Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 2, Episode 21 - Episode #2.21 - full transcript
Johnny and Ashley plan to host artist workshops and are busy preparing an outbuilding for a dining venue. Ben and Billie want to have foodie events so they are cleaning up an old winery building on their property as Mike, an acclaimed chef, is arriving to inspect the venue before he agrees to cater an event. Water is gushing down the stairs at Stephano and Nicole's chateau , taps in a bathroom and kitchen were left running.
I'm Dick Strawbridge,
and along with my wife Angel
and our two children...
Boy: Grapes!
Angel: Ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: we've lived
in this magnificent chateau
in France
for the last four years.
Angel: 1, 2, 3.
Dick: Whoo! Look at that.
Dick, voice-over: We are
renovating it as our home...
Dick: Right, so canapes.
Dick, voice-over:
and our business.
Dick: 2, 3, up!
Dick, voice-over: And it seems
we're not the only Brits
who have followed their dream
and have bought
a chateau to call home.
Woman: Absolutely
stunning. It's beautiful.
Dick, voice-over: So Angel
and I are back guiding
a new batch of adventurous
owners.
Angel: I know it's going to look
lovely.
Dick: That's bordering on
ridiculous.
Dick, voice-over: and catching
up with some old friends...
Dick: Yay!
[Stephanie laughing]
as they battle to
rescue their homes...
Dick: Stick it in the hole,
and let's just see how
far we can go.
Dick, voice-over: and try to
make them pay their way...
Belinda: Well, this has all gone
wrong 'cause 5 was
originally there. Pardon. Ha ha.
Dick, voice-over: and we'll
reveal more
about our own chateau
experience.
Angel: It's a balance,
and finding that balance is
really, really hard.
Dick, voice-over:
There'll be highs...
Dick: That's it! That's it!
Woman: Yeah!
Dick, voice-over: and lows.
Karen: Aah!
Clive: These stairs will be
the death of me, I think.
Emma: Aah!
Dick: But however hard
the going gets,
for these plucky Brits,
nothing beats life in
their very own castle.
[Cheering, indistinct chatter]
Dick: Today...
Take your throne, your highness.
[Man chuckles]
Dick, voice-over:
Angel's dad takes the reins
on a new project...
Dick: That's a bit far away.
Father-in-law: I know.
I'm trying to work that out,
yeah? Hang on.
Dick, voice-over: new chateau
owners start work on
their first business venture...
Johnny: She's a bit like
the Terminator.
Put a tool in her hand,
and off she goes.
Ashley: I've never done anything
like this before.
Dick: a family go all out on
their next renovation job.
Woman: That is dirty.
This has definitely not been
swept since the 1860s.
Dick: and a couple get more than
they bargained for...
Nicole: Wow. That's beautiful,
isn't it? It's amazing.
Dick: as they check out their
latest historic chateau.
Stephan: So we've discovered
this dungeon
where Joan of Arc was kept.
I'm constantly discovering
things
which I couldn't have imagined.
Dick: Across France, there are
hundreds of stunning chateaux
on the market.
Many sell for rock bottom
prices,
and that's why more and more
expats are snapping them up.
Two familiar faces who have
joined the club are
artist Johnny and his American
girlfriend Ashley.
Johnny: Aw.
[Ashley sighs]
Dick: We followed them last time
as they found
their dream home,
the 18th-century
Chateau de Lomenie.
Ashley: Oh! Wow. Beautiful.
Johnny: Oh, babe, this is
what we want, right?
I mean, this is just a dream
for an artist.
Dick: Now they've been here
for 7 months
after buying it for £412,000.
Johnny: To Chateau de Lomenie.
I'll drink to that, baby.
[Ashley chuckles]
Johnny: It's just beautiful to
look upon it inside and outside.
It is a dream come true.
Ashley: Every day I wake up,
and I think, "Look at that.
I own this!" It's crazy.
It's a fairytale. It really is.
Dick: Located in the south of
France near Bordeaux,
the chateau has 5 bedrooms
but comes with 15 acres of land
and several outbuildings.
Since picking up the keys,
Johnny and Ashley have had
their work cut out.
They had to replace the castle's
ground floor,
thanks to an infestation of
termites.
Johnny: It was a shame because
all we wanted to do
was decorate, but it was all
that odious, laborious,
necessary work that
had to be done.
Ashley: The floorboards were
completely gone.
Johnny: Yeah.
Ashley: And so we had to rip up
every single one.
And, you know, some of them
were just crumbling.
Dick: Luckily, they're both not
afraid to get their hands dirty
and saved a fortune by doing it
themselves.
Ashley: We were living in one
tiny, little room
because all the floors
were dirt.
Johnny: Yeah.
Ashley: Ha ha!
So it was an adventure.
Johnny: But you've got to love
it. You know, it's chateau life.
It really is.
Dick: Got it in one, Johnny.
But with that massive job out of
the way,
they now want to get
the chateau paying for itself.
The dream is to turn it into
an artistic retreat
within the next 3 months.
Ashley: We really want to do
art lovers' weekends
so we can teach people how to do
gilding, how to do
maybe plaster work, because once
money starts coming in,
then we can start to do other
things within the house.
Johnny: There's a lot to do
in the next couple of months.
Dick: Eventually, they want to
create a reception room
in the chateau's old library
and plan to transform
outbuildings
into an art gallery.
But first, they want to create
a unique space
where their art lovers can wine
and dine.
Ashley: So the plan is to have
this carriage house
as a really beautiful
dining area,
and it has a roof, but it's open
on both sides,
so, you know, it has
a nice breeze,
and I just imagine these big,
beautiful lunches in here.
But what I want to do is bring
back the original stone,
so the first thing I have
to do is
get rid of all of the plaster.
Ashley: I've never done anything
like this before,
but I just find it so much fun.
You can see how easily
it falls off.
And you can start to see
the beautiful stone underneath
as well.
It's not in bad condition.
Johnny: This is one of
the reasons why I actually adore
my girlfriend, is because she's
a bit like the Terminator.
Put a tool in her hand,
and off she goes.
Dick: Blimey! You weren't
joking, Johnny.
Johnny: Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait.
Wait.
Sometimes they just slide out.
Ashley: Ha ha! Sometimes you
just lift 'em up. Ha ha!
Johnny: But there's no fun in
that, right?
-No.
-So this is what she does.
She gets carried away.
She absolutely loves it,
don't you, baby?
Ashley: Ooh! Ah.
Dick: Ouch.
Steelies, not wellies.
Ashley: I'm gonna have some sore
arms by the end of the day.
I just have my trusty tool,
and I'm just smacking it,
and I'm hoping the whole wall
doesn't fall down.
It very well might.
Dick: Me, too, as they still
have to tackle the floor,
decorate,
and furnish the place.
170 miles north is the stunning
19th-century
chateau, La Grande Maison.
It's home to music producer Ben,
professional singer Billie,
and their daughter Ella, who
have moved here from Brighton.
Ben: We walk around the corner,
and suddenly, the house is
in front of you.
And I remember having
the feeling that I've only had
twice before.
The first time was when I met
Billie,
and the second time was when
Emma was born.
It really did feel like life
changed that very second.
Billie: Is that what you felt
when you met me?
Ben: Yeah.
Billie: Aw! So nice.
Ben: Yeah.
Dick: A stone's throw away from
the Loire Valley,
the chateau is set amongst
old vineyards
and comes complete with orangery
and winery.
Billie: We just knew we had to
buy it, didn't we?
We stayed up all night talking
and deciding
"Well, we either have to just
forget all about this,
or we have to move to France."
So we moved.
Dick: When Ben and Billie first
got the keys,
it was totally run-down.
It's now run as a boutique B&B
with two gites.
Billie: Our dreams for
the chateau were to live
a really creative life
and enjoy the countryside
and nature, all the aspects of
life that we enjoy.
The reality is that there's
a lot of hard work,
but we put in 7 years'
hard work...
Ben: The end is in sight, yeah.
Billie: So we're really getting
to the fun parts of the house,
as we call them.
Dick: They've recently turned
the orangery
into a stylish dining area
and plan a big opening
in 3 months.
So Ben and Billie have invited
a celebrated local chef over,
who they hope will do
the food for them.
Billie: Shall we have a look at
the wine press?
Dick: They also have grand plans
for the winery,
where they want to serve
canapes.
Billie: Wow. OK.
Ben: All right, then.
Billie: Yeah. Ha ha!
Dick: It hasn't been touched
in years, although it does house
a beautiful old wine press.
Billie: This room needs to be
generally tidied up
and changed from a working space
to a social space, basically,
so that involves getting rid of
dirt and painting.
Ben: And the idea is to turn
the whole wine press
into a lovely bar
or a beautiful place
for rustic dining.
And it was just not used at all
before we arrived,
so we really are
bringing something new
to this part of the building.
Dick: It's a great idea,
but there's lots to do.
First task is
to clear everything out.
Billie: These are actual vines.
We should try and do something
with those.
Ben: You can put it
on your back...
[Billie laughing]
when you tip
the buckets of grapes.
Dick: It's just great the
things you find at a chateau.
Ben: We'd like to demonstrate
to the chef that the project's
well underway
and we mean what we say.
You know, we're gonna get
the project finished on time.
Dick: With only 24 hours to go
before the chef arrives,
they don't have long to get
the place shipshape.
Billie: That is dirty.
This has definitely not been
swept since the 1860s.
Set in 15 acres of land,
two hours from Calais,
is the picturesque 18th-century
Chateau d'Humieres.
For the past 12 months,
British designer Nicole
and Belgian architect Stephan
have been renovating it
to run it as a high-end B&B.
Nicole: Do we feel like we're
living the dream?
Yeah, we are. Definitely.
Stephan: For me, the passion
comes seeing
these old bricks live again,
just seeing it's being occupied
by people again,
being used.
Dick: Last time we followed
them as they started
the transformation.
Nicole: Years of grime
on the walls
and in the corners
by the window.
Dick: With hard work,
they managed to create
a lavish reception area
and a beautiful bedroom.
Nicole: I think it looks really
nice.
Hopefully, everyone else
will, too.
Dick: 12 months on, their
B&B is flourishing.
Stephan: This weekend, we had
British people staying.
Next weekend, we have people
from Swiss staying there.
So the place is progressing.
Nicole: But--
Stephan: But.
Nicole: something else
popped up.
Dick: They've only gone and got
themselves another chateau.
And it's an absolute gem.
This is the historic
Chateau de Lucheux,
which comes with an incredible
thousand acres of land.
Part of an ancient fortress
dating back to 1120,
it's thought to be one of
the final places Joan of Arc
was held before her death.
A slice of history for close to
£1 million.
Stephan: We got the keys about
a week ago.
Nicole: Really excited.
Mad, but really excited
because it's great,
it's a fantastic project.
Dick: Located 60 miles
from Dunkirk,
this impressive building has
sat empty for years
and was last used as a school.
Nicole and Stephan want to turn
the castle into holiday homes.
Nicole:
There is a lot to do here.
-Yeah.
-Definitely.
Stephan: Oh, yes.
There's nothing like it.
I mean, you can do a chateau,
but I think you,
only once in your lifetime can
do a real fortress.
Dick: Today they're exploring
the grounds to get a sense
of what they've let themselves
in for.
Stephan: I'm sure we're gonna
find things which we
haven't seen before.
Dick: The land is littered
with ruins.
Stephan: Here's the chapel.
Nicole: The chapel.
Stephan: Want to have
a closer look?
Look at this. Look at the sheer
size of the thing.
Dick: One of the most impressive
ruins is this towering chapel.
It must have looked majestic
in its heyday.
Nicole: Ah, that's beautiful,
isn't it?
Stephan: It looks just like--
Nicole: It's amazing.
Dick: To get a closer look,
Stephan has brought
his trusty strimmer.
[Strimmer buzzing]
Nicole: We spotted a window or
a doorway lower down.
So we want to see whether we've
got access.
Stephan: Hey-oh! Not big.
Dick: Inside, looks like it
could have been an old crypt.
Stephan: I'm constantly
discovering things
which I couldn't have imagined.
It has to be explored.
No, but, Nicole, I'm sure you
could squeeze in, actually.
Come over.
Nicole: Hard work.
Stephan: We have something
to brick it up afterwards?
Nicole: Ha ha! I heard that,
by the way.
[Laughter]
Dick: Eager to see what he can
find inside, Stephan squeezes
himself in.
[Stephan exhales]
Stephan: Wow. Amazing.
We've got old writing.
"1870." "14--" And something.
Amazing. This is an old place.
[Nicole chuckling]
[Stephan exhales]
Dick: And outside, he's
discovered something else.
Stephan: My goodness.
We found a dungeon.
It's filled with frogs.
It's just a prison.
It's about 3 meters high,
3 meters deep.
It goes in, and there's, like,
this tunnel on the sides
where they'd just dump
the people and they'd
forget about them.
Nice day filled with nice
discoveries, huh?
Dick: I'd keep that strimmer
handy, though, as who knows
what else might lie amongst
the undergrowth?
Dick: Over at our place,
we, too, face
the battle to reclaim our
chateau
from the grips of Mother Nature.
Those trees are actually weeds.
Man: No messing around.
Dick: But you have to keep on
top of it, or it'll spiral
out of control.
Every time I come in here,
I'm very aware
there's masses to do.
There's one digging job
that's perfect
for Angela's dad Steve.
Steve: First thing we need
to work on is to get
that tree trunk out.
Dick: An old tree trunk is
blocking the new back entrance
to the coach house that we've
been renovating for him
and Angela's mum Jenny.
For these sort of jobs, I rely
on my trusty tractor.
But getting into
the walled garden can be
a bit of a headache...
Steve: This door's got to
come off.
Dick, voice-over: as it'll only
fit through the archway
when the door's taken off.
Steve: Ready to lift?
Dick: A little bit more. Ooh.
The wall is one bit off.
Come around. Bring her around.
Shut the door a bit, Steve.
Dick, voice-over: I've done this
many times,
but it never seems to get
any easier.
Dick: OK. First problem done.
Steve: It's quite a toy.
There's only a couple of inches
on each side.
Dick: Yeah, I know. We'll get it
through. Hold on.
Dick, voice-over: Now it's just
a matter of driving
with due care and attention.
Steve: You got about 3 inches on
your left.
Right.
Doing good.
Hang on, Dick. Hang on--
it's just...
Dick, voice-over: Lots of room!
Unbeknown to Steve,
I'm going to let him take
the reins on this one...
Steve: Right.
Dick: as the stump's
in his doorway.
Take your throne, your highness.
Steve: Ha ha. He does care.
Dick: Ha ha.
Dick, voice-over: He's never
used a digger before,
but it's never too late to teach
an old dog new tricks.
-Feel good?
-This feels good.
Dick: All right. Dig something.
Steve: Turn it off, please?
Dick: I won't.
Just don't break it.
Up. Up.
Started digging, Steve.
I'm watching.
Dick, voice-over: If he's going
to get this tree stump out,
Steve needs to dig down as deep
as possible around it
so it can expose the root.
Dick: No, not there.
Stretch it way out.
Dump it far away.
Steve: I know.
I'm trying to work
that out, yeah? Hang on. Ha!
Dick: Now a little scoop.
That's a very deep scoop,
Steven.
I'm not really being helpful,
am I?
Steve: It will take me
a little while.
Dick: Pressure
in the world, Steve.
I think I'll leave
you to that.
Dick, voice-over: I just hope
upon my return, Steve
has made some more progress.
At Chateau La Grande Maison,
Ben and Billie are preparing
for an important visit.
The in-demand local chef they
want for the opening
for their new dining area
is due in 6 hours.
Billie: Right. We'll see if this
is gonna be a nice color.
Dick: Before he arrives, Billie
wants to spruce up the winery
where they intend to serve
canapes.
Billie: Let's do a little patch
to test.
Dick: The problem is, she only
has one tub of paint
to do the lot.
Billie: All right. So a limited
supply of paint based on
the fact that we just have
a sort of a general mindfulness
about budget.
That's how we roll, literally.
And that way, when the surprises
happen,
you've got something in
your back pocket.
Dick: Wise words, indeed.
Billie: I'm really hoping that
we can do the whole thing
with one tub.
It's not the most exciting
color in the world,
but I think it is gonna just do
a great job lifting
the back wall, which is
the darkest part of the room.
So that's gonna just lift
the whole thing.
Dick: Time to bring in Ben.
Billie: I think immediately,
that is--
Ben: Yes, the color's
absolutely gorgeous.
Billie: much brighter.
Ben: I love it.
Billie: Oh, I think this is
gonna take two coats.
Ben: I mean, it could be two
coats, but on the other hand,
maybe you don't want it
too perfect.
Billie: No, that's a good point.
It will look older if it's not
perfect.
Ben: Yeah, maybe you don't
want it perfect.
Billie: I love that. I don't
want perfect. Who wants perfect?
Ben: No, exactly.
To do one coat.
Billie: It's much easier,
much easier.
Ben: Rustic look it is, then.
And Billie sets Ben to work...
Billie: Come on, Mitchell.
Put your back into it.
Dick: giving him all
the trickiest places.
Ben: This is officially
the most awkward painting
I've ever had to do.
Billie: Hopefully, we'll get
this good,
looking half-decent for
the chef.
Let's hope he's got some
imagination. Ha ha!
Do you know what?
It's getting on to 4:00.
And we've got to get set up
for 5:00,
so we probably need to get out
of our painting clothes
and get changed and maybe get
the paint off our hands.
Ben: OK, last little bit.
Billie: It's not the most
incredible-looking wall,
but it's definitely gonna work
within the whole feel
of the room.
Dick: The room still has
a long way to go,
but there is one big plus.
Billie: We didn't run out of
paint, so we're good.
Ben: Yeah, we're good.
Dick: Over at
Chateau de Lomenie,
new owners Johnny and Ashley are
busy turning
their carriage house into
a dining area.
Johnny: Uh-oh.
Ashley: I know. Termites.
They really--
Johnny: Had a nibble.
Ashley: They ate--see all
those tiny, little holes?
Dick: The termites are back.
Johnny: So after doing
the house termite treating,
you come into outbuildings like
this, and then you find
a little bit of
termite infestation,
and it's like, "Oh, should I go
ahead and spray?"
Dick: Luckily, it's only a small
area, so it should be
easily treatable.
And the wall renovation job
is soon done.
Johnny: There? You happy
with that?
Ashley: I think once it's
cleaned up...
Johnny: Yeah, and I think
that's good.
That looks like it's just
organically eroded over time.
A lot of people would come here,
and say, "Oh, ain't it a shame
about your wall? When are you
gonna get that done?"
We love it.
[Laughter]
It's done on purpose.
Dick: Now they have the task of
getting rid
of all the plaster from
the walls...
Ashley: I'm telling you, this is
harder than taking it off.
Dick: While Ashley is left to
do the dirty work,
Johnny checks on the latest
addition to their family,
a goat called Wilmont.
[Baa]
Johnny: He is a cuppa tea.
He's a really funny character.
Unfortunately, the poor goat
was dumped,
and no one claimed him.
Ashley was away, so I was pretty
lonely, and I saw his face.
And I think the next day,
I drove for about 6 hours
to pick him up.
You live in a chateau now.
[Baa]
Dick: In the coach house,
Ashley is cracking on
with the floor, but restoring
it back
to the original harlequin
style is going to be messy,
as concrete is covering
lots of it up.
Ashley: As you can see, you lift
up the big concrete chunks,
and all the beautiful pebbles
are stuck
to this side of the concrete.
So what would have to happen
would be we'd have to get
all of this half off of here
with the pebbles
and then re-lay the pebbles,
which is a big, nasty job.
Dick: So instead, Ashley
and Johnny have a cunning plan.
Ashley: We're basically gonna
gild all the concrete
so this will be a nice
distressed, chippy gold leaf.
So we're trying to make
something beautiful
out of something that's ugly.
Ha ha!
That's what we're doing here.
Dick: To prep the concrete for
the design,
Ashley needs to smooth it off.
Ashley: The problem is if you
don't get this up,
the gold leaf won't stick to
the concrete,
so I'm just trying to clean it
up a little bit.
There's just so much everywhere
you look.
Dick: It's a laborious job,
but, hopefully, the end result
will make it all worthwhile.
Ashley: Well, it looks much
better than it did before.
Johnny: It does, yeah.
Ashley: That's hard work.
Johnny: It is hard work, babe.
You're doing well.
Dick: Now for a final hose down.
Ashley: I think this room's
gonna be one of my favorite
rooms in the whole place. Yay!
All right.
Dick: Ashley's not the only one
who likes it here.
Johnny: Our first little prince
of Chateau de Lomenie.
Now do you want to kiss
him, babe?
Ashley: Yes. Aw.
Johnny: You should do it for
luck. Go on.
Give him a snog.
Now, that wasn't a kiss.
[Laughter]
Ashley: Aw. He's so cute.
Johnny: A little
creature for me.
Dick: At the historic
Chateau de Lucheux,
Nicole and Stephan
have arrived
back from their tour of
the grounds.
Now they're checking the inside
of the castle,
where they plan to build
their holiday apartments.
Discoveries might be thin on
the ground
as the interior's straight out
of the 1960s
and full of classrooms from when
it was a school.
Nicole: It's not really like
a chateau, is it, inside.
In terms of having features
and charm inside
and anything with any character,
it's all gone.
Dick: At least one part is
largely untouched--
the chateau's gatehouse, which
is thought to have
an incredible history.
Stephan: So now we've discovered
this dungeon,
where Joan of Arc was kept
on her death row.
She was here for at least
3 days and 2 nights.
Nicole: Just shortly before
being taken to Rouen.
Stephan: To Rouen, yeah.
Dick: Who knows what might be
lurking in there?
Nicole: So you want to start
taking it all out?
It's been a bit of
a dumping ground.
So we've got to pull
the junk out
and see what's actually there
that's of interest.
Hold on. I just want to check
for spiders.
Stephan: We're especially
looking for signatures
of Joan of Arc, so fingernails,
broken fingernails or something,
and a trail.
Nicole: You've watched too many
films.
[Laughter]
Stephan: Oh, my.
Nicole: Oh, there's a dead...
bird on there.
Look at that. Oh, look at that.
Nicole: It's a Mickey Mouse
board.
Nicole: It's really--
Dick: It seems this place must
have been used
as storage for the school.
There's all sorts of stuff
down here.
Stephan: Barbecue. We could eat.
-That's a relief.
-Ha ha!
Stephan: I would still like to
find her fingernail.
Nicole: Fingernails?
[Stephan imitating sound of
nails on chalkboard]
Dick: They have found something
of interest.
Stephan: No spiders. Wow!
[Nicole gasps]
Dick: An impressive-looking
antique wardrobe.
And with a bit of work, it could
be brought back to life.
Nicole: This is really nice.
I like this a lot.
I mean, look at that.
I mean, God, it's huge.
Mounds of dust on woodwork.
Dick: Well, they may not
have discovered any bits
of Joan of Arc, but at least
they're not empty-handed.
Stephan: OK? Ha ha.
Dick: Over at our place, I left
Angel's dad Steve to dig out
a tree stump blocking
the entrance to the coach house.
Steve: Not very successful at
the moment,
but I'm loving letting
the machine master me.
Dick: That's the spirit!
Having never used my digger
before, he's still trying to get
to grips with it. Bless him.
Steve: I got two levers,
each lever goes 4 ways.
And I haven't quite got
the hang of it.
I'm gonna master it but slowly.
Dick: How we doing, fella?
Steve: I'm all right, Dick.
Although it doesn't seem a lot,
but a lot of it,
been digging around the roots.
Dick: Have you got control
of it?
Steve: It is controlling me more
than I'm controlling it
at the moment.
Dick: I believe it. Yeah.
I'll get a bow saw and just
start sawing through
some of them, yeah?
Steve: Sure.
Dick, voice-over: As luck would
have it, the weather
takes a turn for the worse.
Steve's determined
to sort this out
and just keeps at it.
Dick: Scrape that one
towards you.
Put your teeth in there
and scrape it back.
Steve: OK.
You can do it, Steven. Go.
Dig, dig, dig. Dig, dig, dig.
Go down and pull towards you.
Down and pull towards you.
There we are.
Dick, voice-over: He's done it.
It's now straightforward to dig
out the entranceway.
And it's one less job I need
to worry about.
Dick: Right. Well done, Steve.
Ooh, how to keep your
father-in-law occupied
for a month.
At Chateau de Lomenie,
near Bordeaux,
new owner Johnny is in
the carriage house,
ready to start his gold leaf
floor design
for the weekend retreat
dining area.
Johnny: We're going to actually
go ahead and gild it.
I've done plenty of
walls before,
but it'll be the first time
I've actually done a floor.
With the wear and tear, it
will get a really nice sort of
aged patina, and the elements
is gonna oxidize
it beautifully.
Dick: Johnny's an expert in this
field, as he uses gold leaf
on much of his own artwork.
To start with, he wants to
darken the concrete
before adding the glitz.
Johnny: 'Cause we don't want it
to be so blingy that we need
sunglasses inside
the carriage house.
I think I might go and upgrade
to a big size.
This is gonna take a while.
Dick: Ashley's also getting
handy with her brush
on some dining room chairs.
Ashley: What I want to do is
paint them white
with chalk paint, and then I'm
gonna put gold leaf
on top of it, so it's gonna be
all white and gold,
and it'll tie in with
the floors,
and it should be a fabulous
place to eat.
But I've always sort of loved
DIY creative things.
But it's kind of interesting
because if you don't do
the white paint first,
this is what it looks like.
It's really blingy,
and so I sort of like it to be
toned down a little bit more.
Looks old and faded and chippy.
Dick: Ashley picked up the
chairs from a local flea market.
Ashley: These chairs?
Five euros each.
If you were to go out and buy
all this furniture brand-new,
it would cost a fortune.
So chateau owners have to be
crafty.
That is what I love about
living in France. Ha ha.
You get such amazing deals.
Dick: That's very true.
Meanwhile, Johnny's already
making light work of
the carriage house floor.
Johnny: So, yeah, I think we're
more or less finished.
We just got one little pocket to
do over here.
It's amazing, a little bit of
black paint,
the difference it makes already.
It's really lifted and brought
out the black in the stones.
So I can't wait to see it
gilded. I really can't.
Dick: Johnny's going to have
to wait a little bit longer,
as he needs to leave the paint
to dry overnight.
Johnny: What are we doing
today, babe?
Ashley: Renovating
a chateau, babe.
Johnny: How awesome is that.
Ashley: Ha ha. Pretty awesome.
[Rooster crows,
chickens clucking]
Dick: The next morning, and
Johnny's already rolling out
the glue, ready to get started
with his gilding.
Johnny: This is really gonna,
hopefully, give our little
humble carriage house a bit of
wow factor.
This will be a little bit of
a challenge,
but here at Chateau de Lomenie,
we love challenges.
Voila. Awesome.
I'm just gonna go and fetch
my leaf.
It's just beautiful,
extremely fragile.
Dick: Johnny needs to be
careful,
as at around £1.00 a sheet,
he wouldn't want any of it
going to waste.
Johnny: Now the wind
is picking up,
so this will be very
interesting.
Hmm. Play nicely now.
So as opposed to having
solid gold everywhere,
what I would like to do is just
pull and stretch the leaf
as you go along.
And what that creates is
a nice little bit of marble vein
effect.
Dick: With each sheet being as
light as a feather,
the slightest gust can cause
a problem.
Johnny: Doesn't matter which way
I turn it.
It may take 4 times as longer.
I think I might have to get
Ashley out here.
Hold that for me, babe.
Ashley: Mm-hmm.
I'll be your assistant.
Johnny: You'll be my assistant
alchemist. How about that?
That's it. So what I need to do,
just spread it,
take it away a minute.
Ashley: Note: Don't gold leaf
when it's windy.
Johnny: OK, this is a tricky one
now, 'cause the wind is
really kickin' a little bit.
Come on, baby.
Dick: It certainly seems
Johnny's going to have
his work cut out.
Johnny: Heh! What, shall we just
let that one go?
Dick: 170 miles north,
at Chateau La Grande Maison,
Ben and Billie are hoping things
will run smoothly,
as the local chef they want
for the opening of their
new dining area is
due any minute.
Ben: Well, apprehensive.
We would like a positive
outcome, and, hopefully,
he can see what we're trying to
do, and wants to be involved.
The orangery is looking nice.
Billie: Yeah.
Ben: All good to go.
Dick: Which is just as well,
as Mike,
one of the most sought-after
chefs in the region, is here.
Ben: Mike, how you doing?
Good to see you, mate.
Really good to see you. Good.
Thanks, mate. Thanks.
Billie: Hi, Mike. How are you?
Mike: Great. You?
Billie: Thanks for coming.
Ben: Yeah, fabulous.
Billie: We've got a few
finishing touches still to do,
but, hopefully, you'll get an
idea of what we're trying to do.
And, yeah, we'll show you
around.
Mike: Great.
Dick: First is the winery,
where they plan to meet
their guests with drinks
and canapes.
Ben: So you need to use
your imagination now, Mike.
Billie: Yeah. It's not finished.
Mike: I can do that. I can.
Ben: Yeah.
Mike: Wow.
Billie: OK, this is the space.
We're going to do a sort of
grape-themed mural,
grapes and vines coming out on
this wall.
Mike: Oh, nice. Yeah.
Billie: And the actual
wine press we're gonna restore
and put back into place.
Ben: And just make it a really
sort of beautiful, rustic
French space.
Mike: Great idea.
Billie: We can discuss--we could
arrange some little
apéro snacks
just to get them in the mood.
Mike: Sounds like a great idea,
you know.
You think you can do all this
on 10th September
because there's quite a bit
to do, isn't there?
Are you able to work...?
Billie: There is quite a bit to
do. There is.
And we are sure we can get it
ready for September.
Dick: With the promise of
the winery being ready
in 3 months, it's time to move
on to their piece de resistance,
the dining area in the orangery.
Mike: Wow. Hey, what a fabulous
place it is.
Ben: It was just an old workshop
before...
Mike: Well, it didn't look like
this.
Ben: No. We leveled the floor.
Because it was an orangery,
there was a big runoff,
so that wall was a foot lower
than this floor.
Mike: A place for the water
to run through.
Ben: To run out, yeah.
Billie: And we're gonna try and
have two big feature mirrors,
and then we're also working on
a water feature,
so there'll be a little sound of
running water.
Mike: And the sound of water.
Yeah. Yeah.
Ben: It makes it a lovely place
to eat.
Billie: We've been lucky enough
to eat your food before,
so we're hoping you might
do a restaurant night here
for the September event.
Mike: Right.
Billie: So it's a challenge.
Ha ha!
Mike: Challenge? Yes, great.
Ben: Yes.
Dick: Well, Mike's not giving
much away.
So fingers crossed, a glass of
local rosé will help him
make up his mind.
Billie: Right. Cheers, Mike.
Ben: Cheers, Mike...
Billie: Thank you so much for
coming today. It's amazing.
Mike: Yes. Sounds good.
Billie: Great!
Mike: I'm in.
Billie: Excellent. Ohh.
Ben: Great. Fantastic.
Fantastic.
Billie: Yes! Fantastic.
Mike: I love things like that,
as you know.
Ben: Excellent.
Billie: Brilliant.
Ben: Yeah, we can discuss
the days. Fantastic. Yeah.
Billie, voice-over: It's gone
really well with Mike.
He's up for it, and he's up
for doing the dinner.
Ben: We're really excited about
having him on board
because he's a fantastic chef.
And I think it's gonna make
for a really successful night.
Billie: Anybody that knows
Mike's cooking
will want to come to the night.
Ben: Will want to come.
Billie: It's gonna be
a hot ticket, isn't it?
Ben: Yeah, absolutely.
Dick: With Mike on board, Ben
and Billie are one step closer
to having their dream launch
night.
-Well done.
-Thank you.
-Well done.
-Good day.
Dick: At Chateau de Lucheux,
Nicole and Stephan
have finished exploring
the building.
Now it's time to get to work
starting with the first floor
of the main gatehouse.
Nicole: As you can see, this
space has been stripped bare
of every character.
So I'm going to try and bring
some texture and interest
into it.
Dick: It was last used as
an apartment 4 years ago.
The old kitchen, bathrooms,
and study area
will all need updating.
Nicole: It presents a real
challenge.
There's lots of elements to take
into account.
If you have a look at that
delightful fireplace,
for example, I have to contend
with over there.
Dick: Nicole and Stephan want to
get this apartment renovated
to rent out.
Any cash generated will help
fund the rest of the project.
Nicole: I find it easier
to go write.
My focus right now is
the gatehouse.
The idea is that it's fully
decorated.
We're even planning on
furnishing it.
Stephan: She's all about
interiors.
And I couldn't imagine any part
of it better than her,
so we want to have
the gatehouse
and in a presentable state
in about 3 months.
This being such a daunting
castle,
I have no clue what we will be
coming up against.
I don't know.
There's a million things that
can go wrong on this place.
Dick: While Nicole measures up,
Stephan has spotted
his first problem
in another part
of the chateau
Stephan: Oh, God. Aah.
Dick: Water is gushing all over
the place.
Stephan: Oh, my.
Dick: The mains have
been turned on,
and the first floor is
totally flooded.
Stephan: Yeah, somebody stole
that wash basin
and left the valves open.
But sometimes that's what
happens when buildings
are empty, yeah?
I hear more water running.
Oh, yeah.
The kitchen.
Dick: The taps in one of the
kitchens have also been left on.
Stephan: [exhales]
One problem solved,
the next one to go.
Dick: It's far from the ideal
start, and there's
no getting away from the fact
Nicole and Stephan have
a huge challenge on their hands.
Over at Chateau de Lomenie,
the gold leaf floor
for Johnny and Ashley's arty
dining room is taking shape.
Johnny: So we've gone ahead
and shut the doors now
just on one side, and it's made
a massive difference.
It really has, which is great,
because it means that
I can work a little bit faster.
Dick: Which is just as well, as
they want to finish decorating
the whole carriage house by
the end of the day.
Johnny: Hopefully, by this
evening, we'll be sitting here
as the sun's going down.
That'd be lovely.
I'm happy because I'm gilding.
I love gold leaf.
Ashley, if she stood still long
enough, I believe, would.
Dick: Ashley's also getting
in on the act
with another of her bargains.
Ashley: I found these
candelabras at a local
charity shop for two euros.
I love the style of them,
but I hate the color.
I'm just gonna cover it,
and then I'm gonna
age it after because it's gonna
be really blingy.
Johnny: We like our gold here,
don't we, baby?
Ashley: We do.
Dick: Although, Ashley seems to
have forgotten
how much it costs.
Johnny: She goes ahead and sits
on my gold leaf.
I must admit, when it comes to
my gilding,
I'm quite particular.
So this makes my skin crawl
when I just see...
Ashley: I'm just trying
to hide it from you.
Johnny: When I see that, babe,
it makes my skin crawl.
I mean, look at that. It's not
meant to look like that.
It looks like it's been dragged
through a hedge backwards.
Do you know how to make me feel
much better?
Ashley: What?
Johnny:
Wait till I hand you the sheets.
We gently lift the leaf, albeit
with much respect for fragility,
and honor it as we place it upon
our new Chateau de Lomenie
two-euro candlestick.
[Laughter]
Ashley: Funny, funny man.
It's really easy to work with
once you get the hang of it.
Dick: While Ashley's left to
her own devices,
Johnny can get on with finishing
the floor.
Johnny: I'm a very happy man.
I've got a little bit more
speed going
'cause it is a big space.
I'm thrilled to bits, actually,
that I've got
such a nice big canvas here.
But I'm just going to let
my creative juices
do what they do.
Thought it'd be a difficult job,
but it's very time-consuming.
Didn't realize
how long it would take.
Ashley: I'm gonna brush it down,
brush all the flakes off.
And you'll see all these cracks
come through.
It'll age it, and then this will
just look like it's
been there for centuries.
This is my favorite part.
Dick: But to brush
the floor down,
Johnny needs something
a bit bigger.
Ashley: It's coming off nicely
with this.
Johnny: Yeah, actually, this
broom is good.
Ashley: Yeah.
Johnny: This is a lot faster.
And also we don't have to stand
on it.
Right on cue, Boo Boo runs
right over it.
When you dust off, it's amazing,
you just get all these
tiny fragments of gold leaf
working their way down.
It's a pleasure to watch.
It does. It looks lovely.
600-plus gold leaves later
and some very sore knees,
we've actually finished the job.
Dick: Well done.
Ashley: Look at Abernathy
admiring it. Ha ha!
Johnny: Oh, look at that.
You happy?
Ashley: I love it.
Johnny: Well, can you imagine
when the sun hits this?
Ashley: Oh, that's gonna be
amazing.
Johnny: It's gonna be so blingy.
Ashley: Should we bring
the armoire in, table?
Johnny: Yup, table, armoire.
[Laughter]
The list goes on and on
and on, right? Ha ha!
Dick: In go the final bits of
furniture
they picked up from
a local market.
Ashley: Think it's gonna fit?
Oh, perfectly.
-If it fits. I don't know.
-Yup.
And now we just have one more
wing. Perfect.
Dick: In just two days, Johnny
and Ashley have transformed
this tired carriage house into
a shiny new dining area
they hope will wow future
guests.
Ashley: I adore this room
so much.
Johnny: How nice would it be
holding workshops here?
It's a beautiful place,
and hats off to Ashley.
She's done all this, you know.
It was all her idea.
Ashley: It was a joint effort,
as always.
Johnny: Yeah.
Dick: They've done
an amazing job.
Another phase of their goal--
to open an artistic retreat--
is complete.
[Cork pops]
[Laughter]
Johnny: A cheers for you.
Ashley: Cheers, babe.
Johnny: You've done an amazing
job. You really have.
And to Chateau de Lomenie, huh?
Dick, voice-over: Next time...
Nicole: We need to get that
exposed and see what's there.
Dick: Nicole and Stephan start
their huge renovation job.
Stephan: It's hard work.
Yes, it's hard work,
but it's rewarding work.
Dick: Billie pays a visit to
my Angel...
Angel: Hi, young Billie!
So lovely to meet you!
Dick: to get some decoration
advice.
Angel: Dick and I, we're both
a little bit tight.
[Laughter]
Dick: Johnny and Ashley squabble
over the next project...
Johnny: Just come down
just to have a look
to see what it looks like.
Ashley: No,
no. Just hear me out.
Dick, voice-over: so I step in
to try and help.
Is this really important?
Do you think it's worth all
the effort that's
gonna go into this?
Johnny: We are going
for this, yeah.
and along with my wife Angel
and our two children...
Boy: Grapes!
Angel: Ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: we've lived
in this magnificent chateau
in France
for the last four years.
Angel: 1, 2, 3.
Dick: Whoo! Look at that.
Dick, voice-over: We are
renovating it as our home...
Dick: Right, so canapes.
Dick, voice-over:
and our business.
Dick: 2, 3, up!
Dick, voice-over: And it seems
we're not the only Brits
who have followed their dream
and have bought
a chateau to call home.
Woman: Absolutely
stunning. It's beautiful.
Dick, voice-over: So Angel
and I are back guiding
a new batch of adventurous
owners.
Angel: I know it's going to look
lovely.
Dick: That's bordering on
ridiculous.
Dick, voice-over: and catching
up with some old friends...
Dick: Yay!
[Stephanie laughing]
as they battle to
rescue their homes...
Dick: Stick it in the hole,
and let's just see how
far we can go.
Dick, voice-over: and try to
make them pay their way...
Belinda: Well, this has all gone
wrong 'cause 5 was
originally there. Pardon. Ha ha.
Dick, voice-over: and we'll
reveal more
about our own chateau
experience.
Angel: It's a balance,
and finding that balance is
really, really hard.
Dick, voice-over:
There'll be highs...
Dick: That's it! That's it!
Woman: Yeah!
Dick, voice-over: and lows.
Karen: Aah!
Clive: These stairs will be
the death of me, I think.
Emma: Aah!
Dick: But however hard
the going gets,
for these plucky Brits,
nothing beats life in
their very own castle.
[Cheering, indistinct chatter]
Dick: Today...
Take your throne, your highness.
[Man chuckles]
Dick, voice-over:
Angel's dad takes the reins
on a new project...
Dick: That's a bit far away.
Father-in-law: I know.
I'm trying to work that out,
yeah? Hang on.
Dick, voice-over: new chateau
owners start work on
their first business venture...
Johnny: She's a bit like
the Terminator.
Put a tool in her hand,
and off she goes.
Ashley: I've never done anything
like this before.
Dick: a family go all out on
their next renovation job.
Woman: That is dirty.
This has definitely not been
swept since the 1860s.
Dick: and a couple get more than
they bargained for...
Nicole: Wow. That's beautiful,
isn't it? It's amazing.
Dick: as they check out their
latest historic chateau.
Stephan: So we've discovered
this dungeon
where Joan of Arc was kept.
I'm constantly discovering
things
which I couldn't have imagined.
Dick: Across France, there are
hundreds of stunning chateaux
on the market.
Many sell for rock bottom
prices,
and that's why more and more
expats are snapping them up.
Two familiar faces who have
joined the club are
artist Johnny and his American
girlfriend Ashley.
Johnny: Aw.
[Ashley sighs]
Dick: We followed them last time
as they found
their dream home,
the 18th-century
Chateau de Lomenie.
Ashley: Oh! Wow. Beautiful.
Johnny: Oh, babe, this is
what we want, right?
I mean, this is just a dream
for an artist.
Dick: Now they've been here
for 7 months
after buying it for £412,000.
Johnny: To Chateau de Lomenie.
I'll drink to that, baby.
[Ashley chuckles]
Johnny: It's just beautiful to
look upon it inside and outside.
It is a dream come true.
Ashley: Every day I wake up,
and I think, "Look at that.
I own this!" It's crazy.
It's a fairytale. It really is.
Dick: Located in the south of
France near Bordeaux,
the chateau has 5 bedrooms
but comes with 15 acres of land
and several outbuildings.
Since picking up the keys,
Johnny and Ashley have had
their work cut out.
They had to replace the castle's
ground floor,
thanks to an infestation of
termites.
Johnny: It was a shame because
all we wanted to do
was decorate, but it was all
that odious, laborious,
necessary work that
had to be done.
Ashley: The floorboards were
completely gone.
Johnny: Yeah.
Ashley: And so we had to rip up
every single one.
And, you know, some of them
were just crumbling.
Dick: Luckily, they're both not
afraid to get their hands dirty
and saved a fortune by doing it
themselves.
Ashley: We were living in one
tiny, little room
because all the floors
were dirt.
Johnny: Yeah.
Ashley: Ha ha!
So it was an adventure.
Johnny: But you've got to love
it. You know, it's chateau life.
It really is.
Dick: Got it in one, Johnny.
But with that massive job out of
the way,
they now want to get
the chateau paying for itself.
The dream is to turn it into
an artistic retreat
within the next 3 months.
Ashley: We really want to do
art lovers' weekends
so we can teach people how to do
gilding, how to do
maybe plaster work, because once
money starts coming in,
then we can start to do other
things within the house.
Johnny: There's a lot to do
in the next couple of months.
Dick: Eventually, they want to
create a reception room
in the chateau's old library
and plan to transform
outbuildings
into an art gallery.
But first, they want to create
a unique space
where their art lovers can wine
and dine.
Ashley: So the plan is to have
this carriage house
as a really beautiful
dining area,
and it has a roof, but it's open
on both sides,
so, you know, it has
a nice breeze,
and I just imagine these big,
beautiful lunches in here.
But what I want to do is bring
back the original stone,
so the first thing I have
to do is
get rid of all of the plaster.
Ashley: I've never done anything
like this before,
but I just find it so much fun.
You can see how easily
it falls off.
And you can start to see
the beautiful stone underneath
as well.
It's not in bad condition.
Johnny: This is one of
the reasons why I actually adore
my girlfriend, is because she's
a bit like the Terminator.
Put a tool in her hand,
and off she goes.
Dick: Blimey! You weren't
joking, Johnny.
Johnny: Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait.
Wait.
Sometimes they just slide out.
Ashley: Ha ha! Sometimes you
just lift 'em up. Ha ha!
Johnny: But there's no fun in
that, right?
-No.
-So this is what she does.
She gets carried away.
She absolutely loves it,
don't you, baby?
Ashley: Ooh! Ah.
Dick: Ouch.
Steelies, not wellies.
Ashley: I'm gonna have some sore
arms by the end of the day.
I just have my trusty tool,
and I'm just smacking it,
and I'm hoping the whole wall
doesn't fall down.
It very well might.
Dick: Me, too, as they still
have to tackle the floor,
decorate,
and furnish the place.
170 miles north is the stunning
19th-century
chateau, La Grande Maison.
It's home to music producer Ben,
professional singer Billie,
and their daughter Ella, who
have moved here from Brighton.
Ben: We walk around the corner,
and suddenly, the house is
in front of you.
And I remember having
the feeling that I've only had
twice before.
The first time was when I met
Billie,
and the second time was when
Emma was born.
It really did feel like life
changed that very second.
Billie: Is that what you felt
when you met me?
Ben: Yeah.
Billie: Aw! So nice.
Ben: Yeah.
Dick: A stone's throw away from
the Loire Valley,
the chateau is set amongst
old vineyards
and comes complete with orangery
and winery.
Billie: We just knew we had to
buy it, didn't we?
We stayed up all night talking
and deciding
"Well, we either have to just
forget all about this,
or we have to move to France."
So we moved.
Dick: When Ben and Billie first
got the keys,
it was totally run-down.
It's now run as a boutique B&B
with two gites.
Billie: Our dreams for
the chateau were to live
a really creative life
and enjoy the countryside
and nature, all the aspects of
life that we enjoy.
The reality is that there's
a lot of hard work,
but we put in 7 years'
hard work...
Ben: The end is in sight, yeah.
Billie: So we're really getting
to the fun parts of the house,
as we call them.
Dick: They've recently turned
the orangery
into a stylish dining area
and plan a big opening
in 3 months.
So Ben and Billie have invited
a celebrated local chef over,
who they hope will do
the food for them.
Billie: Shall we have a look at
the wine press?
Dick: They also have grand plans
for the winery,
where they want to serve
canapes.
Billie: Wow. OK.
Ben: All right, then.
Billie: Yeah. Ha ha!
Dick: It hasn't been touched
in years, although it does house
a beautiful old wine press.
Billie: This room needs to be
generally tidied up
and changed from a working space
to a social space, basically,
so that involves getting rid of
dirt and painting.
Ben: And the idea is to turn
the whole wine press
into a lovely bar
or a beautiful place
for rustic dining.
And it was just not used at all
before we arrived,
so we really are
bringing something new
to this part of the building.
Dick: It's a great idea,
but there's lots to do.
First task is
to clear everything out.
Billie: These are actual vines.
We should try and do something
with those.
Ben: You can put it
on your back...
[Billie laughing]
when you tip
the buckets of grapes.
Dick: It's just great the
things you find at a chateau.
Ben: We'd like to demonstrate
to the chef that the project's
well underway
and we mean what we say.
You know, we're gonna get
the project finished on time.
Dick: With only 24 hours to go
before the chef arrives,
they don't have long to get
the place shipshape.
Billie: That is dirty.
This has definitely not been
swept since the 1860s.
Set in 15 acres of land,
two hours from Calais,
is the picturesque 18th-century
Chateau d'Humieres.
For the past 12 months,
British designer Nicole
and Belgian architect Stephan
have been renovating it
to run it as a high-end B&B.
Nicole: Do we feel like we're
living the dream?
Yeah, we are. Definitely.
Stephan: For me, the passion
comes seeing
these old bricks live again,
just seeing it's being occupied
by people again,
being used.
Dick: Last time we followed
them as they started
the transformation.
Nicole: Years of grime
on the walls
and in the corners
by the window.
Dick: With hard work,
they managed to create
a lavish reception area
and a beautiful bedroom.
Nicole: I think it looks really
nice.
Hopefully, everyone else
will, too.
Dick: 12 months on, their
B&B is flourishing.
Stephan: This weekend, we had
British people staying.
Next weekend, we have people
from Swiss staying there.
So the place is progressing.
Nicole: But--
Stephan: But.
Nicole: something else
popped up.
Dick: They've only gone and got
themselves another chateau.
And it's an absolute gem.
This is the historic
Chateau de Lucheux,
which comes with an incredible
thousand acres of land.
Part of an ancient fortress
dating back to 1120,
it's thought to be one of
the final places Joan of Arc
was held before her death.
A slice of history for close to
£1 million.
Stephan: We got the keys about
a week ago.
Nicole: Really excited.
Mad, but really excited
because it's great,
it's a fantastic project.
Dick: Located 60 miles
from Dunkirk,
this impressive building has
sat empty for years
and was last used as a school.
Nicole and Stephan want to turn
the castle into holiday homes.
Nicole:
There is a lot to do here.
-Yeah.
-Definitely.
Stephan: Oh, yes.
There's nothing like it.
I mean, you can do a chateau,
but I think you,
only once in your lifetime can
do a real fortress.
Dick: Today they're exploring
the grounds to get a sense
of what they've let themselves
in for.
Stephan: I'm sure we're gonna
find things which we
haven't seen before.
Dick: The land is littered
with ruins.
Stephan: Here's the chapel.
Nicole: The chapel.
Stephan: Want to have
a closer look?
Look at this. Look at the sheer
size of the thing.
Dick: One of the most impressive
ruins is this towering chapel.
It must have looked majestic
in its heyday.
Nicole: Ah, that's beautiful,
isn't it?
Stephan: It looks just like--
Nicole: It's amazing.
Dick: To get a closer look,
Stephan has brought
his trusty strimmer.
[Strimmer buzzing]
Nicole: We spotted a window or
a doorway lower down.
So we want to see whether we've
got access.
Stephan: Hey-oh! Not big.
Dick: Inside, looks like it
could have been an old crypt.
Stephan: I'm constantly
discovering things
which I couldn't have imagined.
It has to be explored.
No, but, Nicole, I'm sure you
could squeeze in, actually.
Come over.
Nicole: Hard work.
Stephan: We have something
to brick it up afterwards?
Nicole: Ha ha! I heard that,
by the way.
[Laughter]
Dick: Eager to see what he can
find inside, Stephan squeezes
himself in.
[Stephan exhales]
Stephan: Wow. Amazing.
We've got old writing.
"1870." "14--" And something.
Amazing. This is an old place.
[Nicole chuckling]
[Stephan exhales]
Dick: And outside, he's
discovered something else.
Stephan: My goodness.
We found a dungeon.
It's filled with frogs.
It's just a prison.
It's about 3 meters high,
3 meters deep.
It goes in, and there's, like,
this tunnel on the sides
where they'd just dump
the people and they'd
forget about them.
Nice day filled with nice
discoveries, huh?
Dick: I'd keep that strimmer
handy, though, as who knows
what else might lie amongst
the undergrowth?
Dick: Over at our place,
we, too, face
the battle to reclaim our
chateau
from the grips of Mother Nature.
Those trees are actually weeds.
Man: No messing around.
Dick: But you have to keep on
top of it, or it'll spiral
out of control.
Every time I come in here,
I'm very aware
there's masses to do.
There's one digging job
that's perfect
for Angela's dad Steve.
Steve: First thing we need
to work on is to get
that tree trunk out.
Dick: An old tree trunk is
blocking the new back entrance
to the coach house that we've
been renovating for him
and Angela's mum Jenny.
For these sort of jobs, I rely
on my trusty tractor.
But getting into
the walled garden can be
a bit of a headache...
Steve: This door's got to
come off.
Dick, voice-over: as it'll only
fit through the archway
when the door's taken off.
Steve: Ready to lift?
Dick: A little bit more. Ooh.
The wall is one bit off.
Come around. Bring her around.
Shut the door a bit, Steve.
Dick, voice-over: I've done this
many times,
but it never seems to get
any easier.
Dick: OK. First problem done.
Steve: It's quite a toy.
There's only a couple of inches
on each side.
Dick: Yeah, I know. We'll get it
through. Hold on.
Dick, voice-over: Now it's just
a matter of driving
with due care and attention.
Steve: You got about 3 inches on
your left.
Right.
Doing good.
Hang on, Dick. Hang on--
it's just...
Dick, voice-over: Lots of room!
Unbeknown to Steve,
I'm going to let him take
the reins on this one...
Steve: Right.
Dick: as the stump's
in his doorway.
Take your throne, your highness.
Steve: Ha ha. He does care.
Dick: Ha ha.
Dick, voice-over: He's never
used a digger before,
but it's never too late to teach
an old dog new tricks.
-Feel good?
-This feels good.
Dick: All right. Dig something.
Steve: Turn it off, please?
Dick: I won't.
Just don't break it.
Up. Up.
Started digging, Steve.
I'm watching.
Dick, voice-over: If he's going
to get this tree stump out,
Steve needs to dig down as deep
as possible around it
so it can expose the root.
Dick: No, not there.
Stretch it way out.
Dump it far away.
Steve: I know.
I'm trying to work
that out, yeah? Hang on. Ha!
Dick: Now a little scoop.
That's a very deep scoop,
Steven.
I'm not really being helpful,
am I?
Steve: It will take me
a little while.
Dick: Pressure
in the world, Steve.
I think I'll leave
you to that.
Dick, voice-over: I just hope
upon my return, Steve
has made some more progress.
At Chateau La Grande Maison,
Ben and Billie are preparing
for an important visit.
The in-demand local chef they
want for the opening
for their new dining area
is due in 6 hours.
Billie: Right. We'll see if this
is gonna be a nice color.
Dick: Before he arrives, Billie
wants to spruce up the winery
where they intend to serve
canapes.
Billie: Let's do a little patch
to test.
Dick: The problem is, she only
has one tub of paint
to do the lot.
Billie: All right. So a limited
supply of paint based on
the fact that we just have
a sort of a general mindfulness
about budget.
That's how we roll, literally.
And that way, when the surprises
happen,
you've got something in
your back pocket.
Dick: Wise words, indeed.
Billie: I'm really hoping that
we can do the whole thing
with one tub.
It's not the most exciting
color in the world,
but I think it is gonna just do
a great job lifting
the back wall, which is
the darkest part of the room.
So that's gonna just lift
the whole thing.
Dick: Time to bring in Ben.
Billie: I think immediately,
that is--
Ben: Yes, the color's
absolutely gorgeous.
Billie: much brighter.
Ben: I love it.
Billie: Oh, I think this is
gonna take two coats.
Ben: I mean, it could be two
coats, but on the other hand,
maybe you don't want it
too perfect.
Billie: No, that's a good point.
It will look older if it's not
perfect.
Ben: Yeah, maybe you don't
want it perfect.
Billie: I love that. I don't
want perfect. Who wants perfect?
Ben: No, exactly.
To do one coat.
Billie: It's much easier,
much easier.
Ben: Rustic look it is, then.
And Billie sets Ben to work...
Billie: Come on, Mitchell.
Put your back into it.
Dick: giving him all
the trickiest places.
Ben: This is officially
the most awkward painting
I've ever had to do.
Billie: Hopefully, we'll get
this good,
looking half-decent for
the chef.
Let's hope he's got some
imagination. Ha ha!
Do you know what?
It's getting on to 4:00.
And we've got to get set up
for 5:00,
so we probably need to get out
of our painting clothes
and get changed and maybe get
the paint off our hands.
Ben: OK, last little bit.
Billie: It's not the most
incredible-looking wall,
but it's definitely gonna work
within the whole feel
of the room.
Dick: The room still has
a long way to go,
but there is one big plus.
Billie: We didn't run out of
paint, so we're good.
Ben: Yeah, we're good.
Dick: Over at
Chateau de Lomenie,
new owners Johnny and Ashley are
busy turning
their carriage house into
a dining area.
Johnny: Uh-oh.
Ashley: I know. Termites.
They really--
Johnny: Had a nibble.
Ashley: They ate--see all
those tiny, little holes?
Dick: The termites are back.
Johnny: So after doing
the house termite treating,
you come into outbuildings like
this, and then you find
a little bit of
termite infestation,
and it's like, "Oh, should I go
ahead and spray?"
Dick: Luckily, it's only a small
area, so it should be
easily treatable.
And the wall renovation job
is soon done.
Johnny: There? You happy
with that?
Ashley: I think once it's
cleaned up...
Johnny: Yeah, and I think
that's good.
That looks like it's just
organically eroded over time.
A lot of people would come here,
and say, "Oh, ain't it a shame
about your wall? When are you
gonna get that done?"
We love it.
[Laughter]
It's done on purpose.
Dick: Now they have the task of
getting rid
of all the plaster from
the walls...
Ashley: I'm telling you, this is
harder than taking it off.
Dick: While Ashley is left to
do the dirty work,
Johnny checks on the latest
addition to their family,
a goat called Wilmont.
[Baa]
Johnny: He is a cuppa tea.
He's a really funny character.
Unfortunately, the poor goat
was dumped,
and no one claimed him.
Ashley was away, so I was pretty
lonely, and I saw his face.
And I think the next day,
I drove for about 6 hours
to pick him up.
You live in a chateau now.
[Baa]
Dick: In the coach house,
Ashley is cracking on
with the floor, but restoring
it back
to the original harlequin
style is going to be messy,
as concrete is covering
lots of it up.
Ashley: As you can see, you lift
up the big concrete chunks,
and all the beautiful pebbles
are stuck
to this side of the concrete.
So what would have to happen
would be we'd have to get
all of this half off of here
with the pebbles
and then re-lay the pebbles,
which is a big, nasty job.
Dick: So instead, Ashley
and Johnny have a cunning plan.
Ashley: We're basically gonna
gild all the concrete
so this will be a nice
distressed, chippy gold leaf.
So we're trying to make
something beautiful
out of something that's ugly.
Ha ha!
That's what we're doing here.
Dick: To prep the concrete for
the design,
Ashley needs to smooth it off.
Ashley: The problem is if you
don't get this up,
the gold leaf won't stick to
the concrete,
so I'm just trying to clean it
up a little bit.
There's just so much everywhere
you look.
Dick: It's a laborious job,
but, hopefully, the end result
will make it all worthwhile.
Ashley: Well, it looks much
better than it did before.
Johnny: It does, yeah.
Ashley: That's hard work.
Johnny: It is hard work, babe.
You're doing well.
Dick: Now for a final hose down.
Ashley: I think this room's
gonna be one of my favorite
rooms in the whole place. Yay!
All right.
Dick: Ashley's not the only one
who likes it here.
Johnny: Our first little prince
of Chateau de Lomenie.
Now do you want to kiss
him, babe?
Ashley: Yes. Aw.
Johnny: You should do it for
luck. Go on.
Give him a snog.
Now, that wasn't a kiss.
[Laughter]
Ashley: Aw. He's so cute.
Johnny: A little
creature for me.
Dick: At the historic
Chateau de Lucheux,
Nicole and Stephan
have arrived
back from their tour of
the grounds.
Now they're checking the inside
of the castle,
where they plan to build
their holiday apartments.
Discoveries might be thin on
the ground
as the interior's straight out
of the 1960s
and full of classrooms from when
it was a school.
Nicole: It's not really like
a chateau, is it, inside.
In terms of having features
and charm inside
and anything with any character,
it's all gone.
Dick: At least one part is
largely untouched--
the chateau's gatehouse, which
is thought to have
an incredible history.
Stephan: So now we've discovered
this dungeon,
where Joan of Arc was kept
on her death row.
She was here for at least
3 days and 2 nights.
Nicole: Just shortly before
being taken to Rouen.
Stephan: To Rouen, yeah.
Dick: Who knows what might be
lurking in there?
Nicole: So you want to start
taking it all out?
It's been a bit of
a dumping ground.
So we've got to pull
the junk out
and see what's actually there
that's of interest.
Hold on. I just want to check
for spiders.
Stephan: We're especially
looking for signatures
of Joan of Arc, so fingernails,
broken fingernails or something,
and a trail.
Nicole: You've watched too many
films.
[Laughter]
Stephan: Oh, my.
Nicole: Oh, there's a dead...
bird on there.
Look at that. Oh, look at that.
Nicole: It's a Mickey Mouse
board.
Nicole: It's really--
Dick: It seems this place must
have been used
as storage for the school.
There's all sorts of stuff
down here.
Stephan: Barbecue. We could eat.
-That's a relief.
-Ha ha!
Stephan: I would still like to
find her fingernail.
Nicole: Fingernails?
[Stephan imitating sound of
nails on chalkboard]
Dick: They have found something
of interest.
Stephan: No spiders. Wow!
[Nicole gasps]
Dick: An impressive-looking
antique wardrobe.
And with a bit of work, it could
be brought back to life.
Nicole: This is really nice.
I like this a lot.
I mean, look at that.
I mean, God, it's huge.
Mounds of dust on woodwork.
Dick: Well, they may not
have discovered any bits
of Joan of Arc, but at least
they're not empty-handed.
Stephan: OK? Ha ha.
Dick: Over at our place, I left
Angel's dad Steve to dig out
a tree stump blocking
the entrance to the coach house.
Steve: Not very successful at
the moment,
but I'm loving letting
the machine master me.
Dick: That's the spirit!
Having never used my digger
before, he's still trying to get
to grips with it. Bless him.
Steve: I got two levers,
each lever goes 4 ways.
And I haven't quite got
the hang of it.
I'm gonna master it but slowly.
Dick: How we doing, fella?
Steve: I'm all right, Dick.
Although it doesn't seem a lot,
but a lot of it,
been digging around the roots.
Dick: Have you got control
of it?
Steve: It is controlling me more
than I'm controlling it
at the moment.
Dick: I believe it. Yeah.
I'll get a bow saw and just
start sawing through
some of them, yeah?
Steve: Sure.
Dick, voice-over: As luck would
have it, the weather
takes a turn for the worse.
Steve's determined
to sort this out
and just keeps at it.
Dick: Scrape that one
towards you.
Put your teeth in there
and scrape it back.
Steve: OK.
You can do it, Steven. Go.
Dig, dig, dig. Dig, dig, dig.
Go down and pull towards you.
Down and pull towards you.
There we are.
Dick, voice-over: He's done it.
It's now straightforward to dig
out the entranceway.
And it's one less job I need
to worry about.
Dick: Right. Well done, Steve.
Ooh, how to keep your
father-in-law occupied
for a month.
At Chateau de Lomenie,
near Bordeaux,
new owner Johnny is in
the carriage house,
ready to start his gold leaf
floor design
for the weekend retreat
dining area.
Johnny: We're going to actually
go ahead and gild it.
I've done plenty of
walls before,
but it'll be the first time
I've actually done a floor.
With the wear and tear, it
will get a really nice sort of
aged patina, and the elements
is gonna oxidize
it beautifully.
Dick: Johnny's an expert in this
field, as he uses gold leaf
on much of his own artwork.
To start with, he wants to
darken the concrete
before adding the glitz.
Johnny: 'Cause we don't want it
to be so blingy that we need
sunglasses inside
the carriage house.
I think I might go and upgrade
to a big size.
This is gonna take a while.
Dick: Ashley's also getting
handy with her brush
on some dining room chairs.
Ashley: What I want to do is
paint them white
with chalk paint, and then I'm
gonna put gold leaf
on top of it, so it's gonna be
all white and gold,
and it'll tie in with
the floors,
and it should be a fabulous
place to eat.
But I've always sort of loved
DIY creative things.
But it's kind of interesting
because if you don't do
the white paint first,
this is what it looks like.
It's really blingy,
and so I sort of like it to be
toned down a little bit more.
Looks old and faded and chippy.
Dick: Ashley picked up the
chairs from a local flea market.
Ashley: These chairs?
Five euros each.
If you were to go out and buy
all this furniture brand-new,
it would cost a fortune.
So chateau owners have to be
crafty.
That is what I love about
living in France. Ha ha.
You get such amazing deals.
Dick: That's very true.
Meanwhile, Johnny's already
making light work of
the carriage house floor.
Johnny: So, yeah, I think we're
more or less finished.
We just got one little pocket to
do over here.
It's amazing, a little bit of
black paint,
the difference it makes already.
It's really lifted and brought
out the black in the stones.
So I can't wait to see it
gilded. I really can't.
Dick: Johnny's going to have
to wait a little bit longer,
as he needs to leave the paint
to dry overnight.
Johnny: What are we doing
today, babe?
Ashley: Renovating
a chateau, babe.
Johnny: How awesome is that.
Ashley: Ha ha. Pretty awesome.
[Rooster crows,
chickens clucking]
Dick: The next morning, and
Johnny's already rolling out
the glue, ready to get started
with his gilding.
Johnny: This is really gonna,
hopefully, give our little
humble carriage house a bit of
wow factor.
This will be a little bit of
a challenge,
but here at Chateau de Lomenie,
we love challenges.
Voila. Awesome.
I'm just gonna go and fetch
my leaf.
It's just beautiful,
extremely fragile.
Dick: Johnny needs to be
careful,
as at around £1.00 a sheet,
he wouldn't want any of it
going to waste.
Johnny: Now the wind
is picking up,
so this will be very
interesting.
Hmm. Play nicely now.
So as opposed to having
solid gold everywhere,
what I would like to do is just
pull and stretch the leaf
as you go along.
And what that creates is
a nice little bit of marble vein
effect.
Dick: With each sheet being as
light as a feather,
the slightest gust can cause
a problem.
Johnny: Doesn't matter which way
I turn it.
It may take 4 times as longer.
I think I might have to get
Ashley out here.
Hold that for me, babe.
Ashley: Mm-hmm.
I'll be your assistant.
Johnny: You'll be my assistant
alchemist. How about that?
That's it. So what I need to do,
just spread it,
take it away a minute.
Ashley: Note: Don't gold leaf
when it's windy.
Johnny: OK, this is a tricky one
now, 'cause the wind is
really kickin' a little bit.
Come on, baby.
Dick: It certainly seems
Johnny's going to have
his work cut out.
Johnny: Heh! What, shall we just
let that one go?
Dick: 170 miles north,
at Chateau La Grande Maison,
Ben and Billie are hoping things
will run smoothly,
as the local chef they want
for the opening of their
new dining area is
due any minute.
Ben: Well, apprehensive.
We would like a positive
outcome, and, hopefully,
he can see what we're trying to
do, and wants to be involved.
The orangery is looking nice.
Billie: Yeah.
Ben: All good to go.
Dick: Which is just as well,
as Mike,
one of the most sought-after
chefs in the region, is here.
Ben: Mike, how you doing?
Good to see you, mate.
Really good to see you. Good.
Thanks, mate. Thanks.
Billie: Hi, Mike. How are you?
Mike: Great. You?
Billie: Thanks for coming.
Ben: Yeah, fabulous.
Billie: We've got a few
finishing touches still to do,
but, hopefully, you'll get an
idea of what we're trying to do.
And, yeah, we'll show you
around.
Mike: Great.
Dick: First is the winery,
where they plan to meet
their guests with drinks
and canapes.
Ben: So you need to use
your imagination now, Mike.
Billie: Yeah. It's not finished.
Mike: I can do that. I can.
Ben: Yeah.
Mike: Wow.
Billie: OK, this is the space.
We're going to do a sort of
grape-themed mural,
grapes and vines coming out on
this wall.
Mike: Oh, nice. Yeah.
Billie: And the actual
wine press we're gonna restore
and put back into place.
Ben: And just make it a really
sort of beautiful, rustic
French space.
Mike: Great idea.
Billie: We can discuss--we could
arrange some little
apéro snacks
just to get them in the mood.
Mike: Sounds like a great idea,
you know.
You think you can do all this
on 10th September
because there's quite a bit
to do, isn't there?
Are you able to work...?
Billie: There is quite a bit to
do. There is.
And we are sure we can get it
ready for September.
Dick: With the promise of
the winery being ready
in 3 months, it's time to move
on to their piece de resistance,
the dining area in the orangery.
Mike: Wow. Hey, what a fabulous
place it is.
Ben: It was just an old workshop
before...
Mike: Well, it didn't look like
this.
Ben: No. We leveled the floor.
Because it was an orangery,
there was a big runoff,
so that wall was a foot lower
than this floor.
Mike: A place for the water
to run through.
Ben: To run out, yeah.
Billie: And we're gonna try and
have two big feature mirrors,
and then we're also working on
a water feature,
so there'll be a little sound of
running water.
Mike: And the sound of water.
Yeah. Yeah.
Ben: It makes it a lovely place
to eat.
Billie: We've been lucky enough
to eat your food before,
so we're hoping you might
do a restaurant night here
for the September event.
Mike: Right.
Billie: So it's a challenge.
Ha ha!
Mike: Challenge? Yes, great.
Ben: Yes.
Dick: Well, Mike's not giving
much away.
So fingers crossed, a glass of
local rosé will help him
make up his mind.
Billie: Right. Cheers, Mike.
Ben: Cheers, Mike...
Billie: Thank you so much for
coming today. It's amazing.
Mike: Yes. Sounds good.
Billie: Great!
Mike: I'm in.
Billie: Excellent. Ohh.
Ben: Great. Fantastic.
Fantastic.
Billie: Yes! Fantastic.
Mike: I love things like that,
as you know.
Ben: Excellent.
Billie: Brilliant.
Ben: Yeah, we can discuss
the days. Fantastic. Yeah.
Billie, voice-over: It's gone
really well with Mike.
He's up for it, and he's up
for doing the dinner.
Ben: We're really excited about
having him on board
because he's a fantastic chef.
And I think it's gonna make
for a really successful night.
Billie: Anybody that knows
Mike's cooking
will want to come to the night.
Ben: Will want to come.
Billie: It's gonna be
a hot ticket, isn't it?
Ben: Yeah, absolutely.
Dick: With Mike on board, Ben
and Billie are one step closer
to having their dream launch
night.
-Well done.
-Thank you.
-Well done.
-Good day.
Dick: At Chateau de Lucheux,
Nicole and Stephan
have finished exploring
the building.
Now it's time to get to work
starting with the first floor
of the main gatehouse.
Nicole: As you can see, this
space has been stripped bare
of every character.
So I'm going to try and bring
some texture and interest
into it.
Dick: It was last used as
an apartment 4 years ago.
The old kitchen, bathrooms,
and study area
will all need updating.
Nicole: It presents a real
challenge.
There's lots of elements to take
into account.
If you have a look at that
delightful fireplace,
for example, I have to contend
with over there.
Dick: Nicole and Stephan want to
get this apartment renovated
to rent out.
Any cash generated will help
fund the rest of the project.
Nicole: I find it easier
to go write.
My focus right now is
the gatehouse.
The idea is that it's fully
decorated.
We're even planning on
furnishing it.
Stephan: She's all about
interiors.
And I couldn't imagine any part
of it better than her,
so we want to have
the gatehouse
and in a presentable state
in about 3 months.
This being such a daunting
castle,
I have no clue what we will be
coming up against.
I don't know.
There's a million things that
can go wrong on this place.
Dick: While Nicole measures up,
Stephan has spotted
his first problem
in another part
of the chateau
Stephan: Oh, God. Aah.
Dick: Water is gushing all over
the place.
Stephan: Oh, my.
Dick: The mains have
been turned on,
and the first floor is
totally flooded.
Stephan: Yeah, somebody stole
that wash basin
and left the valves open.
But sometimes that's what
happens when buildings
are empty, yeah?
I hear more water running.
Oh, yeah.
The kitchen.
Dick: The taps in one of the
kitchens have also been left on.
Stephan: [exhales]
One problem solved,
the next one to go.
Dick: It's far from the ideal
start, and there's
no getting away from the fact
Nicole and Stephan have
a huge challenge on their hands.
Over at Chateau de Lomenie,
the gold leaf floor
for Johnny and Ashley's arty
dining room is taking shape.
Johnny: So we've gone ahead
and shut the doors now
just on one side, and it's made
a massive difference.
It really has, which is great,
because it means that
I can work a little bit faster.
Dick: Which is just as well, as
they want to finish decorating
the whole carriage house by
the end of the day.
Johnny: Hopefully, by this
evening, we'll be sitting here
as the sun's going down.
That'd be lovely.
I'm happy because I'm gilding.
I love gold leaf.
Ashley, if she stood still long
enough, I believe, would.
Dick: Ashley's also getting
in on the act
with another of her bargains.
Ashley: I found these
candelabras at a local
charity shop for two euros.
I love the style of them,
but I hate the color.
I'm just gonna cover it,
and then I'm gonna
age it after because it's gonna
be really blingy.
Johnny: We like our gold here,
don't we, baby?
Ashley: We do.
Dick: Although, Ashley seems to
have forgotten
how much it costs.
Johnny: She goes ahead and sits
on my gold leaf.
I must admit, when it comes to
my gilding,
I'm quite particular.
So this makes my skin crawl
when I just see...
Ashley: I'm just trying
to hide it from you.
Johnny: When I see that, babe,
it makes my skin crawl.
I mean, look at that. It's not
meant to look like that.
It looks like it's been dragged
through a hedge backwards.
Do you know how to make me feel
much better?
Ashley: What?
Johnny:
Wait till I hand you the sheets.
We gently lift the leaf, albeit
with much respect for fragility,
and honor it as we place it upon
our new Chateau de Lomenie
two-euro candlestick.
[Laughter]
Ashley: Funny, funny man.
It's really easy to work with
once you get the hang of it.
Dick: While Ashley's left to
her own devices,
Johnny can get on with finishing
the floor.
Johnny: I'm a very happy man.
I've got a little bit more
speed going
'cause it is a big space.
I'm thrilled to bits, actually,
that I've got
such a nice big canvas here.
But I'm just going to let
my creative juices
do what they do.
Thought it'd be a difficult job,
but it's very time-consuming.
Didn't realize
how long it would take.
Ashley: I'm gonna brush it down,
brush all the flakes off.
And you'll see all these cracks
come through.
It'll age it, and then this will
just look like it's
been there for centuries.
This is my favorite part.
Dick: But to brush
the floor down,
Johnny needs something
a bit bigger.
Ashley: It's coming off nicely
with this.
Johnny: Yeah, actually, this
broom is good.
Ashley: Yeah.
Johnny: This is a lot faster.
And also we don't have to stand
on it.
Right on cue, Boo Boo runs
right over it.
When you dust off, it's amazing,
you just get all these
tiny fragments of gold leaf
working their way down.
It's a pleasure to watch.
It does. It looks lovely.
600-plus gold leaves later
and some very sore knees,
we've actually finished the job.
Dick: Well done.
Ashley: Look at Abernathy
admiring it. Ha ha!
Johnny: Oh, look at that.
You happy?
Ashley: I love it.
Johnny: Well, can you imagine
when the sun hits this?
Ashley: Oh, that's gonna be
amazing.
Johnny: It's gonna be so blingy.
Ashley: Should we bring
the armoire in, table?
Johnny: Yup, table, armoire.
[Laughter]
The list goes on and on
and on, right? Ha ha!
Dick: In go the final bits of
furniture
they picked up from
a local market.
Ashley: Think it's gonna fit?
Oh, perfectly.
-If it fits. I don't know.
-Yup.
And now we just have one more
wing. Perfect.
Dick: In just two days, Johnny
and Ashley have transformed
this tired carriage house into
a shiny new dining area
they hope will wow future
guests.
Ashley: I adore this room
so much.
Johnny: How nice would it be
holding workshops here?
It's a beautiful place,
and hats off to Ashley.
She's done all this, you know.
It was all her idea.
Ashley: It was a joint effort,
as always.
Johnny: Yeah.
Dick: They've done
an amazing job.
Another phase of their goal--
to open an artistic retreat--
is complete.
[Cork pops]
[Laughter]
Johnny: A cheers for you.
Ashley: Cheers, babe.
Johnny: You've done an amazing
job. You really have.
And to Chateau de Lomenie, huh?
Dick, voice-over: Next time...
Nicole: We need to get that
exposed and see what's there.
Dick: Nicole and Stephan start
their huge renovation job.
Stephan: It's hard work.
Yes, it's hard work,
but it's rewarding work.
Dick: Billie pays a visit to
my Angel...
Angel: Hi, young Billie!
So lovely to meet you!
Dick: to get some decoration
advice.
Angel: Dick and I, we're both
a little bit tight.
[Laughter]
Dick: Johnny and Ashley squabble
over the next project...
Johnny: Just come down
just to have a look
to see what it looks like.
Ashley: No,
no. Just hear me out.
Dick, voice-over: so I step in
to try and help.
Is this really important?
Do you think it's worth all
the effort that's
gonna go into this?
Johnny: We are going
for this, yeah.