Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 2, Episode 22 - Episode #2.22 - full transcript

Dick, voiceover:
I'm Dick Strawbridge,

and along with my wife Angel
and our two children,

we've lived in this magnificent
chateau in France

for the last four years.

Angel: This is why I fell
in love with you.

Dick, voiceover:
It's not just our home...

She'll be happy
with this.

Dick, voiceover:
But a business.

[Laughter]

And it turns out
we're not the only Brits

who have quit the U.K.
for the chateau life.



Woman: Oh, my goodness.

Absolutely stunning.

Hiya!

Dick, voiceover:
Now Angel and I are back,

helping more plucky expats
with their chateaus.

This is where it gets
interesting, doesn't it?

Dick, voiceover: We'll catch up
with some old friends...

I can't believe it.

Dick, voiceover: And meet
a new wave of daring owners...

Ah!

You broke it?
In the hole?

That's a bit
of an issue.

Dick, voiceover: As they battle
to renovate their homes

and make them work
as businesses.



We're out of coffee.

Dick, voiceover:
There will be ups...

and downs.

It's like wading
through treacle.

Dick, voiceover: But however
hard the going gets,

for these plucky Brits,

their homes really are
their castles.

[Cheering]

[Music playing]

Today, one couple's plans
for a mirrored ceiling

throw up
artistic differences.

We've just come down
just to have a look

to see what
it looks like.

Ashley: I've never...obviously
never seen it open.

Hear me out.

Dick, voiceover: But I'm on hand
to guide them through it.

Dick: Is this
really important?

Do you think it's worth
all the effort

that's gonna go into this?
Because he's gonna be busy.

Johnny: We are going
for this, yeah.

Dick, voiceover:
Angel receives a visitor...

- Hey! I'm Billie.
- Billie, lovely to meet you.

Dick, voiceover: Who's
in desperate need of help.

Billie: Your imagination
is incredible.

I need a little
sprinkle of it.

Oh, you sweetheart.

Dick, voiceover: And one pair
have it all to do...

Nicole: We need to get that
exposed and see what's there.

Dick, voiceover: As they begin
their epic renovation project.

It's hard work.
Yes, it's hard to work,

but it's rewarding work.

We're, like, chopping
down the wall,

and the result is
it's gone.

[Music playing]

Dick: Castles, palaces,
and manor houses with vineyards,

they're all types
of chateaux,

and France's landscape
is scattered with them,

ranging from ruins
to magnificent structures.

This beauty is the 18th-century
Chateau de Lomenie.

It was snapped up
for 412,000 pounds

by British artist Johnny and
his American girlfriend Ashley.

Johnny: It's charming, isn't it?
It is. It's lovely.

We adore it, absolutely.

It was always my dream

to restore something
like an old chateau.

And just to bring a piece
of history back to life

is...it's a dream.

Dick: Located outside Bordeaux
in southwest France,

the couple moved in
eight months ago

and are now turning the chateau
into an artistic retreat.

Johnny will be running
art classes in his workshop,

and there will be a gallery
featuring his work.

Until the chateau
starts making money,

Ashley has to fund
renovations

with frequent
work trips abroad.

[Music playing]

So far, they've turned
a carriage house

into an eye-catching dining room
for retreat guests.

Johnny: The quicker
that we get this done,

the faster we can bring
people through the doors

and actually have
an income,

which, in turn, means
that the chateau

is now our business.

Dick: Their next job
is the chateau's old library,

which they want to turn
into a reception room.

Johnny: We're really
excited about this room.

It's kind of like
the heart of the chateau.

That's how we view it,

because as soon as you arrive
through the front door,

you have to pass
this room.

It's quite important
that we get this one right.

Dick: To ensure their guests
will be wowed

from the moment
they walk in,

Johnny has something
special planned.

Johnny: One of the things
we are really excited about

is that we have
this beautiful ceiling,

which has been recessed.

So, what we would
like to do,

um, is do a mirrored ceiling.

As opposed to just
putting mirrors up,

we want them to look like they
are original to the chateau.

This is part of what we do
as my art.

The idea is that we're going to
oxidize the back of them.

So, it's gonna have this
lovely sort of watermark,

these lovely pockets,
and, fingers crossed,

it will look original
to the chateau.

We're hoping for
the "wow" factor,

and we're pretty confident
we're gonna get it right.

Dick: It could be
spectacular,

but attaching heavy mirrors
to a ceiling

might spell disaster.

So, I'm getting in touch
with some tips.

[Music playing]

Hello! Hiya!

Johnny: Hello, mate.
How are you?

Dick: Hello, Ashley.
Lovely to meet you, darling.

How is life treating you
down there?

Ashley: We're good.

What's happening
at the minute?

Johnny: So, we're doing
a mirrored ceiling,

but we're gonna reverse-oxidize
the back of the mirror.

I've talked to Angela
about this actually,

because it's like
a very old mirror,

but it's actually...it's unique.
Every one is unique, isn't it?

Johnny: Yeah,
that's right.

I'm gonna ignore that.

I come from a very
different place, ok?

And the place that I
come from now is

I just sort of say, how are we
gonna get it to stay up?

What size are you using?
What panels are you using?

Johnny: So, we have close
to a hundred mirrored panels,

which are just
300 by 300.

Do you see those being stuck
to a ceiling?

Johnny: Yeah.

How are you gonna
actually bond it?

Johnny: We're gonna go and use,
like, Liquid Nails

or, um, contact adhesive.

Dick, voiceover:
Johnny's planning to stick

around 100 mirror panels
onto boards,

but I have concerns.

Dick: On a serious note,
glass is heavy.

When you do your sums,
the weights on that are big.

How are we gonna
get it to stay up?

We have to do it in a way
that's completely squeaky-clean.

Johnny: Yeah.
No, exactly.

Dick, voiceover:
The best way to ensure

the ceiling doesn't bow
or even fall down

under the weight
of the mirrors

is to construct it
in small sections.

It's easier, but more
importantly, it's safer.

What you want to do
is have all the ingredients

for one strip,
the actual glass, the wood,

that you could put in
from the bottom,

put it up, put it
at an angle,

tip it up, set it down,
and put it in

and have a look and see
what it feels like,

and provided
there's no sag in that

and that's got the rigidity
you want, yeah,

in that single piece,
you're all right.

If you see any flex at all,
come back to me again.

Johnny: Yeah,
that's a great idea.

Ashley: I'm so happy that we're
having this conversation.

Ashley, do you think
it's worth

all the effort that's
gonna go into this?

Because he's
gonna be busy.

- It's gonna be amazing.
- It is?

Ashley: And Dick,
I'll be off working,

so I won't be here.

So you'll be off working
to fund all the time

that Johnny's gonna be making
this all arty and lovely?

Ashley: And then,
when I come home,

I'll have this
beautiful ceiling.

So it's perfect for me.

Dick: Is this
really important?

Because in any business
and anything else,

it is the return
from the investment

and all the rest of it,
and sometimes you have to think

it's a little bit extravagant.
You get it?

Johnny: It's both, it's
extravagant, and it's necessary.

If you stuck plywood up there
and painted it gold

with "Johnny was here,"

it would be cheaper,
it would be quicker.

Johnny: No, we are going
for this, yeah.

Ok. If you need
to get back to me,

come back to me
again, ok?

- Yeah, sure.
- Thanks so much, Dick.

Cheers. Bye. Bye.

Johnny: A bit
of inspiration from Dick.

Honestly, it all helps.

What I've learned about Johnny
is that he's a problem-solver.

There is nothing
that can't be done.

Even if it really
shouldn't be done,

Johnny, he won't stop.

He'll just...he'll find
a way to do it.

So, that's amazing.
I'm proud of you.

Thank you, baby.
Ha ha ha.

Dick: Fingers crossed
it all goes to plan.

170 miles north
is the picturesque

19th-century
Chateau la Grande Maison.

It's run
as a boutique B&B

and is owned by Ben
and his wife Billie.

Ben: It's just so beautiful.

Billie: Every time
we fill it with people,

it's like the whole place
comes back to life,

and we think
that's amazing.

We want people to feel at home
and feel relaxed

but enjoy the beauty.

Dick: Located just a stone's
throw from the Loire Valley,

Ben and Billie are now
looking at new ways

to bring in more income

to help pay
their hefty overheads.

So they've signed up
a top local chef

for the launch of their
newly renovated orangery.

Chef: Wow.
What a fabulous place, this.

- Thanks.
- I'm in.

Ben: Great. Fantastic.
Fantastic.

Ben, voiceover:
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.

The evening will start
with wine-tasting,

and then when everyone
is nice and lubricated,

we're then gonna have a dinner
in the orangery.

Billie: This is
a really important year for us

because finally the house
is now reaching the potential

that we saw when we first came
and saw the house.

That's really special.

Dick: Before they open
in under two months,

Billie wants to make sure
the orangery is perfect,

down to every
last detail...

Billie: I have
to make sure

I don't smash any of the glass
on my way in.

Dick: All the while remembering
its 19th-century roots.

Billie: Ta-da!

The finishing touches
are very important.

I haven't exactly decided
on how it's gonna be,

but something that's
in tribute to the botanist

who built the orangery
in the first place.

[Music playing]

Dick: So Billie's
coming to our place

for tips on decor
and table decoration.

[Music playing]

Billie: Oh, here we are.

Oh, my gosh. That is
just fantastic, isn't it?

Oh, it's so beautiful.

Dick: She's meeting up
with my lovely wife Angel,

who she hopes can help.

Billie: Oh, hello.
Hi. I'm Billie.

Angel: Hi, Billie.
Lovely to meet you.

You want to come in?

Billie: I'd love to.
Yes, please.

Angel: Welcome.

Billie: Oh, it's even
more beautiful in real life.

Angel: Oh, thank you.

Billie: See, your imagination
is incredible.

This is what I need.
I need a little sprinkle of it.

Oh, you sweetheart.
Let's have a cup of tea.

Billie: Yes,
that would be lovely.

We're trying to, um,
have a connection

with the history
of the house.

The orangery, we feel,

is sort of the jewel
in the crown.

Originally, there was
a botanist that lived there.

Amazing.

Billie: And he built
the orangery.

I've become a bit obsessed
with him as a character.

What was his name?

Olivier Jules Richard.

And he'd been
completely forgotten,

because the whole orangery
had just become derelict.

So, he'd been forgotten,

and we want to kind of
revive his spirit really.

I'm sure he's looking down
on you right now, so...

Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So, like, no pressure.

And he was particularly
a lichenologist.

He spent, obviously, a really
unhealthy amount of time

studying lichen, like...

You're gonna have to
educate me on this,

because you're talking
a different language,

and I'm like...
So, what is lichen?

Is it like a moss,
or is it...

It's...well, a moss
is a plant,

but a lichen is a fungi,
the structure of the fungi.

Oh, I see.
But it is green?

- It can be green or yellow.
- I see.

So we thought, well,
let's give it a botanical theme.

I love anything botanical,
and I love wildflowers.

I do pretty much
everything with foliage,

even from the staircase
to dressing the tables.

It costs nothing,
it takes moments,

and it looks amazing.

So, what I'm saying is

don't need to spend
lots of money.

Dick and I have been
earning money

that goes straight back
into the house,

and we're both
a little bit tight.

[Laughter]

Maybe we should just go over
and have a little look

in our orangery, and I can
take you around the places.

Dick: Tight?
I wouldn't say tight.

I'd say wise.

There's certainly no one better
than Angel to show

how we've managed
to save a small fortune.

[Music playing]

In northern France lies
the majestic Chateau de Lucheux.

It's part
of an historic fortress

dating back
to the 12th century.

British designer Nicole
and Belgian architect Stephan

started work
just two weeks ago.

Nicole: I think
we just feel really lucky

that we found out
about this place

and we have
this opportunity.

Stephan: This is, like,
the grandest project

that you could find,
I mean,

and it's standing here.
It's just standing here.

Nothing's been done
with it.

Dick: Located approximately
60 miles from Dunkirk,

the chateau was bought
for close to a million pounds.

Last used as a school,

they now want to turn it
into 18 holiday homes.

It's going to be
a massive renovation project.

Nicole: The big picture is
to make this site live again.

What we need to do
at the moment

is get the first apartment done
so that it can be sold.

Dick: They're starting in
the chateau's main gatehouse

and want it ready
in three months' time.

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...

Stephan: Hers is
a creative role.

She's all about interiors,
and I couldn't imagine

any person better than her
on the interior side.

And Stephan's side
is much more hands-on.

You know,
he gets things done.

So, it's...it's good.

[Music playing]

Dick: First thing
on Stephan's to-do list

is to rip down
a partition wall

that's blocking the light
in one of the rooms.

For extra manpower,
he's brought in

volunteer Eric to help.

Stephan: Breaking down things
is not like building them.

It's hard work.
Yes, it's hard work.

But it's rewarding work.

We're, like,
chopping down the wall,

and the result is
it's gone. It's fun.

[Banging]

Dick: It's nearly gone,

but Stephan needs to find a way
to get rid of the last bits

without damaging
the window.

Stephan: Well, I'd like to take
the windows out to protect them,

but...they're too close
to the ceiling.

So, they were built,
and then afterwards,

they put in the ceilings
and they put in the wall.

So we cannot protect the window
like we wanted to.

Dick: Decisions,
decisions.

But luckily, Stephan has
come up with a solution.

[Indistinct]

Stephan: We're using
the door.

We're using it
to protect the glass.

Dick: Good thinking.

With the windows
protected,

Stephan can safely
do the rest.

And it doesn't take long
to finish the job.

[Indistinct]

Stephan: Much better.
That's beautiful.

All of a sudden, you see
the new room coming to life.

So, perfect.

A big difference
in matters of light,

and if you want to
live somewhere,

you want to have light.
It's the most important thing.

I'm sure Nicole is going to be
delighted with this.

Now getting everything out
is the problem.

Dick: Fair enough,
it's a physical job,

but actually getting rid
of the rubble

is quite therapeutic.

Stephan: Breaking down is fun,
but clearing up is a nuisance.

[Indistinct]

Dick: Well, at least
Stephan's made a start.

I'm sure he realizes just
how much work has to be done

before this place
will be finished.

[Music playing]

Over at our place,
chateau owner Billie

has popped around
to get some tips

on table and wall decorations
for the launch

of her new orangery
dining space.

[Indistinct]

So Angel wants to show her
what we've done to ours.

Angel: So, this is our orangery,
really rustic.

Billie: It's ok. Fine.

Dick: We regularly use it for
special occasions and events.

Angel: What are you?
You smaller? You bigger?

Smaller than
your orangery?

Billie: I think it's about
sort of from there to there.

Angel: So, you'd fit two
or three of these tables in?

Billie: Yeah.

Dick: Billie
wants to pay tribute

to the botanist
who built her one.

Ours is a haven
for plant life,

but the additional foliage
is all from the garden.

Ivy's a firm favorite,
as we've lots of it.

Billie: You have to redress this
with fresh every time,

and so, how long
before the event

can you put that on?

Angel: I'd normally sort of
do it the day before.

But I am also a bit of a sucker
for just foliage on tables.

You've got to have an end.
You've got to have a middle.

And actually, if you've got
a circle, it would be lovely.

All I'm doing today

is showing you what...
sort of how we roll here,

and then you can...
you can just...

Billie: And I can
steal all your ideas.

Angel: No, but you can
just cherry-pick the bits

that you want, because
I do everything frugally.

So, you know,
I think you've got to.

And I like to, as well.

We get a kick out of it.

Billie: This is like having
a table runner, but it's...

Angel: It's like
a table runner.

You put your wines
in between.

You get another one of these.
You light the candles.

You get everybody drunk,
and...ha ha ha.

Billie: So we could do
something similar

with vines, couldn't we?

Angel: Yeah, absolutely.
And some leaves do die quickly.

Like, some of the ferns,
they're better for pressing.

Like laurel,
like anything hardy.

Billie: We've got loads
of laurel actually.

Angel: I mean,
that looks quite nice,

and it's really, really,
really hardy as well, so...

Billie: Ok. That's great.

Angel: My point is,
that took two seconds and...

Billie: And it's halfway there
already, isn't it?

Yeah, it's more
about having

that lovely little foliage
sort of table runner

and having
something elevated.

Billie: I love
that you get a sense

of the outside plants
coming in.

Angel: I don't know if Dick
would agree that he likes that,

but I'm like, don't cut it down.
The more, the merrier.

Ha ha ha!

Dick: I'd do anything
to keep my girl happy.

To give Billie other ideas
for her botanical theme,

Angel heads into the chateau
to show her

what we've done
to some of the walls...

Billie: Well,
that's beautiful.

Dick: Like this artwork
Angel created

with flowers
from the garden.

Angel: This is just a load
of dried hydrangeas,

but behind it...

Behind every great
hydrangea

is a bunch of erasers,
which is stuck to the wall.

Did you put them in as fresh
and they dried out in situ?

Angel: So, they were nearly...
Yeah, they were nearly dry.

Billie: Ok.

Angel: They need to sort of
naturally dehydrate,

is the best way.

Billie: That is really,
really gorgeous.

Dick: And let's not forget
our potagerie suite,

one of my favorites.

It's decorated
with pressed flowers

that have been glued
to the walls.

[Music playing]

Billie: My goodness!

I've done this because Dick's
given me a cutting garden.

Um, and that's like...
for him, that's like

him giving me flowers
every day.

So, this is kind of
my homage to him,

because if you look out here
and look at the beautiful view

that we've got, so...

Billie: That is beautiful.
Get your next inspiration

and just go
and trim that,

and then you can
put it up in here.

If I was to come
into your place,

from what you've said to me,
being able to press flowers

and have them and then
being able to put, like,

a scientific
inscription on there,

and you could even do it
in beautiful calligraphy,

the names of them,
like they would be in a...

Billie: Like in a scientific
sort of note.

Yeah, exactly.

Billie: Hadn't occurred to me
to not use a frame, for example.

And you know why
I didn't use a frame?

Because they're
too expensive! Ha ha!

That has really
inspired me.

Perfect. Right.

Oh, you're welcome.
Sort it. Sort it.

Dick: It looks like Angel
has given Billie

lots to think about,
but they're not stopping there,

as Billie's brought
some specimens from home

for Angel to work
her magic on.

[Music playing]

Dick: Over
at Chateau de Lomenie,

artist Johnny
is home alone,

as girlfriend Ashley is away,
working to help pay for

the next stage
of their renovations.

Johnny: It's a shame
that she's not here,

but, you know, chateaus
are not cheap to run.

So she has to go away
and fund it.

I find that,
when she goes away,

sort of my energy levels drop.
I get lovesick.

But I do need to press on
and get things done.

Dick: Ah, bless.

Today Johnny's starting work
on the mirrors

for the ceiling he wants
to put in in the old library

for their artistic retreat.

Johnny: The first thing
we need to do

is just apply some
regular paint stripper

to the back
of each mirror.

Dick: He's going for
the aged, antique look.

So, by adding paint stripper
to the back of each square,

he can scrape off
some of the coating

to help produce the mottled
effect he wants,

although it could
take a while.

Johnny: That's nine done.

Now we have 90 or so...
ha ha ha...left to do.

[Dog whimpers softly]

So, already you just see
a little bit of bubbling here

at the sides.
So, yeah, it's working.

So, I can see
Ashley now,

her gazing up, enjoying
the wonder of the library.

It should be a feast
to look upon.

If it's not, I'll just
retire as an artist. Ha ha ha.

[Bleating]

Dick: After
an artistic pause,

he can now
begin to scrape.

Johnny: So, it should just
come off lovely like that.

There we go.

So, basically,
what we've just done now

is we've taken off
the protective coating,

and you're left with the silver
on the back of the mirror,

with a little bit of copper
in between them two layers.

So, what we're doing now
is we just go ahead

and just spray lightly
with the acid.

See, I mean, that
just comes right off.

That's fantastic.

It's just a very slow,
repetitive process,

until you feel
that you've got them

at a stage
where you want.

Art takes time, right?

[Music playing]

So, you can see
the effect.

It's still
a mirror as such,

but it's more
of a piece of art.

Dick: Looking good.

Johnny: So, I'm just gonna
go ahead and gild.

Dick: Johnny
isn't finished yet.

He now wants to bling them up
in his own artistic way.

Johnny: So, this is
the fun part now.

So, it comes in these lovely
little fragile sheets.

Now, it's actually
not a problem

when it starts
tearing like this,

because what I want is
little pockets coming through,

which then
I'll spray black,

because the black really helps
the gold to pop.

Also, I think I would
like to use some silver,

mix up the gold
with the silver.

Dick: Adding gold and silver
leaf to each of the mirrors

is going to be
a painstakingly slow process,

and he's still
got to think about

getting them up
onto the ceiling.

There is a little bit
of pressure,

because the quicker
we get this done,

we can start opening the doors
of the chateau for people.

We're looking
hopefully, you know,

within the next
six weeks maybe.

So, once we can start
making some money,

it'll take
the pressure off Ashley,

because Ashley, at the moment,
is the main breadwinner.

So, yeah, it's really important
that we get this right.

It will just mean that we can
actually see each other

and enjoy the lifestyle.

So, the nice thing
about all these

is that they're
all unique.

So, that's
my very first panel.

Dick: And with Ashley not around
to give her opinion...

it's left to their pet goat
Wilmot to deliver the verdict.

Johnny: Oh, his tail
is wagging.

What's that, mate? Yes.
Oh, yes, there you go.

[Music playing]

Dick: In northern France,
at Chateau de Lucheux...

architect Stephan
is making steady progress

in the gatehouse he wants to
turn into an apartment.

[Speaking French]

Dick: Having knocked down

the partition wall
in one of the rooms,

he and volunteer Eric
have now plasterboarded

the chimney breast
in the living room.

Stephan: Such a fun material
to work with, plaster.

You definitely
have to be skilled

when you attack
a building like this.

If you can do lots
of these things yourself,

you can save
a lot of money, huh?

Dick: You're
not wrong, Stephan.

Stephan: I learned
the hard way,

and knowing how to do it myself
made me save some money.

I love to do it.
I mean, it's...

You're working
with material,

and it's always lovely
to build something of your own.

And then again to look back
at it and say, "Hey, I did it."

Sometimes you also
regret it,

but most of the time,
you're very proud of it.

Dick: So far, so good.
But as Stephan wants to get

this place finished
in three months,

there's lots more to do.

Stephan: We're gonna put
a new radiator system in here,

put new piping inside,
new electricity.

The floor needs to be treated,
and we're gonna be...

well, decorating
the walls

with the nice colors
and with a nice color scheme

that Nicole designed.

So, all of that will be done
in this short timeframe.

It's gonna
strain us a lot,

and it's gonna create
much more stress,

but it just
has to be done.

Dick: Nicole, who's been a
designer for more than 20 years,

is working on the decor
for the apartment.

Nicole: What I'm
working on at the moment

is a collection
of mood boards,

all finishes, colors,

maybe some ideas
for some furniture.

So, my inspiration comes
from various sources--

magazines, stuff
I might see in shops.

[Music playing]

So, what I've got here
is, like...I'm working

on colors for the kitchen area
at the moment.

Here's an example of the parquet
flooring I would like to do.

It's called
Versailles parquet.

Put that on the floor,
and you've instantly

got some kind
of chateau reference.

I want to create...
There's a mix of old and new.

That's the idea really.

Natural fabrics,
linens, cottons,

maybe silk if the budget
can stretch that far. Ha.

Slowly they're
coming together.

Haven't got images
of everything yet,

you know, that I've
got in my head,

because it's
a work in progress.

Dick: Sounds great,
although Nicole

will have to get
her skates on

if this project is
going to finish on time.

In the south of France,
at Chateau de Lomenie,

Ashley's back
from working away

and is checking out the mirrors
for the reception-room ceiling.

Johnny: Pretty, right?
Ashley: Gorgeous.

And this one's
quite dark.

I'm not overly struck
on that.

But it will be nice
to have the mixture

of these ones peppered in,
you know, here and there.

Ashley: Yeah, yeah.
Love these. Great.

Johnny: Happy?
Ashley: Happy, yes. Love it.

Happy wife, happy life.
Right, babe?

That's right. Ha ha.

Dick: With Ashley's
seal of approval,

Johnny's artistic work
is done.

Now they have to figure out
how to put the mirrors

up onto the skylight.

Johnny: Part
of the chateau

that we don't usually
explore, right?

Ashley: Ready
for the spiders?

Dick: They're heading
into the attic

to find a way to access
the skylight from above.

Johnny: So, here we are.

Ashley: This is
Johnny's bedroom.

Johnny: You've got to
tread carefully here,

because we don't want to lose
any limbs today, baby.

So, what we need to do
is go over here

and just open up
this cavity.

Ashley: Should I follow you?

Johnny: Yeah, let me go first,
baby, into the fray, baby.

Dick: Johnny needs
to remove the covering

from one of the attic's hatches
to get access

to the library's
vaulted ceiling.

Johnny: All right, babe,
can you be the torch holder?

Ashley: I can.

Johnny: Oh, and of course,
someone, quite nicely,

has gone a put a flathead
right in the middle there.

And, of course, I don't have
a flathead in my pocket.

Dick: Always
the way, Johnny.

Johnny: So, we might see
if we can just leave

that top one in there.

Ashley: It's like you're opening
up King Tut's tomb there.

Johnny: King Tutankhamen,
isn't it?

Ashley: King Tut.

Johnny: I don't know
who King Tut is.

There we go.

And he said, "Behold.
Let there be light."

Look at that. Oh, it's
much colder, right?

Ashley: It's dusty.

Johnny: Well, I mean, it's years
and years, babe, isn't it?

It's not too bad.

Ashley: I have
a question for you.

Can you slide
the panels in this way

and push them from up here
instead of trying to lift them?

Johnny: Yeah. Well, I did think
about doing that,

but I want to get all this
off first, have a look,

get these strips off.

Ashley: All right.
I'll get the rake. Ok.

Johnny: Ha ha.
Don't you dare.

Babe, can you go around
the other side and just grab it?

Well done, baby.

Dick: With the sheet
out of the way,

it's just a matter of removing
the Perspex panels.

Johnny: There we go.

Awesome, babe.

Ashley: It's actually easier
than I imagined.

Johnny: Hey.

Dick: Now the skylight
is open,

Johnny and Ashley want to see
what difference it makes.

Johnny: How's it look?

Ashley: It's so bright in here.
Johnny: That's crazy.

Ashley: I kind of
love it like this.

Johnny: What do you mean?

What? As opposed
to putting mirrors up?

Ashley: Would you hate me?

No, just hear me out.

We've just come down
just to have a look

to see what it looks like.
- No, no. Just hold on.

Just...what if you keep
the skylight?

And it would be
nice and bright.

Imagine you walk in...

It would be
such a statement.

Wow. Where did
this come from?

Ashley: I'd hate
to cover it up.

Johnny: Yeah. No. Well, that was
the plan all along.

We knew, you know...
we spoke about

about losing
the light, et cetera.

I know it's difficult.

Ashley: Because I've never...
obviously never seen it open.

Johnny: Yeah.
Yeah, it's interesting.

Dick: It looks like
Johnny's hard work

creating all those mirrors
might have been done in vain.

Johnny: No, I hear you, babe.
It's amazing. It really is.

Come on.
Let's do it.

Johnny: No, I'm on board
with you, babe.

I must admit,
it is quite stunning.

It's unusual.

This, by the way, is why
we never get anything done.

We start something,
we get excited.

Then we change our mind.

Johnny: Well,
it's a twist.

The interesting thing is,

you never know
what you're gonna find,

and usually it's always
bad things that you find, right?

But this is
quite a nice find.

Dick: That's one solution
to the ceiling problem,

leave it as it is.

The question now is

what are they going to do
with Johnny's 100 arty mirrors?

And what are we doing
today, baby?

We're renovating our chateau.

We're renovating the chateau,
moving the chateau forward.

Dick: Over at our place,

chateau owner Billie
has come to visit.

She's hoping Angel
can show her how to create

some special table decorations
for the launch

of her orangery
dining space.

Angel: You want
to create, like,

a table centerpiece
with this?

Billie: Yes.

Dick: She brought twigs from
her garden covered in lichen,

the fungi studied
by Billie's favorite botanist.

Billie: So, what I want
to achieve

is that the diners make some
kind of connection with lichen.

I'm sure they would,
like me,

would never have really paid it
any attention up until now.

Angel: Absolutely. I love it.
On first looking,

you think that they are
just a bunch of twigs,

and then you start
looking at the colors,

the mustards
and the chalky grays

and the greens.

I mean, it's
a color palette.

You know what?
I'm inspired.

I can do
something with it.

It's right up my street.

Billie: Great.

Dick: But you'll have to
hold your horses,

as the children
are back from school.

Angel: Hello.
Come here. Hello.

This is Arthur.
How was school?

Arthur: Good!

Angel: Ha ha ha! So...
she's my mom, by the way.

She's amazing.

But what
we're gonna do...

Guess what Mommy's
gonna do with Billie.

I'm going to make
a table display.

It's called lichen.

Have we got some
around the place?

Yes. We have it all over.

Angel: Really?

Yeah, all over our twigs,

all over...
all over everywhere.

Really?

Who thinks it's
gonna look nice?

- Me!
- Me, too!

Bye!

Billie: Aw...

Dick: Thanks, kids.
Now back to work.

Angel: Ok.

Dick: And Angel's picked out
a few things of her own.

Angel: We found this
in the chateau actually.

So that's probably right out
of the street, isn't it?

Billie: Yeah,
we've got old bottles.

It's working
with what you've got.

So, I've got old books.

It's all about being a visual
feast for the eye, isn't it?

Billie: I love that you're using
just older things

to make the height.

You don't have to find
something the right height.

You're just stacking it up
from what you've got.

The botanist would have
definitely been, you know,

like a man of books,
wouldn't he?

Angel: Yeah, absolutely.
Looks quite lovely, doesn't it?

Billie: Suddenly,
it's a specimen of interest.

It's like, "Look at this."

Angel: It's special.

Dick: She's even dug out
an old pair of glasses.

Billie: Oh, yes.
That's fantastic.

Angel: So, I mean,
they do look quite cool,

but kind of like, you know,
he's propped it up there,

gone away to...

Billie: To get
some more wine.

Angel: Exactly.

All right, you want to put
the bell jar over that?

Oh, this bit...
this bit needs to have

a bit of pride of place.

Billie: That's
a nice bit, isn't it?

This is so wrong,
to have a favorite twig.

It's not right.

If you stand
from where I'm standing,

I think it looks
quite lovely.

[Music playing]

Billie: It's
really inspirational.

It's scientific.
It's of the era.

Angel: The colors are just...
are really lovely.

I love your bell jars.

You know, you can pick
the books up.

You know, my favorite bit
about this

is that it's all free.

Billie: Yeah,
you know, you can...

I really do have a good supply
of lichen as well, so...

Angel: So, that's great.
Well, apparently so do we.

Arthur, where are you?

[Laughter]

I've had such
a lovely day with Angel

at her lovely chateau.

She's made me think
really differently

about how to approach
the decor

for the opening night
of our orangery.

Angel: Bye.
Best of luck, darling.

Just e-mail me
if you need anything.

Billie: Yeah, ok.

I feel quite excited
and inspired and liberated

because I realize that,
without having to spend money,

I can just use
my imagination

and can get things
ready like that.

Dick: Wishing you
all the best, Billie.

Can't wait to see it
come together at your place.

[Music playing]

At Chateau de Lucheux,
Nicole has come to check

the progress Stephan's made
on their apartment project.

Stephan: We've been troubled by
electricity,

by no internet.

We'll get there in the end,
but we need more time.

Dick: They hope
to have it finished

in less than two months,
but not much has changed.

[Music playing]

Stephan: So, it's still
a building site.

We've been rooting out
all the pipes.

Nicole: Yeah, and taking out
those hideous radiators.

Stephan: And so tomorrow,
the plumber is going to come.

Cross our fingers.

He's going to put a pipework
inside the wall

for one big radiator there,
behind the doors.

So I think that one
will be ok.

Dick: Well, at least
that's something.

Nicole: This is so much nicer
with that double window.

Dick: And there's
more good news,

as Nicole seems impressed
with Stephan's handiwork

knocking down
the partition wall.

Nicole: Oh, it's amazing.

I mean, this is such
a nice space, this bit.

It's really nice
having that symmetry.

We have to change
all of those handles.

Stephan: Of course. But that's
the last thing to do.

Now is to get the plumbing
done everywhere.

We need to get
the breaking done,

because we
have to cut there,

we have to break
all of this out.

When it's dust-free,
then we can build up again.

Dick: There's even
more work to do,

as Stephan thinks there's
an original fireplace

hidden behind
one of the walls.

Stephan: There's
a chimney,

but we've been
chopping away on it,

and we haven't
found a thing.

Nicole: Yeah, but there
must be something there.

Yeah, there must be. See?

[Knocking]

Here, no.

Nicole: We need
to open it up and see.

Stephan: It's not
gonna be so easy,

but we're gonna see
what we can do.

I think it would be
really exciting

to try and get that exposed
and see what's there.

Stephan: We just
have to get it done.

Nicole: I was hoping
a bit more would have been done,

but, you know,
it's standard, isn't it,

when you start renovating,
that things always take longer

than you anticipate
they're going to.

So, that's just
one of the things.

We just need to take some time
running through things

to make some decisions,
and then we can crack on.

Dick: It certainly seems
Nicole and Stephan

are going to have
their work cut out.

[Music playing]

Down in the southwest of France
at Chateau de Lomenie,

Johnny and Ashley
are still hopeful

of opening
their artistic retreat

by the end of the summer.

Johnny: All right.
So, 2,034.

Dick: But they also
want to renovate

their own rooms,
so the mirrors Johnny created

for the skylight are now going
into their bedroom instead.

Ashley: So, the mirrors
will not be wasted, of course.

In our bedroom, we're
going to do a mirrored wall.

Johnny: We want it
to look like

a huge, great big
French mirror basically.

Dick: It's a nice idea

and should make an impressive
centerpiece to the room.

Ashley: So, the mirrored art
is going up today.

It'll be really nice
just to have it done.

It's like
one project, tick,

and we can move on
to something else.

[Music playing]

Johnny: Ok.
Here we go, baby.

The first tile.
That's all right, isn't it?

Ashley: Yeah,
that looks centered.

Johnny: So, that's
one down of 70.

Number three next, baby.

Ashley: Number three.

Dick: Johnny has prenumbered
all the mirrors.

Each one is
a slightly different design.

So it's like
one giant jigsaw.

Ashley: You need 23?
Johnny: 23, yeah.

Ashley: 23 is there.

Johnny: 23, 24, 25.

Ashley: Here's 29.
That make sense, babe?

Where's 26?

Johnny: That probably is "6,"
isn't it?

Ashley: Sure doesn't look
like a "6" to me.

Johnny: Well, what else
could it be? 26.

Teamwork, see?

Dick: With
the confusion over,

Johnny finally
gets in the groove.

Ashley: So, 16
should be next?

[Music playing]

Johnny: I must say,
there's not many things

I'm good at, baby,
but I'll tell you what,

I do love
being an artist.

So, thoughts, babe?

Ashley: It's even better
than I imagined.

Dick: The finish line
might be near,

but Ashley spots
a problem.

Johnny wrote numbers
on the front of each mirror.

The problem is,
he used permanent marker.

So typical, hmm?

These are the moments
when I want to kill Johnny.

Dick: Oops.
Schoolboy error, Johnny.

All scraped off, but it would
have been easier with acetone.

[Music playing]

Johnny: What do you reckon?
Ashley: I love it.

Johnny: It's nice, right?

Ashley: I love it,
love it, love it, love it.

Nice job. And I'm just
gonna stare at that

all day long.

But now that I see this,
I'm like,

oh, we should have done
the mirrored ceiling

in the library.
Ha ha ha!

Dick: Let's not go there.

With Johnny and Ashley happy
with their day's work,

it's left to pet goat Wilmot
to sign it off.

Johnny: What you
reckon, Wilmot?

Ah, he thinks it's
his brother or something.

[Crash]

Ashley: Ok. All right.
Bye, Wilmot.

Johnny: Wait. He's got to
do it three times, babe.

Ashley: Seriously, he's gonna
crack it, and then what?

Johnny: He's got to do it
one more time. One more time.

Ashley: There's
something wrong with you.

[Wilmot grunts]
Yeah, all right, Wilmot.

This is my life
at Chateau de Lomenie.

It's chaos.
It's a circus here.

Dick: Well, I'd say
there's never a dull moment.

But if Johnny and Ashley
are going to get

this place
ready for guests,

they need to keep up
the momentum.

Next time...

- Please be careful.
- Thank you, baby.

Dick: Chateau renovations
take on a life of their own

for one couple.

Wow. Well, that
was unexpected.

Dick, voiceover: I'm in awe
when I make a chateau visit.

Dick: I am genuinely
very jealous.

This is worthy of a bit
of cogitation. Hold on.

That is a thing
of beauty.

Dick, voiceover: And one chateau
owner is staying positive

the day before he welcomes
his first paying visitors.

Stephan: We have
two guests arriving,

and they are not
expecting a building site.

We are trying to make sure
that they will have

a nice apartment,
and I think we'll manage,

but there is still
a lot to do.

[Music playing]