Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 2, Episode 26 - Episode #2.26 - full transcript

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 4 years.

I love you, I love you,
I love you.

Dick, voice-over:
It's not just our home...

Right. So canapes.

Dick, voice-over:
but a business...

and it turns out we're not
the only Brits who've quit

the UK for the chateau life.

Wow.



Kim: Never seen him like this.

I can't talk.

Dick: Now Angel and I are back
helping more chateau owners

on their journey.

The whole of this has to be
completely tanked and sealed.

We'll work with some
familiar faces...

Ha ha ha!

- Good to see you.
- Welcome.

Dick, voice-over: and meet some
who are new

to the chateau life...

Ta-da.

Good work.

Aw.

- You broke it?
- Yeah.



- In the hole?
- Yeah.

That's a bit of an issue.

as they battle to renovate
their homes...

Aah!

Dick: and make them
work as businesses.

Paul, our guests are here!

Dick: There'll be
extraordinary discoveries...

Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.

and inevitable obstacles.

Aah!

Dick: But however hard
the going gets,

for these plucky Brits,
their homes

really are their castles.

[Cheering]

Today, Angel helps
one chateau owner get creative

in her quest
for a beautiful bedroom.

Angel: I know it's going to
look lovely,

and I think when you get your
artwork finished

and it's laid up,
it's going to be amazing.

Dick: This couple discover DIY
isn't as easy

as it sometimes looks.

I sold my ability to do this
to Annabelle,

and I'm determined to deliver,

so let's see how we go.

Dick: And a doting daughter
struggles to complete

a new home for her mother.

Stephanie: We have 8 weeks
to finish this,

and I don't know if
that's going to be done.

Dick: The French countryside is
dotted with chateaus

of every type imaginable
and in various of states

of repair
from shabby chic castles

to the most perfectly
proportioned of palaces,

and one of these is this
stunningly beautiful house,

the rather idyllic
Chateau Thuriés.

Built in 1885, it has 23 rooms,

is brimming with faded grandeur,

and sits in 4 acres of parkland

and is now home to
British couple Steve and Jayne.

Jayne: I've wanted to live
in France for years,

going back to my 20s.

Quite a few years ago,
I started to have this dream.

Dick: Situated just under
an hour from Toulouse

in southern France, they bought
the chateau 4 months ago

for £400,000
just after Steve retired

from a wildlife charity
and Jayne left her job

at a chartered surveyor's.

Steve: We had looked at lots
of properties,

over 40 properties,
and some were

in far more
deteriorating condition,

and this one came up right
at the end

when we were almost
giving up hope.

Dick: After completing work
on their private quarters

up in the eves,

with no income apart
from their savings,

Steve and Jayne have decided
to open as a B&B.

Jayne: We're doing the guest
suites now because

we're going to be opening
as a chambre d'hote

because we've got to earn
a living

whilst we're living here.

We've been living off a pot
of money basically,

and that is diminishing
every day,

and we really need to start
making an income because

at the moment we haven't got
an income stream.

Steve: We have a deadline.
We'd like 4 rooms finished

opening next year spring
or next year possibly Easter.

That's our vision.

Dick: The plan is to convert
9 rooms in the first floor

into 4 en suite bedrooms,

and that's meant big bills
when it comes to builders.

So this is going to be one
of the en suite bathrooms,

and we're making an Italian
walk-through shower

with really lovely Italian
marble effect tiles.

This will be finished
by the end of the week.

Tony assures me,
don't you, Tony?

- It will. Yeah.
- Yeah?

Dick: While the expensive
building work continues,

Jayne is indulging her love
of interior design

to give each
of the rooms a theme.

Jayne: I'm going to be quite
subtle and quite elegant.

This particular room, I want to
sort of have a nature theme

or a nature feel to it.

I bought this beautiful,
old, antique bed canopy,

which is going to go
above the bed,

and them beautiful lined drapes
coming down around the bed,

and this is the fabric that's
going to be used for that,

which has got a bird theme.

Dick: It's a simple idea.

We've done the same thing
at our chateau,

and it really helps create
a unique experience for guests.

Jayne: I bought these lovely
original hand-painted

botanical prints,

and these can cost you
a lot of money, these prints,

but I got them very cheaply.

I think it was about £24
for a set of 4.

Put them all obviously
in matching frames,

which I'll probably get from
IKEA or somewhere like that.

Dick: We love
a money-saving idea, Jayne.

Meanwhile, Steve is spending
his time sorting out

the chateau's extensive grounds.

Steve: I want to make it
wildlife-friendly,

so there'll be bird boxes.

We'll feed the birds
in the spring

and other times of the year.

There'll be log piles.
There'll be things for insects.

We'll keep the grass long
on certain areas,

which is really, really good.

Dick: He's decided to weed
the gravel by hand.

I know your pain.

Steve: Most of these plants
will come out very, very quickly

and easily,

and then we can compost them,

and it goes back
toward the earth.

Our whole area is full
of insects,

and the last thing I want to be
doing is putting chemicals

down on my terrace.

So if it means a few more
man hours to go around

and pull up a weed,
then that's what I will do

to keep it clean and green.

Dick: Being ecofriendly
is important,

but the more pressing job now
is getting those bedrooms ready.

Woman: What did we do
yesterday in interior?

I took some...

Dick: Daughters Ella and Rosie
have started

a social media campaign
to attract paying guests.

We're already kind of getting
comments and messages,

people asking when they
can come and stay.

Mm-hmm.

So we're trying to rush them
ahead so that they

at least get a couple
of rooms ready.

They need to make money,
and it, like, worries me

because they're just using up
their savings,

and they need to have
something coming in soon.

Ella: Yeah. They're definitely
going to need to

crack on with that

and start renting out
the rooms ASAP.

Dick: Ella's bang on.

They need those
paying guests soon.

Over 200 miles north
of Steve and Jayne is

the rather glorious 16th century
Chateau de Lalande.

Located in central rural France,
with 17 bedrooms,

16 acres of land,
a private lake,

and its own chapel,
this majestic beauty

was bought for £600,000
by Stephanie in 2005.

Stephanie: I always knew that
I wanted to buy a chateau.

I think probably from the moment
I was reading fairytales

as a child, it was really clear
that's what I wanted to do.

Dick: When we first met her
Stephanie was running

the chateau as a B&B
and also generating extra income

by organizing
singles weekends...

We have girls
and two more coming later.

It's perfect.

Dick: with help from her
French mother Isabelle.

I would never have done
a party like this.

Dick: One of her plans then
as to create

a self-contained apartment
for Isabelle in the vast attic

of the old granary,
which we first saw

as a derelict shell.

Isabelle: Perhaps this corner
has a bed area

and plenty of cupboards
so I can leave my stuff.

I have too much stuff.
I cannot part with it.

And then that would be
the lounge area.

Easy.

Dick: Unfortunately, there was
no time to create this

last summer,
but a new year brings

new challenges.

So whereabouts am I starting?

Dick: And Isabelle's apartment
is now top of the list.

Stephanie: All these years,
we've been thinking

it'd make
an amazing apartment one day

because the ceilings
are 7 meters high.

There's lots of space in there,
it's really open and airy.

The thought that she's going to
have her own space

with her own kitchen,
that she can really get away

from everyone, I think, should
make quite a big difference

to everyone's mood.

Dick: So far, the ceilings have
been insulated

and the layout
of the apartment created,

but she still needs to fit
the bathroom and kitchen,

then paint and furnish
the whole space.

It's all been done while
Isabelle and her fiancé Percy

have been away.

Stephanie:
My mother's coming today.

I'm really excited because
she hasn't seen it yet.

So when my mother was last here,

it was an untouched attic
for maybe 200 years.

It's going to be
a bathroom there,

which we've just put
a little light tunnel into.

The kitchen opposite,

and this side is big, open plan
living area and bedroom.

Dick: Currently, Isabelle lives
in a room that is

frequently rented out
to paying guests,

so Stephanie's keen to give
her mother a permanent home

as soon as possible.

Stephanie: We have 8 weeks to
finish this,

and I don't know if
that's going to be done.

Dick: One of the main features
will be these beams.

After being sandblasted,
Stephanie's job is now

to preserve them
with linseed oil,

an overwhelming task.

Stephanie:
Everything needs doing.

This whole flat,
every beam that we can see,

they all need doing.

I can't look at them,
or it'll put me off.

Dick: I don't think you're
going to get finished now

as Isabelle has arrived.

Isabelle: Ohh!
Stephanie: How did they...

Dick: She has
very exacting standards.

I mean, my daughter
dearly loves me,

and I love her dearly,

but her work ethic is not
the same as mine,

and so I sometimes have
to crack the whip.

I am the person
who sees everything.

I was born
with that disability.

She was born
with the opposite disability.

She sees nothing.

Yeah. We work well together.

Mornings are not good.

Dick: Thank heavens it's
now the afternoon.

This first viewing could
go either way.

Sitting in almost 5 acres
of land,

this quaint 19th century beauty
is Chateau de Glatens.

Situated 33 miles northwest
of Toulouse,

it's now home to Justin
and Annabelle,

who bought it for £777,000.

Justin: Well,
our very first visit,

it was a beautiful day
like today,

and we came up the drive,
and then we saw the view

off into the distance.

I think the Pyrenees
were visible.

So it was really amazing.

Dick: After living
between the UK, America,

and Australia,
British-born Justin

and his Aussie wife Annabelle,

sold their international
dating company

so they could settle
at the chateau.

Justin: This is the first place
that we've ever moved into--

and we've been together
16 years--

that we intend
to put down roots,

and this place represents
our first opportunity

to do that,
and it's wonderful.

Daughter Rosie will start
at a local school

in 3 months' time,
so they're racing

to restore their home.

All of the bedrooms
are being made over

with en suite bathrooms.

Parts of the house need to be
totally rewired

and replastered,
and many of the floors

are uneven and need relaying.

Annabelle: We're transforming
the chateau from 6 bedrooms

to a 10-bedroom property
with 12 bathrooms.

When you put it like that,
it's actually a bit daunting.

Oh, It's ridiculous.

I can't believe that's
what we've got to do.

- It's busy.
- Mm-hmm.

Annabelle: This is really heavy.

Justin: Do you want to start?

Dick: The first priority
is to create

a perfect little girl's
bathroom for Rosie.

- Have you got it?
- It's the other the door

that I'm worried about.

Oh, I see. OK.

Dick: Complete
with a pink cast-iron bath.

Annabelle: I don't quite know
how we ended up ordering

a pink bathtub.

It was a little girl's bathroom.

And Rosie knows
about the pink bathtub

and talks about it
and is so excited,

so there's no--we cannot change
our mind on this decision.

It's locked in.

OK. Let's not drag it.

Whoo!

Annabelle, voice-over:
To my eye, this--

the tile and the bathtub don't
coordinate at all,

and I'm a bit concerned that
when we put it in there

it's just going to look
really wrong.

- Ahh. OK.
- That's enough.

You know what?
I actually think it looks good.

Justin: It looks fabulous!

Annabelle: I'm so relieved.

Justin: So am I. Ha ha ha!

Annabelle: To see your tub.

Dick: That's two
very pleased parents.

Time, though, for the boss
to give her opinion

on her new bath.

Annabelle: Wow!
Rosie: Can I get in it?

Justin: Yeah. Why not?
Annabelle: You can.

We can't put water
in it just yet.

Wow. Look at your pink tub.

What do you think?

Rosie: Good.

Ha ha ha!

- Do you like the color?
- Yeah.

I love the color.

Annabelle: Oh, I'm so glad.

Justin: Color.
Annabelle: Let's go.

Dick: One problem sorted.

The next challenge is finding
the matching shade of paint.

These are both slipper satin--
confusing.

Dick: I'm staying out
of this one.

This is Angel's department
at our place.

And this is ammonite.

What's that one called?
That top one there on the left?

This is dimity.

Dick: Looks gray to me.

Take a look.
What else have we got?

Annabelle: How many more
shades of beige

can we put up on the wall?

I mean, clunch. Clunch.

Why do they call a color clunch?

I don't know.

Some of the names are--
what about shaded white?

Yeah, that is just
the beigest of the beige.

- That's the thing.
- I don't think so.

This is the beigest
of the beige,

and that one you sort of--
it all looks a bit yellow.

Hmm.

Maybe clunch is the one.

Dick: Perhaps this might take
a little longer

than first thought.

60 miles southeast
at Chateau Thuriés,

couple Steve and Jayne are busy
renovating their home,

ready for their new
B&B business.

Jayne's plan is to theme each
of the en suite bedrooms.

This room, I'm calling it
the Oriental room for now,

but it's actually going to be--
it's just going to have

an Oriental flavor to it,

and what I've had done,
I want to put a panel

all up here,
so I've had 5 pieces of MDF cut,

and these are all
going to be painted

with this kind
of flavor to them.

So what we'll do--
once we've put the outline

of the stencil on,
then we can actually start

painting in all the detail.

We are aiming for quite
a high-end look,

and I think--yes,
I think we can get there.

Steve has complete faith
in this Oriental room,

and I think he's actually
quite excited about it.

Dick: Steve's a bigger picture
kind of guy,

so when it comes to the finer
touches of bedroom design,

he's happy to leave it to Jayne.

Steve: Jayne has got great
artistic flare,

and she comes up with all the--
with all the color schemes

and the designs,
and that's fine.

I think that's great.

Dick: For Jayne, her home
is definitely her canvas.

Jayne: I'd actually did do
a course in interior design

at one point, as well,

and, you know, to be able to
have a chateau

and just do your own thing,
you know, in the whole

of the chateau
is just wonderful.

It's just a wonderful
opportunity for me.

Dick: If there's one person who
knows a bit about designing

bedrooms for a chateau,
it's Mrs. Strawbridge.

So Jayne has traveled up to us
with her wall panels

for a bit
of angelic inspiration.

Jayne: Oh, my God.
Look at that.

It's amazing. Ha ha!

Dick: As Jayne and Steve are new
to owning a chateau,

I hope we can also give them
a few tips on turning

a beautiful building
into a thriving business.

- Oh, welcome.
- Hello.

- Oh, Nice to meet you.
- How lovely to meet you.

Oh, it's fantastic.
Look at it.

It's not too bad.
Now let's go in.

- OK. OK.
- You've had a mammoth journey.

Jayne: It's amazing.
Look how fab.

- It's fantastic.
- Thank you.

I love it.

Dick: A cup of English
breakfast tea accompanied

by a French pastry.

- Cheers.
- Cheers, my dear.

Aw.

Dick: The perfect petit dejeuner
for Brits living in France.

Angel: When did you move in?

About 4 months ago.

So it's brand-new, yeah.

I hadn't realized it was
that early.

You don't look old enough.

- Are you retired or...
- No.

- OK. No.
- Steve is.

We wanted to be in France,
and it's kind of, you know,

"What do we do to earn
a living?"

Yeah, yeah.

You know, and I just thought,
"Well, what a better way

to do it really."

It's just the most lovely house,

and I'd really love to
show it off to people.

What have you brought
here today?

- I brought 5 panels.
- Right. OK.

They're all separate
at the moment.

This is going to be hung
above the bed...

- Above the bed, yeah.
- in that particular room.

Should we go and have
a little look around?

- Because I have got...
- Oh, I'd love to, yeah.

I don't have one room dedicated
to, you know, chinoiserie,

but I've got a lot
of influences,

so, yeah, let's go.

Fantastic. I'd love to
look around.

Dick: I'm sure that Angel
will find something

suitably inspirational
for Jayne.

After all, we do have
45 rooms full of stuff.

Back at Chateau de Lalande,
Stephanie is creating

a self-contained apartment
for her mother

in the old granary.

It's the permanent home
at the chateau

Isabelle has been waiting for.

I am being shuffled
from pillar to post,

and so I live out
of a suitcase,

which, at my age,
is not very convenient.

Dick: Having returned
from several months abroad,

it's time for Isabelle
to see the progress

on her new apartment
for the very first time.

Look. I'm looking at--oh.
That is floor!

No, you can--you can look.
You can look.

Oh! Oh, darling,
that's fantastic.

- Really?
- Yes.

- You didn't listen to me.
- What did you ask for?

But I can accept that.
A bit lower.

Why would you want to hide it?

To be walled.
I didn't want to hide it,

but I want it to be walled.

This is beautiful, sweetheart.

Stephanie: Do you want to
have a look?

- Mm-hmm.
- Let's look.

Isabelle: Ha ha!

Wow! A mezzanine.

I love it.
I love it.

- What do you think?
- It's wonderful.

But the beams.

I know. I love it.
I love it up here.

They've got they've
been cleaned.

Wow! It's wonderful.

Stephanie: And once they're
oiled, they'll look good.

- I'm in love with the space.
- Really?

- Yes.
- Even with this

opened up to the top?

Yes, well, I was worried
about heating

and the cost of heating,
but I love to see the--

it's a--they're beautiful beams.

- I can't wait to see it done.
- Yes, yes, yes.

At long last.

I love it.
Thank you again.

Oh, sweetheart.

Dick: The new apartment
has received

the Isabelle seal of approval,

and fiancé Percy
is also just as pleased.

Stephanie: I think it went
very well,

actually better
than I was expecting

because when we lived here
during major building works

when we first moved in,
my mother was

a complete nightmare,
and I thought she'd be like that

seeing this,
but she wasn't.

I think she's really excited.

Here, there'll be a balcony,
not very deep.

The same as Michael's
Juliet balcony,

which is over there.

Yes.

Wasn't it wonderful?

For me, it was wonderful
to see that space,

which had been horrid,
really truly horrid.

I'm very pleased, yes.

Dick: As well as renovating
the inside, Stephanie's also

adding exterior balconies
on the windows starting

with her mother's,

all inspired by a gift
from a local.

Well, we were given a balcony
by the aunt of the local mayor.

She had one spare,
and that's a really pretty

Juliet balcony in wrought iron.

It's just exactly
the right size,

and to be given one is amazing,

and it's going to be
so pretty, as well.

Dick: Whilst loving the idea
of her own balcony,

Isabelle, however, isn't
so keen on the ironwork.

Isabelle: I have been thinking
that perhaps we ought

to not consider that.

What?
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Listen to me.
Listen to me.

Think of the aesthetic
of the house.

That's exactly
why we're doing it.

Isabelle: Well, have you
considered having wooden?

No, because we're already
having wrought iron.

Isabelle: That balcony we have
could go somewhere else.

On that side, when you have that
beautiful architectural

wooden beams seen
on the outside,

I think a wooden balcony
would be more in keeping.

Dick: A decision this big calls
for a site visit.

All right. So that is what it
would look like if we stick

with the wrought iron.

Isabelle:
Oh. Yes, I understand.

Which I really like.

Isabelle:
Yes, I understand that as well.

I see what you mean that it's
adding a different style.

Isabelle:
But can you see what I mean?

Think of that
architectural beauty.

Yes, but I see that
right next to it,

and I think it looks great.

Well, OK, that's your opinion.

Because we would adding
several eventually.

There'll be one here,
one here, yours, and that one.

- So it will be a set.
- Yes.

And a set of wooden balconies
would look beautiful.

- Well, yes, but...
- Think carefully, Stephanie.

It's your house.
You think about it.

Mummy's change of heart
about the balcony

has come as a real surprise.

I mean, I was going down
the wrought iron route

because we were given
a wrought iron balcony,

so that's what we've got.

I see her point
about the aesthetic, though.

So I'm going to do some research
and think about it.

Dick: At Chateau
de la Motte-Husson,

Angel's taking Jayne on a tour
to get some design ideas

for the wall panels
she's installing in one

of her new themed bedrooms.

Our place is filled
with influences

from all around the world,

so I'm sure there's something
here to ignite

the creative flames.

That is beautiful, isn't it?

- Yeah.
- That's gorgeous.

Not that we're going to go
down this road today.

- No.
- But you could probably put

this onto one of your panels
quite simply.

Jayne: Yeah. Gorgeous.

Angel: I've not looked
at these in a while.

Oh, wow! Oriental fans?

Oh, beautiful.
Look at that.

Yeah.
It's nice, isn't it?

Love the gold. Lovely.

- I think that's gold.
- What's good about those

is it's a slight iridescence
on the gold.

- It is, isn't it? Yeah.
- It's absolutely beautiful.

Angel: It's lovely.

Ceiling's much lower, so...

Dick: Creating the perfect
environment for your guests

is only part of running
a successful business,

but how you then sell it
is equally as important.

How much are you planning
to charge for your rooms?

Right. OK.
Well, we're going to charge--

for the main master suite,
we were thinking about 220.

OK. That's for high season,

and then the other suite
that's at the front

of the house, again,
you know, that would

probably be about 190.

Yeah, OK.
And that's breakfast included?

- Yes. Absolutely.
- For a couple?

Yeah, I think.

So you're definitely too cheap.

- Really?
- Yeah, you are.

You think about your linen cost,
your breakfast cost.

- No, I know.
- Your time, your time.

Do not undervalue your time,
and say--so say out

of that, maybe half of that
would be profit eventually.

Remember, you have your
Social Security tax to pay.

- I know.
- Which is huge.

The French taxes are enormous.

It's huge,
and also you're going to have

a roof to do eventually.

You're going to have
your windows to do.

Having a chateau is not
when you get a little problem.

You've got, like, you know,
a couple of hundred

pound a job--it's thousands.

Dick: Wise words, Angel.

Business done.
it's time to roll up the sleeves

and get to work
on Jayne's design.

I love the blues
and this emerald dark sort of--

actually, it's forest green,
isn't it, really?

Dick: Taking color inspiration
from Angel's oriental fan...

Angel: I can see the vision.

Dick: Next they carefully lay
the panels flat

so they can plan what to do.

How much--how much room
have we got in the end?

Quite a bit.
You're all right.

- Stop.
- Whoa.

- Not that much.
- Not that much.

Dick: Turns out, that's
easier said than done.

Angel: What do you think?

Jayne: Ha ha ha!
Angel: Yeah?

Dick: Jayne's had stencils made
to create the base design.

Then the plan is to
freestyle the rest.

Angel: Right. I think let's
just--let's just get on with it.

So do you want to do that one
and I'll do this one, or...

You tell me.

Dick: Jayne and Angel trace
the pattern

onto the painted MDF panel
she's brought with her.

Jayne: Yeah.
Angel: Great.

Jayne: Et voila,
as they say in France.

Shall we have
a little paint and see?

- Shall we do this little bit?
- Yeah.

I haven't done any painting,
actually for quite a while,

so I'm not that confident
with it at all.

Take it gently, gently.

Angel: All right.
It looks great already.

Jayne: Ha ha ha!

Angel: It does. It's a nice--
that's a lovely color.

Jayne: Yeah.
It's not a bad color.

Dick: They're using delicate
water-based paint

to bring the design to life.

Angel: I know you've got
the bases with a stencil.

Actually, you're going to be
the one that's

making this your own.

Jayne: Yeah.

Dick: Jayne's vision is
beginning to come together.

Angel: Now listen, we're not
going to get this

all done today.

- Do you know that?
- I've kind of had a feeling

that we weren't going
to get this done today.

I mean, you know,
to be honest with you,

it's going to take a while,
and I think that even sort of

building up the colors on
the bird and things like that.

Angel: I think we're not
a million miles away.

I know it's going to
look lovely,

and I think when you get your
artwork finished

and it's laid up and, you know,
you've got the bits of gold

in the right places,
it's going to be amazing.

Dick: Jayne's made a great start
on the panels

and now has all the knowledge
she needs to finish

them off at home,
but it's time for her

to make the long journey south.

Give us a hug.
Promise to send me pictures.

I will. Absolutely.
It's been invaluable.

You've given me so many ideas.
Thank you so much.

- You're welcome. How lovely.
- Thank you.

- Take care.
- Thank you so much.

Dick: Over 300 miles away
at Chateau de Glatens,

while Annabelle ponders
paint colors,

Justin's attention has turned
to the time-consuming subject

of maintaining 4 1/2 acres
of grounds.

Steve: They take about
4 hours to mow,

but we've got two hectares,

but the best bit is the view,

but on a clear day,
you can see the Pyrenees,

which are 100 kilometers away,

and they really appear
quite big on the horizon.

It's quite
an incredible thing to see,

but the maintenance
of the grounds is--

it's an investment in time.

The swimming pool had its own
set of challenges as well.

The worst bit was when I was
there sort of cleaning it

all out and I could see that
there were some dead rats,

so I managed to get those out,

but then I didn't realize that
one had sort of stuck

to the back of my leg,
and it had really adhered

with its decomposing flesh,

and sort of trying to pry
that off was a low point.

Dick: Owning a chateau
and dirty jobs go hand in hand,

although they're always helped
by the odd toy.

[Engine starts]

[Loud rev]

And so the drive band
has just broken

that drives the blades,
if you can quite believe it.

I sort of thought of it
as a sort of sedate go-karting

for middle-aged dads and was
quite looking forward to that.

The reality is
a little bit different.

Here's the cup holder,
and I thought, "Fantastic!

There's a place for a beer,"

but you're jiggling along,

it all foams up and spills out.

So t doesn't really do
that job very well,

and you always get stuck
and have to spend half an hour

pulling it out of a hole
or something.

Oh, I think that kind of
concludes the feature set.

Well, anyway, that's going to
stay there until I fix it.

Dick: With the mower out of
action until he gets a new part,

it's back to paint choices,

and it's clunch time
for Annabelle.

So this is the ammonite
that I was favoring,

but you thought it was
a bit be dark,

and here, I've just mixed it
half with white paint,

and, you know, it's got
the same sort of shade

but obviously a lot lighter.

Justin: I think it looks
really good.

- I think it's nice, too.
- I think it's nice.

It's a good trick actually.

The guy at the paint store
told me about it.

He's like, "If you really like
the color,

"but it's a bit strong,
just mix half of it with white,

and there's your solution."

So the challenge now is going to
be able to communicate

a British brand color
to a French painter

and then get them to
dilute it by half.

- Yeah.
- Let's do it.

- Let's do it.
- Ha ha ha!

That's your job.

OK. Let's see how we go.

Dick: Good luck with that, guys.

185 miles north
at Chateau de Lalande,

Stephanie is converting
the attic of the old granary

into a self-contained apartment
for her mother,

but that's not the only thing
on her plate.

Isabelle: What are you making?

Stephanie: Champagne jelly.

Isabelle:
Oh, not that one again.

Dick: Professionally trained
singer Stephanie is also

playing host to
a week-long musical workshop.

Stephanie:
It's just the most insanely

crazy week this week.

We have a workshop.
There's 21 people in it,

so with us, I'm cooking
for about 26 every day,

and on top of that,
I'm singing with them

in a concert at the end
of the week,

and we also have to paint my
mother's apartment this week.

So it's literally painting,
cooking, singing all week.

Dick:
These regular workshops are

a vital source
of much-needed income.

Stephanie: The musical workshops
that we have basically keep

the whole chateau going.

Without them, we really
wouldn't be able to manage

to just keep up
with the monthly costs,

so it's really hugely
important for us,

and it also brings the house
to life because it's full

of people, full of music,
and these houses need that.

Dick: With so much on,
Stephanie's called in

a close friend
of the family to help out.

Stephanie: Jerry's come to help
because it's crisis week,

and he's good at two things.

He's the fastest painter I know,

and also he helps keep
my mother a lot calmer.

It's quite a big undertaking
to do all this,

and as you notice with the pole,

it's got a long extension
onto it.

I'm not the tallest of people.

I need a ladder to go
onto your ladder.

Stephanie: Jerry is my brother
but not my blood brother.

He has been with my family
since he was 12 years old.

I've never known a time
without him,

and we were completely
inseparable

in my whole childhood.

We just did everything together,

and he was the best brother
anyone could have.

- Jerry, it looks amazing.
- Thank you.

You're the fastest painter
in the West.

It's really a transformation.

It will look good once
it's all painted.

I'm a bit worried about,
you know, the height, but...

Stephanie: The builder Ian
said that it would

take you one month.

Jerry: He said it's gonna
take me a month?

One month. I said,
"You don't know my brother."

Dick: That sounds like
a challenge to me.

At Chateau de Glatens,
Justin and Annabelle have

completed the installation
of a pink cast-iron bath

into daughter Rosie's bathroom.

Annabelle: You know what?
I actually think it looks good.

Justin: It looks fabulous.

- I'm so relieved.
- So am I. Ha ha ha!

Dick: The next job on the list
is creating a vanity unit.

All right.
Let's get this thing out.

Well, this is a chest
of drawers.

I've previously modified
this drawer here

to accommodate the sink,

and now I need to do the same
thing with the bottom drawer,

and then we need to place
the marble on top and plumb

it all in,
and there you go,

that's a bathroom vanity.

And here's
the unmodified drawer.

Dick: Justin, that's a fun job
you've given yourself there.

I sold my ability to do
this to Annabelle,

and I'm determined to deliver.

So let's see how we go.

Dick: This form of upcycling is
a great way to create something

new from something old
and at a fraction of the price,

something that makes me
very happy.

There we go.

There's going to be a question
of mounting these like that.

Brace it and then...

Dick: Looking good so far.

Et voila.

Dick: All it needs now
is a coat of paint,

and daughter Rosie
will have a new vanity unit,

but there's a problem.

Annabelle: So we got to a phone
call from the marble guy

telling us that he'd smashed
the basin that's going

into the bathroom vanity,

and obviously,
we can order another basin,

but I'm just hoping that they've
been able to cut it

in such a way that it will fit.

It's just--it's just a bit
of an unknown because, you know,

obviously it would have been
more ideal for the basin

to be in the bathroom vanity
and not be broken.

Dick: The bad news
isn't deterring Justin...

I think the paint's
pretty much dry now.

Dick: who seems very pleased
with his DIY handiwork.

- Does it look good?
- I think it'll look brilliant.

We haven't got
the marble top on yet.

Annabelle: Oh, how come?

Justin: Well, because
I wanted you to be sure.

Oh, it's so cute.

What do you think
about the position?

I think that looks good,
doesn't it?

Justin: Well, I measured it up,
and it's exactly

where it's supposed to be,
but I just wanted to make sure

that you are happy with it.

Annabelle:
Yeah. That looks perfect.

Dick: And with the marble top
back in place,

albeit without the basin
for now...

- Ta-da.
- Et voila.

Dick: they've transformed
Rosie's bathroom.

With the pink bath,
Justin's homemade vanity unit,

and Annabelle's unique
gray-y, beige-y paint color,

this is a bathroom any
little girl would be proud of.

Annabelle: Yeah.
It's really nice.

Once we get the broken sink
replaced, it's complete.

Dick: Congratulations, chaps.
That's a job well done.

Just 9 more bedrooms,
and 11 more bathrooms to go.

It's the height of summer
at Chateau de Lalande.

Stephanie has her hands full
preparing lunch

for a workshop of 21 musicians.

Get on with the pesto.
It's fine for now, I think.

Dick: With so much to do, she's
enlisted help from a friend.

Juliet and I are working
in the kitchen.

We're going to get on
with lunch now

and start preparing desserts
for tomorrow night

and cake for tomorrow because
we're one day ahead with those.

Isabelle and fiancé Percy are
heading off to the village

to pick up some
last-minute shopping.

OK. Where is my chauffer?

- Percy?
- Percy?

- Oh, shall we go now?
- Ohh! Ha ha ha!

I beg your pardon.
Did I burn you?

It's all right.
I'll just--I'll just

put an apron on.

But you--and do your button up,
Stephanie, please.

Dick: Isabelle is a stickler
for punctuality,

but there's still
a main course to be made

and just an hour and a half
to go before lunch,

and Stephanie is still
in her jimjams.

Juliet: We don't have
bread anymore.

Stephanie: Hang on.
What's in here?

Juliet: Ohh. Ha ha ha!
Stephanie: Whew.

Ha ha ha!

OK. We're saved.

Have you seen the time?

- It's 20 to 12:00.
- Mm-hmm.

- Yeah.
- OK.

Stephanie: I'm a bit concerned
that any moment

my mother is going to walk in,

and she's going to see that
there's not that much

organized for lunch,
but there will be.

Juliet, if Mummy is home,
the plan is we act like this

is meant to be at this level.

But it is meant to be
at this level.

- Everything is great.
- That's the attitude. Good.

Hello, Mummy.

Isabelle:
And how is it going on here?

Stephanie:
Extremely well, thank you.

Isabelle: Good.
So we're on schedule for 1:00?

Absolutely.

Dick: When in a rush, sometimes,
some things get forgotten.

Isabelle:
Oh, something's burning.

- Stephanie.
- It's not. I just checked.

It's fine.

Isabelle: Pardon? Stephanie.

Juliet: The glove.

Stephanie: Ha ha ha!

Oh, Stephanie.

I'm sorry.

Isabelle: And that could have
saved somebody's life.

Stephanie:
I think you did, Mummy.

Dick: And so at 4 minutes
past 1:00, lunch is served.

Stephanie: Is the cutlery
not out?

What's Mummy been doing?

Woman: Oh, it's something that
we can also cut these with.

Stephanie: Mummy, the cutlery
isn't out.

Isabelle:
I am afraid it isn't.

You cannot trust
the staff these days.

Mummy, that was you.

- 4 minutes late.
- Oh, no, we're 4 minutes...

On the last thing.
It was 4 minutes

on the last thing,
but they hadn't actually

started eating
the first plateful of it,

so in fact, they were fine.

Isabelle: I knew you were going
to be late,

so I served the tomato pies--
the tomato pies

without cutting them.

Time they cut them, and they
were practically on time.

Oh, so you saved the day
actually is what you're saying?

- I saved the day.
- Yeah. Genius.

That is the sort of person
you need on your team.

Hallelujah.

Dick: It just goes to show
living with your mum

has its benefits.

Stephanie: It was all good,
but I didn't actually manage

to get changed to any point,
so now finally,

I'm going to get dressed
for the day.

Dick: Later that evening after
changing out of her pajamas,

trained singer Stephanie
takes to the stage.

* Shall I strive with words
to move *

* When deeds receive
not due regard? *

* O come, dear joy,
and answer my desire *

[Applause]

Stephanie: I think the last
two days have gone really well,

very calmly, very peacefully.

I'm feel on quite the high now.
It's all done.

I can go and have some wine.

Well done, Stephanie.

- Cheers.
- Cheers.

- Cheers.
- Cheers.

- Cheers.
- Cheers.

- Cheers.
- Cheers.

- Well done, Team Kitchen.
- Yay.

Dick: Congratulations, everyone.

Now I can't wait to see how
Isabelle's apartment turns out.

Next time...

I know I'm doing
all the work and painting

and decorating and everything.

Dick: Jayne and Steve
don't see eye to eye.

You're doing all the work?
Who painted the en suite?

You did, Jayne.
You did do the en suite.

Yeah. I did that.
Thank you very much.

- Who made these curtains?
- You did, yeah.

Yeah. Thank you very much.

So he's doing all the work.

Dick: There's fire without smoke
for Justin and Annabelle.

OK. I've lit it.
Can you see anything?

Annabelle: Nothing yet.

- What about now?
- Nothing yet.

What about now?

Nope, nothing.

Dick: And at Chateau de Lalande.

Oh, wow, wow, wow, wow,
wow, wow, wow, wow.

Dick, voice-over: Stephanie's
bashing saves me a job.

Stephanie: Oh, now what I did
there is I sent it

down the chimney, that brick.

Much better.
Much better.

Because otherwise,
you have to carry it down.