- 2 hours ago
Chateau DIY - Season 11 Episode 39
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00:00Across France are thousands of magnificent chateaux.
00:05Many, neglected and left to decay, are now being awakened by daring new owners.
00:13Shall I shut my eyes? Oh, wow!
00:18These fearless visionaries are taking on the colossal task
00:24We want this, you know, good for another 500 years.
00:27Of reviving spectacular homes.
00:32I haven't seen a suspended column before.
00:35And creating booming businesses.
00:38Thank you all.
00:39Thank you all.
00:41There'll be triumphs.
00:42We might have a swimming pool to use this summer, which will be fantastic.
00:47As well as heartbreaking setbacks.
00:49Do we not need that part of the floor?
00:52But with relentless determination.
00:55Ah, yes, they're working!
00:58Comes an extraordinary reward.
01:00Oh, cheers.
01:01Cheers.
01:02Saute, saute.
01:03As they claim the ultimate dream.
01:06Cheers, everybody.
01:07Yes, cheers.
01:08Of living like kings and queens in their very own castle.
01:15Today.
01:17Don't, don't, don't.
01:19Don't do that.
01:20One couple take on a risky renovation job.
01:24Oh!
01:25God.
01:26The whole floor's moving.
01:28A DIY novice tackles an ambitious makeover.
01:32It looks like it's stuck to the plaster.
01:36Nothing's ever straightforward in the chateau.
01:38And one chateau pair make a surprising discovery.
01:43Oh, look.
01:44It's a coin.
01:45No.
01:45It is a coin.
01:47Does it say how much it's worth?
01:48No.
01:49No.
01:49No.
01:50No.
01:54In the stunning region of Brittany in northwest France stands the former derelict 14th century
02:02Moulin du Cuenon. Set on its own island between two ancient bridges it comes with
02:12five floors, concrete grain silos and a small gite. Hoping to turn it into their
02:22forever home are experienced DIYers Donna and Paul. I think the set is unique you
02:30know it's certainly picturesque that's the first thing we saw when we drove up and
02:34then we saw the dilapidated building that hadn't been touched in 60 years. France
02:40gives us the opportunity of saving these fabulous buildings they're crying out to
02:46be saved. Located 30 miles southeast of Saint-Malo Donna and Paul bought the
02:56property in 2024 for less than £100,000. So far they've renovated the gite and moved
03:07in while they take on the gigantic job of restoring the rest of the building. They've constructed
03:18new floors and started work on their master suite which will include a huge dressing room
03:27and super-sized bathroom. Keep going! Yay! And when we last saw them they'd added a giant floating
03:39balcony. It shows you how much I trust what you do because I'm sat out here. Cheers to that.
03:49Today even though they're far from finished Donna and Paul want to bring in one essential fixture.
03:56This huge box is my bath and it's a double-ended roll-top brass bath. You pretty much have to
04:06put
04:06sunglasses on just when you open the box. It's not only massive but it's also very awkward.
04:14Don't, don't, don't, don't do that because it's moving out my hands.
04:26That was easy. Now just to get it upstairs. Luckily the property has trapped doors on
04:35every floor which should make the task slightly easier. So the outer dimensions are about 820.
04:45The hatch is 810. So I'm hoping there's some flex in the box. There is some packaging on the inside
04:52but
04:53it'll be like a baby being born. We'll just push it through and out. Hopefully. Up we go!
05:01Having secured it with straps, they just have to hope and pray.
05:09Oh! God!
05:14Hang on, what do you think? No, I need to just convince it to go through the hole.
05:23Right, go for it. Ready? Yeah.
05:27Go. The whole floor's moving. Go.
05:30It's OK. Just go. Up. Go. Up. Up. Up, up, up. Keep going.
05:41Right, stop. Let me get above. I told you it would go.
05:46Hopefully it doesn't fall out the bottom end.
05:49OK. Go for it.
05:55Hey!
05:57Right, we're up.
05:59Well, you can take it out the box there.
06:04It's now he actually sees what I've ordered.
06:06Er, yes.
06:08Are you ready for this?
06:09I'm not sure.
06:13That's bright.
06:15Oh, wow! Look at this!
06:22It's not surprising Donna chose something like this.
06:26I should have come and expect that by now.
06:28Just need to install it now.
06:34I think this door's a bit narrower.
06:35I think it is, isn't it? Let me just move these bits.
06:40Never in doubt.
06:41See what it looks like in its proposed position.
06:48If that's the bath you've gone for, I'd hate to see what you've chosen for everything else in this room.
06:55Donna and Paul have made a bright start.
06:59But with a whole master suite to create, the heavy lifting is just getting started.
07:12In the picturesque Auvergne region of central France lies the charming 20th century Chateau Chaumet.
07:25Comprising 39 rooms spread over four floors and an acre of land.
07:33It's home to craft designer Debbie and IT director Dave,
07:39who swapped life in Darlington for a new adventure in France.
07:44We knew we wanted to have a family home where we can invite friends,
07:49but also we need to earn money.
07:51I have a dream of doing arts and craft retreats.
07:55You'll be in the foreground running workshops and that side of things
07:59and I'll be in the background sort of making sure they're...
08:01Making tea and coffee? Making tea and coffee.
08:03Making sure that people have that Chateau experience when they come for a workshop.
08:08Yes.
08:13Located two hours from the city of Limoges,
08:17Dave and Debbie bought the Chateau in 2023 for just £174,000.
08:26And last time we saw them, they'd transformed their cluttered barn into a stylish art studio
08:33and officially launched their retreat business.
08:38How beautiful, isn't it? Nice.
08:40Welcome to the very first workshop.
08:44Oh, I thank you, I thank you.
08:47It was a success.
08:48Yes, on the whole, it was a success.
08:50And even the sun's shining for you.
08:52The sun is shining, finally.
08:55Today, back inside the Chateau,
08:58Debbie wants to create a lavish craft room for her own working pleasure.
09:04This is going to be one that I'm going to design myself
09:07and this is my project, not yours.
09:10I get to decide what goes into it, I get to decide the colour.
09:13I'm going to have everything that I need.
09:20What is that called?
09:22Beading?
09:23Yeah, beading.
09:24OK, so I need to take that off first.
09:26Debbie is a DIY novice, but is confident about the renovation job in hand.
09:33Because it's my project, I want to do the whole thing.
09:37And I'm happy for you to do that.
09:38Yeah, well you can do your own drum room when it comes to that.
09:42One day.
09:43One day, when we get to it.
09:46With Dave's surplus to requirements,
09:51Debbie starts stripping the walls.
09:56I'm damaging some of the plaster.
10:00But hopefully, that's normal.
10:04I'll be a little bit more gentle.
10:15This is so satisfying.
10:20If it all comes off like this, it's going to be amazing.
10:29Wow!
10:36I thought this was going to take hours.
10:39Debbie is making great headway, but she does have the whole room to tackle.
10:46On this side, it looks like it's stuck to the plaster more.
10:52And it's very hard to take some of it off.
10:55I need to get the steamer out, so I talk too soon with it being easy.
11:00But nothing's ever straightforward in the chateau.
11:05Debbie hopes that using a steamer for the first time will prove to be simple.
11:11Can I see steam yet? No.
11:16I can hear bubbling.
11:19It's working.
11:26This is turning out to be a little bit more fiddly.
11:30So, although it's working, I liked it how it came off easier before.
11:37But we'll get there.
11:41Debbie is at least up and running.
11:44But with the walls to finish stripping, and the room to totally redecorate,
11:49the DIY challenges are only going to get bigger.
11:59coming up, Paul gets caught short.
12:03OK, something's not connected.
12:07And Debbie starts to feel the strain.
12:10I'm using muscles I did not know I had.
12:21In the stunning Occitanie region of southwest France,
12:26lies the majestic 16th century Chateau de Montespieux.
12:33This vast historic castle with its fairytale towers boasts 66 rooms,
12:43an impressive central courtyard, and comes with 37 acres.
12:51It was empty for decades, until Leicestershire couple Louisa and Roger picked up the keys in 2023.
13:01It was a real change of scale, arriving at the Chateau.
13:04We couldn't find each other for the first three months, could we?
13:06We were just calling each other on the telephone,
13:08and trying to describe what room we were in.
13:10As time goes on, we're getting the hang of it.
13:12You do little touches, and little by little, you feel at home in such a huge place.
13:21Located an hour's drive from the city of Toulouse,
13:25Louisa and Roger bought the Chateau for £840,000
13:29and want to open it up as a high-end events venue.
13:36With a big wedding booked for the summer, when we last saw them,
13:40they'd begun creating their most elegant suite yet,
13:44which is in part of a turret tower.
13:47We're calling it the Jinko Suite,
13:49because there's a Jinko tree that we can see out the window.
13:52So far, they've wallpapered the bedroom.
13:55It looks great, Rog.
13:57You like it?
13:59Yeah, it's great.
14:00I love it.
14:01And made a surprise discovery.
14:04In a hidden safe.
14:06Ah.
14:08Excellent.
14:09We've found the ledgers and documents that have been left behind
14:12by the last aristocrat that lived in the Chateau.
14:15So we kind of think it'd be nice to make a little feature of that.
14:19Today, however, they have an altogether different challenge,
14:23as they want to give the Jinko Suite its own bathroom.
14:28There's a little bit of building to get on with before the decorating can start.
14:32I think we want to consolidate where everything is actually going,
14:35that it all works.
14:37Would you prefer to go 20 centimetres more that way?
14:40Yes, definitely.
14:41And then 160.
14:42I'm going to say that's our shower.
14:45That's going to be a big shower.
14:46Is that seriously the size of it?
14:47Yeah, it's enormous.
14:47Here you go.
14:48Grab the other end of it.
14:50And just lay it down on the floor.
14:53Approximately.
14:53That's going to be up.
14:55That's your shower there.
14:57So we've got a really big shower.
14:58It's about five foot.
14:59It's going to be a two person.
15:01Two...
15:01Well, not necessarily two people.
15:03Two head...
15:04Shower head shower.
15:05And then a toilet and a double sink here.
15:08It's a big room for a bathroom and we want to make sure we use up as much as we
15:13can.
15:14But before they can do anything, they need to install the plumbing,
15:19which means having to remove some of the classic 19th century wood panelling.
15:28I'm going to see if it's saveable.
15:36I think that is actually all in it.
15:39It's part of that, isn't it?
15:45Yeah.
15:50Sadly, I don't think I'm going to be able to get it off very well.
15:52This is good news, Roger, that it's all real wood, though.
15:56You know, there's nothing flimsy there.
15:58No.
15:58That means, you know, it's reusable, which is good.
16:05Oh, that's very tough.
16:11Oh, yeah.
16:16How's that now?
16:18Whey!
16:19There we go.
16:21Excellent.
16:22It's a case of so far, so good, but with lots more panelling to remove,
16:29Louisa and Roger can only hope it doesn't drive them up the wall.
16:39In central France, at Chateau Chaumet, Debbie's craft room has finally been stripped bare.
16:48And today, she's planning on panelling the walls, but first needs to smooth them out.
16:56I've got my filler.
16:58I haven't got a clue what I'm doing, but I am excited of the final result.
17:02And that is all I'm focused on.
17:04I'm hoping it'll work, because if it works here, when there's not so many gouges,
17:09it'll work on the other really bad wall.
17:19It's working at the moment.
17:27This is the before bit.
17:32I didn't realise that you could see such a big difference.
17:36How exciting.
17:38It's not only the walls that need attention, as the ceiling also needs some TLC.
17:49We're using this paint because we have got a stain on the ceiling.
17:55When we first moved in, we discovered that there was some damage on the roof that we weren't aware of.
18:02That, in turn, has affected eight rooms.
18:08Everything is now dry, thank goodness, above it, because we've had the roof fixed.
18:14Working above your head is so much harder than what you think.
18:18I'm using muscles I did not know I had.
18:23I think that is it.
18:28Debbie's gradually making progress,
18:31and is hoping that creating the wall panels will prove a simple task.
18:37I'm feeling a little bit nervous.
18:39Never done this before.
18:40I obviously have only so many of these mouldings,
18:46so I need to make sure I do it right.
18:53I don't know if that's right or not.
18:55That's not right.
18:57I need to be that angle,
19:00so that means I need to move there.
19:04I need to cut here.
19:14I did it right.
19:15Look at that.
19:21My very first square.
19:23How cool is that?
19:26With the first panel a success,
19:28it just needs putting in pride of place.
19:33I do not know how much you're meant to put on.
19:38It's certainly sticky.
19:40So that needs to go that way.
19:51I'm going to push it into place.
19:54It looks spot on.
19:56Oh, my goodness.
19:57I'm so excited.
19:58It's worked.
19:59I have been wanting to do this for a long, long time.
20:02I'm so happy with it.
20:06Hello.
20:07Hello.
20:08And Debbie is eager to show it off to Dave.
20:12That looks really good.
20:14It's so exciting, isn't it?
20:15Did you do that all by yourself?
20:16Of course I did.
20:18Better than I can do.
20:19You've always wanted to do your own panelling,
20:22and now you've started.
20:24I'm so excited about it.
20:26Having got the seal of approval,
20:28Debbie's craft room is heading in the right direction.
20:32But with more panels to add,
20:34and the space to decorate,
20:37she's not home and dry just yet.
20:48In northern France, at Moulin du Cuenon,
20:52Donna and Paul's master suite is moving a step closer
20:57as they've begun to decorate their lavish bathroom.
21:01They've laid down the floor tiles,
21:04added wallpaper
21:06and installed a luxury shower.
21:09It looks fantastic, doesn't it?
21:11Yeah.
21:11I'm happy.
21:13It's getting there.
21:15They're still far from finished,
21:17especially as Paul has lots of plumbing to do.
21:23So this is for the water to flow into the top of the toilet.
21:28But they are purposely quite tight,
21:30but it makes it a bit challenging too.
21:33So what I'm going to use is some soapy water.
21:38Hopefully it will help.
21:46Hopefully this will function directly and when we flush out the water, it will go away.
21:52Donna also has a challenge with her new bathroom cabinets.
21:56I bought these because they said they were anthracite black.
22:01But it was only as we got them assembled and actually put what's going to be the splashback tiles,
22:06which are black,
22:09next to them we realised they are very much blue.
22:13Because we've got anthracite windows, we've got black shower cubicle,
22:19after a lot of heartache we decided to spray them.
22:30The TV, it should flush.
22:34I hope my plumbing is all connected.
22:41Ah!
22:44OK, something's not connected.
22:47Annoyingly.
22:48Have you got a leak?
22:49I have.
22:51It's from the toilet itself.
22:52It's from the cistern.
22:54Hmm.
22:56That's the problem with that concealed cistern and you don't really know where the leak is,
23:01because it's behind the partition.
23:06The only annoying thing now is that the toilet is also full of water.
23:17Have you found out where it is?
23:18Well, I think it's a gasket, because I put it in the back of the toilet
23:21and I thought I'd managed to square up the pipe, but, because it was at a weird angle, so...
23:25That's the gasket I had hold of the other day and you went,
23:28that's a very important gasket.
23:29It is a very important gasket.
23:30And it obviously is.
23:31It's even more important that you put it on the right one in the sweater.
23:35With the problem solved, Paul hopes it's second time lucky.
23:44I'm not confident that's actually in.
23:47Only one way to find out.
23:56All right.
23:58There's no water, so I think that's got it.
24:02Woo-hoo!
24:03We have a toilet.
24:05We have.
24:06Oh, it looks very nice.
24:09Donna and Paul's project is back on track.
24:13But with the bathroom to complete and a dressing room to install, the challenges are far from over.
24:26Still to come, Louisa and Roger strike lucky.
24:31That's an oldie.
24:32French Empire.
24:34And by the...
24:34It's only Napoleon.
24:35It's got to be.
24:36And it's the moment of truth for Debbie.
24:38Right.
24:39You need to close your eyes.
24:40Okay.
24:41Ready?
24:41Yep.
24:42Yeah.
24:50In southwest France, at Chateau de Montesquieu, Louisa and Roger are forging ahead with their JNCO suite bathroom.
25:03This is coming off well for a change.
25:07As they've almost removed enough wall panels to start the plumbing.
25:14Oh, look.
25:16What is it?
25:17Money.
25:17Is it really?
25:18A coin?
25:19No.
25:19It is a coin.
25:20Is it a Deutschmark?
25:21Looks like it.
25:22Is it really?
25:22I don't know.
25:23It's got a...
25:25That's an oldie.
25:26That looks like an eagle.
25:28Dice something.
25:29I'm just going to take a photograph of it and then I can enlarge it.
25:32I think that's a D-Front.
25:34Ten francs.
25:36But ten old francs, 19th century.
25:38Who knows?
25:40My paper bathroom.
25:42Look, here you go.
25:43Hold that.
25:43If you have a look there, it's written Empire.
25:46Empire, yeah.
25:47Francais.
25:48French Empire.
25:49Empire.
25:49It's only Napoleon.
25:51It's got to be.
25:51It's a Napoleon.
25:52Well, this is really cool.
25:54I just want to Google it just a minute.
25:55Pierre Francais.
25:56That's it?
25:57That's it.
25:58That's it there.
25:59Napoleon III, 1852 to 1857.
26:03Does it say how much it's worth?
26:05It's worth 200 euros.
26:07200?
26:08No.
26:08Yes.
26:09I've taken off loads of old walls and I've never found a coin at all before,
26:13let alone a Napoleonic Empire coin, which is dead exciting.
26:17We're definitely going to have to find something to do with that,
26:19to put that in a presentation case or something.
26:22It's a great find.
26:25And next door, in the bedroom, Louise is hoping to create her own piece of history.
26:32So I'm going to try and decorate the bed and give it a bit of an art deco feel to
26:36match the room.
26:37But first things first is give it a good old clean up because nothing's going to stick to it as
26:42it is.
26:46It's filthy.
26:48There's also signs of birds having been trapped in some of these rooms and settling on the bed.
26:55So that needs to be giving it a bit of a clean.
26:59This looks like a good 50 years of dust.
27:06With the bed frame spruced up, Louisa wants to trial out some paint.
27:12I'd like to pick out some of the features in some gold.
27:15I need to find something which is actually going to adhere to whatever the bed's been covered with before.
27:20I don't know if it's waxy, I don't know what's been there before, if it's water-based or anything.
27:25So I want to make sure that whatever I'm going to be painting on top of it is not going
27:30to bubble off
27:31or at least, you know, is going to properly stick to what's already there.
27:36It could be a case of trial and error.
27:40All Louisa can do is hope for the best.
27:44Oh, yes, perfect.
27:48That's sticking really well and that's the one I really want to use.
27:51So I'm really happy with that.
27:52That's a great colour.
27:53Fantastic.
27:55Their JNCO suite is slowly coming together,
27:59but with a whole new bathroom to create,
28:02they're still a long way from being wedding ready.
28:13Chateaux come in all different shapes.
28:16And no matter what size,
28:18the joy of these unique buildings is being able to entertain.
28:24Cheers, all.
28:25Cheers.
28:26Especially when they're steeped in history.
28:30Welcome everybody to this medieval meal.
28:32Cheers, my lord.
28:34And in the Loire Valley at the charming Chateau La Grande Maison,
28:39Ben and Billy are eager to create a special entertainment space
28:45to showcase its historic wine making roots.
28:49Today, we're in the pressoir.
28:51The pressoir is absolutely magical because wine used to be made there.
28:56So it's like a sort of museum piece.
28:58Today, we're turning it back to a beautiful bar.
29:03Previously used as a dumping ground,
29:05the first task is to clear it out
29:09and see if they can salvage any old wine treasures.
29:15Well, these are all fantastic.
29:17I mean, they're so characterful, but they are very dusty.
29:22So I've got to get in here with a brush.
29:25Some of them look like they're in danger of falling apart, actually,
29:28so I'd better be a bit careful.
29:36I'm not going to do too much of them.
29:38It's just nice to keep the history alive.
29:42The nice thing about cleaning these up is that,
29:46in order to look authentic, they don't have to be too clean,
29:49which is my favourite kind of cleaning.
29:54Having made their first discovery...
29:56This weighs a ton, doesn't it?
29:58It's not bad.
29:59One, two, three.
30:01Ben's found an antique wine macerator.
30:04He's eager to make the centrepiece of the room.
30:08The way this worked, you've got the two rollers.
30:11The rollers crush the grape,
30:13and the grape falls through into a barrel.
30:16And I think it's...
30:17If you leave the skins with the wine for three days,
30:20you get rosé.
30:21In two weeks, you get red wine.
30:23It's great, isn't it?
30:24It's going to be pride of place on the bar,
30:26with some champagne in it.
30:28Well, Cremon de Loire,
30:29which is our local sparkling wine,
30:32which is extremely good.
30:36It's a novel idea,
30:37but Ben has a more intricate task to deal with,
30:41as there are birds nesting on the pressoir ceiling.
30:46We're happy to share it with the swallows.
30:48We don't want to disturb them.
30:49What we need to do is stop their droppings
30:53hitting our lovely light
30:55and going on the floor.
30:57So I'm going to build a little tray
30:59that goes under the three nests.
31:02It's an ingenious plan
31:04and should hopefully be an easy mission.
31:08It's one of those jobs you need more hands.
31:13And that all looks good.
31:17It's good.
31:18You can't see the nest now if you look straight up.
31:20So that means that's covering them all.
31:22Shall we call it the poop deck?
31:24The poop deck.
31:24I like it.
31:26With the problem solved...
31:28If you get that end and I'll get this end.
31:30...all that's left is to build the bar.
31:33Now that's it. Solid.
31:36...and dress the rest of the room.
31:42So you just throw them up there.
31:43They're just like a pile of junk.
31:44You arrange them.
31:45They're a work of art.
31:50Nice, Ben.
31:51This is looking great.
31:53Just a few hours ago, their run-down pressoir was cluttered, full of junk and was just a storage room
32:03gathering dust.
32:06Now, it's been transformed into a delightful rustic entertainment space, which is filled with remnants of the Chateau's rich wine
32:17history, making it the ideal setting for any event.
32:23OK, we declare the bar open.
32:25OK, well done.
32:28And what better way to celebrate than with their daughter, Ella.
32:33Well done, Ella.
32:34Well done, you worked so hard.
32:36It was a good day, wasn't it?
32:37Yes.
32:37You've got so much done.
32:38Oh, it's great.
32:39Yeah.
32:40This is the nicest place to hang out.
32:42Oh, that looks really good.
32:43Cheers.
32:43Cheers.
32:44Cheers.
32:46It's been a job well done, and with the party season upon them, they can look forward to a very
32:53busy summer.
33:01In the Auvergne region of central France, Debbie's craft room has almost been painted.
33:09But there's still lots to be done.
33:13It's taken longer than anticipated.
33:15I have roped in some friends, Paula and Lee, to get it going because I have a mountain to climb.
33:21While friend Lee continues with the panelling.
33:25Magic.
33:27Debbie wants Paula's help to bring some flair to a flat pack bookcase.
33:33We are going to put this gorgeous vintage wallpaper on the back.
33:39Very nice.
33:41As she's keen to have a stylish space to store her arts and crafts.
33:48It's sticking.
33:50Oh, this is easy.
33:53I like this full paper.
34:01It looks really nice.
34:03That's pretty.
34:03Right.
34:04OK.
34:06With her newfound woodworking skills, Debbie's also wanting to add beading.
34:11Hey.
34:13Let's see if this works.
34:16Oh, like a glove.
34:18Perfect.
34:21It's a quick way of actually making something look vintage that you already have.
34:27I like the fact that we're reusing an old piece, I mean old piece of flat back furniture, into something
34:35so different.
34:39That looks good.
34:41Debbie's vision is taking shape, and with the craft room now fully painted and panelled, it just needs furnishing.
34:50This is the first one.
34:54OK.
34:56And she's eager to make it her own personal space.
35:00This is my mother's easel.
35:03And I've always wanted to actually put it in my craft room.
35:10I can actually start using it and painting it, so it's really exciting.
35:15There we go.
35:16That looks nice.
35:18Slowly getting there.
35:24Nearly there.
35:26I'm very happy with that.
35:31A few months ago, this was a bland, plain storage room.
35:39Now, it's been transformed into a bright and stylish craft studio for Debbie to be creative.
35:48And having designed everything in the room, she's come through her first DIY project with flying colours.
35:57Right.
35:58You need to close your eyes.
35:59OK.
36:00Ready?
36:00Yep.
36:01And just hopes for Dave's approval.
36:05Open eyes.
36:07Wow.
36:08I know.
36:09That is, that is amazing.
36:11OK.
36:12It looks absolutely amazing.
36:14From what it was.
36:15Yes.
36:15To what it is now.
36:16Yep.
36:17It's just like a completely different room.
36:19It is, isn't it?
36:20It's my own space.
36:22I'm excited.
36:23I'm very proud of her.
36:25Aw.
36:25She's done amazingly.
36:26Why, thank you.
36:27Now that I've had a go, it kind of spurs me on.
36:30And each room will get quicker and quicker.
36:32And better.
36:32Because you know how to do them.
36:34Yes.
36:35Debbie's hard work has paid off.
36:38And now she's learnt a whole new set of skills.
36:41The sky's the limit on their next DIY project.
36:49Coming up.
36:50Louisa hopes her colour choice pays off.
36:53This is it.
36:54It's a leap of faith.
36:56Let's do it.
36:57And it's showtime for Donna and Paul.
37:00This leads into our new dressing room.
37:10In the Occitanie region of South West France, work in the Jinko Suite bathroom has ground to a halt as
37:19Roger's been decorating the turret tower and has come up with a plan for the hidden safe.
37:26We're going to try and get the wallpaper to match what we've fitted up here already so that, you know,
37:32it can have the same sort of feeling it had in the day.
37:35And then I want to tidy up the inside of the safe as well so that we can present things
37:40in there, perhaps some of the old documents or some knickknacks or things that we found around the chateau.
37:45So this could be an interesting room.
37:46Because otherwise, I mean, what do you do with a room like this?
37:49It's the sort of walkway between the bedroom and the bathroom.
37:53And I think it'll just be forgotten if we don't make something interesting in here.
37:57Roger has it all mapped out, but first needs to match the wallpaper.
38:03It's a case of compromise of what is the least visible.
38:08You're never going to get it perfect.
38:11Next door in the bedroom, Louisa is ready to glitz up the four-poster, starting with a good varnish.
38:20I'm going to splash this stuff on and bring the colour of the bed right down.
38:25I'd like it to look sort of dark and aged and atmospheric.
38:32Great. Nice dark.
38:35I mean, it kind of glides off, but it nearly sticks to anything, this stuff.
38:47It's giving it so much more depth.
38:53This is it.
38:54I've finished lacquering the bed.
38:56It's all done.
38:57And now the moment of truth.
38:59I want to find out what the gold bands would look like.
39:02I've definitely picked the top one that I was trialling.
39:05And I'm just masking it off a bit, although I won't be able to actually trust the masking tape.
39:09It's a leap of faith. Let's do it.
39:13Louisa just hopes it matches her Art Deco vision.
39:19Ooh, yes.
39:21That is going to work.
39:24I think I like gold.
39:26It's beautiful.
39:28I feel like I'm actually painting real gold.
39:31It's ridiculous.
39:33It's all gradually coming together.
39:36And with the safe seamlessly covered, Roger has made shelves to go inside.
39:43I kind of like to put a little decorative moulding down the front edge to smarten it up,
39:50but we'll check they fit first.
39:52It's a bit of a funny shape.
39:54Look at that.
39:56Something like that.
39:58Yeah, I'm happy.
39:59That's going to look nice.
40:00It's another small step forward.
40:04Ooh!
40:06It looks great!
40:07There it is.
40:08I'll tell you what, it matches with the wallpaper very nicely.
40:11I suppose that was the plan.
40:13It was a bit the plan.
40:14And with the bedroom also starting to sparkle, they're making good progress.
40:21But with the bathroom still in a state of disrepair, they can't afford to get complacent.
40:36In Brittany, in northwest France, it's a big day for Donna and Paul,
40:42as their grand master ensuite and plush dressing room is almost complete.
40:49The sink units have been fitted, the brass bath installed and the walls are fully blinged up.
40:57It's been a really nice challenge of trying to get the right decor.
41:01I think we've kind of ticked the box.
41:03The dressing room's Donna's.
41:05I think I'll still have a small cardboard box in the corners.
41:10With friends arriving imminently to have a look around, they're hoping it leaves a lasting impression.
41:20I'm sure they'll get a big surprise.
41:22I'm still kind of pinching myself.
41:24We've managed to do these two rooms so, so fast.
41:27We're finally making this place our own.
41:30So, it's very exciting.
41:35Just four weeks ago, these two spaces were nothing more than empty shells with barely the makings of a floor.
41:46Now, they've been transformed into an opulent and sumptuous bathroom, complete with a stunning spacious dressing room that oozes style.
41:58Donna's eye for detail combines flamboyant wallpaper with chic industrial design.
42:08While the addition of tasteful furnishings, porcelain floor tiles and a lavish shower gives it an elegant feel.
42:20And with a bold, shiny brass bath as the centrepiece, it's perfect for luxurious pampering.
42:31With their friends here, it's time to see if their hard work has paid off.
42:38Hi.
42:39Welcome.
42:40Hello.
42:41Oh, wow.
42:41Good to see you.
42:42And you.
42:44So, this is our master suite.
42:46Oh, wow.
42:46This will be a lounge, and this will be our bedroom.
42:49And this leads into our new dressing room.
42:52From the bedroom into the dressing room.
42:55Oh, wow.
42:55Look at this.
42:56Oh, look at the wallpaper.
42:57Isn't it pretty?
42:58Oh, that is pretty.
42:59So, this is a stepping stone until you get to the en suite, which is through the doors.
43:04Oh, wow.
43:05Oh, my gosh.
43:07Oh, my gosh.
43:07Oh, my gosh.
43:08Jesus, it's beautiful.
43:09Oh, my gosh.
43:10How is this bath?
43:13Wow.
43:15Absolutely stunning.
43:15Look at the shower.
43:17The size of it.
43:18Look at that wallpaper, too.
43:20Don't adjust the wallpaper, then get all the credit.
43:22I do all the other stuff.
43:23What did you do?
43:24Put the ball in.
43:25Everything else.
43:26Just the walls, the floors, the shower, the plumbing, the electric.
43:30God, the plumbing.
43:31So nice.
43:32No, this is stunning.
43:33It's beautiful.
43:35It was really nice, their reaction.
43:37I think they were pretty shocked.
43:38Yeah, I think we think it's pretty wow, but you know, but you're working there every day.
43:42It was lovely.
43:43It was really nice, somebody else seeing it through their eyes.
43:46It's good to get that genuine reaction and the feedback of, you know, what we felt we'd got into the
43:51room, but I think they mirrored that as well and pretty complimentary in terms of what we had achieved.
43:57So it was great.
43:59Donna and Paul have done an incredible job.
44:03And with their master bedroom next on the to-do list, their dream of moving in is becoming a step
44:10closer to reality.
44:16Next time, one couple are in deep trouble during their pool dig.
44:23I don't want the horses to just fall in this hole.
44:26Oh, dear Lord.
44:28Others hit rock bottom.
44:31Do we not need that part of the floor?
44:34While Louisa's unearthed treasures go under the spotlight.
44:40The chateau is revealing more secrets than I bargained for.
44:43This is great.
45:05I don't think so.
45:06I don't think so.
45:17I'll walk back to you all in the hole.
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