- 9 hours ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00Across France, there are thousands of spectacular chateaux.
00:06Many have lain abandoned and forgotten.
00:09You can see the outside.
00:11If you can see daylight, it's not a good omen.
00:14But are now being brought back to life by intrepid owners.
00:19We need to try and get this done as quick as we can.
00:22Embracing epic tasks.
00:24Only 200 steps more to go.
00:26Determined to rescue these remarkable buildings.
00:30I'm not going to let it defeat me.
00:32And create incredible homes.
00:35It's amazing.
00:37And event venues.
00:38One has to remember to make each detail perfect.
00:43Riding the highs.
00:46Yes! Yes!
00:48And lows.
00:50Did I mention I'm terrible at DIY?
00:52But despite every difficulty.
00:55It's a little bit like prison, I guess.
00:57Cleaning with a toothbrush behind bars.
00:59The payoff is priceless.
01:02To restoration.
01:03As they get to live the dream.
01:05Cheers, well done. Good job.
01:08As custodians of their very own castle.
01:16Today.
01:17Working over water.
01:19Going to throw you this tip.
01:22Proves risky.
01:26Oh, you are kidding me.
01:30One pair make an unwelcome discovery.
01:33Oh, my God.
01:35What's that?
01:36It's a bat.
01:37Oh, wow.
01:38It's furry.
01:39It's black.
01:40It's hanging upside down.
01:41And it's ears glitched.
01:42And a reception revamp gets pulses racing.
01:47Amazing.
01:47It's exactly what I want.
01:49Easy.
01:50I'm a bit giddy.
01:52Giddy?
01:52Giddy?
01:59In Brittany, in northwest France, stands the impressive 19th century Moulin du Cuenon.
02:09Set on its own island between two ancient bridges, it comes with five floors, concrete grain silos, and a small
02:21gite.
02:23In early 2024, this enormous abandoned property was snapped up for less than £100,000 by experienced DIYers Donna and
02:37Paul.
02:38It needed and needs.
02:40I have a lot of work.
02:41I mean, much more than a previous project.
02:44It needed structural stuff.
02:46Roofs, walls, ceilings, structural demolition.
02:50But we're here and we're in the middle of it.
02:53So, it's too late now.
02:58Located just 13 miles south of the Brittany coast, this majestic building had been rotting away for years until Donna
03:09and Paul came along.
03:10I think we've become addicted to renovation and saving unloved properties.
03:17So, here we are, and loving it.
03:22So far, the couple have completely renovated the gite.
03:29And moved in while they begin the enormous task of transforming the rest of the building into their forever home.
03:38You kind of start to see your vision materialising a bit.
03:46But they haven't forgotten its history, and one of the first things they did was install a large window, allowing
03:55passers-by to view its once powerful turbine and the sluice gate that controlled the flow of water.
04:07Now, Donna and Paul are turning their focus to the small room directly above it.
04:14Today, we're going to have a go at installing the new floor to what will become the utility space.
04:21Utility area.
04:21The plan is to make that a makeshift kitchen because we do want to be in the mill as soon
04:26as possible, even though we will be camping in it.
04:32First of all, we need to remove the damaged floor.
04:35We can see visually, externally, that the floor isn't level.
04:38I'm going to try and remove the board from below.
04:40It's just easier because we can stand below, and then I'll knock the boards up.
04:45Wish me luck.
04:46Good luck.
04:52You all right, Dee?
04:54Yep. Ready.
05:05These floorboards are just gone. They're past redemption. The only thing they're good for is the fire.
05:12Yeah, we can't recycle.
05:16He's in his element down there doing this.
05:22I'll come up to him and get a couple of these long ones, eh?
05:25He's quite happy, yeah.
05:27Yeah, he likes demolition.
05:30Really long boards, aren't they?
05:38Fabulous view of the turbine down there.
05:40It's got a glass floor in it, if you want.
05:41I know, yeah.
05:47I was doing really well and I hadn't lost my hammer.
05:50Get to the last couple of boards, not only have I lost it, but it's gone in the water.
05:56Paul may be a tool down, but at least the wonky floor is up.
06:02Really good progress today.
06:04I think so.
06:05I managed to see that turbine for the first time in daylight, really.
06:09Proper light, yeah. Proper light.
06:10Proper light, yeah.
06:10But it has created a question on whether we put a bit of a glass floor in there.
06:17Kind of just seems sacrilege to cover it back over again.
06:21That's our homework for this evening, see if we can find any glass that would work.
06:25With their own cogs whirring, this massive renovation just keeps getting bigger.
06:37Tucked away in the scenic Auvergne region of central France, sits the elegant 20th century Chateau Chaumet.
06:50Boasting 39 rooms, spread over its four floors and a one and a half acre estate, it's home to craft
07:02designer Debbie and IT director Dave.
07:05Oh, that's a good brew, isn't it?
07:08Who bought the place in 2023 for just £174,000.
07:15Every time I really look at this building, I kind of have to pinch myself.
07:21Yeah, it is amazing, isn't it?
07:22It is amazing.
07:23In terms of the building itself and just the countryside and just the experience, it's more than what I dreamed
07:33of.
07:38Located a three-hour drive from Lyon, last time we saw them, Debbie and Dave were moving in.
07:47I cannot believe we're here. I can't believe today is the day.
07:51And there were a few surprises in store.
07:55The original owner was a doll maker and there's dolls everywhere.
08:01Oh my goodness.
08:01They weren't in the state of it.
08:03It's turned out that the roof has been damaged or has leaks.
08:07Yeah, it's been leaking for months and months.
08:10It's something we've not budgeted for.
08:12I felt like we got a slap because we discovered the roof issues.
08:17Yeah.
08:18And it kind of shocked me a little bit.
08:21Well, you go from this sort of romantic ideology and then all of a sudden you're like hit with reality.
08:27And then when we discovered all those dolls and things that we found, we sold them.
08:33Once we'd sold them, basically paid for the roof.
08:36So it was like the chateau was giving back to look after itself.
08:41Now the roof is repaired, they can finally get down to business, starting with the chateau's supersize outbuilding.
08:53This barn is going to be where we're going to run our craft and art workshop.
08:58So things like card making, pottery, sewing.
09:01But before we get to that point, there is so much stuff that needs emptying from paint cans.
09:07There's even a wind organ.
09:09Why would there be a wind organ in the barn?
09:13With so much to clear, they've called in a favour from friends Bob and Mark.
09:19There's everything including the kitchen sink in here.
09:29I feel like I'm the donkey pushing a cart.
09:35The barn is split into six sections.
09:38And the plan is to clear out the middle one for workshops.
09:42But first, they need to make storage space next door.
09:47We've come across a couple of hiccups.
09:49One of them is there is a metal staircase in there.
09:53But A, we can't lift it.
09:54And we've got our friend brought a sledgehammer to see if we can actually knock off the concrete that's at
10:00the bottom.
10:00The other problem that we have is we really don't know what we're doing.
10:03None of us do DIY.
10:06Dave, however, is rising to the challenge.
10:11I'm going to angle grind this now.
10:12And obviously, I'll count my fingers before I start and count them at the end and make sure that it's
10:17the same number.
10:34We've got three sides off, but we're going to try and just lift it and bend it off the block
10:39of stone.
10:40Because where it's joined, it's like quite rotten.
10:51Doors.
10:52We're done.
10:54Success.
10:54We've finally got it detached from the concrete block.
10:58All we have to do now is get it carried out of here.
11:01With their friends pitching in, Debbie and Dave can try to heave the 400-kilogram cast iron ladder.
11:12Ready?
11:13Go.
11:18Right.
11:19This is too heavy.
11:22With the ladder fighting back, Debbie and Dave's barn project is stuck on ground level.
11:32Coming up, Donna and Paul take a deep dive.
11:37Right.
11:38One magnet on a rope.
11:40We've caught something.
11:42While Debbie has her eyes on the prize.
11:46We are going to do so much in here.
11:49All straightforward stuff.
11:50I know, it's straightforward.
11:51And then we're ready to open.
11:53Marvellous.
11:54Next week.
12:02In the popular French département of the Dordogne stands the stunning Domaine de la Barde.
12:11With parts dating back to the 14th century, this former hotel comes with a swimming pool and accommodation for up
12:21to 24 guests.
12:25It's now home to Chef Tim, his wife Chris and their two sons, Owen and Ollie.
12:33Coming from the UK and having this is really, really, really, really special.
12:37We've moved into a really, really lovely community.
12:40We've bought a beautiful property with bags of potential and somewhere that we can create a fabulous family home.
12:47Our family has grown into four of us now.
12:51We've got Oliver who arrived last year.
12:53And yeah, life's never been better.
12:55In France, it's not a simplistic life, but it's a traditional life.
12:59And we're just lucky to have an opportunity to be amongst that.
13:05Located just 100 miles east of Bordeaux, the chateau was abandoned when Tim and Chris bought it in 2020.
13:14These should be our best rental suites.
13:19The couple have worked hard to bring it back to life as a stunning place to stay.
13:26One of their early jobs was to give the small reception a big personality.
13:33It looks really nice.
13:34I like the way the colour of the wood kind of stands out against the paintwork.
13:38It reminds me of a posh hotel.
13:41Mmm, that's exactly what it's going to be.
13:47Three years later, though, Chris has had a change of heart.
13:52At the moment, it's dark, it's gloomy, and it's just not my taste at all.
13:59Sorry.
13:59You painted it. You painted it.
14:03You chose the paint colour.
14:07No matter who's to blame, with Tim busy in the garden, Chris is grabbing the opportunity to make her mark.
14:16And she's starting at the top.
14:19Today, I'm going to be painting the beams and then we will be waxing it with my friend Jenny.
14:28Here we go, the first lick of paint on these beams.
14:36It's really dry, so it's just soaking the paint.
14:40It has to be white or cream colour, because that will be the base for the browning wax.
14:47So the browning wax is what's going to give me that light oak colour.
14:52I'm a bit giddy.
14:55I wanted to do this for quite a long time.
14:59Finally doing it.
15:02For Tim and Chris, bringing the chateau back to life is literally a labour of love.
15:1014 years ago, we were working in a ski chalet in the French Alps.
15:16He was doing the, you know, being a chef, cooking.
15:20I was part of the housekeeping team.
15:23So when we finished the season in the Alps, we were very much in love.
15:30And decided that we were going to be living together.
15:33And yeah, so that was the start of the chateau dream.
15:36So yeah, I'm really thankful that I met Tim.
15:39He's my constant source of energy, of happiness, but also a constant source of frustration.
15:46Which is normal.
15:49Determined to bring the beams back from the dark side, Chris paints on.
15:56And slowly but surely, stage one of her grand plan is complete.
16:07Only took me almost five hours.
16:12There we go.
16:14That's a good day project.
16:17Happy with that.
16:18Really happy.
16:21Chris still has no idea, though, whether the waxing treatment will give the beams the fresh, classic look she's hoping
16:30for.
16:39400 miles north in Brittany, Donna and Paul's plans for a glass floor have hit a glass ceiling.
16:48We are undecided yet whether we're going to make provision for a kind of glass panel.
16:52Yeah.
16:52We've got a few inquiries out as to how and when and the cost.
16:56They are also extortionately expensive.
16:59Yeah.
16:59But we'll walk around that, so we'll get the beams, we'll try and get some replacements, we'll try and get
17:04a level.
17:05And then we'll start putting the floor back together.
17:08Yep.
17:10The couple are keen to save as many as possible of the mill's original features.
17:16So we've just put the string line up, which is touching both ends of the beam, either end of the
17:20wall.
17:21And you can see in the middle, we've got a, you know, 15 millimetre, three quarters of an inch gap.
17:26So this beam, in all honesty, like the majority of them is kind of bored here.
17:32I was hoping to reuse these, but I think it's going to be quicker for me to take all the
17:36beams out.
17:37I do have joists next door. I need to check that I have enough of them.
17:43If there's ten of the joists, I've probably got enough. Can I throw you this tip?
17:50Oh, you are kidding me.
17:53It's a second tool gone into the drink.
17:56Get me another tape, hon. How did you not catch that?
17:59Bounce, bounce, bounce. Why can you not throw a string?
18:03My favourite tape as well.
18:06While Donna checks their supply of joists, Paul's found a new use for the old ones.
18:13Preventing both him and his tools getting into deep water.
18:19And now, Donna's going fishing.
18:22Right, I've got Paul's welding magnet.
18:28So I'm going to put a piece of string onto it and see if we can find a hammer and
18:34a tape measure.
18:39Right, one magnet and a rope.
18:43I might be able to rescue my hammer. I'm not sure about the tape.
18:48I've caught something.
18:52You got it?
18:53Yay!
18:56Back in action.
19:00Paul cracks on, fitting the new straight joists.
19:04They're a bit better fit than the last ones.
19:10We've got a floor. Or nearly a floor.
19:14Right.
19:15All it needs are a few supersized floorboards.
19:22These are monsters.
19:28Will we go through the doorway?
19:30Oh, good question.
19:31You don't think we'll get them in?
19:32Nope.
19:33Well, that's reason enough for trying, isn't it?
19:35LAUGHTER
19:44I don't believe you, honestly.
19:47What?
19:48Go.
19:51Push.
19:54I've got about two more inches to clear the corner.
19:57Oh.
19:58Right, I'm clear.
19:59Told you it would go in.
20:05My God.
20:09And we've got a sponge mallet dunk.
20:12That's not very nice.
20:13We've got a floor.
20:14Woo-hoo!
20:17Right.
20:18Go.
20:20Once the second board is also down...
20:25Right.
20:29Donna and Paul call it a day.
20:34We didn't expect her to have to do this amount of work,
20:37you know, all the joists and that, but I'm glad we did.
20:39It's a nice, flat surface now.
20:42I think particularly because we're putting large
20:45900mm ceramic tiles down,
20:47you don't want any flecks because then the grout lines start cracking.
20:51No, it's great.
20:51Yeah.
20:52Yeah, it's a big step.
20:54There's a lot of work ahead, though,
20:56and they can only hope there's no floor in their floor plan.
21:08Five hours south in the Auvergne,
21:11Debbie, Dave and their friends are digging deep
21:14to shift the heavy cast iron ladder.
21:17Watch everybody, sweets.
21:19Are you all right, Dave?
21:20Yeah, yeah.
21:28There we go.
21:30Obviously, it weighs more than we thought.
21:34With storage space finally made in the top barn,
21:38they set to work emptying the middle barn into it,
21:42including the hefty wind organ.
21:45All I need to do now is get a few sessions of roll out the barrel.
21:51It's been heavy going, but the progress is immense.
21:59Can't believe the space.
22:00The plan for this room is to turn it into art and craft retreats.
22:05We are going to do so much in here.
22:07Just need to whitewash the walls,
22:09put my chandeliers up.
22:10Yeah.
22:11Connect electricity box to electricity.
22:13It's all straightforward stuff.
22:14I know, it's straightforward.
22:15And then we're ready to open.
22:17Marvellous.
22:18Next week.
22:21The following morning,
22:23while Dave carries on with his day job,
22:26Debbie starts work on the chandeliers
22:28left by the previous owners.
22:31Now that I've taken a lot of the dust off,
22:35I'm going to use some soap and water
22:37and just give it a good clean.
22:42It looks amazing once I've given it a good wife.
22:45I think it's going to look very grand in a barn.
22:49Look at the shine on there.
22:51One down and six more to go.
22:56Dave and I are actually very different.
22:58We both believe in what we're doing with the chateau.
23:02However, I'm more creative.
23:04He's more down to earth.
23:05I met him when I was 18 years old at church.
23:10And we've been together 27 years.
23:13I think we work really well as a pair.
23:17OK, that is the last one.
23:21But how gorgeous does that look?
23:23I think it's going to look amazing when all the chandeliers are up in the barn.
23:30Lighting isn't the only way Debbie's hoping to add a sense of grandeur.
23:35I am looking at tiles.
23:37I'm looking at the design that is on the floor of the entrance of the chateau
23:41with the aim of tracing the design and making my own stencil
23:47to create a larger stencil that I'll be able to use to paint the design onto the barn floor.
23:56Using greaseproof paper, she begins tracing the tile design.
24:01I want to make the barn, the experience of the barn, an extension to the chateau.
24:08I'm happy with that.
24:09It's not perfect, but it was the starting point for what I need to do.
24:13This is stage one, and I've got about four more stages to go until I have a stencil.
24:18Debbie is throwing heart and soul into this project,
24:22but turning the barn into a chateau-esque workshop space is an enormous task.
24:33Still to come, Donna and Paul risk a double-glazed disaster.
24:39We've just tied off the staircase to this big joist,
24:45because once he releases it, it may fall and hit the window.
24:49While Debbie faces decorating on a chateau scale.
24:54I think I might have to ask Dave to buy bigger brushes.
24:57Yeah.
25:05In the Dordogne département of South-West France...
25:09Hello, Jenny!
25:11Thank you for coming.
25:13Welcome to La Barbe.
25:15Chris is on a mission to give the chateau's purple reception a fresh new look,
25:22and she's ready to put the next stage of her plan into action.
25:27We've got a really busy day today.
25:29I've got Jenny, my friend, who's going to show me how to wax the beams that I've already painted,
25:35and basically we're going to turn the beams into looking like a lighter oak,
25:40so much lighter than it used to be.
25:45All right, so this is our reception, and these are the beams.
25:52Ideally, do you want to get the colour as similar to the oak as possible?
25:56If we can get it similar to that colour, that'll be perfect.
26:00Yeah, we can do that. Let's get started.
26:02OK.
26:05They plan to cover the paint with a coloured furniture wax.
26:10I'll start this at end.
26:15Is it dab, dab, dab, or swish?
26:18Like you would, like, a make-up brush.
26:19Foundation, dab a little bit on, work it in.
26:23OK.
26:26Just don't put it on too thickly.
26:29You can always add more.
26:33Do you know how old these beams actually are?
26:35I'm not sure.
26:36I mean, the building is 1350-something, so 14th century.
26:42Could have been the original beams.
26:43And this is only going to prolong them longer.
26:46Yeah.
26:47Give them a bit of protection so they can last another hundred years.
26:50Oh, hopefully.
26:52No, you've done a great job.
26:53Oh, thank you.
26:56Thank you so much.
26:57Oh, well done.
26:58Looks great.
26:59Yeah, I love it.
27:01I'm really happy with that.
27:04With 30 rooms to decorate and redecorate, the chateau keeps both Chris and Tim busy all year round.
27:15There's always things to do.
27:17You know, we've deliberately and consciously bought a thing that is way bigger than your average home.
27:23But it's really just the best way that we can have a beautiful family in a beautiful family home.
27:30And to do that, we have to have a business that pays its own way.
27:34And this is what we do.
27:37We do realise that we are very fortunate to be in that position.
27:41Because I think a lot of people would love to do what we're doing.
27:47Back in the reception, the end is in sight for Chris's wax work.
27:52It looks fantastic.
27:54Amazing.
27:55Exactly what I want.
27:56And it ties in with the door, ties in with the cupboards.
28:00Just, yeah, it just makes it so much, so much beautiful.
28:07I'm a bit giddy.
28:08Giddy? Giddy?
28:11I'm a bit giddy.
28:12I'm really, really happy.
28:14Really, really pleased with myself.
28:16Thank you, Jenny.
28:20With the waxing a success, Chris is keen to forge ahead with the rest of her reception revamp.
28:29There's still a lot more to do in the reception.
28:32But, you know, I'm really fired up.
28:34I'm really looking forward to finishing it.
28:38And it all has to be done before the start of the season.
28:46180 miles away in central France, Debbie and Dave are transforming one of their barns into a crafting workshop with
28:56the help of friend, Bella.
28:58Um, I think what we need to do is we need to clear the leftover tools.
29:04The heavy stuff.
29:06Well, it's not very heavy, but you do need to move it into your own workshop room.
29:10Why have you got your tools here?
29:12This is the entrance into the workshop space.
29:14I shall start moving my stuff.
29:17With Dave given his packing orders, Bella and Debbie start prepping the walls for painting.
29:25This is being glued by the looks of it.
29:30Oh, because you took, because the sides come off as well.
29:32Oh, my God.
29:33What's that?
29:34It's a bat.
29:35Oh, wow.
29:37Not keen on bats, no.
29:40It's furry, it's black, it's hanging upside down in its ears twitch.
29:44In France, as in the UK, bats are an endangered species, so it's forbidden to disturb them, meaning Bella and
29:53Debbie are forced to call it a day.
29:56I think we should just leave it and it will find its way out.
30:00Yeah.
30:00And then when we come here in the morning, it would have gone.
30:07The following morning, Bella can breathe a sigh of relief.
30:13I'm very happy because the bat has disappeared.
30:16He's flapped his bat wings and he's gone somewhere and made a home somewhere else where he's going to be
30:22much more happy than where we're making all this noise.
30:25So, yeah, he's happily somewhere else.
30:29Now the barn is a bat-free zone, they can get ready to whitewash.
30:35Bella.
30:36That's fine.
30:37OK.
30:38Ready?
30:38Go on, then.
30:40Yeah, keep going.
30:42Oh, you'll have to, because I can't see.
30:43Keep going, I can see.
30:46Ugh.
30:46Right, stop, you're getting it all over me.
30:49OK.
30:51They've decided to use brushes instead of rollers to get into all the nooks and crannies.
30:57We haven't got any bigger brushes?
30:59Nope.
31:05It already looks nice and fresh.
31:08It's kind of satisfying, covering in the holes.
31:12Yeah.
31:12I think I might have to ask Dave to buy bigger brushes.
31:15Yeah.
31:16I think you might have to.
31:19Eventually, the first wall is fully whitewashed.
31:24I know there's a long way to go, but when you look at it, it's just kind of exciting.
31:31And I just need to get this finished.
31:34Yes.
31:34Like yesterday.
31:35I know.
31:37Debbie may be desperate to get her business up and running, but with the rest of the barn to decorate,
31:43and big plans for the outside, there's a lot of work ahead.
31:54Five hours north, in Brittany, Donna and Paul are busy transforming a space above their old watermill turbine into a
32:03makeshift kitchen and future utility room.
32:07I think we did well yesterday.
32:09We managed to get, obviously, a lot of the joists out and replaced.
32:11We managed to squeeze two of the largest flooring boards ever into the space and get that done, but now
32:17we need to cut them to size.
32:18So we'll do that, and then we'll reposition the staircase, because it's a little squint.
32:22Now the joists are level, it looks even worse, doesn't it?
32:26Their first task is ensuring the new floorboards fit.
32:37That's better.
32:40That's it.
32:42So that's it sat on both joists now.
32:44Yeah, so I'm not actually going to fix these boards in place until we get a decision on whether we're
32:49going to put the glass panels in.
32:54Feels pretty solid.
32:56Next, they can tackle the wonky original stairs leading down to the mill machinery.
33:04We've just tied off the staircase to this big joist, because once he releases it, it may fall and hit
33:13the window.
33:13Yeah.
33:15A bit more.
33:16Yeah.
33:18It's, of course, they're, like, twisted, aren't they?
33:20Yeah, they are.
33:22Right, let's see how that levels up when they're fixed.
33:25They're not level, they're down at the right.
33:29You're getting there.
33:30Yeah.
33:36Hopefully she'll tell me that they're level.
33:44Yeah, that looks good.
33:46God, even the impossible happens today.
33:52Right, get some screws in it before she changes her mind.
34:07That looks much better.
34:09Looks nice and tidy.
34:13We want to keep the access down.
34:17The long-term plan is to maybe make kind of a wine cellar in there as well.
34:22So, if I go missing, you know, I'll be down there with...
34:26I'll just take a glass with me.
34:28Do you want to try the new staircase?
34:30That's all right. You stood on it, so it's fine.
34:34Now, Paul can fix the final floorboards into place.
34:39So, the intention is that this board will slide closer to the window.
34:42So, we just need to take a square out of this flooring so it then slots in.
34:54That's a nice tight fit.
35:01Last piece done!
35:03Yay! It's huge!
35:05Do you think it's a big enough utility room, sweetheart?
35:08Most people don't have a kitchen this size.
35:10I know!
35:11I can't get over how big it looks now.
35:14So, I think all we've got left to do here is to decide whether we put the two glass panels
35:19in.
35:20And also the hatch.
35:22Looks good?
35:24Looks very good.
35:25I can actually see a utility forming.
35:29But with so much work ahead, Donna and Paul won't be doing a weekly wash just yet.
35:40Still to come.
35:42It looks kind of small.
35:44Debbie makes an unwanted discovery.
35:47It doesn't look as nice as I thought.
35:49Hello!
35:50Hey, Chris! Hi!
35:52And it's the moment of truth for Chris.
35:56So excited to see this.
35:58Let's have a look.
35:59Here we are!
36:09In central France, at Chateau Chaumet, Debbie and Dave are on a research mission for their new workshop business.
36:19We need to figure out what's underneath the grass in front of the barn.
36:24Yes.
36:25We want to create a lovely outdoor seating area.
36:27And it would be much easier if underneath all the grass that there is, there'll be some kind of cement
36:34or gravel.
36:35It'll make it easier to create that lovely seating area.
36:38It will.
36:40In the Chateau Library, they've discovered a collection of photos documenting the property's history.
36:48We're intrigued to see what is sort of in the grounds as it was.
36:53And that's the bit I'm excited about.
36:55Because it shows that outside the barn is not grass.
36:58Exactly. Which is very exciting.
37:00And then the other picture that we found doesn't have grass.
37:04This is where I want to put the seating area, just here.
37:07So the next steps, I think, is to get outside and just have a dig around in this little area.
37:17Along with friend Bella, they head outside to suss out the lay of the land.
37:24Oh, wow.
37:25Oh, wow.
37:26Oh, my goodness.
37:27That means it has to be cement.
37:29Potentially, that's cement.
37:30Yeah.
37:31Oh, wow.
37:32Potentially.
37:33Oh, it's just piles and piles of rocks.
37:34Rubble.
37:35Yeah.
37:36Oh, it's not cement.
37:40It's stones.
37:41That looks like...
37:42Lumps of granite.
37:44Granite.
37:44From the Chateau.
37:50It is actually sort of like a bed of rocks, but if you just take away the topsoil,
37:57there is, like, a layer there, so I've slightly changed the tack
38:01and just scraping off the topsoil to leave this, what looks like a granite bed.
38:08It's coming up quite easily, to be honest.
38:15Right, let's see what it's like underneath.
38:19It's almost like cobbles.
38:22That's really pretty.
38:24Looks really good.
38:25It looks really good.
38:26You might not need to put gravel on there.
38:28It will save money.
38:29Yeah.
38:30Well, it will save money, but, I mean, it'll look really nice and...
38:33Yeah.
38:33It'll look really good.
38:34Rustic.
38:35Rustic, I think the word is.
38:36Rustic.
38:38Hoping they've uncovered a hidden gem from the Chateau's past, the trio plough on.
38:46Carefully moving the daffodils along the edge of the future patio.
38:52We're going to take them out gently and replant them somewhere else.
38:58Once the area's clear, Debbie can size up her grand design.
39:06Well, it looks kind of small.
39:08Yeah, well, we can expand it.
39:10Well, I think we should expand it out a little bit.
39:13Yeah.
39:13Put some water on, yeah, and then give it a scrub and see if it actually comes up and looks
39:19half decent.
39:23You can see the colour of the stone coming up.
39:25Yes, you can see the granite, but it's whether it's passable.
39:31I think it'll look nice.
39:35It doesn't look as nice as I thought.
39:38It might look great once it's dried.
39:41We're not too sure if it's going to give the look that we want.
39:45No.
39:45But we need to at least give it a chance because what's really lovely is that we've discovered something for
39:51the first time of the Chateau.
39:53Yeah, it's history.
39:55It's history because we have bought this property and really nobody knows anything about it.
40:00It is exciting.
40:03It's been a semi-successful day, but there's still a lot to do outside and in before Debbie and Dave
40:11can get this fledgling workshop business off the ground.
40:21Three hours southwest at Domaine de la Barbe, with Tim busy in the Chateau grounds, Chris is flying solo with
40:31her reception revamp.
40:33There's a really big wall in the reception that's been painted kind of purpley pink.
40:40I just want to bring a lot of lightness into that room, so I have lightened the color of the
40:46beams and it's now time to paint a light color on the wall.
40:55So yeah, it is a huge change in color, but it's picking up the whiteness from the door and also
41:05from the beams.
41:06So I'm very pleased with that. I'm really, really happy with that color.
41:13Mmm, I think it's better to make it a bit lighter.
41:17Take the personality away. It's got too much personality.
41:24Happy the new color works, Chris decides to roll with it.
41:31That looks so much better. I think that's a better color choice, really.
41:37I mean, lots of personality, but this is very pleasing to the eye.
41:44Later, with the painting complete, Chris can add some personal touches.
41:50I've got these two pictures. I've already put pictures on the wall, but these two are very important to me.
41:57So this is the map of manors, chateaus, very important homes in our valley.
42:03And we are mentioned here in Lubud.
42:07And this one, it was a poster of the property hosting classic cars.
42:15So I'm really, really happy with this one, because the house is here, just on the background.
42:20I like it, because it's the story of its past, really.
42:25Left behind after the hotel was abandoned, the old pictures have now been given a new life.
42:33Yeah, there you go.
42:35In a completely revamped room.
42:38Yes.
42:42Three years ago, Tim and Chris gave their reception a bold makeover,
42:50but grew tired of the heavy beams and statement color.
42:57Now, it's been transformed again into a light, bright space.
43:04The neutral paintwork reflects the shining chandelier,
43:09and the light oak beams complement the rest of the woodwork.
43:15With the chateau's unique history showcased on the walls,
43:21Chris has created a reception that really does say welcome.
43:28And its first visitor is Jenny.
43:32Hello!
43:33Hey, Chris!
43:35How are you doing?
43:36How are you?
43:37Oh, it's been wet.
43:39I'm so excited to see this.
43:41It's a really good change.
43:44Yeah?
43:44Let's have a look.
43:46Here we are!
43:49Oh, wow, Chris!
43:52It looks so much lighter, isn't it?
43:54Much more welcoming.
43:55What a job!
43:56You've achieved so much.
43:58I really love the beams.
44:00Do you know, when I came in before, it just looked like it was a little bit cramped,
44:04and a little bit like it needed brightening up, and I think you've definitely achieved this.
44:09Yeah, thank you so much for your help.
44:11Oh, I'm so glad that we could have done it.
44:11I would have never really started if you didn't help me with it, so thank you so much.
44:16It might just be one small room, but for Chris, it's an enormous achievement.
44:23I felt really happy.
44:25It's a huge pat on my back, because I don't really get the chance to do a lot of projects
44:31in the house,
44:32because I've been really busy with the kids and managing the business.
44:36I feel very proud to show it to people, to all our guests that are going to be staying with
44:41us this summer.
44:41And it's done just in time, as this year's holiday season is about to begin.
44:55Next time, Donna and Paul's problems get even bigger.
45:00We could be here forever just putting one unit together.
45:03One couple tackle an ambitious new project.
45:06Did I mention I'm terrible at DIY?
45:08Which is why you are putting little toy houses together whilst I do the complex painting jobs.
45:15And this Chateau pair tackle a crumbling restoration job.
45:20It doesn't look very healthy, does it?
45:22I think it's pretty darn rotten.
45:42I think it's pretty darn good.
45:44It's pretty darnственald.
45:48It's a weird road to the school.
45:49Do what I do for the school?
45:50I don't think it's my first time.
45:50Oh, I'm sick.
45:52But it is definitely a boy.
45:52I'm not sick but I'm sick but I'm sick.
45:53I think that's going to have a dream of a dream tomorrow.
45:53That's a dream of a dream remotely.
45:53But I'm happy to be a dream.
45:55I think that's a dream.
Comments