:24When I look at where we were this time yesterday,
43:27with the prospect of a very, very freezing cold chateau,
43:31I'm amazed we managed to pull it off, actually.
43:33The place is warm.
43:34It is warm.
43:35And it's fine.
43:36It's absolutely fine.
43:37I think it's been an extremely romantic evening for the couples.
43:43It's been private, personal.
43:46I think it started with your tunnel of love, to be honest.
43:49That set scene.
43:51Which is so pretty, and everyone loved it.
43:53So, no, it's been great.
43:55Thank you very much.
43:57Belinda and Lee have poured heart and soul into their event.
44:02Oh, look, that heart shape's just lovely.
44:06But as ever with chateau life,
44:09there are plenty more challenges on the horizon.
44:17Next time.
44:20One chateau owner is on shaky ground.
44:24I just don't know if it's been put in for a purpose.
44:27As he strives to create a wine cellar.
44:30This isn't going to be that easy.
44:33Just waiting for that crack.
44:34A nail-biting experience for another duo.
44:38Please, you're making me nervous.
44:41A little nightmare.
44:42While the race is on for others.
44:45Basically, it will all be curtained.
44:47It will all be ruffled.
44:48To get their barn wedding ready in time.
44:51Three, two, three, four, three, four.
44:55And it will all be warehouses of great love for us.
45:18But of course.
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