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00:00Across France, there are thousands of spectacular chateaux.
00:07Many are neglected and run down.
00:11Up and over.
00:13Now, they're being revived by intrepid owners.
00:19It's all a bit Wild West, in my opinion.
00:22Perfect is the goal.
00:24Who are taking huge risks.
00:27That's not very strong.
00:28To restore these precious buildings.
00:33Creating beautiful homes.
00:36Oh.
00:37Incredible.
00:39And businesses.
00:41Look at this, belly rubs.
00:44There'll be triumphs.
00:46We're in.
00:47We're in.
00:48And tribulations.
00:50This is the bit I was worried about.
00:53But despite the challenges.
00:55It's not sticking.
00:56It's not sticking.
00:58Those who have made the leap.
01:00I'm liking the look of this.
01:03Get to live the dream.
01:04First place.
01:05Thank you very much again.
01:06Thank you very much.
01:07As custodians.
01:09Congratulations.
01:10Of their very own magnificent castle.
01:15Today.
01:17Oh, gosh.
01:20Wedding preparations come unstuck.
01:23Oh.
01:24It was going well up until this point.
01:26A spa renovation takes an unusual turn.
01:29Should really use a welding torch on it.
01:32But I haven't got one at the moment.
01:33So we've got to improvise kitchen utensils.
01:36And it's one step forward, two steps backwards for this pair.
01:40I think the pieces of wood are the wrong way around.
01:43We should have mucked up the boards more effectively.
01:52Perched on the banks of the River Lotte in southwest France is the remarkable 15th century Chateau de Céserac.
02:04Built on medieval foundations, it boasts several bedrooms, a unique 1,000-year-old tower, and a Roman-inspired swimming
02:17pool.
02:19After being destroyed by fire, it had lain derelict for 15 years, before entrepreneurs John and Carmen snapped it up
02:29for 175,000 pounds.
02:32In 2022, and began transforming it into a boutique hotel.
02:40I think we're a great team.
02:41What you don't do, I do, and vice versa.
02:44And it just works.
02:45We do it to as high a standard as we can.
02:48It is the last home we're going to ever do.
02:50So we want to do it properly, and we want guests to experience something very, very special.
02:58Located just a two-hour drive from Bordeaux,
03:02last time we saw them, the couple were preparing the Chateau Grounds for their own upcoming wedding.
03:09High five.
03:11I'm going to glide down that aisle now, John.
03:13Glide.
03:14Glide, like swans on the water.
03:16With a new path built and a fountain relocated,
03:20they can now turn their attention to the area where they'll take their vows.
03:25Yeah, we're going to put a patio in.
03:27It's about three metres wide.
03:28So that's going to be fun.
03:30It is.
03:36The couple are hoping to lay their new circular patio at the end of the wedding path.
03:43We want to be 150.
03:48Squirt that there.
03:51Did you do it from that very corner?
03:52Yeah.
03:54But it's not quite measuring up.
03:57That can't be the centre.
03:59You're never going to fit that in there.
04:00I'm sorry.
04:01If that's the centre of that circle, no way.
04:04It doesn't look right.
04:10I'll just show you what I'm thinking.
04:14If this goes here, right, that will go there.
04:18That patio looks too big to fit in these lines.
04:21If we look at this, from the centre here to the edge,
04:25it's exactly 1.5 metres.
04:28So from the centre of here to here is 1.5 metres.
04:35But I don't know if I want that.
04:37Where do you want it?
04:38Further back.
04:40It'll look odd.
04:41Surely.
04:42Well, however far back it goes, it will cut into the path this way.
04:45From a width point of view, it will only come out to just beyond it.
04:49Oh, wow.
04:50This doesn't come out far.
04:51No.
04:52It's only 3 metres.
04:53Hmm.
04:54OK, then.
04:55The path is 2.2 metres.
04:56Spot on.
04:58With Carmen still unsure of the end results,
05:01the pair plough on by laying gravel and trying out the slabs in place.
05:08Oh, nice fit.
05:09Feel free to help me, John.
05:11I'm really good at watching.
05:12I know.
05:13I'll help you.
05:14Especially when there's manual work involved.
05:17He's an office boy.
05:18The word keyboard warrior has been used before.
05:22I'm a doer.
05:24Carmen and I are very similar in that we're very, very meticulous about what we do and how we do
05:28it.
05:28There's a spare one there, John, if we need to change any.
05:31The gap's too big here.
05:33John is a perfectionist.
05:35It'll be millimetre perfect, believe me.
05:38There's no point rushing it.
05:39As much as there's always a pressure to try and rush things.
05:42This line here should hit the centre of that.
05:47They all actually should go over a little bit.
05:51If we put this one more in the middle.
05:54In the middle there, yeah.
05:56Yeah, that's it.
05:56And then, like, does that one line up, though, John?
05:59Is that straight in the middle?
05:59That's my first choice, really.
06:02Let's get to take measure and just measure that out.
06:04Oh, gosh!
06:05So, 115, so the centre is there.
06:09OK, well, so...
06:10That's the centre line there.
06:11OK, we'll move that so that the join is in the centre line.
06:16John and Carmen want every last detail to be perfect for their big day.
06:23But with a pergola still to build
06:26and the 24-metre path to lay with gravel,
06:30they need to pick up the pace.
06:39Nestled near the Normandy coast in northern France
06:43is the elegant 19th-century Château Trois-Cloches,
06:48meaning Three Belles.
06:52Set in several acres,
06:54this impressive property boasts 20 rooms,
07:00a magnificent bell tower
07:02and stunning orangerie.
07:06The lucky owners are celebrity assistant Chris
07:09and husband Jolian,
07:11a civil servant who have thrown themselves
07:14into a hands-on renovation.
07:17We've achieved an awful lot.
07:19Yeah, it's not until you kind of stop and sit down
07:21and you realise how much you've actually done.
07:23You have to kind of give yourself a pat on the back now and again.
07:25It does work really well.
07:26We both lean into our strengths.
07:28I take a real pleasure from doing joinery
07:30and Chris is really very good at the aesthetic
07:34and creating a vision.
07:35Quite often he will come up with some ambitious plan
07:38and I quite enjoy then working out how I'm going to solve the problem.
07:46Located a short drive from the coastal town of Le Havre,
07:51Chris and Jolian bought the Château in 2022
07:54for £520,000
07:57and run it as an events venue.
08:02In the three years they've owned the property,
08:05Chris and Jolian have been honing their DIY skills.
08:08I don't think you've got the right ones.
08:11So far they've transformed six of their eight guest bedrooms
08:16and revamped their Grand Salon
08:19into an inviting and luxurious space for entertaining.
08:25This year they've got a final bedroom project to tackle,
08:29a two-room family suite with a twist.
08:34We've got quite ambitious plans.
08:36The latest kind of challenge for Jolian is their bookcase door.
08:41The key thing for me is I don't want to notice a door.
08:44And we've already done a secret door on your injury, which is amazing.
08:47This is like the next level, so that's the challenge.
08:50And I think you're up for it, aren't you?
08:52Yeah, I'm up for the challenge.
08:56Before work can start on their hidden door,
08:59the pair need to finish insulating the walls in the larger bedroom.
09:07There we go.
09:08That's very easy.
09:13It's very satisfying, isn't it,
09:15knowing you're improving the building and the wall.
09:18It really makes a big difference as well to the temperature.
09:21Yeah, it's like wrapping it up.
09:26With the bedroom space comprising three drafty external walls,
09:31filling every gap is crucial.
09:36We are saving the planet one strip of insulation at a time.
09:48We've got the mineral wool in,
09:49and now it's just a case of putting the plasterboard on.
09:54There we go.
10:02Since the last time we plasterboarded a room,
10:04I think our skills have come on probably about 50%.
10:08So I feel like we're better, quicker.
10:09We're definitely quicker.
10:11Are we good?
10:12But the final board is testing their skills.
10:16Probably too thick for this wall, really, isn't it?
10:19Is that OK?
10:21Keep the pressure on.
10:23I'm just a dead weight.
10:24You're a very useful dead weight.
10:26It's always the last one that's the most awkward.
10:29I mean, that's partly because we left it.
10:31That's for that reason.
10:32We always save the hardest to last.
10:39We have a wall again.
10:40Yay!
10:42Yes!
10:44With the bedroom better shielded from the unpredictable French weather,
10:49the pair are one step closer to completing these last two rooms.
10:55But with all the decoration and the secret doorway still to tackle,
11:00there's a lot of work ahead.
11:07Coming up, a much-needed spa makeover...
11:11The sensory experience I'm getting at the moment is cleaning slime.
11:15Lovely.
11:16..and wedding worries.
11:18I better not fall off this ladder and break my leg,
11:20because I can't walk down that long aisle with a broken leg.
11:29Amongst the world-famous vineyards of the Loire Valley,
11:33in Western France,
11:35lies the elegant, 19th-century Château La Grande Maison.
11:43This magnificent property
11:45is set within three acres of secluded woodland
11:49and boasts 45 rooms.
11:53Once home to a renowned French botanist
11:57who built its remarkable ballroom and orangerie.
12:04Since 2011, it's been lovingly brought back to life
12:08by professional musicians Ben and Billy
12:11and their daughter Ella.
12:14It's impossible to estimate how long it's going to take
12:17to restore a château.
12:18Our skills have had to improve massively since we've come here.
12:21Everything is on another level.
12:24Luckily, the love is still there,
12:26because if you didn't love the place, you wouldn't do it.
12:35Located 100 miles south of Le Mans,
12:39last time we saw them...
12:40Ben and Billy transformed the château's overgrown riverbank
12:49into a tranquil waterside retreat.
12:54Oh, this is paradise!
12:56I couldn't be more delighted.
12:58I love it.
12:59I feel really reconnected to this part of the land.
13:03It's just heaven.
13:04As part of their evolving vision for the place,
13:07today the pair are turning the Orangerie
13:10into another serene new space.
13:14The Orangerie is what we use for events.
13:17It's such a beautiful, incredible building to have,
13:20but we want to kind of define what it's used for
13:23in between events.
13:24We want to turn the space into, like, a wellbeing space.
13:28So you'll walk in and it'll be a place to relax,
13:32a place to read, a place to eat healthy food,
13:34listen to the fountain, and just be.
13:37Our intention is to get it ready for the summer season
13:40before all the guests come, so it's another new feature.
13:47Do it with a bit of oil on it, couldn't it?
13:48Oh, yeah.
13:50It's like ours, it's a bit creaky in the joints, isn't it?
13:53First up, restoring comfort to an antique daybed.
13:57This piece here is slightly bent.
14:00We need to heat it sort of there,
14:03and then just sort of bend it just that way.
14:07It's high risk, though, Ben.
14:08If you push it too far and it snaps,
14:10we're going to have a three-legged bed.
14:11True, it's not ideal.
14:13Do you know where the creme brulee blowtorch is?
14:16Yeah.
14:17Should really use a welding torch on it,
14:19but I haven't got one at the moment.
14:20So we've got to improvise with kitchen utensils.
14:24Hoping it's a sweet solution for the wonky bed leg?
14:28Maybe a little bit down.
14:30It's time to see if the torch is up to the task.
14:35OK.
14:35OK.
14:40Oh, gosh.
14:42Whoa.
14:44Oh, yes, OK.
14:45I think don't do it anymore.
14:47I'm happy with that.
14:48That worked quite well.
14:49It's just got a slight charm about the leg now,
14:53instead of a total bend.
14:58Daybed levelled,
14:59attention turns to reviving their neglected water feature.
15:04The sensory experience I'm getting at the moment
15:07is cleaning slime.
15:09Lovely.
15:12Before Billy heads outside in search of some lush foliage.
15:17With the focus on wellbeing,
15:19it'd be nice to bring nature right into the orangery.
15:22So I'm going to dig some canna plants out of the garden here.
15:26They should come up in these big sort of tropical leaves for the summer.
15:30So it will feel quite jungly and exotic in there.
15:37There you go.
15:38Right.
15:38I think that's plenty for one pot.
15:42Right.
15:44These look like just little harmless plants,
15:48but they're going to be big drama queens when they come out fully.
15:53The orangery was only built to house the exotic species that the botanist had.
15:58So we've got to keep the spirit of the orangery alive.
16:01The first steps to reimagine the orangery as a peaceful wellbeing space are taking shape.
16:10But with a busy summer on the horizon,
16:13there's no time for relaxing just yet.
16:25Over in south-west France,
16:27John and Carmen are preparing the Chateau Grounds for their own upcoming wedding.
16:33With the patio now finished,
16:36their next task is to build the pergola under which they'll take their vows.
16:41Do you like my hat, John?
16:43Oh, very nice.
16:43It's my wedding hat.
16:44Can you just hold this, Carmen?
16:45Yeah.
16:46Come and make yourself useful.
16:48Got it?
16:49Yeah.
16:52The ornate metal pergola has come in many pieces.
16:56There you go.
16:57Bit of a challenge.
16:58But, you know, that's the fun and games, isn't it, this stuff?
17:00I'm sure we'll work it out.
17:02Yeah.
17:02It doesn't quite reach, but...
17:04There we go.
17:04How's that?
17:05You can come over and give me a kiss if you like.
17:07Oh, yeah.
17:09Charming.
17:10Right.
17:10Shall we put the top on?
17:13Hold on.
17:13Just let me climb up the steps.
17:15Whoa.
17:17You got it?
17:17Yeah.
17:21Oh, that's heavy.
17:24I better not fall off this ladder and break my leg,
17:26because I can't walk down that long aisle with a broken leg.
17:30Nice one.
17:31Oh, it's not in yet.
17:32Can you just keep it still rather than...
17:34All right.
17:35Well, I've got to...
17:38Oh, gosh!
17:40That's damn heavy.
17:45It's just not lined up properly.
17:47No.
17:47Wait a minute.
17:48I'm pushing it really hard to try and get it lined up.
17:51This is not working, is it?
17:52I can't let go this side.
17:53That's the problem.
17:57Every time you pull it, it comes out of mine.
17:59But I can't...
18:00This end...
18:02I need to support.
18:03All right, you put yours in and I'll get mine in last.
18:05No, hold on a minute.
18:06How old are you going to keep pulling it out?
18:08I've got to go this...
18:09You get yours in and then I'll get mine in at the end.
18:12Right, don't move anything.
18:12I'm going to let go.
18:15The pergola is proving trickier than anticipated.
18:19Oh!
18:20It was going well up until this point.
18:23And with the whole 24-metre path still to gravel...
18:27Lift it back up again.
18:28This fairytale wedding...
18:32You all right?
18:33...is still far, far away.
18:43Back in Normandy, with both rooms plasterboarded in their new family guest suite, Chris and
18:50Julian are hoping to add a little magic.
18:54So, when I was a kid, I always used to love Narnia and the whole, like, witch and wardrobe
18:58and the secret door going through to the other world.
19:00So, I thought, as this is a kid's bedroom, it would be really nice and fun to have, like,
19:04a secret door.
19:05You don't own a chateau without wanting to have a bit of fun with it.
19:08So, it's a bit of a challenge as well, but I think we'll get there.
19:15Last week, we created the outside of the door frame, so we kind of had an idea of what size
19:19the bookcase was going to be itself.
19:23We've got more space in the orangery, so I've made all of the bits of wood, cut them to size
19:28down there, and now it's just a case of assembling it and then hoping that it fits in the hole
19:33that we've made.
19:34But it's definitely going to be quite tight.
19:36So, I have faith.
19:38Mmm.
19:39I don't know if that's justified.
19:47Their first task is to remember what goes where.
19:53What are these?
19:54I'm getting in a mud on that.
19:56Oh, those are the shells.
19:59I wish I'd marked the map of it better.
20:03While Jolyon's been making this, I've had done a rather more fun job of actually going
20:07and finding old books, so we found some at the local tip.
20:10And a old charity bookshop in Bloomsbury.
20:14It's really old, nice, kind of worn books with, like, leather bound.
20:18Some have got beautiful embossing on the front of them, so it would be quite nice to showcase them.
20:22Where's the wood glue gone?
20:25I hope we've got enough.
20:33Right.
20:34Let's do this.
20:35How can I be your, like, joinery assistant?
20:37What can I do?
20:38If you can just, um, pop the pieces together.
20:41Yeah.
20:41It's going to be a bit tricky because the wood's got some warp in it, so, um, we'll have to
20:46put it semi in place and then clamp it before we start nailing it together.
20:51A little bit.
20:53Jeez.
20:53Yeah.
20:54How are you doing it if the clamp's too small?
20:58Um, you've just got to be creative.
21:00Uh, we're short on long clamps, so we're having to hook one to the other.
21:03Because we really need four clamps in total, two on each end.
21:08There we go.
21:09Yeah, that's cool.
21:10Yeah?
21:13There we go.
21:14Now, there's just the other end to tackle.
21:17I think the pieces of wood are the wrong way round.
21:19We should have mucked up the boards more effectively.
21:23Swear.
21:25Right.
21:26Undo them all.
21:29It's one step forward, two steps back, and they're running short of supplies.
21:36So, I was having to cut the top off the glue, because we're literally scraping the barrel.
21:39We've got hardly anything left, but I think it's important to use it.
21:43With the last of the glue applied, the pair will have to hope it's enough to secure the boards,
21:49as they reposition the clamps onto the frame.
21:52We haven't got anything long enough to do the ends.
21:55They also need to increase the pressure on the warped wood.
22:00And what about the ratchet strap for the car that we've got?
22:03Ah, genius idea.
22:04Yeah, that's much better.
22:10Yeah, it should be all right.
22:17There we go.
22:19Ah, that'll do.
22:20You never say that.
22:22Right, we've got it braced up and clamped up and everything.
22:24Now we just need to get some screws in it to hold it all together whilst the glue dries.
22:33There we go.
22:36It's an innovative fix, but the pair will need to wait and see if the previously wonky bookshelf casing manages
22:45to hold its new shape.
22:52Still to come, contrasting approaches.
22:56He's so exact about it.
22:59Oh, I just go, oh, that looks about right.
23:01And it's make or break for Chris and Julian.
23:05If I get this wrong, well, I don't really know how I fix it.
23:16Down in south-west France.
23:21Yes!
23:24Preparations are underway for John and Carmen's big day.
23:28With the wedding pergola finally assembled, they're turning their attention back to the path.
23:36Just in time.
23:38So today you're going to be bringing the calcare in.
23:41Whoa!
23:42And I'm going to be doing all the hard work as usual.
23:45Raking all the calcare.
23:52The 65 tonnes of limestone need to be evenly spread.
23:56I always get the manual jobs, the hard jobs.
24:00But I like it.
24:01It keeps me fit.
24:04After all, I've got a wedding dress to get into very soon.
24:07And once the last load has been delivered...
24:10Bit more, bit more.
24:12John has to slip away to deal with an unwanted guest in the pool area.
24:20Right, where are you, Freddie?
24:23Where are you?
24:27We've got a visitor here now.
24:28Thought we got rid of all the frogs when we cleaned out the pool originally.
24:31But one's come back.
24:33We call him Freddie the Frog.
24:34And he's in there somewhere around here.
24:37He hides really, really well.
24:40How weird.
24:44There we go.
24:45Found him.
24:46He's hiding in the corner.
24:49Here he is.
24:51See?
24:54Ah, see, I can't quite get him.
24:58I mean, how do they live in this sort of water?
25:00I just don't get it.
25:01I really don't.
25:03Right, let's box him off into a corner.
25:08Got him!
25:14We're saving him.
25:16I'm saving him.
25:17I'm saving him.
25:17Salt water's not good for him.
25:18It damages skin, so he needs to go.
25:21Anyway, he's safe now.
25:22Which is good news.
25:27With the intruder dealt with...
25:30That's looking good.
25:31John can now return to the task at hand.
25:34I've no idea what she's going to look like,
25:36because she hasn't shared with me what the dress is like,
25:38so...
25:39I know it's white.
25:40Ivory, darling.
25:42You see?
25:42This is...
25:43It'll be exciting.
25:44It'll match the cowl care, that's for sure.
25:46You better look good,
25:47because I've gone to a lot of effort on this wedding.
25:50I always look good.
25:51I always look good.
25:52I want you to look the business.
25:53I'm always looking the business.
25:58You need some sparkly shoes to be walking down this special aisle.
26:01What colour?
26:02Gold.
26:03Gold sparkly shoes?
26:04OK, it's a deal.
26:05Especially for the wedding.
26:06It's a deal.
26:06OK.
26:07I'll get some.
26:09The wedding aisle is taking shape.
26:13But with plenty more tasks to tick off their list...
26:17How are we looking?
26:18Shoe shopping will have to take a back seat for now.
26:32430 miles north in Normandy,
26:35it's the moment of truth for Chris and Jolyon,
26:39as they see if their twisted, secret door frame
26:42has been pulled into shape.
26:45So now we're just going to take the straps off,
26:47but that piece of wood was quite warped,
26:49so I'm hoping it's going to still hold together.
26:53I can never work out how to do these things.
26:55There we go.
26:58It seems to be holding, yeah.
27:00So it looks like it's worked.
27:02That one's going to be the real test, though.
27:04That was so warped.
27:07This one's holding, it's good.
27:10It looks like the ratchet has come to the rescue.
27:14Next, Jolyon needs to carefully align
27:17and secure the backboard to the frame.
27:23Is that my son?
27:24Oh, yeah, I might have actually made it to the shape,
27:28so maybe it only fits one way.
27:40It's pretty good, actually.
27:43I sound surprised.
27:46I'm not that interested in power tools.
27:48Give me a paintbrush any day.
27:55You can both lift it that side.
27:57You can probably take that clamp off.
28:00This is the moment of truth.
28:08All nails in exactly the right place.
28:10Well done.
28:11I wouldn't have done that.
28:12We've almost got a bookcase.
28:15It's very exciting.
28:15It's really coming together.
28:18So what's next?
28:20Well, it's all going to hinge on the next stage.
28:23The heavy, book-filled shelves
28:25will need special fixings to work as a door.
28:29Lift it.
28:30Can't use normal hinges on it,
28:32so I've got this fancy little hinge mechanism here
28:34which has a ball bearing in it.
28:36And once that's on top, it can hold a huge amount of weight.
28:42You got it?
28:44The hinge has to be fitted at a precise angle to open smoothly.
28:49This is quite a nerve-wracking moment
28:51because if I get this wrong,
28:53well, I don't really know how I fix it.
28:57So I can only really do this once.
28:59So I hope all of my calculations are right.
29:04All right, here goes.
29:12That's very close to the edge, isn't it?
29:15I just worry it's going to split the wood there.
29:17Yeah.
29:18I'm just nervous it's not in the right place,
29:19but do you feel quite adamant?
29:21I'm fairly confident.
29:24I can't cross my fingers.
29:28All right, here goes. Nothing.
29:35Is that fitting?
29:38Beautiful.
29:39All right, shall we try?
29:41All right.
29:45Watch your fingers.
29:47Ah, I think it's on.
29:49It's too high.
29:51It's not down yet.
29:52No, it's stuck at the top.
29:56It's too tall.
30:01There was enough clearance.
30:03I think we do it without my plate.
30:07The packing block I put in has lifted it too high,
30:10so I can't quite get the bookshelf on top of it at the moment
30:13because of how much the hinge sticks up.
30:17They will have to fix the hinge directly into the floor
30:21to see if that solves the issue.
30:24I've got it if you want me to.
30:26I think you might.
30:26It's quite heavy.
30:29My foot.
30:31Is it the actual thing that's catching now?
30:34It's still looking like a tight squeeze.
30:38It's caught.
30:39But with some careful manoeuvring...
30:43Is that in?
30:44It's done something.
30:45Yeah, I think it's in.
30:50Ready?
30:51The bookcase finally pivots into place.
30:55Perfect.
30:56Well, perfect's a stretch.
30:58That is perfect.
31:00When you saw the door swinging,
31:02you actually see the vision come to life.
31:05So, well done.
31:06You should be proud.
31:07Yeah, I am.
31:07The skills paying off.
31:08Yeah, it's getting there.
31:10The secret door may be successfully fitted,
31:13but with an intricate chinoiserie wallpaper still to hang,
31:18and a bespoke bunk bed to build,
31:20their challenges are far from over.
31:29Back in the Loire Valley,
31:31Ben and Billy's efforts to shape the Orangerie
31:35into a serene wellbeing space are underway.
31:39This is going to be lovely.
31:41While Billy polishes up the day bed's rusty iron frame...
31:45Can't wait to have a lie down on here with a book.
31:49Maybe some herbal tea or a glass of wine.
31:53Ben is preparing to display a set of vintage botanical prints on the walls.
32:00Opposite each window is going to be a fresco of a beautiful garden.
32:05We've also used them in the botanist suite,
32:07but we want to share them with all our guests
32:09and create this sort of feeling of symmetry in the room.
32:11So everywhere you look, there'll be a garden scene.
32:17We've got five prints to go up on the wall,
32:19so I need to make five frames.
32:24It's particularly nice doing your carpentry outside with all the birdsong.
32:28I've got a plan to go down in the garden with a tape recorder
32:31and record some of the sounds
32:33and maybe incorporate it into a soundtrack for the wellbeing space.
32:41This orangery, it's a really, really special place.
32:44It's everything to do with nature.
32:46You know, the light comes in here and floods through the green leaves.
32:50It's just absolutely beautiful.
32:51And part of the wellbeing feeling that we want to create in here
32:54is sort of making sure it's going to really connect you with nature.
33:04Oh, well done with the frame. That's very skilled.
33:07Don't look pretty.
33:08And good timing, cos the bed's ready for the mattress.
33:17Do you think I've got too much spare this in?
33:21I remember hospital corners.
33:23We need orangery corners, which is slightly different.
33:27OK.
33:28I think if that goes like that, and that goes underneath like that.
33:31Right.
33:32And then that comes straight down like that.
33:34I love a man that can make a good bed.
33:40Ah!
33:42And relax.
33:44Yeah, that's good.
33:45Let me know when you've finished all the other jobs.
33:48Now I need a hand.
33:50Come on then.
33:50I need my glamorous assistant.
33:52I'll go and get that.
33:56With no time for rest,
33:58attention turns to finding the perfect spot
34:01for a grand, ornate mirror to shine.
34:06I just leave all of this to Ben,
34:09cos he's so exact about it.
34:12I'll just go, oh, that looks about right.
34:15So, that's 98.
34:18It's a little bit tricky, cos the wall is actually plasterboard
34:22stuck onto a stone wall made of small stones.
34:25So, when I drill, I can put the drill through here
34:28and hold this against the wall,
34:29so the end of the drill is going to try and drift through the little stones.
34:33Oh, nice.
34:33But hopefully this will hold it still.
34:36Fingers crossed.
34:42If it was just plasterboard wall, it wouldn't be strong enough to hold this mirror.
34:46No, true.
34:47So it swings and roundabouts.
34:53One, two, three.
34:58Yep.
34:59I've got contact.
35:01Shall we let go?
35:01It's on, yep.
35:04Let go?
35:04I don't want to let go.
35:07Nice one.
35:08Excellent.
35:11That is looking beautiful, isn't it?
35:13It's beautiful.
35:14When we bought the mirror, I thought, that is absolutely huge.
35:17You put it in a space like that and it looks just about the right size.
35:21Fantastic.
35:22I think I can have a lovely ancient garden in the pictures
35:25and then the mirror reflects our garden, so it's like this lovely symmetry.
35:28Every window is going to have a window into another garden.
35:33We've got our day bed, we've got our mirror.
35:35Got to build the rest of those frames now.
35:38Yeah.
35:39It's been a productive day, but with the artwork to finish
35:43and relaxing spa touches to layer in, Ben and Billy need to press on
35:49before they can unwind in their new space.
35:58Coming up, John and Carmen have their differences.
36:02I measure stuff and things and Carmen just does it.
36:04Exactly, just get the damn lights up.
36:06And it's the final push for Ben and Billy.
36:10It looks very spa-y.
36:18Down in the Lott Valley,
36:20John and Carmen are putting the finishing touches to their wedding pergola.
36:26Let's make this thing twinkle, John.
36:30We're going to make this pergola have some lovely, subtle lighting on it.
36:35Yeah, just basically it's brightening up so when it's night time it'll be rather pretty.
36:40Fairy lights.
36:41We need to work out how we're going to do this.
36:43So, if I stand up here, you can run round with the lights.
36:47I could do some maths if you want.
36:50Where are you going to go? Are you going to run across the top?
36:52No, I'm just going round.
36:54Just around the top.
36:54I don't think we'll have enough to put them over the top, will we?
36:55Well, if we knew the length of it, I could work it out because, you know, pi r squared and
36:59all that will tell us.
37:00Oh, he's such a mathematician.
37:02A simple way of working out how long they are.
37:04Just put them up and see where you get to?
37:06Yeah.
37:06Is that what you're saying?
37:07Yeah.
37:08This is the difference between Carmen and me.
37:10I measure stuff and things and Carmen just does it.
37:12No need for complex mathematics.
37:13Exactly.
37:14Just get the damn lights up.
37:16Get them out and get them up.
37:22Fancy getting married in France.
37:24I know.
37:24How romantic is that?
37:25It's good, isn't it?
37:26It was obvious, really, once we'd got a chateau.
37:30This was the place to get married?
37:31It's such an amazing, beautiful place.
37:33It was so obvious that we should get married here.
37:35But people won't come unless we get these fairy lights up, will they?
37:37All right, move along, then, so I can move my chair.
37:41Where are you going, then, John?
37:43Someone needs to hold it, don't they?
37:44The other way, you fool.
37:45It's quite easy work in the respect of what we've done here in the past.
37:50I love this, being on the chair together.
37:54Is that right?
37:55Yeah.
37:55It makes a huge difference to the outside space of the chateau.
37:59It just pulls it all together and makes it absolutely lovely.
38:05I think we're about done, aren't we?
38:15Two months ago, this area was made up of an unimpressive path and a weathered and worn fountain.
38:28It has now been transformed into a crisp, clean, lavender-lined wedding aisle, complete with perfectly laid patio and show
38:41-stopping pergola, where John and Carmen can say, I do.
38:51And as night falls, the sparkling lights add a touch of fairytale magic.
39:00Yay!
39:01Oh, yeah!
39:02Oh, look at that!
39:03Oh, my gosh!
39:06Let it fly up to the sky!
39:09Woo!
39:10Woo!
39:11Woo!
39:11How's that?
39:12Perfect, I would say.
39:18I mean, where else would you want to get married?
39:20This, John, is a dream.
39:22I love it.
39:22Exactly.
39:22It's incredible.
39:23It's perfect.
39:24Yeah.
39:25The wedding aisle has been a labour of love.
39:29I can't believe we're actually stood here because we've just been working so hard.
39:33Yeah, but the hard work pays off, right?
39:36It certainly does.
39:37Now John and Carmen...
39:39Here's to you.
39:40Here's to you, my lord.
39:41Love you.
39:43Can look forward to their big day.
39:59Back in Western France, Ben and Billy are pulling together the final elements for their Orangerie makeover.
40:07So the centre of the wellbeing space is going to be this amazing cushion.
40:11And you lie in the middle of it and you're just asleep in five minutes.
40:15It's amazing.
40:15We just want to make that really zen in there and a lovely place to hang out.
40:19Our daughter has just got home, so we're going to let her be the first person to try it all
40:24out.
40:27Having given the frames a lick of gold paint...
40:30OK.
40:31Shall we look?
40:32Yeah.
40:36Oh, lovely, Ben.
40:39Ben's botanical prints are now ready to take pride of place.
40:44All right.
40:45Yeah.
40:46OK.
40:47Come down.
40:48So nice.
40:49Look at the colours in here.
40:51It's gorgeous.
40:52We've got oranges in the Orangerie.
40:54Yay!
41:00Decor done, Ben adds some sensory touches, crafting a bespoke stand to house their oil diffuser.
41:10It looks very spa-y, but it's an important part of the sensual experience because it's the sense of smell.
41:19While Billy has concocted a refreshing mint and rosemary spa drink...
41:23Isn't that beautiful colour?
41:26I just think that looks so lovely.
41:42Outside of events, the Orangerie was previously an overlooked space.
41:51Now Ben and Billy have created a tranquil haven their guests can enjoy all year round.
42:00Vintage botanical prints adorn the walls...
42:05Alongside lush tropical canna plants...
42:09While their large ornate mirror brings the outside in...
42:14With their antique day bed and relaxation cushion offering a cosy spot to unwind...
42:21Essential oils, trickling fountain and composed soundscape fill the senses...
42:30Making the Orangerie a calming sanctuary of rest and relaxation.
42:36And first to try it out is daughter Ella, home from university for the summer.
42:44Hi Ella!
42:45Hi Ella!
42:45Welcome!
42:47Wow!
42:48It looks really good!
42:52Oh my gosh, you've done such an amazing job!
42:54I love it!
42:55I love the colours!
42:57Oh, it's so magical!
42:58It's beautiful!
42:59Well done!
43:00Thank you darling!
43:01You've worked so hard this year at uni!
43:04You deserve to have a nice...
43:07You deserve to have a nice...
43:08It's so beautiful!
43:09It's so beautiful!
43:10On the camera relaxing cushion or you can read your books on the day bed.
43:14It's beautiful!
43:15I love the artwork!
43:16Oh and the mirror's gorgeous!
43:18The fountain!
43:20See mum's plants?
43:21Yes!
43:21They're shut up!
43:22They were that big when they went in!
43:23Wow!
43:26Nice music!
43:28Composed right here in the studio by your very talented father!
43:36It's nice!
43:37A real showcase of all your talents!
43:39Aw!
43:40Thank you!
43:41Thank you!
43:42Cheers!
43:42To relaxing!
43:43To relaxing!
43:44And wellbeing!
43:46Looks really good!
43:51I'll probably say this every time but it's my favourite room in the chateau now.
43:54It's absolutely beautiful!
43:58It's just a go-to place now to relax, read a book, have something healthy to eat or drink,
44:05just, you know, revive yourself.
44:09So, better go and use it!
44:11Yeah, can we relax now?
44:12Yeah, yeah.
44:13Come on.
44:14With their new wellbeing space, Ben and Billy have added to the chateau's charm, creating a peaceful retreat where guests
44:23can truly unwind.
44:29Next time, Chris and Julian face a daunting DIY challenge.
44:35There's part of me that does wonder whether it would have been easier to get a flat pack.
44:39A big event is thrown into doubt.
44:42We've had the most biblical storm overnight, so we're going to pray for some sunshine.
44:47And one chateau couple take on a risky renovation job.
44:52Once this thing starts to move, it's not going to take any prisoners.
44:55Okay guys.
44:58Here we go.
45:03Thank you so much.
45:04Thank you very much, guys!
45:07Thank you very much, guys!
45:11Thank you!
45:11You're welcome and enjoy this time!
45:25You
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