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00:01France is home to thousands of chateaux,
00:05with many left unloved and abandoned.
00:09Whoa!
00:10But some heroic individuals...
00:13You okay, you got it?
00:14That's a seriously not level floor.
00:18...are taking on these amazing buildings...
00:21Oh, look at the feathers!
00:24...and bringing them back to life.
00:26It's always the little people. They get the highest jobs.
00:29It's far from easy going...
00:31Stop! Stop!
00:33...when transforming crumbling castles...
00:36In a 16th-century tower...
00:38You never know what you're going to find.
00:40...into stunning homes.
00:44That is incredible.
00:45It looks like you worked a decade on this room.
00:48...and booming businesses.
00:51Evening, everyone.
00:52But those that rise to the challenge...
00:54One, two, three, go.
00:57...often reap the rewards...
00:59Completely overwhelmed. I love it.
01:01...and get to live the French dream...
01:04How's your balcony, Juliet?
01:06...as keepers of their very own...
01:10...fairytale chateaux.
01:16Today...
01:17This is old school. I have never done this before.
01:20...one owner takes on fire and filth...
01:23...to bring back a bit of chateau history.
01:25The other one's not going to know what's hit it.
01:27Painting-wise, I'm an absolute pro at.
01:29But this, first go.
01:31...while another duo try to hide the cracks...
01:34...before their wedding guests arrive.
01:36Oh my gosh, it's a bit wet. It's not sticking.
01:39Got a sledgehammer, and we'll hope for the best.
01:43And a third Chatelaine discovers the dangers of DIY.
01:57In the beautiful Charente-Maritime region...
02:02...of Western France...
02:03...is the charming 19th century...
02:06...la Grande Maison Lapinelle.
02:10Set in four and a half acres...
02:14...this estate includes an abandoned 22-room manor house...
02:20...a courtyard surrounded by outbuildings...
02:23...and a contemporary five-bedroom home.
02:28Since 2023, it's been owned by in-flight manager Sarah...
02:34...and former military dog handler Bart...
02:38...who bought it for Ā£335,000.
02:43It was the first property that we both agreed on.
02:46It was pure silence for three hours of the walk-around.
02:51We didn't say a word to each other.
02:52And then we just didn't stop talking...
02:55...and it was Jibbo talking over each other, under each other...
02:57...all about the plans in our heads, what you could do, its potential...
03:01...and that was it.
03:02We came in, fell in love with it.
03:10Located near the town of Cognac...
03:13...Sarah and Bart's big challenge for this summer...
03:16...is to host their first ever wedding...
03:19...which will be for their best friends, Lynn and Matt.
03:23I think they look great. I really do.
03:26It's a huge undertaking though...
03:29...as not only do they need to get the courtyard reception ready...
03:33...but also, with the manor house still uninhabitable...
03:37...they're racing to transform the stables into extra accommodation.
03:42We've still got a little way to go yet.
03:44...as well as get their own home ready for guests.
03:48I won't be beaten.
03:50And that includes refitting a second bathroom.
03:54So how soon can you get the toilet in then?
03:57It won't be long now.
04:03Today, with only three months left until the wedding...
04:07...Bart's hoping to finish the bathroom's plasterboard ceiling.
04:11The framework's in, but he now needs Sarah's help...
04:15...to carry the two and a half metre long boards...
04:18...up to the second floor.
04:20OK, this is the challenge getting it round the staircase...
04:24...without snapping it.
04:27Just tell me if I'm gonna hit anything, yeah?
04:29I will indeed.
04:30Am I gonna hit the roof?
04:31No, you're good.
04:32Oh, my lord.
04:34Just...
04:35...guide me as you go.
04:36Yeah, yeah, yeah.
04:37Oh, oh, oh!
04:38Stop there.
04:39Now tilt it towards me.
04:41And then I'm gonna go into this room...
04:42...and you come back out.
04:44Yeah?
04:46Ah...
04:46Bear with me.
04:47OK.
04:48Ready?
04:48Yep.
04:49Watch out, Minnie.
04:51Watch the carpets and the lights, yeah?
04:57OK.
04:58Happy with that?
04:59Phase one.
05:00Complete.
05:01Now the challenging bit.
05:03Oh, yeah.
05:09Watch the window, darling.
05:11Bear with.
05:17You're all right?
05:18OK.
05:19Is this gonna be the hardest one to get up there?
05:22You're asking me like I'm gonna know.
05:27Can you please wind her up?
05:29Mm-hmm.
05:29Nice and gentle.
05:30That's not gonna fall on me, is it?
05:32No.
05:35Right, stop there.
05:36That's perfect.
05:37That's...
05:38We are there.
05:39Oh, gosh, we're so close.
05:41We are.
05:45Oops.
05:46Happy with that?
05:47Yes, indeed.
05:49So, my job here is done.
05:50It is.
05:51Thank you very much.
05:52You're welcome.
05:52Yeah.
05:55Plaster board peril avoided.
05:58Bart needs to crack on,
06:00as there's a huge amount of work to tackle
06:03before they can host the happy couple.
06:17Nestled at the foot of the majestic Pyrenees in southwest France
06:21is the medieval Chateau de Gere.
06:28A 14th century hunting lodge,
06:32it comes with six cozy bedrooms,
06:35a five-acre estate,
06:38and is currently the home of Trish,
06:41a former marketing executive from Connecticut.
06:46When I first saw Chateau de Gere,
06:50it was love at first sight.
06:52I mean, it was just something about the structure of it,
06:56the stone, the medieval look of it
06:59that I just think is really, really cool.
07:01I knew right then and there, this is it.
07:08Located just a stone's throw from the Spanish border,
07:12Trish bought the Chateau in 2020 for Ā£512,000
07:18and has recently begun hosting retreats
07:22inspired by her breathtaking surroundings.
07:26You can see this improvisation.
07:28So far, so good.
07:30I think it's off to a good start.
07:32Despite not having a background in DIY.
07:35I think there is an easier way to do this.
07:37I just don't know what it is.
07:39Trish tackles most of the renovations herself.
07:43And when we last saw her,
07:46she was refreshing one of the Chateau's medieval bedrooms.
07:51I think that's kind of cool.
07:54Today, though, she needs to put a roof over some more feathery guests
07:59with the help of her friend Lydia.
08:01I was reading an article in the local paper
08:04and it said for five euros,
08:05you can save a chicken from the slaughterhouse.
08:08So I decided to adopt a few chickens.
08:11We're going to be building a chicken run,
08:13a park-a-pul, a chicken park.
08:15And we've got a chicken coop as well
08:17that we're going to call the Pule Palais, the chicken palace.
08:20So it's all about the chickens today.
08:22We want them to feel like queens.
08:24Yes.
08:29To do that, Trish is keen that the Palais de Pule has a rather familiar look.
08:37Over some wine, the idea came up that
08:40what if the chicken coop replicated the Chateau
08:43and it just was too good of an idea to pass up.
08:47So, after cutting some recycled wood into the shape of the Chateau...
08:52Got a tower.
08:53..Lydia uses some rubble and rocks...
08:56Putting together a puzzle.
08:57..to create a miniature version of its stone facade.
09:02Trish, meanwhile, sets to work on building the chicken run.
09:06One of the things that I read is that
09:08you should dig, like, a bit of a trench 20 centimetres deep.
09:12But I've got so many trees around
09:16and tree stumps and branches and roots
09:20are going to just really be difficult.
09:23Like right here, I'm definitely hitting something
09:26that isn't going to work.
09:29And there's more than the trench to tackle.
09:32I've got these big two-metre stakes
09:36and they need to go deep to the ground.
09:39I'm really worried about how difficult it is going to be,
09:41so I'm going to have to climb up on the ladder.
09:43I've got a sledgehammer, and we'll hope for the best.
09:48Okay.
09:49Does that seem stable?
09:50Yeah.
09:51Yeah.
09:51I think that's all right.
09:53How are you?
09:53Are you comfortable with this whole situation?
09:55I'm good.
09:56With the sledgehammer over your head?
09:58Yeah.
10:01Going in a little bit.
10:02Yeah.
10:03It should be much easier, though.
10:06I mean, I think it's just the terrain right here.
10:10Do you want to give it a try?
10:11I do not.
10:15I got 15 of these posts.
10:1715?
10:18Yeah.
10:18And I'm starting to destroy the top of this here.
10:22How's it feeling?
10:23How is it feeling?
10:23It's feeling relatively stable.
10:30Oh!
10:35This is definitely much harder than I expected it to be.
10:38But with Trish's hen still in need of a house...
10:42Oh, man.
10:43...chickening out isn't an option.
10:50Still to come, there's a demand for some delicacy.
10:54You know, there's a lot to be said for Paris Breast.
10:57I'm not sure that's the way it's pronounced, Cherry.
11:01And Bart and Sarah are forced...
11:04Crikey, I don't think we're going to have enough.
11:06...to dig deep.
11:08What should just be a straightforward, easy job always ends up being doubly difficult.
11:19In the stunning countryside of the middle Roi Valley in central France sits the astounding Chateau de la Lande.
11:29This 16th century property has 50 colourful rooms, its own elegant chapel, pristine gardens, and was purchased in 2005 by
11:45opera singer Stephanie.
11:48From the moment we arrived, everything is unexpected.
11:51I've been through highs and major lows.
11:54It sounds crazy, but I almost feel as though the Chateau is rewarding me for having stuck it out for
11:5820 years by saying,
12:00and there's the dream you had all along.
12:02It's very moving.
12:06Situated 65 miles from Limoges, Stephanie, with the help of friends and family, has been slowly but surely restoring the
12:15Chateau, and now runs it as a luxury B&B.
12:20When I first moved in, I was totally overwhelmed.
12:23I didn't have the strength or the building knowledge to really get on with it by myself.
12:28I was just surrounded by cobwebs, just sitting here on my own.
12:32Things could not be more different now.
12:34Thank goodness.
12:35Now there's a big team of us, and we're moving forward again.
12:39They are currently midway through renovating the Chateau's kitchen, after it was damaged by a flood.
12:46And today, Stephanie and her friend Jerry are focusing on one of the older sections.
12:54This was a really hard room to design, because we wanted to make sure that it kept the sense of
13:00history of the Chateau,
13:01whilst putting a brand new kitchen in.
13:03So after a lot of discussion, we decided to keep the old range cooker.
13:07We don't use it, and it really takes up a lot of space in the room.
13:12But now we're going to have to clean the old one, because it's looking very shabby next to the new
13:17one.
13:18In this kitchen now, I feel that we're living in the past, the present and the future.
13:23Oh, I like that, Jerry.
13:26We're starting by cleaning the entire oven, because the next thing we're going to do is to add blackening.
13:32Now this is old school. I have never done this before actually, so the oven's not going to know what's
13:37hit it.
13:38And then we can start polishing everything afterwards.
13:40Well, Stephanie, I wonder how we're going to do this.
13:43Well, Jerry, to be fair, that was you. You painted the ceiling without covering that.
13:47Well, Stephanie, if it was me, look.
13:49Oh, look at that, straight off.
13:52You know, I'm a man who fixes his problems.
13:55This is a piece of French engineering history. They were in big chateaus all over France, and they were in
14:02Monet's kitchen at Giverny, so this is a very, very special oven.
14:06And in fact, we'll still be using it in future, because we're going to have two of the ovens turned
14:12into warming drawers. So it will still be part of the kitchen.
14:15But that's not all.
14:19I'm trying to clean this entire area. You'll notice there's a cutout in the work surface. And that's because this
14:25is effectively the old kettle of the chateau. Cold water we poured in from here.
14:30And whilst the oven was on, it would heat up this tank, and the hot water just comes out at
14:36the base.
14:36Now, we're not going to use it as a kettle, but we were thinking it would make the perfect wine
14:42cooler.
14:42So we can just take the lid off, put a couple of those huge blocks of ice in, fill it
14:47with cold water, and that's it. Champagne on ice.
14:50At all times, obviously, from first thing in the morning till last thing at night.
14:56With the washing complete, it's time to bring out its original colours.
15:01All right. We're moving on to the blackening now.
15:05You know, Stephanie, I think this is going to be absolutely superb.
15:09I hope so. It is all happening in here today.
15:12I mean, literally, whilst we are cleaning the stove over here, the kitchen fitters are in the scullery, finishing off
15:17in there.
15:18It's superb. I love it when all hands are on deck.
15:21Oh, wow. That is bad.
15:30Right. As you see, I've just done this one side, and look at the difference.
15:35That is what that used to look like.
15:38And now, with one quick polish, this is coming up stunningly beautiful.
15:43I mean, it's never going to be looking like the new oven and really shiny.
15:47It is well over 100 years old, but it does bring it to life, seeing it like this.
15:54Right, Joe, shall we step back and see how it's looking so far?
15:57Yes, let's have a look.
15:59It still needs a lot of work.
16:00Oh, Gerald, come on, that is better, isn't it?
16:03It's amazing. Bit of polish.
16:05Yeah. It brings it up beautiful.
16:07Well, it's the soul of the kitchen. So many people wanted me to rip it out and just go for
16:11a lovely new kitchen.
16:12Oh, gosh, no. No, no, no.
16:12But no, I couldn't do it.
16:12It's part of the chateau.
16:14Yeah. The more we clean it and the more it gets polished, the more it ties in with the very
16:19modern, incredible oven that we've got.
16:21It's starting to work.
16:23The kitchen is nearly fit for purpose, but there are still plenty of jobs to complete and cupboards to stock
16:32before it'll be ready for friends, family or guests.
16:44Over 300 miles away in southwest France, Trish and her friend Lydia are busy building a homemade chicken coop.
16:54This is one of two posts for the door.
16:57It's not exactly straight.
17:00It's not.
17:00I don't know if that's important because it's the door one.
17:02I think it might be.
17:08I knew the stakes were going to be a little bit difficult to put in the ground, but it's actually
17:13much more difficult than I expected.
17:15So before I put in the next one that's going to be the other part of the frame for the
17:20door, I want to just assemble the door and just make sure that we have everything lined up correctly,
17:27because I certainly do not want to have to take a stake out and redo it because this is already
17:34difficult as it is.
17:35And I've only done two.
17:38The posts may be proving tricky.
17:41Yeah, that one's looking good.
17:43But giving the coop the same look at the chateau is coming on nicely.
17:48Now that we have everything assembled, everything ready to go, the next step is to put the tile glue on,
17:54put the rocks in that, let it dry, and hopefully that will keep the rocks stuck to the wood.
18:00While Lydia starts cementing the stones into place, Trish makes a gate for the chicken run from recycled wood.
18:09Hopefully everything stays together.
18:15Look at that.
18:17Woohoo!
18:19And now I'm going to hang it and hope that it swings.
18:21I think the brackets might be backwards or upside down or something.
18:25I'm not sure that I did all of those right, but let's just see if it swings.
18:29That's the big test.
18:31Oh, this is so hard to do.
18:34Got it.
18:38It swings.
18:40Woohoo!
18:42And now it's just a matter of lining this up.
18:48Yet again, though, it's a job that's not as simple as it sounds.
18:53Today was a very challenging day, which I knew it would be, but the posts proved to be much more
19:00difficult than expected.
19:01But I think they're all in.
19:04A few of them might do with a few more whacks, but as far as I'm concerned, the posts are
19:10done.
19:10I hope so.
19:11I mean, we're going to find out tomorrow when we start putting up the chicken wire, how stable it is,
19:15and hopefully we won't need more posts.
19:18You did a good job, though.
19:20You worked really hard today.
19:21Yeah.
19:22I'm going to feel it tomorrow for sure.
19:23I bet.
19:25Trish has a lot still to do, but calling it a day seems an egg-cellent idea.
19:40Four hours further north, at La Grande Maison Lapinelle, work in Bart and Sarah's guest bathroom has ground to a
19:50halt.
19:51Because with only a few months left until their friend's wedding, they need to start landscaping the courtyard.
19:59I just want it to look beautiful and as magical as it can possibly be in the few weeks we
20:06have left.
20:06And that means re-sowing the grass.
20:10Let's give this a roll.
20:12First, though, they need to collect some topsoil from the other end of the property.
20:19You okay to lift in?
20:21Yeah.
20:21I'll leave you to load.
20:23Give me the thumbs up when you're ready and then I'll go.
20:25Okey-dokey.
20:32Any time you can spend on his tractor, he's like a child in a sweetie shop.
20:37This is his absolute toy of joy.
20:48Drop in half a bit, babe.
20:53But with tons of soil to shift, it could be a time-consuming task.
21:04Best bit of the job, this, sitting watching.
21:13That's as much as I think it's sensible to put on her, and I'll see you around here in a
21:17minute.
21:17All right, do you think we just need the one load?
21:19I think so.
21:20Awesome.
21:21I'm going to park her up.
21:22I'll bring the shovels over.
21:23All right.
21:24See you there.
21:24Love you.
21:26With so many other jobs still to tackle, they're hoping that laying the soil will prove to be simple.
21:35Plan of action, then.
21:36Who's doing what?
21:38OK, so...
21:40Have you grabbed the shovel?
21:41Yeah.
21:42Scraped the gravel back.
21:43Yeah.
21:44I just want to try this with the rake.
21:49Before they can unload, they need to redefine the original grass borders.
21:55Can't wait now.
21:56I'm really looking forward to it.
21:58Only a little bit of work left to do now.
21:59Just a whole en suite to install.
22:02And then we start on the barn.
22:04Yeah.
22:04The actual wedding barn.
22:06Ah.
22:06So that's got to get all painted.
22:08The window frames have got to go in.
22:10We've got to get all of the walls from top to bottom filled in, painted, finished.
22:15And that's even before the wedding people come in and start doing their bit.
22:24I think that's pretty good.
22:30Do you want me to take it off or do you want me to rake it?
22:33Start?
22:33Yeah.
22:35Hauling it off from here.
22:36Yeah.
22:37You start spreading it.
22:38OK.
22:47We're just going to go in line with the house, the edge of the house, and seed it with grass
22:53seed.
22:59Is that the last of it, Bart?
23:01The last of it.
23:02It's coming off now, my lovely.
23:03Oh, crikey.
23:04I don't think we're going to have enough.
23:05I don't think we are.
23:06I think we're going to have to do a second run.
23:08Yep.
23:09Oh, that's a shame.
23:11It's going to take another day to get this covered.
23:15What should just be a straightforward easy job always ends up being doubly difficult.
23:20It's an extra chore they could do without.
23:23And with time in short supply, Sarah and Bart just have to hope they come up smelling of roses.
23:37Coming up.
23:38I'm not really sure how this is going to work.
23:40There's a fencing fiasco.
23:42Two people, you know, manipulating the wiring here, I think is going to be a little bit easier.
23:52This is, in theory, a nice, easy job.
23:56And low expectations.
23:58Doesn't always work.
24:06In southwest France, Trish and her friend Lydia are still struggling to build their palais de poulet.
24:14This has proven to be very, very difficult.
24:16The replica of the chateau's facade for the front of the coop, though, is getting there.
24:23It's a little wet still.
24:25Little concerns.
24:26Some of it seems to be dry.
24:28Let's hope that a little bit more time in the sun will really help.
24:33Trish now has enough posts in position.
24:37I think here is pretty good.
24:39To surround the area with chicken wire.
24:43Awesome.
24:44God.
24:45I'm not really sure how this is going to work.
24:47I mean, two people, you know, manipulating the wiring here, I think it's going to be, oops, a little bit
24:54easier.
24:57Oh!
25:04So maybe we just kind of get it unraveled and see what it's like and then go through and tighten
25:09it up.
25:12The big challenge is really the terrain going around these trees.
25:17You've got, you know, the roots, the uneven ground.
25:22You're doing great, Lyd.
25:23Thanks.
25:25Watch for that hole.
25:27You all right?
25:30Just putting the little U-hooks.
25:34We've done one loop and I think we have to go around because it's not as taut as it should
25:39be.
25:44They also need to cover the gate.
25:47This is a big responsibility Trish has given me.
25:50We don't want the chickens to get out for sure.
25:52Nice job.
25:53Thanks.
25:54And we don't want any predators to get in either.
25:55So I want to make sure that things are nice and tight and stapled really well.
26:00So you're going to have to get closer.
26:04Okay.
26:05Awesome.
26:05Let's take a look.
26:06Okay.
26:09Okay.
26:10Not bad.
26:10It looks good.
26:12Good job.
26:14I'm going backwards.
26:18And now the cement is set.
26:21Moving in day.
26:22They can put together the palais de poulet.
26:26Right there.
26:26It's good.
26:28We can position that.
26:29Okay.
26:34What do you think?
26:34Does that look good there?
26:35Perfect.
26:40Nice.
26:43Girls, you ready to go to your new home?
26:46It's been a long couple of days.
26:49We're going this way.
26:50But Trish's new feathered friends finally have somewhere to roost.
26:55Oh, we're going to head this way.
26:58Let's go.
26:58Let's go.
26:58This is so exciting, girls.
27:01Come on, just a little bit further.
27:03There you go.
27:05Yay.
27:06They're already happy.
27:07Yeah.
27:10What do you think, girls?
27:12Your poulet palais.
27:14You seem really happy.
27:15Yeah.
27:16Yeah.
27:16And I think we've done well.
27:18I mean, as always, there's room for improvement, but I think it's functional.
27:21It's functional and beautiful.
27:23It is.
27:24And they have their own little chateau.
27:26Do you feel so proud?
27:27I do.
27:28I'm a proud chicken mama.
27:33Even though it was harder than expected, Trish has proved she's definitely not a one chick
27:41pony.
27:48200 miles north at Sarah and Bart's property.
27:53Two months have passed and the grass is growing well.
27:57But as they haven't had a chance to finish the rest of the landscaping, emergency measures
28:03have been put in place.
28:07We've had to call in the troops.
28:08We've had to ask a few more work people to come in to actually take away some of the jobs
28:12for us.
28:13So it's all a little bit stressful at the minute.
28:15With only a few weeks to go until their friend's wedding, the pressure's starting to mount.
28:24So with the guest bathroom now fully plasterboarded, Bart's eager to crack on with the plumbing.
28:31Fingers crossed it all goes well.
28:33This one is going to connect and go through there.
28:39My plumbing experience is very limited.
28:43This is, in theory, a nice easy job.
28:47I say that often.
28:49It doesn't always work.
28:57I do think that is looking promising.
29:02It should fit straight in to the waste pipe.
29:11Sarah.
29:11Sarah, meanwhile, is trying to transform their barn into the perfect party palace.
29:18This is where we're hosting the wedding breakfast.
29:21It's got a lot more work to do.
29:23But what my plan today is, I don't know if you can see all these cracks.
29:27So our plan is to fill these in as best as we can.
29:30And then paint over it with a really thick kind of paint, which has got a textured finish,
29:36which will hopefully give it a faux finish, where it's a little bit more flat and not as ugly.
29:44Painting-wise, I'm an absolute pro at, but this, first go.
29:49Oh, my gosh, it's a bit wet. It's not sticking.
29:53I think we just need to do it layer by layer.
29:58It's working.
30:00It just needs to look beautiful for the big event.
30:04While Sarah painstakingly tackles the four-metre-high walls,
30:09the end of Bart's plumbing job may be in sight.
30:14Well, I don't believe it.
30:16That waste pipe is connected.
30:19And I am absolutely astonished that I got it right the first time.
30:23And the hot and cold water pipes, they're not going to be a drama.
30:29But as plumbing is still quite new to Bart...
30:33That is good.
30:34..Sarah checks it's not just a pipe dream.
30:40Plug in.
30:41Ready, ready?
30:43Give it a go.
30:48That's very nice.
30:49It is, actually.
30:50I like that.
30:53Now, we just need to make sure the drain doesn't leak.
31:01Boom!
31:02No leaks.
31:03Boom.
31:04Love it.
31:05I'm absolutely thrilled we've got a working bathroom upstairs.
31:09Look, it's still not finished, it's not looking great,
31:11but we have a functioning bathroom that we can use
31:14and guests can use wedding ready.
31:17But then again, there is still the decorating to do,
31:22the barn to transform, the stable to convert,
31:26and the courtyard to make picture perfect.
31:39Over at Chateau de la Lande, Stephanie's new kitchen is almost complete.
31:46So fiancƩ Philip is helping add the finishing touches.
31:51It is crazy in here.
31:53It's full of people, they are still adjusting things, installing things,
31:56but it is time and we have to move in now.
31:58Seb and I have got a massive collection of blue and white ceramics,
32:01so we have been storing all of that whilst we didn't have a kitchen
32:04and we cannot wait to see it all again up.
32:06So we are doing that right now.
32:09Look, it is so gorgeous.
32:12It's getting there, isn't it?
32:13It's home!
32:14And I love the colour.
32:15I didn't know how it would be against the green,
32:16but it really makes it pop the blue and the white.
32:22To thank everyone for their hard work,
32:25Stephanie and friend Jerry are planning a celebratory tea.
32:29I'm about to start the iconic Paris Brest.
32:32So I made my choux pastry
32:34and we are now going to pipe it in a perfect circle
32:37and then put it in the oven.
32:38No one said this would be easy, but it will be fun.
32:42We will make it fun.
32:44Oh, I started piping the oven.
32:46That's not what we were hoping for.
32:48You can actually hear in the background
32:50the kitchen is still being built around us,
32:52but we have this one corner of calm and tranquillity.
32:57I think I was supposed to draw out a circle first.
32:59I didn't.
33:00This wheel-shaped patisserie was created in 1910
33:04to commemorate the Paris to Brest cycle race.
33:08And it's proved a winner ever since.
33:11When I'm watching Stephanie,
33:13it's almost like watching an artist at work.
33:16Picasso would be proud of me.
33:18Let's just pretend that we meant to make whatever we end up making.
33:22And we're just scattering on some flaked almonds.
33:26All right, I think you can go in the oven.
33:27It doesn't look very difficult to make.
33:30No, I don't mean that, you know, to bake.
33:34I know you're a fantastic baker.
33:36Yep.
33:37While Stephanie's Paris breast rises,
33:42Philip's busy coordinating the crockery.
33:45It's wonderful seeing it all come back together
33:48and better than before.
33:49It's starting to feel like home again,
33:50which is the most wonderful thing.
33:52Some may call it an obsession,
33:54but we prefer the term collection.
33:56Sticking with that.
33:58This is my almond praline pastry cream.
34:01Okay, let me try some, Gerald.
34:06Oh, that is delicious.
34:08Do you know there's a lot to be said for Paris breast?
34:11I'm not sure that's the way it's pronounced, Jerry.
34:16I can't believe it, Gerald.
34:17I did not expect it to look so good.
34:21We're going to cut the top of this off.
34:25And we'll be filling all of that with our pastry cream.
34:29It's hollow.
34:30Oh, Stephanie, very well done.
34:32Once the filling and icing sugar have been added,
34:36it's time to declare their new kitchen officially open.
34:41I think we should share it with everyone.
34:43Shall we call them all in?
34:44Do you really, do we have to?
34:50Six months ago,
34:52the original kitchen was a flood-damaged wreck.
34:56Cold, unusable and unloved.
35:04Today, it's the centre of the chateau.
35:08The soft blues and creams
35:10enhancing the kitchen's natural light and warmth,
35:14while elegant worktops and modern appliances
35:17sit side by side with some of the chateau's original pieces,
35:23now beautifully restored.
35:27Come in, everyone.
35:28Don't be frightened.
35:30Right, we have the Paris breast for you all to try.
35:33And it's in the colours of the kitchen.
35:35Fun, ice-creamy colours.
35:37The same as the scullery.
35:38Have we got spoons or do we use our hands?
35:41We're heathens, Mummy,
35:42because we haven't unpacked the spoons yet.
35:44Without you, we would not have a kitchen.
35:47Out of ten?
35:49Twelve.
35:49Twelve!
35:50Mmm!
35:51It's really, really nice.
35:53And this is the first thing that Stephanie has cooked
35:55since the new kitchen.
35:57We don't want you to stop now.
35:59Bon appetit!
36:00We are officially in.
36:02It's the most beautiful kitchen in the world.
36:04I love it. It was nice to bake in.
36:05It's so nice.
36:06I can't tell you how lovely it is.
36:08And I just know that over the next few days,
36:10it's going to become even more and more beautiful
36:12as we settle in and bring everything into it.
36:14And as you know, we're always sitting here, don't we?
36:16Absolutely.
36:17This seems to be the centre point of the whole chateau.
36:21The heart of the home is back.
36:23The kitchen is an overwhelming success,
36:27thanks to the hard work of many.
36:29But in just a few days' time,
36:32it will need to pass the taste test
36:34of some rather discerning guests.
36:41Still to come, the challenges keep piling up for Bart and Sarah.
36:46We just have to face facts that we can only get done
36:49what we were going to get done.
36:51It's a huge day today.
36:52And Stephanie decides to reveal everything.
36:56There's going to be about 130 people here.
37:06Near the town of Cognac in Western France,
37:10there's now only two weeks
37:13until Bart and Sarah host their first ever wedding.
37:17The courtyard has been landscaped,
37:20but work in the stables to provide extra guest accommodation
37:23has proved too much.
37:26Other jobs are taking precedence,
37:28which is a little bit disappointing,
37:30but we just have to face facts that we can only get done
37:33what we were going to get done.
37:34But they have, however, made great strides
37:37in the modern house's guest bathroom,
37:39which has been painted, tiled and kitted out.
37:44I have to say, Bart's done a tremendous job
37:47because he's worked his butt off.
37:49Everything is functional.
37:50We just need to pretty it up,
37:52put the finishing touches on,
37:54and I think it's going to be pretty good.
38:12I think that looks quite good.
38:13I absolutely love it.
38:15I think it's looking great.
38:18Five months ago, this 70-year-old bathroom was tired, decaying,
38:25and beyond use.
38:30Now, it's been transformed into a slick and stylish space
38:36with new elegant floor and wall tiles,
38:40modern fittings and chic furnishings,
38:43perfect for all their future guests to enjoy.
38:48And invited around for a sneak peek is neighbour Dawn.
38:53Hello.
38:54Hiya.
38:55How you doing?
38:56I'm fine. Look at you covered in paint.
38:57I know.
38:58We've been busy.
38:58It's been a busy morning.
38:59It's been busy.
39:00Trying to get this bathroom finished.
39:02It's been a long time.
39:03I hope you're going to like it.
39:09Oh, wow!
39:13This is incredible.
39:14I love this.
39:16And I love that dark colour.
39:17It just works so well.
39:18I mean, just the transformation.
39:20The white walls and the freshness of the tiles
39:24have really brought it to light.
39:25It's just incredible.
39:27You've done a good job.
39:29Thank you very much.
39:30Well, you've both done a good job.
39:31The painting and the tiling and...
39:34It's kind of come together, hasn't it?
39:36It definitely has come together.
39:38No, it...
39:39You should be really, really proud of yourselves.
39:41Exhausted.
39:42Really proud of yourselves.
39:43That's...
39:43He says...
39:46That's all he ever does.
39:47All day long, isn't it?
39:48One down, five to go.
39:52I'm so thrilled that she likes it
39:54because it...
39:55It then says to me that it's...
39:57It's past the test.
39:58It looks...
39:59It looks good.
40:00It does.
40:01It works.
40:02One of their biggest wedding projects
40:05is finally ticked off.
40:07But with the barn and courtyard still to finish,
40:11there's lots more to do before I do.
40:22140 miles away at Chateau de la Lande,
40:26it's a hive of activity.
40:31It's a huge day today because it's my birthday.
40:34I mean, that's not the main reason it's a huge day,
40:36but there is a celebration.
40:37It's also a celebration because it's the 20th anniversary
40:39of us arriving at the Chateau.
40:41So it's going to be huge.
40:43There's going to be about 130 people here.
40:45I'm going to be showing everybody who comes in your kitchens.
40:48I'm so excited.
40:50To celebrate their hard work,
40:53as well as her 50th,
40:55Stephanie has opened the Chateau up for tours and tea.
40:59So it's all hands on deck to get the place ready.
41:03We're going to go through morning.
41:05We've got people coming from all over the world.
41:08So we're going to have a fantastic day.
41:12Over the next few hours,
41:14their guests are shown every area of the Chateau
41:17that's been repaired or renovated,
41:20or at least will be.
41:22It's going so well.
41:24It's so much fun.
41:25We've got so many people here.
41:26It's been quite a journey getting to this point,
41:29but people are absolutely loving it.
41:32I haven't slept,
41:33so I might be a little bit erratic.
41:35I'm just going off of, like, energy drinks,
41:37and that is not my forte,
41:39but, you know, I'm still going.
41:42Downstairs,
41:43Stephanie is holding court
41:44in their most recent restoration.
41:47So do you have any questions about the kitchen
41:49or anything else, actually?
41:51When we saw it all coming together,
41:52we thought,
41:52this is going to be a nightmare,
41:54a couple of mixes,
41:55and there again,
41:56it's really, you know...
41:57Yeah.
41:58Wonderful.
41:59I'm so happy you like it
42:00because we had so much of that, honestly.
42:01I think everyone was like,
42:03it's going to be horrendous.
42:04And we were holding the colours up on swatches,
42:06and every time anyone walked through,
42:08they were like, oh.
42:09Showing off the new kitchen is going really well.
42:11I mean, I feel so grateful
42:13we've been able to have this incredible kitchen,
42:15so I want to share this with them,
42:16and show them what's being achieved,
42:18and it's very exciting.
42:20Also, we're the only room in the entire Chateau
42:22to have air conditioning,
42:23so I feel like the luckiest person here today.
42:26With the tour's over,
42:28it's time for the birthday girl to join the party.
42:32You look lovely.
42:33Thank you, so do you.
42:35It's so exciting to see everyone so happy to be here.
42:38I mean, there's such a buzz in the air.
42:41It's amazing.
42:41I feel like I'm at some swanky event somewhere.
42:45I can't believe I'm just in the front courtyard of the Chateau
42:48with all these wonderful people.
42:50A fantastic memory for Stephanie to have for her birthday,
42:55to be with all these beautiful people.
42:59Happy birthday, dear Stephanie.
43:05Happy birthday to you.
43:14Yay!
43:15One more!
43:20Yay!
43:23This has been a wonderful day.
43:25I think it's brilliant how they've integrated the old
43:29with what we need as new.
43:31The kitchen before was just ordinary.
43:33It was old.
43:34And now, wow, today,
43:37the new kitchen is absolutely fabulous.
43:41I think today's been a massive success.
43:43We've got such lovely people here.
43:45And when they come here and their faces light up
43:48and they're so happy to be here
43:49and they just love the Chateau,
43:51it gives us renewed vigour to do everything
43:54that still needs doing.
43:55This is the best pictures birthday anyone could have.
43:58With so many projects left to complete,
44:01it's the boost Stephanie needs
44:03to continue her extraordinary restoration
44:06of this remarkable building.
44:14Next time.
44:17Huge challenges with an apartment renovation.
44:20Nothing ever goes as smoothly as you think it will.
44:25There are design dilemmas in a new laundry room.
44:28So that means we're going to put this on.
44:30We have to take all the wire out.
44:32And Bart and Sarah's grand wedding plans...
44:36Ooh, hello.
44:37...could be a washout.
44:39That was an escalation.
44:40...
44:48...
44:56...
44:57...
44:57...
44:57...
45:00...
45:01...
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