- 10 hours ago
Chateau DIY - Season 11 Episode 18
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00:01Across France, there are thousands of spectacular chateaux.
00:06Many are in a state of disrepair.
00:10Now, they're being brought back to life by courageous owners...
00:15I've been running with it.
00:17I'm hoping it will look good. I'm hoping it will be usable.
00:19..who are taking on the ambitious task...
00:22The jobs that you want to do and the jobs that you have to do.
00:25..of restoring these timeless treasures.
00:28That's the first one done. Another 45 to go now.
00:33..into stunning new homes...
00:35Oh! Oh! Incredible!
00:39..and booming businesses.
00:41Do you mind now, kiss the bride!
00:45..there'll be triumphs...
00:47Woohoo! It's a small victory.
00:49But for me, it's a big one.
00:52..and tribulations.
00:53I do wonder, with all this, whether I've given myself too much work.
00:57..but however tough it gets...
00:59Ow! Stinging nestle!
01:02..those who have made the leap...
01:05..something!
01:06..something!
01:07..get to live like kings and queens in their very own castle.
01:16Today...
01:17..it's a race against time...
01:21..oh!
01:22..for an epic sweet renovation.
01:26Time's ticking and the wedding is approaching.
01:29..a barn makeover...
01:32..that looks great.
01:34..throws up a fresh challenge...
01:36..I have never in my life done this, never on the floor.
01:40..and, well, a last-minute intervention...
01:43..I'm gonna do something that you can't buy in a shop.
01:45..save a bedroom restoration.
01:48The curtains are heavy.
01:49I hope the brackets will hold.
02:00In the Occitanie region of southern France...
02:05..stands a historic 13th-century Château de Montespieux.
02:12..this 66-room castle has three wings...
02:16..set around a central courtyard...
02:19..and an impressive six towers.
02:26Largely uninhabited, it sat crumbling...
02:31..until former boat renovators Louisa and Roger...
02:35..stumbled across it on the hunt for their next adventure.
02:40I wasn't convinced the day we came to see the Château.
02:43We just stopped in.
02:44We rummaged through the bushes on the side...
02:46..just to get a glimpse of it.
02:47But I think just seeing the turrets...
02:50..it just seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
02:52I know all these things are sort of corny expressions...
02:54..but that's how it felt.
02:56When they build these amazing properties...
02:59..anywhere in the world, they want to impress you.
03:02And it does. It impresses you. It's beautiful.
03:06Sitting halfway between Toulouse and the Mediterranean coast...
03:12..the couple bought the Château in 2023 for £840,000...
03:18..with plans to create a luxury event venue.
03:24When we last saw them...
03:28..they were building an en suite in their private living space.
03:33Ooh, look at this!
03:37Ooh, well done!
03:38I think that looks smashing. I really do.
03:43Having started to renovate rentable guest suites,
03:47today, they need to get cracking.
03:54We're on the first floor of the south wing of the Château,
03:57and this is going to be a guest room eventually,
04:00part of a suite which is going to be two bedrooms
04:02and one bathroom suite.
04:05This is going to be part of what Louise is calling
04:07the his and hers suite with an en suite bathroom in between.
04:11This is the one that we're calling the his suite at the moment,
04:14so it's going to have quite a masculine feel to it, hopefully.
04:17Roger's been preparing the room for some wallpapering.
04:19You've been doing all the plastering,
04:21covering up all the cracks, getting it ready.
04:24Armed with Roger's trusty laser level,
04:27the pair set to work.
04:30Right, so try and get this on the line.
04:31Don't worry about anything else.
04:33Are we on the line or before the line?
04:35Right on the line, as close to the line as you can get.
04:39Got to get you sure the pattern matches, though.
04:41See where the pattern is?
04:42Yeah.
04:44That's it there.
04:45The pressure is on to get these rooms finished
04:49for a very special booking.
04:52Well, we've got a wedding happening in June,
04:54and we've promised the bride, and we don't, you know,
04:59she seems very keen that we make it,
05:01that we're going to have a certain amount of bedrooms
05:02ready for her party.
05:03We did think that we were going to be further ahead.
05:07There is a time pressure.
05:08It should be okay, but every time we start another bedroom,
05:12there's, let's just say, a bit more...
05:13a bit more involved in it than we thought.
05:17With so much to do,
05:18they just need everything to go smoothly.
05:24It's got bits in it.
05:27Oh, gee!
05:28Roger, it is super lumpy.
05:29It's just all of it is lumpy.
05:31Okay, get another bucket then.
05:33I'm going to get another bucket.
05:34Look at it.
05:35It's just all lumps.
05:36It's not just one lump I found.
05:37It's just all lumps.
05:38I'm going to get another bucket.
05:40This is why I usually do the wallpapering by myself.
05:44Can't you buy glue, you know, like put it in
05:46and you just dump it in and you mix it and nothing happens?
05:48That's what this is.
05:48That's what that is.
05:49That's already there.
05:51So I managed to get lumps in the no lump special glue.
05:58Paste problem fixed.
06:00They crack on with the rest of the room
06:02until there's just one section left.
06:06Ready for the tricky bit, Roger?
06:07Tricky bit.
06:07Yeah.
06:08They're all tricky.
06:09This is going to be a little bit tricky
06:11because Roger's going to have to cut around the mantle of the fireplace.
06:16Well, we've left the hardest bit to last.
06:18This is the most satisfying bit, surely.
06:20Yeah, it does look nice against the fireplace, doesn't it?
06:25I'm telling you, the fireplace is really going to pop.
06:34There you go.
06:37What do you think?
06:38Look at that.
06:39No, what do you think?
06:41Oh, I love it.
06:41I like it.
06:42Well done.
06:43It looks amazing.
06:45Look at that fireplace.
06:46It looks great with that backdrop.
06:48I love it.
06:49You like it.
06:49I like it.
06:51Job done.
06:52Well done.
06:54Next, they're moving from his to hers.
06:59And there's an all-sweet bathroom to create.
07:10Five hours north in central France lies the charming 20th century Chateau Chaumet.
07:20With 39 rooms spread over four floors and an acre of land, it's home to craft designer Debbie and IT
07:33director Dave, who swapped life in Darlington for a French Chateau adventure.
07:42I have a dream of doing arts and crafts retreats.
07:45Yes.
07:46We were going to wait until we retired to do that.
07:49But then, you know, we lost family, circumstances happened, we thought, why wait?
07:55And now, I can't believe we're here.
07:57We genuinely believe that this is our dream home, don't we?
08:00We do.
08:01Cheers.
08:03Yeah, once it's fixed up.
08:07Located two hours from Limoges, the couple snapped up the Chateau in 2023 for just £174,000.
08:19And the last time we saw them...
08:21There's everything including the kitchen sink in here.
08:24..they had begun renovating their barn into a workshop for Debbie's retreats.
08:30I think I might have to ask Dave to buy bigger brushes.
08:33Yeah?
08:34I think you might have to.
08:36With the barn whitewash complete, it's on to the next task.
08:44So the area behind me, which I know looks a mess at the moment,
08:48will eventually be our stock room and also shop.
08:51So we're going to actually have these units.
08:53They used to be the previous owner's doll displays
08:57and now they're going to be our stock and displays for our workshop stuff as well.
09:03So it's exciting.
09:05Friend Bella is here to help give the units a facelift.
09:14Gorgeous flower.
09:15It is.
09:16It is, you know, a lick of pink.
09:18This is going to look fabulous.
09:21Meanwhile, Dave is planning to refresh the old barn windows.
09:30Because of all the pink that they've used on the shutters and on the window frames,
09:34it's actually referred to in the village as the Barbie house.
09:41We went to the mayor's office to discuss about painting shutters and such like.
09:47And she said you can paint them any colour you like as long as it's not pink.
09:53So I'm really pleased with that.
09:55So we'll probably go with like a light grey or, you know, something similar.
10:03The putty is just basically crumbling out so all of this needs replacing and refilling.
10:11I've seen people do it.
10:13It doesn't look difficult.
10:15How hard can it be?
10:22Right.
10:23I've put the adhesive on.
10:25There you go.
10:26Inside, things are getting crafty.
10:32I want it to feel a little bit shabby chic.
10:34It won't be completely opaque.
10:37But which will actually be quite nice.
10:39Because then it will be like a shade of the blue, won't it?
10:42Yeah.
10:43And the reason for using a stippling brush is just to try and get in all the bits.
10:48Right.
10:48Are we ready?
10:49We're ready.
10:50I'll look at the next bits.
10:52Move this out of the way.
10:54So, let's just do...
10:58Oh, my word.
11:02Oh, that is so cool.
11:04How cool is that?
11:05That's amazing.
11:07That's exactly what we wanted.
11:09That's perfect.
11:09That's exactly what we wanted.
11:11Ready?
11:11Next step.
11:13It's a good start.
11:15But with nine cabinets to refurbish and all of the windows to complete...
11:21I'm thinking I'm knuckered.
11:23..there's a lot of work ahead.
11:30Coming up...
11:31OK, never mind.
11:32..it's the final countdown for a new bedroom suite...
11:36Just go for it, go for it.
11:38With some ride?
11:39That's it, you don't need to be perfect.
11:40..and have Louisa and Roger spread themselves too thin.
11:44There are like five billion colours of paint on it.
11:47The verdict is still out about the paint.
11:57In the beautiful Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of Western France...
12:03..lies the magical Chateau de la Boutiniere.
12:09..with 47 grand rooms...
12:13..and fairytale turrets.
12:17The building sits within a 52-acre estate, dotted with 20 outbuildings.
12:24It had lain derelict for five years, before interior designer Alison...
12:31..and builder Zion...
12:35..began transforming it into a dream home and luxury wedding venue.
12:42..it's a fairytale.
12:44There's nothing I don't like about it.
12:46The turrets, the staircases, the grandeur.
12:50I mean, every time you come out the door, you just have to take your breath away.
12:54I like to go with my coffee downstairs and sit outside.
12:59And I think...
13:01..well, there's nothing to ask for, you know, it's...
13:04..it's amazing.
13:11Located under four hours from Paris,
13:14the couple bought the place in 2021 for £580,000.
13:24Last time we saw them,
13:26they were working on a new guest suite on the second floor,
13:30where they installed a new stone fireplace...
13:34Oh, my word.
13:36That looks amazing.
13:38..and handmade panels on their new coffered ceiling.
13:43The pattern is right, the colour is right,
13:46so that's a big step forward.
13:48Today, they're carrying on with renewed inspiration.
13:53I've just come back from the UK
13:55having looked after our little brand-new granddaughter, Emmeline,
13:59who this bedroom is named after.
14:01We have three little granddaughters,
14:02Josephine, Vivian and Emmeline,
14:03and they each have a suite named after them.
14:06So this is the latest suite,
14:08so it's really important that we get this one done now.
14:12Their first task is to upcycle a bed
14:15that Alison's had for the last 20 years.
14:18OK, never mind.
14:23Alison's plan is to re-upholster the headboard...
14:27It's coming out.
14:28That was quicker than I thought.
14:30Here it comes.
14:34..and re-varnish the frame.
14:36Shall we take this outside?
14:38Yeah.
14:39And then give it the sand down.
14:41See what we can do with it.
14:42Yeah.
14:46This is where I think I'm being helpful.
15:05It's looking really nice.
15:06I think once we've varnished it and stained it,
15:09it's going to look just how I wanted it to.
15:10It was just a bit too dark at the moment.
15:17Nice.
15:18Is that what you want?
15:19Yep.
15:21Just go for it.
15:22Go for it.
15:23Put it on and go.
15:26Whistle and ride.
15:27Whistle and ride.
15:27Yeah, whistle and ride.
15:28Come on, hurry up.
15:31That's it.
15:32You don't need to be perfect.
15:33I'll do it with this.
15:40It's nice, isn't it?
15:41Happy with it?
15:44This could get messy.
15:47With the headboard still to upholster
15:50and the rest of the Emmeline suite to complete,
15:53Alison and Zion's work is far from over.
16:03Six hours south, near Toulouse,
16:08Louisa and Roger are hard at work in the new suite.
16:13Today, we're starting on the bathroom,
16:15the ensuite bathroom for the His and Hers suite.
16:19And you're starting on the paintwork in the Hers bedroom.
16:22The His bedroom has got more of a masculine feel to it.
16:26We're going for darker colours.
16:28Whereas the Hers bedroom hopefully is going to have lighter tones,
16:31is going to reflect a bit more of a feminine side to the suite.
16:34We'd really like to get this out of the way
16:36because obviously time's ticking and the wedding is approaching.
16:41There's a lot to do,
16:43as the bedroom needs top-to-toe decoration
16:46and the bathroom is currently an empty shell.
16:52Louisa makes a start on the woodwork.
16:54I think you're going to go for a feminine look,
16:56but then it ends up looking like a little girl's bedroom
16:58as opposed to a feminine.
17:01Go baby blue, it can be a bit...
17:03We'll see.
17:05I just want to put a first piece up
17:06to try and get an idea where the edge of the shower's going to be.
17:09..while Roger begins to build an en suite from the ground up.
17:15Oh!
17:18It's a nice blue, Roger, I like it.
17:21The couple have renovated houses before,
17:23but with plans to have nine luxury guest suites
17:27and three apartments here,
17:30this project is on another scale.
17:34I mean, just on this floor,
17:36we're painting a bathroom,
17:40the office,
17:42the bedroom,
17:43then the bedroom,
17:44then the bathroom.
17:45Then the corridor has got eight doors, nine doors.
17:49There's a lot of painting.
17:50And windows, of course, every time.
17:51And that's just south wing, middle floor.
17:53It's just important to portion everything up into bite sizes.
17:57Eventually, you need a wedding to push you into having a deadline.
18:01Because otherwise, you just end up with it being really,
18:05um...
18:05Yeah, really scary.
18:10We'll start with the areas we're going to hope to rent out
18:13and use it from a client point of view.
18:15Then we'll do the caretakers and our apartments.
18:17We've never taken on anything the size of this chateau.
18:21I mean, I don't expect we ever will again.
18:23And I...
18:24To be honest with you, prior to this,
18:26I avoided anything over a certain size
18:28because I thought it was too much for myself and Louisa to take on.
18:31But, you know, we fell in love with the place,
18:34so what are you going to do?
18:37With so many rooms in this very old building,
18:41DIY work is never quick.
18:46These shutters,
18:47there are like five billion colours of paint on it.
18:49I sanded them as much as I could
18:51to be able to get at least close enough to the surface
18:54that could get painted.
18:55The verdict is still out about the paint.
18:57I like it as a standalone colour.
19:00I think it's a very pretty colour.
19:01I'm not sure if that's the look.
19:04It seems to be drying a lot darker.
19:06I was hoping it was going to be more like a hint of blue.
19:10There's a lot more blue there than I thought.
19:14After a couple of hours' work,
19:16Rogers made a splash in the en suite.
19:20With a framework for the new shower wall.
19:24Come and have a look.
19:25See what you think.
19:25The first idea of the set-up.
19:28Oh, yeah, that's great.
19:30Nice big shower.
19:31Nice big shower. Perfect.
19:32It's going to be spacious.
19:34That's a really nice size.
19:36We wouldn't want it bigger, Roger.
19:37Certainly no bigger than that.
19:38No bigger than that.
19:39It's perfect.
19:40I like it black as well.
19:42It's different.
19:43No, that's perfect.
19:44That's perfect.
19:44I really like it.
19:44Well done.
19:45Well done.
19:46No, it's OK.
19:49The guest suite is well underway.
19:53I'm ready to stop.
19:54Are you ready to stop?
19:55Yeah.
19:55Shall we just do it then?
19:57Let's get the kettle on.
19:58But with wedding bells ringing, Louisa and Roger can't stop for long.
20:10300 miles north, in central France, Debbie is about to create a decorative floor for the Arts and Crafts Studio.
20:22So some time ago, I had this idea that I would like to somehow put a little bit of the
20:26chateau into the barn workshop area.
20:29And so I took a trace of one of the tiles that are in the entrance, a beautiful tile.
20:35And then from that trace, I copied it onto a computer and then gave it to Dave.
20:41And then Dave put it on his machine to create a stencil.
20:51So this machine here is what's called a laser machine.
20:55Basically, along the back, there's a laser tube which fires a laser beam through a series of mirrors,
21:01which goes to the head of the machine there through a magnifying lens.
21:07So basically, it cuts by burning through.
21:14So by looking at that, all it needs to do now is the double lining on the outside and the
21:19connectors.
21:20Yeah.
21:20And then it's done.
21:21Yeah.
21:22So yeah, a couple of minutes.
21:24And then you'll have your second stencil.
21:27Yes, and I can...
21:28And then you can crack on.
21:29I can crack on and do the floor.
21:36There you go.
21:37That looks great.
21:39Now, over to me for the floor.
21:42Yeah.
21:43Despite being an experienced crafter, there are some techniques that even Debbie has never tried.
21:49This is a workshop for arts and crafts, and I am learning as I go.
21:54I mean, it is an adventure having a chateau, because you're doing things outside your comfort zone.
22:00And although this is a very arty technique, I have never in my life done this.
22:06I've done this on furniture, I've done this technique on card making, but never on the floor.
22:20That looks good.
22:26When we came to France, we were a little bit concerned we were going to be isolated.
22:31But actually, from the first day we came to France, we met a community of French people as well as
22:42expats.
22:44And now, we have an extended family.
22:49There is probably about 40 of them in total that we've met that invite us every week.
22:57There's a social event, sometimes twice a week.
23:07This is the last one, and I need to make sure it's straight.
23:15Voila.
23:17It looks really good.
23:19This is a cement floor, and I didn't know how to actually, basically, make it look pretty.
23:24And I think I've done that by putting this tile design from the chateau entrance.
23:29I think it looks really good.
23:30But there's more DIY to be done to get this workshop ready for Debbie and Dave's very first crafting class
23:38in just a week's time.
23:44Still to come.
23:47Alison takes aim.
23:49It'll be fine.
23:50What can possibly go wrong?
23:54And Louisa and Roger...
23:56It doesn't want to stick.
23:57...take a pasting.
23:59Hang on, let me hold it there.
24:00Hold it there.
24:00Oh, it's coming off. Quick, quick.
24:03This was a bad idea.
24:08Thank you to me.
24:12In western France...
24:15With the new bedroom suite almost complete,
24:19Zion has a cunning plan to create a bespoke curtain fitting.
24:25In the Emmeline suite, we have a bay window.
24:29So I found an old heating pipe.
24:32I bended the old heating pipe to suit the bay.
24:35And now what I need to do, I need to build brackets.
24:38It's going to take all his engineering and metalwork skills.
24:45I think I'm going to do something that you can't buy in a shop.
24:54Meanwhile, Allison, helped by friend Joanne,
24:58has her own upcycling job to do.
25:01The bed we're using has a pad on the headboard at the moment
25:04and the pad is the wrong colour, which is important to me.
25:08So I want to change the fabric on the bedhead pad to match the curtains.
25:15OK. Gone are all those tools, and here we go.
25:19Look at this.
25:22It's a bit bulky on the corner.
25:30My mum, she did curtains, she did all sorts of things,
25:34but she would do tiling, painting,
25:35which back in the 60s was really quite something.
25:38And I think her can-do attitude,
25:41bearing in mind she was a lady, she was doing DIY,
25:43which wasn't heard of back then,
25:45I think her can-do attitude is what gives me the opportunity
25:48to just do anything.
25:53And that's how you learn, just watching your mum.
25:56It's quite nice, because actually, my mum died last year.
25:59Yeah.
26:00But all the things I'm now using are the things she's given me.
26:05So, look, we can take that out.
26:07Actually, we'll keep that.
26:08We can probably do something.
26:09Yeah, no.
26:09There.
26:10There you go.
26:11Look at that.
26:12Very happy with that.
26:13Yeah.
26:14Now's the moment to actually put some staples in
26:17and keep this whole thing permanent.
26:20I don't know if I should hold it with you with that gun.
26:23Pointing towards you.
26:24It's thoughtful.
26:25It'll be fine.
26:26What can possibly go wrong?
26:30Take the fin off for a start.
26:33Oh, I wasn't ready for that one.
26:45Look at that.
26:47That's Kim Oatley's beautiful.
26:50OK.
26:51Onwards.
26:52Yes.
27:03That looks good.
27:05That's what it is.
27:06That's the finished one.
27:08Oh, yes.
27:09Look at that.
27:11Yep.
27:12Love it.
27:13Very nice, babes.
27:14Well done.
27:15That is perfect.
27:18Excellent.
27:19You're doing all right?
27:22Allyson and Zion are dancing to the finish line,
27:26but with lots still to do,
27:28they'll need to step up the pace.
27:37Back in central France,
27:42Debbie and Dave want to put in a seating area outside their arts and crafts workshop,
27:49using nearly half a tonne of sand and gravel.
27:53So I'm hoping this area is going to look amazing.
27:56It's going to be an area where people can have a nice little cup of coffee or have their lunch
28:00in between doing their workshops,
28:02or just want to just sit and enjoy the view.
28:06This is the last bag I'm going to use.
28:12Luckily, I did have enough materials.
28:14I thought I was going to be short on the sand, but it all worked out pretty well.
28:19And a few spare for when we finally do the edging as well.
28:22Is that looking all right then?
28:23Yes.
28:26Next, it's up to the attic to source some chairs for the workshop.
28:33OK, so I'd like these chairs here, OK?
28:37Yeah, yeah.
28:38Obviously not the ones with the hole in.
28:39Yeah, so all the wicker ones there, yeah.
28:41Yeah, but only the prettier ones.
28:43Of course.
28:43You sit down and tell me that's comfy.
28:45This will be more comfy.
28:49Is that nice?
28:50That's not bad.
28:51I think it's probably wider for me.
28:54Are you trying to say you've got a big bus?
28:58I feel like you're trying to say that.
29:01You put the words in and not me.
29:04OK, we'll go for those chairs.
29:12Right, where do you want me?
29:14Keep going.
29:15Keep going.
29:22Well, what do you think?
29:23Looks pretty good, yeah?
29:24It really is, actually.
29:25It's kind of exciting.
29:27There's just one final task for Dave to tackle.
29:31Which hook do you want it on?
29:32I think on this one.
29:38So, you said this one, Deb?
29:40Yeah.
29:41So, what's very exciting is I'm actually bringing some of the chateau into the workshop space
29:46because these chandeliers, we found so many of them in the chateau.
29:51So, I thought, let's try with a few, and then when I'm happy, we will have some of them as
30:00decoration,
30:00but some of them will connect to the electricity.
30:06What do you think of that?
30:08That looks really cool.
30:10Height is perfect.
30:13So, I've spent some time cleaning some of them.
30:17They've took a long time to clean.
30:19It's like a treasure hunt find, and that we're actually now going to use.
30:27That looks really good, actually.
30:29Yeah.
30:30And now I don't know whether I want a few or loads.
30:34I'll keep the ladders over in the workshop room.
30:38LAUGHTER
30:41It's one more job done, but with their first arts and crafts class taking place in just days,
30:49Debbie and Dave can't afford to hang around.
30:57Five hours south at Chateau de Montespierre,
31:02Louisa and Roger are in the female side of the his-and-hers suite
31:06and are about to step into the DIY unknown.
31:11For the first time ever, we're going to try and wallpaper the ceiling.
31:14The ceiling was wallpapered before, so we know it's possible,
31:18but we've never done it ourselves.
31:20And if we can get it right, it does give it a really chateau-y look.
31:23If we can get the first one on right and straight, we've got a chance.
31:29I just see tears.
31:31There could be tears.
31:37It's got to stick to the ceiling, Roger, somehow or other.
31:41This is the bit before it all goes wrong, the calm before the storm.
31:45Accessing the chateau's four-metre-high ceilings
31:48makes the task all the more difficult.
31:52This was a bad idea.
31:54We've got to get it lined along that green line on the ceiling now.
31:58I'm on the line there.
32:00Not bad?
32:01Now, how do I get that to stay on there?
32:04That's the question.
32:05It doesn't want to stick.
32:15So, you want me to hold it where?
32:16Just push it up roughly.
32:18There?
32:19What?
32:20Oh!
32:21Hang on, let me hold it there.
32:22Hold it there.
32:23Tell me where you want me to hold it.
32:24Right where I am.
32:25And I'm going to cut the other side in before it falls off.
32:27Oh, it's coming off.
32:28Quick, quick.
32:31I don't think we need another one.
32:32I think we're just going to do one, aren't we?
32:34I think one good papered ceiling, that's a feature.
32:37But two is too much.
32:41One down, nine to go.
32:43Nine to go.
32:44What?
32:44It looks wonky.
32:47I think you're going to have to live with it.
32:48It's good, it's good, it's good.
32:50Well, one thing I have realised is why I've never papered a ceiling before.
32:56It's too late to turn back, though, and there's a lot of ceiling to cover.
33:01Have you got it?
33:02I've got it.
33:03Well, I've got enough here, yes.
33:05So, we've got to just ease that in.
33:07It's definitely a two-man job, this, isn't it?
33:09No, I think you could do this on your own, Rog.
33:14After a few trips up and down the ladder, the second piece is in place.
33:20Ooh, that's good.
33:23And they decide to review their hard work.
33:27I love it, it's great, it's fantastic.
33:30We're done!
33:32Well, I've got to tell you, Louisa, that was almost as hard as I thought it was going to be.
33:36Oh, my God.
33:38So, how many have we got another four rolls to put up there?
33:41Yes, I love it.
33:43I do, I love it.
33:43I think the wallpaper is the great choice.
33:45Just looking at it with your shutters.
33:47It matches, it's fine.
33:48The blue is okay.
33:50We've still got a long way to go, definitely.
33:52These are the first tentative steps down the path, and there's a long road ahead of us.
33:56The wedding is still in about four months, so we should be all right.
34:00It should be okay.
34:00They will, they have to be ready for the bride, and if they're not, all hell will break loose.
34:07Yeah.
34:08Might have a bridezilla on our hands.
34:13After an exhausting few days, their first luxury guest suite is underway.
34:20But will it be ready before the bride and groom say,
34:24I do?
34:31Coming up.
34:32Here we go.
34:33Are the wheels going to come off before the craft class begins?
34:37Was it for when you were young?
34:40And Zion weighs up a potential issue in the guest suite.
34:45The curtains are heavy.
34:46That's one of the challenges we have, because it's something that I hope the brackets would hold.
35:00In central France at Chateau Chaumet,
35:06just hours before their first arts and crafts class,
35:10Debbie has a long list of things to do.
35:13We've got to finish the edges, we've got to tidy up the patio,
35:16we have got to sort out the beams.
35:19We haven't finished putting up the foliage on the beams.
35:23We've got to put the frames up, we've got to put the clock up, we've got to put the bike
35:26up.
35:26Oh my goodness, we actually have loads.
35:31Like it?
35:32I like it.
35:33Was it for when you were young?
35:37That's really funny.
35:40OK, let's get this on the wall.
35:45So, higher up, like that.
35:49Wrap it round the back like that, and then round the other wire, so it ends up being one.
35:58There you go.
36:02The good thing about these finishing off jobs is that once you do the last little bit and they're finishing
36:07off,
36:08it just brings it together completely and makes it look like, wow, it's finally complete, I've done the job,
36:15it's finished, I can move on.
36:22This belonged to my mum.
36:24Unfortunately, my mum passed away, and it's kind of poignant that it's here.
36:31My mum was my best friend, and she was my inspiration, and it was a shock when she passed.
36:39But then I lost my grandfather, who was like my father, he brought me up, not long after.
36:45And then Dave, bless him, his dad passed.
36:49So when they passed, it kind of gave us the kick up the backside to say,
36:54wake up, you've only got one life, one chance.
36:57And so that kind of instigated, actually was the main instigator of us moving to France.
37:04Being here even just a year, I wouldn't change it.
37:16Oh, wow.
37:18That looks amazing.
37:20That's exactly what I wanted.
37:22And it feels like my mum's here, so it's so nice.
37:24It really is so pretty.
37:27Once the technology is installed, and the final touches are added,
37:33it's time to down tools.
37:38Just a few months ago,
37:41Debbie and Dave's barn was a grimy, unloved space
37:45used as a dumping ground.
37:49Now, it's a warm and welcoming room, with revamped windows, upcycled furniture, and a new patterned floor.
38:01The repurposed lighting adds a soft glow.
38:07Outside, they've created an inviting seating area, perfect for students attending their first ever craft class.
38:17Bonjour.
38:18Bonjour.
38:20Bonjour.
38:22How beautiful, isn't it? Nice.
38:25Oh, look at me.
38:27It's amazing.
38:28The difference is amazing.
38:41What a transformation.
38:43And under Debbie's guidance...
38:46You are going to fold them in half.
38:48...the guests get to work.
38:51Debbie and Dave's workshop space is absolutely amazing.
38:54The way that they've decorated it, and the size, it's fantastic.
39:00You're going to tie the two together.
39:03Oh, the space is unbelievable in there.
39:05From what we've seen it for a year ago, it's really come together.
39:10Now that everybody is almost finished, okay, food is ready. I hope you've enjoyed it.
39:21This has shown us that we can run workshops here.
39:25Everybody's really happy, and now that we know the little tweaks that we need to do, I'm really looking forward
39:31to the future.
39:33It was a success.
39:34Yes, on the whole, it was a success.
39:37And even the sun's shining for you.
39:38The sun is shining, finally.
39:50Back at Chateau de la Boutiniere, the end is in sight for Alison and Zion and their bedroom suite renovation.
40:00Today's the day we want to finish the Emmeline suites.
40:02We want to reveal the room today to our little baby granddaughter, Emmeline, whose name is on the suites.
40:09With Zion's upcycled heating pipe now gleaming with new life, the curtains can be hung.
40:16The curtains are heavy, so that's, that's, I think, one of the challenges we have, because it's something that I
40:26hope the brackets will hold.
40:30Okay, I'll take it down.
40:32They look really nice as well.
40:35Really excited.
40:36Last one.
40:37Oh!
40:38Oh, hallelujah.
40:46I chose this whole room based on this fabric when I found it.
40:49I loved it so much.
40:50So when you actually get the fabric up, suddenly all the elements that you've chosen to go with the fabric
40:55just come alive.
40:58Next, they bring in the re-varnished bed frame with Alison's upcycled headboard.
41:18I've owned this bed for about 20 years and it's had a complete makeover.
41:22I'm really happy with it.
41:23It looks lovely.
41:27Finally, the room's all-important finishing touches can be added.
41:40Five months ago, this second-floor space was made up of three small bedrooms that were cramped, dated and unloved.
41:54Now, they have been transformed into a spectacular guest suite, complete with an incredible coffered ceiling built by Zion and
42:07adorned with Alison's hand-painted panels.
42:11The beams have been exposed and a beautiful fireplace installed, whilst Alison's eye for colour and design shines in all
42:22the elegant soft furnishings.
42:25All this, plus the luxurious en-suite bathroom, means they're all set to welcome guests.
42:42But first, to take a look at their hard work, are Alison's son, James, his wife, Melanie, and the room's
42:50namesake, baby Emmeline.
42:53Oh, look, she's asleep.
42:57There you go, look.
42:59This is the Emmeline suite.
43:02Wow.
43:02Oh, look at that.
43:03Oh, look at that.
43:04Oh, that's beautiful.
43:05I like the green.
43:06That is so nice.
43:08You see those roof trusses?
43:10Those were all hidden.
43:12The fireplace is a nice touch as well.
43:14It's lovely, isn't it?
43:14Zeon made that.
43:16And he's made the ceiling.
43:18So the coffin ceiling is completely new.
43:20I do love the ceiling.
43:22I love the colour as well.
43:23You're a very clever man, Zeon.
43:26I wouldn't do it without your mum.
43:29All right.
43:29Well, lots of love.
43:30Speak soon.
43:32Bye.
43:32Bye.
43:33Bye.
43:33Bye.
43:35It's an amazing result.
43:36When you look at it, it looks beautiful.
43:37It looks amazing from any corner, every angle, everywhere you look.
43:43It's very nice.
43:45It's sleek and modern with a touch to history.
43:49I love it.
43:50It's a really nice combination of old and new.
43:52I'm glad it's finished, but I'm so thrilled with it.
43:55The guest suite has been a labour of love for Alison and Zeon.
44:00But with an epic garden project to tackle next and the wedding season looming,
44:05there's no let up for this pair.
44:13Next time, one chateau pair take on a colossal garden challenge.
44:18Oh, dear.
44:20I'm really stuck.
44:21I'm going to have to dig the wellies out.
44:23Two DIY novices tackle a hazardous renovation job.
44:27OK, I'm just pulling the wire now.
44:29As long as the ladder is stable, I'm OK.
44:31And Louisa and Roger get caught in a pickle.
44:34Oh.
44:35Instructions.
44:36In Italian.
44:37Er.
44:38Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
45:04You're silly, but I could never show you some rules, obviously.
45:09You
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