Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 4, Episode 12 - Episode #4.12 - full transcript
I'm Dick Strawbridge,
and along with my wife Angel
and our two children...
Angel: Yay.
Dick: Oh, well done!
Dick, voice-over: we've lived
in this magnificent chateau
for the past 5 years.
Look. Look, look, look, look,
look, look, look, look, look.
Angel: Ohh! Oh, my God.
That is so beautiful.
Dick, voice-over: It's not
just our home...
Dick: OH, and we're up!
Dick, voice-over:
but our business.
Dick: You may kiss your bride.
[Cheering]
Dick, voice-over:
and all over France,
there are other Brits doing
exactly the same.
Sarah: Oh, my God!
Dick, voice-over: We'll follow
a new wave
of intrepid chateau owners...
If I open some windows,
might get rid of some dust.
Dick, voice-over: and some
familiar faces
as they take on
these majestic buildings,
and we'll reveal more
about our own chateau life.
Dorothy: Give me your money.
- Yay!
- Yay!
Dick, voice-over:
There'll be triumphs...
Woman: This looks incredible.
Erin: Do you like it?
Woman: I love it.
Dick, voice-over:
and setbacks...
Oh!
Dick, voice-over: as they battle
to renovate their homes...
[Clatter]
and earn their keep.
OK. I'm ready!
Dick, voice-over: But no matter
how hard the going gets...
Debbie: This is probably, yeah,
my worst nightmare.
Dick, voice-over: they get to
live the dream
as custodians
of their very own castle.
Today...
Out, out, out, out, out, out!
Dick: New chateau owners
search for perfection...
Nothing is straight
in this place.
Dick: as they prepare to host
a large group of guests.
Mariam: Out of all
of the 11 rooms that we have,
none have curtains yet,
and I'm stressed about it.
Dick: B&B owners get more
than they bargained for...
Paul: I think there's gonna be
a bit of messing about here.
Dick: as they struggle
with their latest project.
Yeah. Not so brilliant.
Dick: And one couple have
it all to do...
Phillip: I realized the doors
here are quite tall.
Dick: ahead
of a big family wedding.
Janet: I can't even spell
stress anymore
I'm so stressed.
Dick: All over France,
there are hundreds
of stunning chateaus for sale,
and some are a lot cheaper
than you think.
This is the 17th century 31-room
Chateau Domaine de la Salle,
which was snapped up
for £315,000
by former
fashion designer Mariam
and her husband Johnno.
Mariam: Hello, 3 kitties.
* We 3 kitties
are waiting for tea *
[Meow]
Johnno: The selling point
really was that it was just--
you felt as if you were lost
in the middle of nowhere really.
Mariam: Felt very magical.
It is really nice living
in a place like this.
I won't lie.
It's really nice.
Dick: Located near Bordeaux
in Southwest France,
they've started running
the place as a B&B
and events venue
and have recently transformed
the front lawn into a lavish,
formal French garden.
Mariam: Go, Johnno!
Johnno: Ha ha ha!
Mariam: Give it a bit of welly.
Johnno: Yay!
Dick: Now they need to make
the inside
of the chateau pristine
as 7 guests are arriving
in 3 weeks,
their biggest booking to date.
Mariam: If people come
and stay at the chateau,
you want them to feel as if
they are staying
in somewhere special,
but there are lots of things
left to be done.
This is the bathroom...
which still needs a lot of work,
and this bedroom,
uh, is giving us a headache
because you can see everything's
just been piled on the bed.
Dick: But the mess is
the least of their problems.
Mariam: Out of all
of the 11 rooms that we have,
none have curtains yet,
and I'm stressed about it.
Ha ha! Hey-ho. What to do.
Dick: Luckily,
Mariam does have a plan.
Mariam: Ah. There are some
rings already up here. 1...
Dick: She's sourced 200 meters
of cotton damask
to make the curtains,
and by doing them herself,
she's saved a small fortune.
Mariam: So we're about to hang
some curtains,
which is Johnno's
least favorite job,
and it's actually mine, too.
They're on the bed,
and I think the cats
are gonna find them
and sleep on them,
so I want to get them up
before that happens.
Dick: By the look of things,
you may have to be quick.
Mariam: I'll give you
one curtain...
Johnno: Yep.
Mariam: And then I'll give you
the next.
Johnno: Right. OK.
Mariam: Hang on!
Yes. I'm coming.
Johnno: Oh! Bagheera.
Mariam: What?
Johnno: Look.
Mariam: Ha ha ha!
You always want to be
everywhere, don't you?
You're so naughty. Come here.
Ha ha ha!
- Out. Go.
- Right.
Dick: Despite Bagheera's
best efforts,
she's not managed
to derail Johnno.
All he wants now is for
the curtains to look the part.
Johnno: Nothing is straight
in this place.
When you look from above,
the rail looks
as if it isn't straight,
but it is straight
compared to the window,
but it's the floor
that's actually going downhill.
Dick: That makes things
interesting,
and it appears that bathrooms
also present a problem.
Mariam: I brought these curtains
from our last house,
and they're too short.
I want to make them
reach the ground,
and I found some lace
at a brocante,
which I'm going to put in there,
and then I'm going to add
another piece
of a very similar fabric
at the bottom,
just create a sort of a hem.
[Sewing machine running]
Dick: As an accomplished
seamstress, it should be
pretty straightforward.
Mariam: I love working
with linen like this.
You can just fold it,
crease it with your fingers,
and it just stays.
Dick: But just when it looked
like everything
was going to plan...
Mariam: Ha ha ha!
I'll show you
my beautiful curtain.
Ha ha ha!
Ah. Isn't it marvelous?
It's OK. I'm just gonna snip it
up here. Ha ha ha!
Oh, yeah.
This is called taking shortcuts.
Dick: With another
9 rooms to do,
it's easy to see why you'd
want to do it quicker.
Mariam: You going to help me
do these curtains?
Dick: 270 miles away sits
the impressive
Chateau de la Fare.
It has 35 rooms
and a picturesque tower.
Parts date back
to the 12th century.
The lucky owners are
Australian-born couple
Janet and Phillip.
After Phillip worked
at Buckingham Palace
for 19 years,
they wanted a castle
of their own.
Phillip: We bought
about 7 years ago,
and now I've turned 60,
it's time to come here
and actually do some work here
and live the dream,
so to speak.
Janet: It is the next
big adventure in our life,
and I believe we can make
a good life here.
- I agree.
- A really special life here.
Dick: Located close
to Montpellier
in the South of France,
Janet and Phillip
have agreed to host
their daughter Penny's wedding.
Now they have just 3 weeks
to finish the bridal suite
complete with salon,
bathroom, and bedroom.
Janet: May the 25th.
That's all I can say, buddy.
Phillip: Yes, It's fine.
It's fine.
We'll be there.
Dick: So far, Phillip's been
doing most of the work himself.
If I open some windows,
it might help get rid
of some dust.
Dick: But it's proved to be
slow going.
Now with time running out,
Janet is losing patience.
Janet: I want to decorate.
You know, I've got to think
about curtains and bedding
and pretty things.
That's what I want to do.
I don't want this mess.
I'm sick of mess.
[Power tool buzzing]
Dick: To speed things up,
Phillip has drafted in
mate Bruce, who has lived
in France for almost 20 years.
Bruce: Yeah. I'm slowly
teaching Phillip
swear words in French.
Phillip: Ha ha ha!
Dick: Today, they're hanging
the doors
for the bridal suite bathroom.
- Let's do it.
- Come on then.
Phillip: That's the top
there, isn't it? Must be.
Bruce: Uh, that's the top, yeah.
Phillip: Something's
seriously wrong here.
Bruce: Why?
Phillip: Because my rear plates
don't match up.
In fact, they're way off.
Dick: It looks as though they've
got some measurements wrong.
Phillip: That's a serious
mistake, that is.
Bruce: It's like
Laurel and Hardy, isn't it?
- OK.
- Well, mark it now
while the door's up.
Phillip: Yeah, I will do, yeah.
How did I manage that?
Take two.
Dick: Let's hope it's
second time lucky.
Phillip: This time,
it will fit.
I command it.
That looks so much better.
OK. Let's try it.
Oh, look at that.
Dick: The doors work a treat,
but it appears measuring
is not Phillip's strong point.
Phillip: I bought these doors
in London,
and then when I came
to fit the doors
or to make the frame
for the door,
I realized the doors here
are quite tall,
so I'm going to creatively add
some to the bottom of it
so that it looks like
it's meant to be.
Ha ha ha! Another job. Oh!
Bruce: Not made to measure
but made to fit.
Phillip: Yeah.
Dick: And it looks like that's
not the only thing
to add to his to-do list.
Can we change the door handle?
That's ugly.
You can't have an ugly handle
on those doors.
We have to make it look--
Bruce: It's Art Deco.
Janet: The room is not
Art Deco, sorry,
and that is not Art Deco.
Bruce: I'm not getting involved
in this argument. Heh heh heh.
Yeah. Phillip and I are
a good team.
We work well together,
and I think as long
as I'm the boss,
there's just not
a problem at all.
There are no arguments.
It's OK.
Dick: To keep the boss happy,
Phillip and Bruce
move on to installing the bath.
Phillip: If I go in first, yeah.
Then against the wall.
Ooh. Ooh, ooh.
Bruce: It's tight.
Phillip: Hmm.
I thought I had more room
than that actually. Hmm.
Bruce: Ah. Interesting.
Phillip: This presents
a little bit of a problem.
Dick: Now it seems the bath
is to big to fit in the space.
Bruce: Your tiles
are that thick.
Phillip: If I get a tile,
we can actually do--
we can do a better check,
can't we?
Yeah. It doesn't actually
curve too much,
and we can tile around it,
can't we?
- Yeah, yeah.
- If we tile up to that height
and then slip the bath in...
Bruce: Yeah. Yeah.
Phillip: OK.
Bruce: You could always saw
half an inch
off the end of the bath.
Phillip: OK. Fine.
You tell my wife, right,
and then I'll just wait outside.
Bruce: No.
Dick: Whatever you decide,
you need to do it fast.
This is the 19th century
Chateau de Montvason,
which sits in 8.5 acres
of woodland.
It has 30 rooms spread
over two wings
and is owned by Emma
and partner Paul,
who are renovating it
into a B&B and events venue.
Paul: I really loved it
right from the moment
we came through the gates.
Emma: But it's a lot of work.
One of the Montvason mottos is
"We're getting there,"
so I can't wait till we do.
Ha ha!
Dick: Located close
to the Normandy coast,
since moving in just
over two years ago,
they have spent most
of their £30,000 budget
transforming the east wing,
where each room has
its own individual style.
Now they have £10,000 left
to do the rest of the chateau,
starting with decorating
two bedrooms in the west wing.
Emma: This is what it's
looking like.
Paul: Oh, wow.
That's really good.
That's exactly what I'm after.
Dick: In one bedroom, they've
added some decorative touches
and have wallpapered,
but it's crucial to get
the room finished,
as a special guest is arriving
in just 4 weeks.
We need an extra room
because it's my brother's 60th,
so, yeah, the pressure's on
to get that completed in time.
Ooh, ooh. Right.
Dick: Today, Emma's job is to
paint the newly hung wallpaper.
Emma: Ooh!
It looks a lot brighter
than I remembered.
[Humming]
Dick: The vivid color was picked
in keeping
with their Art Nouveau theme.
Emma: So the color is chosen
by Monsieur Paul.
It's like a sort
of Mackintosh color.
It's from the Art Nouveau.
The trick is to get it
in the holes
because if I don't fill
the gaps,
Monsieur Paul is going to
make me do a second coat.
Dick: In the other bedroom...
Man: Small trowel
for a small mixer.
Dick: Family friend Dan
is extending the chimney breast
to make it wide\r enough for
an old marble fireplace surround
Emma and Paul picked up for £65.
Being green-minded
and budget-conscious,
he's using leftover bricks
and Thermalite blocks
as they'll be covered over.
Emma: Fireplace is the biggest
job in that room.
Once we get that done,
then we really will have made
a good inroad, so, yeah,
it's gonna be a big job
out of the way.
Paul: It's quite light actually.
It's not heavy.
Dick: Keen to move things along,
Paul wants to see
if the fire surround fits.
Paul: I think there's gonna
be a big a messing about here.
Dan: Well, let's put
this up, see where we stand.
Paul.
Paul: Right. I think, yeah,
legs against that leg.
OK. We've got to slide that in.
Dan: All right. Got it.
Paul: That's it.
That's now not fitting in there.
Dick: Looks like
the chimney breast is now
a bit wide for the surround.
Paul: We could do it as it is,
but it wouldn't be
quite right, you know,
not to my eye anyway,
so I want this perfect
when it goes in,
so what we've got is
we've just got a couple of more
bits on the bricks at the top
that have to come out
so that the fireplace sits all
square and matches up correctly.
Dick: With the help
of Dan's chisel...
Dan: Enough, you think?
Paul: That bit there.
Dan: There?
Paul: Yeah.
That's it. Lovely.
Dick: it's job done.
Let's hope it's now
the right size.
Paul: That's it,
and then in.
Tell you what. Yeah.
That side's very good.
Yeah. I'm pleased,
and it is dead central.
Dan: I think it looks great,
Paul, meself.
Paul: Yeah. It's good
as it's gonna get.
Dick: Great effort, chaps.
Now it's time to focus
on the other room
before Emma's brother arrives.
260 miles away
at Chateau Domaine de la Salle,
Mariam and Johnno have just
3 days before 7 guests arrive,
and not a single room is ready.
Today, Mariam wants to
upholster a bed
she bought online for £120.
First, she wants to check
the £700 mattress
she had custom-made fits
the bed.
Johnno: It's short.
Mariam: Ooh.
Not very good, is it?
Johnno: It's not even
wide enough.
Mariam: I know.
Dick: It's not great.
Mariam: Ha! Ha ha!
Ohh. The mattress is
a little bit small.
I've had this mattress
specially made,
and I measured it.
Dick: Fortunately, Mariam
thinks she has a solution.
Mariam: So what I'm going to do
is I've got some wadding.
I'm going to put
some wadding on here
and at the bottom and just
fill the bed up,
which is the last thing I need.
Dick: Needs must.
By padding out the bed ends
with extra wadding,
the guests shouldn't
suspect a thing.
Mariam: Traditional upholstery
is not with staple guns,
but my theory is it's only
because they hadn't
invented them then.
If you're wondering why
this is so bad,
it's because I've never
done this before.
Ha ha ha!
Dick: With the wadding
stapled in place...
Mariam: So that's quite a lot
fatter now, which is good.
Dick: Mariam adds
a layer of felt.
Mariam: In fashion terms,
this is called moulage,
when you mold things
and then you snip them
to make them bend
around corners.
I don't know if you do this
for upholstery,
but I'm doing it. Heh.
Dick: Having done one end
of the bed,
she now has to do the same
to the other.
Mariam: I'm feeling
in a mad panic
about this whole thing.
Nobody who buys one
of these places and does it up
is actually
from the hotel industry.
Ha ha ha!
You buy these places because
you just fall in love with them.
It's a bit like a man
getting married.
Fall in love and then
suddenly realize
all that it actually entails.
Dick: Moving swiftly on,
Mariam is ready
to attach the fabric.
Mariam: This blue fabric
is something that
I've had in my workshop
for about 20 years.
I think I might have bought it
in Syria or somewhere on a trip.
Dick: With the fabric in place,
Mariam seals the edges
with a shiny braid to add
a touch of luxury.
Mariam: It in an instant
makes it look
from being horrible
to rather glam.
It's very nice seeing
that transformation.
It looks nice
and oldy boldy.
It's good.
OK. For the rest.
I'm going to have a tea first.
I'm constantly having cups
of tea to try and get out
of what I have to do.
Dick: 270 miles away
at Chateau de la Fare,
it's all hands to the pump.
Janet: Are you all right there?
Woman: Yeah.
Dick: There's just 24 hours to
go before Janet and Phillip's
daughter's wedding.
Janet: Oops. Down.
Dick: And family and friends
have been roped in to help.
Janet: I can't even
spell stress anymore
I'm so stressed.
It's a shame in a way
because I'd like to do my nails
or relax and sit and have
a cup of tea,
but, you know what,
you just have to work
and get jobs done.
Dick: The bridal suite needs
to be finished
by the end of the day,
and with so much still to do,
Janet and Phillip have had
to make a tough decision.
Phillip: Our original plan
was to renovate
a salon, a bathroom,
and a bedroom really.
Janet: And literally,
it has been going forward
two steps and then going
back 3 steps.
Phillip: So as a result,
the salon, the sitting room,
has had to wait
for another time.
Dick: Well, at least
the bathroom is nearly complete.
So the focus now can be
on getting the bedroom
looking the part.
Phillip's sister Janine
and friend Michelle
are helping gild
the decorative pelmet
for above the bridal bed.
Janine: What other crazy people
come all the way
from Australia
for a working holiday
in an old chateau
when we could be lying
somewhere in the South
of France?
Why do that when we can
come here and do this?
Dick: It's what you sign up for
when you have family
that own a chateau,
but trained electrician Phillip
is not resting either,
as he needs to ensure
the bedroom has power.
Phillip: Ah, there's probably
at least 4 switches to go in,
and there's about a half dozen
power points to go in,
but it should be OK.
We can do that today.
Janine: My brother's always
been a dreamer.
If you ask Phil,
everything's fantastic.
There's no problems,
they're going to make it.
If you ask Janet, you'll hear
a slightly different story.
Janet's more the worrier.
Phillip's the dreamer,
but together, they're
the perfect pair,
and it will get done.
Phillip: I've just
discovered actually
all the single switches
are the wrong ones,
so I'm gonna put a double
switch on here temporarily.
Oh, it's one thing
after the other honestly.
It is another problem.
Dick: With the clock ticking,
there's no time to waste.
Janet needs to hang the shiny
pelmet they've created.
Phillip: This is fun, isn't it?
Janet: Ha ha ha!
This is a bit cozy.
Phillip: Can you go higher?
Janet: Yeah. Of course I can.
Phillip: Health and Safety here.
Janet: Ha ha!
Dick: Along with the curtains
she specially made.
Janet: I'd like to see it
like that.
Phillip: It's fine.
Janet: No. It is right.
Oh, my God!
I think it's all right.
I'm absolutely just
thrilled to bits.
Oh, thank God.
Dick: It's a step
in the right direction,
but there's still so much to do
to ensure the bridal suite
is ready
for daughter Penny tonight.
In Southwest France,
former fashion designer Mariam
is shopping
at a local farmers market.
Mariam: We have this market
3 times a week.
Dick: She's hoping to pick up
some delicacies
to impress the 7 guests
due in two days' time.
Mariam: I want my cheese stand,
and I hope he's here today.
Dick: And one of the joys
of living in France...
Mariam: Bonjour.
Man: Bonjour.
Dick: is that you're never far
away form some amazing cheese.
Mariam: That's gonna be
brilliant on the cheese platter,
a great big triangle
in the middle
and all the other bits around.
Voila. Merci.
Dick:
With the food shopping done...
Mariam: Where am I parked?
Over there.
Dick: it's a quick dash
back to the chateau,
where there's still
plenty to sort out.
Mariam: Ooh! Where do I start?
Dick: Next to tackle
on the to-do list are the beds.
Mariam: There's about 5 or 6
staircases here.
Dick: Luckily, a lavish set
of duvet covers
she recently ordered
have finally turned up.
Mariam: I have received
my box of linen from Portugal,
which I ordered
about a month ago.
Just in time, hey?
Ooh! And this is 100% linen,
and it's that crushed stuff.
I think it looks gorgeous,
and the best thing is
it's minimal ironing.
Ha ha ha!
Dick: That has to be a winner.
Mariam also wants to use
linen for the bed sheets
to help ensure the guests have
a very comfortable stay.
Mariam: And I've bought these
really nice linen sheets
in the antique shops,
and they feel fantastic
in summer.
When it's really hot,
a thick linen sheet feels
really cool to sleep on,
but I've got a slight problem.
These sheets are made
for old beds,
which were narrower,
so have enough sheet
on that side to tuck it in,
I'm short on this side.
Dick: Mariam, though,
has a plan.
Mariam: So I've got a sheet here
which I can't use.
I got it for very little money,
um, because...
Ha ha!
It's rotten in the middle,
but the side panels are good,
so, you know, I only need
about that much.
Dick: Her idea is to rip
off the sides,
then reattach them
to the intact bedsheet,
which will make it wide enough
for the bed.
Mariam: I'm going to attach
the side panels onto it.
So let the stitching begin.
Dick: Making use of French linen
is right up Angel's street.
Angel: This was a find,
you know.
Dick: She's always on the hunt
for something special.
Angel: You do not find
monogrammed bed linen
very, very often.
It was like the angels
had sent it down to me.
Dick: Whether buying
monogrammed bed linen...
or transforming tea towels
into pillowcases...
Angel: Oh, come on.
That's quite nice, isn't it?
Dick: Angel's always looking
at new ways
to make fabrics a feature
in our chateau.
Angel: I paid 20 quid
for that in the UK.
Dick: So let's hope Mariam
can do an equally seamless job.
Mariam: And I'm going to make
a French seam.
So a French seam is when
you attach this piece
of fabric approximately there.
You'll be stitching along there,
and then when you open it up,
you fold this round,
and then you stitch along there,
and it gives you a seam
with no raw edges,
and it's the kind of seam
that if you're doing
a lot of laundry
it will hold up to it.
Dick: It doesn't take long
for Mariam to work
her sewing magic.
Mariam: Done.
One enormous bedsheet,
which I shall go and try out.
Come on, cat. Let's go out.
And you can't see
it's been extended.
Oh, it feels lovely.
It really does.
It's just cold and delicious,
and it's so nice
to get into bed
when you have a sheet like this.
Dick: Mission accomplished,
but with the rest
of the beds to do
and curtains still
to finish off,
the hard work is far from over.
In Northern France,
Emma and Paul
are also busy with beds,
as they need to dress
their freshly painted bedroom
before Emma's brother
George arrives
for his 60th birthday.
Emma: We haven't actually seen
this without the thing on,
have we?
Paul: Nope.
Emma: Should we do it?
Oh, wow!
Dick: To keep in with the style
of the room,
they've splashed out £1,000,
a huge chunk of their budget,
on an Art Nouveau-inspired bed.
Paul: If we were to buy
an original,
it would cost us about £50,000.
Dick: The first task
is to assemble it.
Paul: Emma!
Emma: Yeah?
Paul: Need you.
Dick: But as
with most furniture,
building it
is a unique exercise.
Emma: Well, from what I can see,
there's two little hooks here.
Paul: Yeah. Not so brilliant.
These go round the other way.
Emma: A few teething problems
on the construction
but nothing we can't solve.
Paul: OK. So...
there you go.
Emma: Thank God for that.
Dick: Problems overcome,
it's just a matter
of adding the mattress.
Emma: Ooh!
Paul: Ohh!
Emma: We're thinking of moving
to this room, aren't we?
Paul: Yes.
Ceiling's very pretty.
Emma: You missed a bit.
Paul: What do you mean
I've missed a bit?
Emma: You missed a bit there.
Paul: I have not missed a bit.
Dick: With Emma's brother's
imminent arrival,
they have no time to waste.
Paul's next task is
the curtains.
He's found something special
to go on the rails.
Paul: I've got to give these
a quick spruce up.
Dick: He's picked up some
period brass finials for pennies
and wants to bring them
back to life
by rinsing them in vinegar.
Paul: Just a kind of natural way
of cleaning
sort of old brass
and stuff really.
It's less aggressive
than a lot of the products
that you can buy,
and it's not going to ruin
the environment.
The thing is you can go
a little bit too mad
with these things,
and then you lose a lot
of the character,
and the difference is that,
so it's just a quick clean,
but you kept
some of the patina on it,
and they just look
quite nice really.
Dick: They've certainly
come up a treat.
Paul: OK.
Emma: Ooh! The curtains are up?
Oh, that's much better.
Dick: All that's left to do now
is add some finishing touches.
Emma: Beautiful. Perhaps.
I think we're pretty much there.
I'm quite surprised,
so that's good.
Dick: Over the past 3 months,
they've managed to transform
a blank, empty room
into a sumptuous,
sophisticated, high-end bedroom.
The ornate ceiling rose
and cornicing
combined with a reproduction bed
and period furniture
give the space a style
from the Art Nouveau era.
All finished and bang on time.
Emma: You found it!
Dick: Emma's brother George
has arrived from Denmark
for his birthday surprise.
Emma: Oh, lovely to see you.
Did you find it OK?
George: Yeah, yeah, I found it
without a problem.
Emma: I want to show you
where I've put you.
I've got a surprise for you.
Come and have a look.
This is your birthday room.
George: Oh, my God!
Thank you very much, Emma.
Great.
Emma: So we've got all
the, like, Art Nouveau style,
so this is your room!
George: Oh, this is nice.
Emma: So I was really excited--
George: This is really nice.
Thank you very much.
Emma: Do you like it, yeah?
George: It's big,
and it's nice,
and you have all
this window space,
so that's nice.
Emma: Oh, fantastic.
So there's a towel there...
Dick: It seems there surprise
has gone down a storm.
Emma: Bet you want a drink
or a beer or something.
George: Uh, yeah, probably.
Emma: OK. Let's go.
George: You'll be fine taking
orders?
Emma: Absolutely.
There's no rush.
George: I think the room
looks great,
and I'm very excited
to stay there.
Dick: Job done,
but there's still a lot
of work to do to get
the other bedroom finished.
455 miles away
in the South of France,
it's nearing the end of the day,
and time's running out
for Janet and Phillip.
With the help
of their wedding guests,
they're trying to finish
the bridal suite
for daughter Penny so she can
stay here tonight
before the big day.
Penny: We haven't seen
the bridal suite
for 24 hours now,
and the last time I saw it,
it was still half-painted.
Can't quite picture what
it's gonna be like yet.
Superexcited to see.
Dick: It's been a huge effort
from everyone.
Phillip: We still have a couple
of things remaining to do.
I've got a couple
of power points to go on,
and I think we want to hang
a couple of paintings
on the walls
just a little decoration
for some of the surfaces,
but we're quite excited
that they should see it
now, you see?
Janet: Actually, I feel
a bit nervous,
but I am really excited now
to show them, really excited.
I--just let's do it.
Let's do it.
Dick: First up is
the suite's bathroom.
Janet: It's almost ready,
but there are still
a few little jobs to do,
so just be aware
not completely complete,
but I can't wait.
I just have to show you now.
Dick: 3 months ago,
the room was just
an empty, derelict space.
Even though not complete,
it's well on the way
to being transformed
into a stylish,
contemporary en suite
with luxury shower.
Phillip: Everything works.
Penny: I love the tiles.
I love the walk-in shower.
Phillip: Yeah. I do, too.
Penny: I think that's
really nice.
Janet: I don't want to bring
this down
to a very practical level,
but that look is a loo
with a serious view. Ha ha ha!
Penny: I think the design
is absolutely gorgeous.
Man: It's the nicest bathroom
in the chateau now.
Penny: Yeah.
Dick: So far so good.
On to the bridal bedroom.
10 weeks ago, it was
nothing more than a shell.
Now it's been renovated
into a chic, elegant,
and grand space
featuring lavish furnishings
which complement
the grandeur of the chateau.
Penny: Oh, wow!
[Laughter]
Man: That's incredible.
Unbelievable.
Penny: I can't believe
this is a bedroom now.
Phillip: It just looks
great, doesn't it?
Penny: I think the bed looks
absolutely amazing.
It's just...
Phillip: Yeah.
Janet: It's beautiful.
Phillip: You're pleased. I know.
Janet: Ha ha ha!
Phillip: OK. Enough tears.
Wipe the tears.
Penny: I just cannot believe
how much work you put in for us.
Ha ha ha!
There is certainly
a bit of relief.
I was a little bit concerned
we were gonna be sleeping
on the floor.
There were tiny doubts,
but honestly, I always knew
that they would come through.
Cannot wait to get to dress
here tomorrow morning.
Janet: And...
Penny: That's the stuff that
little girls dream of,
getting ready for your wedding
in this sort of room.
I can't thank you enough.
Dick: I don't think that
could have gone much better.
Janet: Think we should be
proud of ourselves...
- Yeah.
- and everybody who helped us.
- Absolutely. Yeah.
- Obviously, couldn't have done
it without them.
Dick: But there's no time
to rest on their laurels,
as now they have to prepare
the chateau grounds
for the wedding itself.
Phillip: Big day tomorrow.
Big day for Penn and Mark.
Janet: But a big day actually
for Chateau el la Fare.
- Yeah.
- A very big day
for the chateau.
Dick: In Southwest France,
Mariam and Johnno
are gearing to welcome their
biggest guest booking so far.
Mariam: I hate making beds
with a passion.
I've always hated making beds.
Dick: And they're starting
to feel the pressure.
Mariam: So today's the day
the guests arrive, D-Day.
I have been really, really tired
and really manic
and really worried.
You know, "Are they going
to like it?
"Is it going to be good enough?
"Is anything
going to go wrong?
"Are any of the toilets
going to flood?
Are the showers
going to be hot?"
Dick: Mariam's a perfectionist,
and with all the rooms dressed,
she wants to add a few
extra special touches.
Mariam: I've left everybody
a little present on their bed,
a little shopping bag
just because I wanted them
to take a little bit
of France away with them,
and it's quite nice
when you come
and there's something
a little bit different,
a little bit special, so...
Dick: It's a sweet idea,
and Mariam's not quite done yet.
She's also found a way to add
more color to the rooms
without it costing a fortune.
Mariam: I went off to buy
flowers yesterday
for the rooms,
and one bunch of flowers
was 40 Euros,
and I thought,
"I can't afford this."
So I went to the plant shop
and bought a whole load
of really nice plants
that I can put in the rooms.
They're going to smell nice,
and then I can plant them
in the garden afterwards.
Johnno: Right.
This is going on here.
Mariam: Yes. Exactly like that.
Have got to constantly
closed the doors
because I don't want my cats
in the bedrooms.
Oh! Cat in the room.
Out, out, out, out, out, out!
[Meow]
Dick: It's been a long,
hard slog,
but the rooms are finally ready.
Mariam's newly upholstered bed,
imported linen,
and handmade curtains
all give the place
a sense of luxury.
Mariam: Let me take you in.
Woman: Thank you.
Dick: And the first
of the guests
are already arriving.
Mariam: So this is your bedroom.
Woman: Oh, fabulous.
- I shall enjoy staying in here.
- Good.
It's beautiful. Thank you.
Dick: So far so good,
and it's not long
before others start arriving.
Mariam: Here we are.
Woman: It's huge. Wow.
Dick: Like mother and daughter
Ginny and Charlotte,
who are sharing a spacious
en suite double twin room.
Ginny: Absolutely gorgeous.
Charlotte: I'm very,
very impressed,
and we're the first ones,
as well, so...
Ginny: Yeah. I love it.
The size, everything.
Charlotte: Fantastic.
Dick: Mariam and Johnno's
attention to detail
has really made an impression,
and with the guests
settling in nicely,
it's a job well done.
Mariam: The hard work we did
has paid off.
It's great. It's really nice
to see people happy,
and actually selfishly,
I love the place,
so who cares? Ha ha ha!
Dick: Fingers crossed they'll
get more big bookings soon.
Further south, it's Janet
and Phillip's
daughter's wedding day.
And with only 5 hours
until the nuptials,
Phillip is still finishing
odd jobs in the bridal suite.
Phillip: For my own pride,
I'd like to get done today
if I can.
Don't know. To prove
to myself I can do it.
Prove to ourselves, I should
say, that we can do it.
Dick: Daughter Penny's dream
is to get married outside,
and the ruins of what Janet
and Phillip call the orangery
is the perfect romantic spot,
so ahead of the ceremony,
Janet and friend Michelle
want to bring it back to life.
Janet: Just bend your knees.
Michelle: Mm-hmm.
They're beautiful, aren't they?
Janet: Yeah. I'm actually
really happy with those.
Better idea than just
cut flowers
because then I've got them.
Michelle: I like it.
It's very romantic,
and it's just a perfect setting
for wedding ceremony.
Janet: Oh, it is as long
as it doesn't rain for us.
Dick: It's blue skies now,
but showers are expected later,
so I'm crossing my fingers
it stays dry.
In the newly refurbished,
bridal suite,
daughter Penny
and the bridesmaids
are having their hair
and makeup done.
Janet: Oh, my God.
It's a wedding. Ha ha ha!
Penny: Bit nervous now,
to be honest,
but very excited
and very glad the day
is finally here,
and it's just the most
beautiful room.
The bridal suite's
the most beautiful room
to get ready in,
so very happy.
Dick: Back outside,
the caterers are here,
but they've hit a snag.
The van has caught
the overhead fairy lights.
[Indistinct chatter]
Phillip: What we want to do
is put the loop
in the fork of the tree
and give it to me here.
Perfect. Perfect.
We're doing a little repair.
We'll rearrange it
and put it up back up again.
It's all fine. It's all fine.
OK.
We'll find somewhere
to tie it off.
You can jump down.
Dick: With one
final hurdle overcome,
the caterers can crack on.
[Man speaks French]
There's just an hour
until the ceremony,
and guests are
beginning to arrive.
The sky is still blue.
In case of a downpour,
the seating
has been kept under cover...
but luckily,
the rain has held off,
so the guests can finally take
their seats quite literally.
Janine: 1, 2, 3.
[Indistinct chatter]
Dick: The big moment
has arrived,
and everything is just right.
It's been an incredible effort,
and Janet and Phillip have
pulled it off in fine style.
Janet: Pretty proud
of ourselves honestly
because, man, has it
been a slog. Ha ha!
Phillip: And proud of our
friends, too, I might add.
Without them, we wouldn't
have got here.
[Applause]
Janet: I am so pleased.
Phillip: Yeah.
Janet: I am so, so pleased.
Phillip: And Penny and Mark
are both very happy,
which is--that's what it's
about really for us.
Dick: It's been a great success,
and I'm sure daughter Penny
and new son-in-law Mark
will have memories to treasure
for many years to come.
[Indistinct chatter]
Next time...
Emma: The priority is...
Dick:
It's a military operation...
Emma: to get these beds made
and constructed.
Dick: as Emma and Paul hit D-Day
for their biggest booking yet.
Emma: We are behind schedule,
so a little stressed.
Dick: Mariam and Johnno
have interior designs...
on making
their grand salon sing.
Mariam: This panel is all
about a lady sitting
by the window, looking out,
and the bird is set free
and files out.
Dick: and a familiar family take
on an ambitious, new project.
Karen: Oh, heck.
That was--oh--horrible.
and along with my wife Angel
and our two children...
Angel: Yay.
Dick: Oh, well done!
Dick, voice-over: we've lived
in this magnificent chateau
for the past 5 years.
Look. Look, look, look, look,
look, look, look, look, look.
Angel: Ohh! Oh, my God.
That is so beautiful.
Dick, voice-over: It's not
just our home...
Dick: OH, and we're up!
Dick, voice-over:
but our business.
Dick: You may kiss your bride.
[Cheering]
Dick, voice-over:
and all over France,
there are other Brits doing
exactly the same.
Sarah: Oh, my God!
Dick, voice-over: We'll follow
a new wave
of intrepid chateau owners...
If I open some windows,
might get rid of some dust.
Dick, voice-over: and some
familiar faces
as they take on
these majestic buildings,
and we'll reveal more
about our own chateau life.
Dorothy: Give me your money.
- Yay!
- Yay!
Dick, voice-over:
There'll be triumphs...
Woman: This looks incredible.
Erin: Do you like it?
Woman: I love it.
Dick, voice-over:
and setbacks...
Oh!
Dick, voice-over: as they battle
to renovate their homes...
[Clatter]
and earn their keep.
OK. I'm ready!
Dick, voice-over: But no matter
how hard the going gets...
Debbie: This is probably, yeah,
my worst nightmare.
Dick, voice-over: they get to
live the dream
as custodians
of their very own castle.
Today...
Out, out, out, out, out, out!
Dick: New chateau owners
search for perfection...
Nothing is straight
in this place.
Dick: as they prepare to host
a large group of guests.
Mariam: Out of all
of the 11 rooms that we have,
none have curtains yet,
and I'm stressed about it.
Dick: B&B owners get more
than they bargained for...
Paul: I think there's gonna be
a bit of messing about here.
Dick: as they struggle
with their latest project.
Yeah. Not so brilliant.
Dick: And one couple have
it all to do...
Phillip: I realized the doors
here are quite tall.
Dick: ahead
of a big family wedding.
Janet: I can't even spell
stress anymore
I'm so stressed.
Dick: All over France,
there are hundreds
of stunning chateaus for sale,
and some are a lot cheaper
than you think.
This is the 17th century 31-room
Chateau Domaine de la Salle,
which was snapped up
for £315,000
by former
fashion designer Mariam
and her husband Johnno.
Mariam: Hello, 3 kitties.
* We 3 kitties
are waiting for tea *
[Meow]
Johnno: The selling point
really was that it was just--
you felt as if you were lost
in the middle of nowhere really.
Mariam: Felt very magical.
It is really nice living
in a place like this.
I won't lie.
It's really nice.
Dick: Located near Bordeaux
in Southwest France,
they've started running
the place as a B&B
and events venue
and have recently transformed
the front lawn into a lavish,
formal French garden.
Mariam: Go, Johnno!
Johnno: Ha ha ha!
Mariam: Give it a bit of welly.
Johnno: Yay!
Dick: Now they need to make
the inside
of the chateau pristine
as 7 guests are arriving
in 3 weeks,
their biggest booking to date.
Mariam: If people come
and stay at the chateau,
you want them to feel as if
they are staying
in somewhere special,
but there are lots of things
left to be done.
This is the bathroom...
which still needs a lot of work,
and this bedroom,
uh, is giving us a headache
because you can see everything's
just been piled on the bed.
Dick: But the mess is
the least of their problems.
Mariam: Out of all
of the 11 rooms that we have,
none have curtains yet,
and I'm stressed about it.
Ha ha! Hey-ho. What to do.
Dick: Luckily,
Mariam does have a plan.
Mariam: Ah. There are some
rings already up here. 1...
Dick: She's sourced 200 meters
of cotton damask
to make the curtains,
and by doing them herself,
she's saved a small fortune.
Mariam: So we're about to hang
some curtains,
which is Johnno's
least favorite job,
and it's actually mine, too.
They're on the bed,
and I think the cats
are gonna find them
and sleep on them,
so I want to get them up
before that happens.
Dick: By the look of things,
you may have to be quick.
Mariam: I'll give you
one curtain...
Johnno: Yep.
Mariam: And then I'll give you
the next.
Johnno: Right. OK.
Mariam: Hang on!
Yes. I'm coming.
Johnno: Oh! Bagheera.
Mariam: What?
Johnno: Look.
Mariam: Ha ha ha!
You always want to be
everywhere, don't you?
You're so naughty. Come here.
Ha ha ha!
- Out. Go.
- Right.
Dick: Despite Bagheera's
best efforts,
she's not managed
to derail Johnno.
All he wants now is for
the curtains to look the part.
Johnno: Nothing is straight
in this place.
When you look from above,
the rail looks
as if it isn't straight,
but it is straight
compared to the window,
but it's the floor
that's actually going downhill.
Dick: That makes things
interesting,
and it appears that bathrooms
also present a problem.
Mariam: I brought these curtains
from our last house,
and they're too short.
I want to make them
reach the ground,
and I found some lace
at a brocante,
which I'm going to put in there,
and then I'm going to add
another piece
of a very similar fabric
at the bottom,
just create a sort of a hem.
[Sewing machine running]
Dick: As an accomplished
seamstress, it should be
pretty straightforward.
Mariam: I love working
with linen like this.
You can just fold it,
crease it with your fingers,
and it just stays.
Dick: But just when it looked
like everything
was going to plan...
Mariam: Ha ha ha!
I'll show you
my beautiful curtain.
Ha ha ha!
Ah. Isn't it marvelous?
It's OK. I'm just gonna snip it
up here. Ha ha ha!
Oh, yeah.
This is called taking shortcuts.
Dick: With another
9 rooms to do,
it's easy to see why you'd
want to do it quicker.
Mariam: You going to help me
do these curtains?
Dick: 270 miles away sits
the impressive
Chateau de la Fare.
It has 35 rooms
and a picturesque tower.
Parts date back
to the 12th century.
The lucky owners are
Australian-born couple
Janet and Phillip.
After Phillip worked
at Buckingham Palace
for 19 years,
they wanted a castle
of their own.
Phillip: We bought
about 7 years ago,
and now I've turned 60,
it's time to come here
and actually do some work here
and live the dream,
so to speak.
Janet: It is the next
big adventure in our life,
and I believe we can make
a good life here.
- I agree.
- A really special life here.
Dick: Located close
to Montpellier
in the South of France,
Janet and Phillip
have agreed to host
their daughter Penny's wedding.
Now they have just 3 weeks
to finish the bridal suite
complete with salon,
bathroom, and bedroom.
Janet: May the 25th.
That's all I can say, buddy.
Phillip: Yes, It's fine.
It's fine.
We'll be there.
Dick: So far, Phillip's been
doing most of the work himself.
If I open some windows,
it might help get rid
of some dust.
Dick: But it's proved to be
slow going.
Now with time running out,
Janet is losing patience.
Janet: I want to decorate.
You know, I've got to think
about curtains and bedding
and pretty things.
That's what I want to do.
I don't want this mess.
I'm sick of mess.
[Power tool buzzing]
Dick: To speed things up,
Phillip has drafted in
mate Bruce, who has lived
in France for almost 20 years.
Bruce: Yeah. I'm slowly
teaching Phillip
swear words in French.
Phillip: Ha ha ha!
Dick: Today, they're hanging
the doors
for the bridal suite bathroom.
- Let's do it.
- Come on then.
Phillip: That's the top
there, isn't it? Must be.
Bruce: Uh, that's the top, yeah.
Phillip: Something's
seriously wrong here.
Bruce: Why?
Phillip: Because my rear plates
don't match up.
In fact, they're way off.
Dick: It looks as though they've
got some measurements wrong.
Phillip: That's a serious
mistake, that is.
Bruce: It's like
Laurel and Hardy, isn't it?
- OK.
- Well, mark it now
while the door's up.
Phillip: Yeah, I will do, yeah.
How did I manage that?
Take two.
Dick: Let's hope it's
second time lucky.
Phillip: This time,
it will fit.
I command it.
That looks so much better.
OK. Let's try it.
Oh, look at that.
Dick: The doors work a treat,
but it appears measuring
is not Phillip's strong point.
Phillip: I bought these doors
in London,
and then when I came
to fit the doors
or to make the frame
for the door,
I realized the doors here
are quite tall,
so I'm going to creatively add
some to the bottom of it
so that it looks like
it's meant to be.
Ha ha ha! Another job. Oh!
Bruce: Not made to measure
but made to fit.
Phillip: Yeah.
Dick: And it looks like that's
not the only thing
to add to his to-do list.
Can we change the door handle?
That's ugly.
You can't have an ugly handle
on those doors.
We have to make it look--
Bruce: It's Art Deco.
Janet: The room is not
Art Deco, sorry,
and that is not Art Deco.
Bruce: I'm not getting involved
in this argument. Heh heh heh.
Yeah. Phillip and I are
a good team.
We work well together,
and I think as long
as I'm the boss,
there's just not
a problem at all.
There are no arguments.
It's OK.
Dick: To keep the boss happy,
Phillip and Bruce
move on to installing the bath.
Phillip: If I go in first, yeah.
Then against the wall.
Ooh. Ooh, ooh.
Bruce: It's tight.
Phillip: Hmm.
I thought I had more room
than that actually. Hmm.
Bruce: Ah. Interesting.
Phillip: This presents
a little bit of a problem.
Dick: Now it seems the bath
is to big to fit in the space.
Bruce: Your tiles
are that thick.
Phillip: If I get a tile,
we can actually do--
we can do a better check,
can't we?
Yeah. It doesn't actually
curve too much,
and we can tile around it,
can't we?
- Yeah, yeah.
- If we tile up to that height
and then slip the bath in...
Bruce: Yeah. Yeah.
Phillip: OK.
Bruce: You could always saw
half an inch
off the end of the bath.
Phillip: OK. Fine.
You tell my wife, right,
and then I'll just wait outside.
Bruce: No.
Dick: Whatever you decide,
you need to do it fast.
This is the 19th century
Chateau de Montvason,
which sits in 8.5 acres
of woodland.
It has 30 rooms spread
over two wings
and is owned by Emma
and partner Paul,
who are renovating it
into a B&B and events venue.
Paul: I really loved it
right from the moment
we came through the gates.
Emma: But it's a lot of work.
One of the Montvason mottos is
"We're getting there,"
so I can't wait till we do.
Ha ha!
Dick: Located close
to the Normandy coast,
since moving in just
over two years ago,
they have spent most
of their £30,000 budget
transforming the east wing,
where each room has
its own individual style.
Now they have £10,000 left
to do the rest of the chateau,
starting with decorating
two bedrooms in the west wing.
Emma: This is what it's
looking like.
Paul: Oh, wow.
That's really good.
That's exactly what I'm after.
Dick: In one bedroom, they've
added some decorative touches
and have wallpapered,
but it's crucial to get
the room finished,
as a special guest is arriving
in just 4 weeks.
We need an extra room
because it's my brother's 60th,
so, yeah, the pressure's on
to get that completed in time.
Ooh, ooh. Right.
Dick: Today, Emma's job is to
paint the newly hung wallpaper.
Emma: Ooh!
It looks a lot brighter
than I remembered.
[Humming]
Dick: The vivid color was picked
in keeping
with their Art Nouveau theme.
Emma: So the color is chosen
by Monsieur Paul.
It's like a sort
of Mackintosh color.
It's from the Art Nouveau.
The trick is to get it
in the holes
because if I don't fill
the gaps,
Monsieur Paul is going to
make me do a second coat.
Dick: In the other bedroom...
Man: Small trowel
for a small mixer.
Dick: Family friend Dan
is extending the chimney breast
to make it wide\r enough for
an old marble fireplace surround
Emma and Paul picked up for £65.
Being green-minded
and budget-conscious,
he's using leftover bricks
and Thermalite blocks
as they'll be covered over.
Emma: Fireplace is the biggest
job in that room.
Once we get that done,
then we really will have made
a good inroad, so, yeah,
it's gonna be a big job
out of the way.
Paul: It's quite light actually.
It's not heavy.
Dick: Keen to move things along,
Paul wants to see
if the fire surround fits.
Paul: I think there's gonna
be a big a messing about here.
Dan: Well, let's put
this up, see where we stand.
Paul.
Paul: Right. I think, yeah,
legs against that leg.
OK. We've got to slide that in.
Dan: All right. Got it.
Paul: That's it.
That's now not fitting in there.
Dick: Looks like
the chimney breast is now
a bit wide for the surround.
Paul: We could do it as it is,
but it wouldn't be
quite right, you know,
not to my eye anyway,
so I want this perfect
when it goes in,
so what we've got is
we've just got a couple of more
bits on the bricks at the top
that have to come out
so that the fireplace sits all
square and matches up correctly.
Dick: With the help
of Dan's chisel...
Dan: Enough, you think?
Paul: That bit there.
Dan: There?
Paul: Yeah.
That's it. Lovely.
Dick: it's job done.
Let's hope it's now
the right size.
Paul: That's it,
and then in.
Tell you what. Yeah.
That side's very good.
Yeah. I'm pleased,
and it is dead central.
Dan: I think it looks great,
Paul, meself.
Paul: Yeah. It's good
as it's gonna get.
Dick: Great effort, chaps.
Now it's time to focus
on the other room
before Emma's brother arrives.
260 miles away
at Chateau Domaine de la Salle,
Mariam and Johnno have just
3 days before 7 guests arrive,
and not a single room is ready.
Today, Mariam wants to
upholster a bed
she bought online for £120.
First, she wants to check
the £700 mattress
she had custom-made fits
the bed.
Johnno: It's short.
Mariam: Ooh.
Not very good, is it?
Johnno: It's not even
wide enough.
Mariam: I know.
Dick: It's not great.
Mariam: Ha! Ha ha!
Ohh. The mattress is
a little bit small.
I've had this mattress
specially made,
and I measured it.
Dick: Fortunately, Mariam
thinks she has a solution.
Mariam: So what I'm going to do
is I've got some wadding.
I'm going to put
some wadding on here
and at the bottom and just
fill the bed up,
which is the last thing I need.
Dick: Needs must.
By padding out the bed ends
with extra wadding,
the guests shouldn't
suspect a thing.
Mariam: Traditional upholstery
is not with staple guns,
but my theory is it's only
because they hadn't
invented them then.
If you're wondering why
this is so bad,
it's because I've never
done this before.
Ha ha ha!
Dick: With the wadding
stapled in place...
Mariam: So that's quite a lot
fatter now, which is good.
Dick: Mariam adds
a layer of felt.
Mariam: In fashion terms,
this is called moulage,
when you mold things
and then you snip them
to make them bend
around corners.
I don't know if you do this
for upholstery,
but I'm doing it. Heh.
Dick: Having done one end
of the bed,
she now has to do the same
to the other.
Mariam: I'm feeling
in a mad panic
about this whole thing.
Nobody who buys one
of these places and does it up
is actually
from the hotel industry.
Ha ha ha!
You buy these places because
you just fall in love with them.
It's a bit like a man
getting married.
Fall in love and then
suddenly realize
all that it actually entails.
Dick: Moving swiftly on,
Mariam is ready
to attach the fabric.
Mariam: This blue fabric
is something that
I've had in my workshop
for about 20 years.
I think I might have bought it
in Syria or somewhere on a trip.
Dick: With the fabric in place,
Mariam seals the edges
with a shiny braid to add
a touch of luxury.
Mariam: It in an instant
makes it look
from being horrible
to rather glam.
It's very nice seeing
that transformation.
It looks nice
and oldy boldy.
It's good.
OK. For the rest.
I'm going to have a tea first.
I'm constantly having cups
of tea to try and get out
of what I have to do.
Dick: 270 miles away
at Chateau de la Fare,
it's all hands to the pump.
Janet: Are you all right there?
Woman: Yeah.
Dick: There's just 24 hours to
go before Janet and Phillip's
daughter's wedding.
Janet: Oops. Down.
Dick: And family and friends
have been roped in to help.
Janet: I can't even
spell stress anymore
I'm so stressed.
It's a shame in a way
because I'd like to do my nails
or relax and sit and have
a cup of tea,
but, you know what,
you just have to work
and get jobs done.
Dick: The bridal suite needs
to be finished
by the end of the day,
and with so much still to do,
Janet and Phillip have had
to make a tough decision.
Phillip: Our original plan
was to renovate
a salon, a bathroom,
and a bedroom really.
Janet: And literally,
it has been going forward
two steps and then going
back 3 steps.
Phillip: So as a result,
the salon, the sitting room,
has had to wait
for another time.
Dick: Well, at least
the bathroom is nearly complete.
So the focus now can be
on getting the bedroom
looking the part.
Phillip's sister Janine
and friend Michelle
are helping gild
the decorative pelmet
for above the bridal bed.
Janine: What other crazy people
come all the way
from Australia
for a working holiday
in an old chateau
when we could be lying
somewhere in the South
of France?
Why do that when we can
come here and do this?
Dick: It's what you sign up for
when you have family
that own a chateau,
but trained electrician Phillip
is not resting either,
as he needs to ensure
the bedroom has power.
Phillip: Ah, there's probably
at least 4 switches to go in,
and there's about a half dozen
power points to go in,
but it should be OK.
We can do that today.
Janine: My brother's always
been a dreamer.
If you ask Phil,
everything's fantastic.
There's no problems,
they're going to make it.
If you ask Janet, you'll hear
a slightly different story.
Janet's more the worrier.
Phillip's the dreamer,
but together, they're
the perfect pair,
and it will get done.
Phillip: I've just
discovered actually
all the single switches
are the wrong ones,
so I'm gonna put a double
switch on here temporarily.
Oh, it's one thing
after the other honestly.
It is another problem.
Dick: With the clock ticking,
there's no time to waste.
Janet needs to hang the shiny
pelmet they've created.
Phillip: This is fun, isn't it?
Janet: Ha ha ha!
This is a bit cozy.
Phillip: Can you go higher?
Janet: Yeah. Of course I can.
Phillip: Health and Safety here.
Janet: Ha ha!
Dick: Along with the curtains
she specially made.
Janet: I'd like to see it
like that.
Phillip: It's fine.
Janet: No. It is right.
Oh, my God!
I think it's all right.
I'm absolutely just
thrilled to bits.
Oh, thank God.
Dick: It's a step
in the right direction,
but there's still so much to do
to ensure the bridal suite
is ready
for daughter Penny tonight.
In Southwest France,
former fashion designer Mariam
is shopping
at a local farmers market.
Mariam: We have this market
3 times a week.
Dick: She's hoping to pick up
some delicacies
to impress the 7 guests
due in two days' time.
Mariam: I want my cheese stand,
and I hope he's here today.
Dick: And one of the joys
of living in France...
Mariam: Bonjour.
Man: Bonjour.
Dick: is that you're never far
away form some amazing cheese.
Mariam: That's gonna be
brilliant on the cheese platter,
a great big triangle
in the middle
and all the other bits around.
Voila. Merci.
Dick:
With the food shopping done...
Mariam: Where am I parked?
Over there.
Dick: it's a quick dash
back to the chateau,
where there's still
plenty to sort out.
Mariam: Ooh! Where do I start?
Dick: Next to tackle
on the to-do list are the beds.
Mariam: There's about 5 or 6
staircases here.
Dick: Luckily, a lavish set
of duvet covers
she recently ordered
have finally turned up.
Mariam: I have received
my box of linen from Portugal,
which I ordered
about a month ago.
Just in time, hey?
Ooh! And this is 100% linen,
and it's that crushed stuff.
I think it looks gorgeous,
and the best thing is
it's minimal ironing.
Ha ha ha!
Dick: That has to be a winner.
Mariam also wants to use
linen for the bed sheets
to help ensure the guests have
a very comfortable stay.
Mariam: And I've bought these
really nice linen sheets
in the antique shops,
and they feel fantastic
in summer.
When it's really hot,
a thick linen sheet feels
really cool to sleep on,
but I've got a slight problem.
These sheets are made
for old beds,
which were narrower,
so have enough sheet
on that side to tuck it in,
I'm short on this side.
Dick: Mariam, though,
has a plan.
Mariam: So I've got a sheet here
which I can't use.
I got it for very little money,
um, because...
Ha ha!
It's rotten in the middle,
but the side panels are good,
so, you know, I only need
about that much.
Dick: Her idea is to rip
off the sides,
then reattach them
to the intact bedsheet,
which will make it wide enough
for the bed.
Mariam: I'm going to attach
the side panels onto it.
So let the stitching begin.
Dick: Making use of French linen
is right up Angel's street.
Angel: This was a find,
you know.
Dick: She's always on the hunt
for something special.
Angel: You do not find
monogrammed bed linen
very, very often.
It was like the angels
had sent it down to me.
Dick: Whether buying
monogrammed bed linen...
or transforming tea towels
into pillowcases...
Angel: Oh, come on.
That's quite nice, isn't it?
Dick: Angel's always looking
at new ways
to make fabrics a feature
in our chateau.
Angel: I paid 20 quid
for that in the UK.
Dick: So let's hope Mariam
can do an equally seamless job.
Mariam: And I'm going to make
a French seam.
So a French seam is when
you attach this piece
of fabric approximately there.
You'll be stitching along there,
and then when you open it up,
you fold this round,
and then you stitch along there,
and it gives you a seam
with no raw edges,
and it's the kind of seam
that if you're doing
a lot of laundry
it will hold up to it.
Dick: It doesn't take long
for Mariam to work
her sewing magic.
Mariam: Done.
One enormous bedsheet,
which I shall go and try out.
Come on, cat. Let's go out.
And you can't see
it's been extended.
Oh, it feels lovely.
It really does.
It's just cold and delicious,
and it's so nice
to get into bed
when you have a sheet like this.
Dick: Mission accomplished,
but with the rest
of the beds to do
and curtains still
to finish off,
the hard work is far from over.
In Northern France,
Emma and Paul
are also busy with beds,
as they need to dress
their freshly painted bedroom
before Emma's brother
George arrives
for his 60th birthday.
Emma: We haven't actually seen
this without the thing on,
have we?
Paul: Nope.
Emma: Should we do it?
Oh, wow!
Dick: To keep in with the style
of the room,
they've splashed out £1,000,
a huge chunk of their budget,
on an Art Nouveau-inspired bed.
Paul: If we were to buy
an original,
it would cost us about £50,000.
Dick: The first task
is to assemble it.
Paul: Emma!
Emma: Yeah?
Paul: Need you.
Dick: But as
with most furniture,
building it
is a unique exercise.
Emma: Well, from what I can see,
there's two little hooks here.
Paul: Yeah. Not so brilliant.
These go round the other way.
Emma: A few teething problems
on the construction
but nothing we can't solve.
Paul: OK. So...
there you go.
Emma: Thank God for that.
Dick: Problems overcome,
it's just a matter
of adding the mattress.
Emma: Ooh!
Paul: Ohh!
Emma: We're thinking of moving
to this room, aren't we?
Paul: Yes.
Ceiling's very pretty.
Emma: You missed a bit.
Paul: What do you mean
I've missed a bit?
Emma: You missed a bit there.
Paul: I have not missed a bit.
Dick: With Emma's brother's
imminent arrival,
they have no time to waste.
Paul's next task is
the curtains.
He's found something special
to go on the rails.
Paul: I've got to give these
a quick spruce up.
Dick: He's picked up some
period brass finials for pennies
and wants to bring them
back to life
by rinsing them in vinegar.
Paul: Just a kind of natural way
of cleaning
sort of old brass
and stuff really.
It's less aggressive
than a lot of the products
that you can buy,
and it's not going to ruin
the environment.
The thing is you can go
a little bit too mad
with these things,
and then you lose a lot
of the character,
and the difference is that,
so it's just a quick clean,
but you kept
some of the patina on it,
and they just look
quite nice really.
Dick: They've certainly
come up a treat.
Paul: OK.
Emma: Ooh! The curtains are up?
Oh, that's much better.
Dick: All that's left to do now
is add some finishing touches.
Emma: Beautiful. Perhaps.
I think we're pretty much there.
I'm quite surprised,
so that's good.
Dick: Over the past 3 months,
they've managed to transform
a blank, empty room
into a sumptuous,
sophisticated, high-end bedroom.
The ornate ceiling rose
and cornicing
combined with a reproduction bed
and period furniture
give the space a style
from the Art Nouveau era.
All finished and bang on time.
Emma: You found it!
Dick: Emma's brother George
has arrived from Denmark
for his birthday surprise.
Emma: Oh, lovely to see you.
Did you find it OK?
George: Yeah, yeah, I found it
without a problem.
Emma: I want to show you
where I've put you.
I've got a surprise for you.
Come and have a look.
This is your birthday room.
George: Oh, my God!
Thank you very much, Emma.
Great.
Emma: So we've got all
the, like, Art Nouveau style,
so this is your room!
George: Oh, this is nice.
Emma: So I was really excited--
George: This is really nice.
Thank you very much.
Emma: Do you like it, yeah?
George: It's big,
and it's nice,
and you have all
this window space,
so that's nice.
Emma: Oh, fantastic.
So there's a towel there...
Dick: It seems there surprise
has gone down a storm.
Emma: Bet you want a drink
or a beer or something.
George: Uh, yeah, probably.
Emma: OK. Let's go.
George: You'll be fine taking
orders?
Emma: Absolutely.
There's no rush.
George: I think the room
looks great,
and I'm very excited
to stay there.
Dick: Job done,
but there's still a lot
of work to do to get
the other bedroom finished.
455 miles away
in the South of France,
it's nearing the end of the day,
and time's running out
for Janet and Phillip.
With the help
of their wedding guests,
they're trying to finish
the bridal suite
for daughter Penny so she can
stay here tonight
before the big day.
Penny: We haven't seen
the bridal suite
for 24 hours now,
and the last time I saw it,
it was still half-painted.
Can't quite picture what
it's gonna be like yet.
Superexcited to see.
Dick: It's been a huge effort
from everyone.
Phillip: We still have a couple
of things remaining to do.
I've got a couple
of power points to go on,
and I think we want to hang
a couple of paintings
on the walls
just a little decoration
for some of the surfaces,
but we're quite excited
that they should see it
now, you see?
Janet: Actually, I feel
a bit nervous,
but I am really excited now
to show them, really excited.
I--just let's do it.
Let's do it.
Dick: First up is
the suite's bathroom.
Janet: It's almost ready,
but there are still
a few little jobs to do,
so just be aware
not completely complete,
but I can't wait.
I just have to show you now.
Dick: 3 months ago,
the room was just
an empty, derelict space.
Even though not complete,
it's well on the way
to being transformed
into a stylish,
contemporary en suite
with luxury shower.
Phillip: Everything works.
Penny: I love the tiles.
I love the walk-in shower.
Phillip: Yeah. I do, too.
Penny: I think that's
really nice.
Janet: I don't want to bring
this down
to a very practical level,
but that look is a loo
with a serious view. Ha ha ha!
Penny: I think the design
is absolutely gorgeous.
Man: It's the nicest bathroom
in the chateau now.
Penny: Yeah.
Dick: So far so good.
On to the bridal bedroom.
10 weeks ago, it was
nothing more than a shell.
Now it's been renovated
into a chic, elegant,
and grand space
featuring lavish furnishings
which complement
the grandeur of the chateau.
Penny: Oh, wow!
[Laughter]
Man: That's incredible.
Unbelievable.
Penny: I can't believe
this is a bedroom now.
Phillip: It just looks
great, doesn't it?
Penny: I think the bed looks
absolutely amazing.
It's just...
Phillip: Yeah.
Janet: It's beautiful.
Phillip: You're pleased. I know.
Janet: Ha ha ha!
Phillip: OK. Enough tears.
Wipe the tears.
Penny: I just cannot believe
how much work you put in for us.
Ha ha ha!
There is certainly
a bit of relief.
I was a little bit concerned
we were gonna be sleeping
on the floor.
There were tiny doubts,
but honestly, I always knew
that they would come through.
Cannot wait to get to dress
here tomorrow morning.
Janet: And...
Penny: That's the stuff that
little girls dream of,
getting ready for your wedding
in this sort of room.
I can't thank you enough.
Dick: I don't think that
could have gone much better.
Janet: Think we should be
proud of ourselves...
- Yeah.
- and everybody who helped us.
- Absolutely. Yeah.
- Obviously, couldn't have done
it without them.
Dick: But there's no time
to rest on their laurels,
as now they have to prepare
the chateau grounds
for the wedding itself.
Phillip: Big day tomorrow.
Big day for Penn and Mark.
Janet: But a big day actually
for Chateau el la Fare.
- Yeah.
- A very big day
for the chateau.
Dick: In Southwest France,
Mariam and Johnno
are gearing to welcome their
biggest guest booking so far.
Mariam: I hate making beds
with a passion.
I've always hated making beds.
Dick: And they're starting
to feel the pressure.
Mariam: So today's the day
the guests arrive, D-Day.
I have been really, really tired
and really manic
and really worried.
You know, "Are they going
to like it?
"Is it going to be good enough?
"Is anything
going to go wrong?
"Are any of the toilets
going to flood?
Are the showers
going to be hot?"
Dick: Mariam's a perfectionist,
and with all the rooms dressed,
she wants to add a few
extra special touches.
Mariam: I've left everybody
a little present on their bed,
a little shopping bag
just because I wanted them
to take a little bit
of France away with them,
and it's quite nice
when you come
and there's something
a little bit different,
a little bit special, so...
Dick: It's a sweet idea,
and Mariam's not quite done yet.
She's also found a way to add
more color to the rooms
without it costing a fortune.
Mariam: I went off to buy
flowers yesterday
for the rooms,
and one bunch of flowers
was 40 Euros,
and I thought,
"I can't afford this."
So I went to the plant shop
and bought a whole load
of really nice plants
that I can put in the rooms.
They're going to smell nice,
and then I can plant them
in the garden afterwards.
Johnno: Right.
This is going on here.
Mariam: Yes. Exactly like that.
Have got to constantly
closed the doors
because I don't want my cats
in the bedrooms.
Oh! Cat in the room.
Out, out, out, out, out, out!
[Meow]
Dick: It's been a long,
hard slog,
but the rooms are finally ready.
Mariam's newly upholstered bed,
imported linen,
and handmade curtains
all give the place
a sense of luxury.
Mariam: Let me take you in.
Woman: Thank you.
Dick: And the first
of the guests
are already arriving.
Mariam: So this is your bedroom.
Woman: Oh, fabulous.
- I shall enjoy staying in here.
- Good.
It's beautiful. Thank you.
Dick: So far so good,
and it's not long
before others start arriving.
Mariam: Here we are.
Woman: It's huge. Wow.
Dick: Like mother and daughter
Ginny and Charlotte,
who are sharing a spacious
en suite double twin room.
Ginny: Absolutely gorgeous.
Charlotte: I'm very,
very impressed,
and we're the first ones,
as well, so...
Ginny: Yeah. I love it.
The size, everything.
Charlotte: Fantastic.
Dick: Mariam and Johnno's
attention to detail
has really made an impression,
and with the guests
settling in nicely,
it's a job well done.
Mariam: The hard work we did
has paid off.
It's great. It's really nice
to see people happy,
and actually selfishly,
I love the place,
so who cares? Ha ha ha!
Dick: Fingers crossed they'll
get more big bookings soon.
Further south, it's Janet
and Phillip's
daughter's wedding day.
And with only 5 hours
until the nuptials,
Phillip is still finishing
odd jobs in the bridal suite.
Phillip: For my own pride,
I'd like to get done today
if I can.
Don't know. To prove
to myself I can do it.
Prove to ourselves, I should
say, that we can do it.
Dick: Daughter Penny's dream
is to get married outside,
and the ruins of what Janet
and Phillip call the orangery
is the perfect romantic spot,
so ahead of the ceremony,
Janet and friend Michelle
want to bring it back to life.
Janet: Just bend your knees.
Michelle: Mm-hmm.
They're beautiful, aren't they?
Janet: Yeah. I'm actually
really happy with those.
Better idea than just
cut flowers
because then I've got them.
Michelle: I like it.
It's very romantic,
and it's just a perfect setting
for wedding ceremony.
Janet: Oh, it is as long
as it doesn't rain for us.
Dick: It's blue skies now,
but showers are expected later,
so I'm crossing my fingers
it stays dry.
In the newly refurbished,
bridal suite,
daughter Penny
and the bridesmaids
are having their hair
and makeup done.
Janet: Oh, my God.
It's a wedding. Ha ha ha!
Penny: Bit nervous now,
to be honest,
but very excited
and very glad the day
is finally here,
and it's just the most
beautiful room.
The bridal suite's
the most beautiful room
to get ready in,
so very happy.
Dick: Back outside,
the caterers are here,
but they've hit a snag.
The van has caught
the overhead fairy lights.
[Indistinct chatter]
Phillip: What we want to do
is put the loop
in the fork of the tree
and give it to me here.
Perfect. Perfect.
We're doing a little repair.
We'll rearrange it
and put it up back up again.
It's all fine. It's all fine.
OK.
We'll find somewhere
to tie it off.
You can jump down.
Dick: With one
final hurdle overcome,
the caterers can crack on.
[Man speaks French]
There's just an hour
until the ceremony,
and guests are
beginning to arrive.
The sky is still blue.
In case of a downpour,
the seating
has been kept under cover...
but luckily,
the rain has held off,
so the guests can finally take
their seats quite literally.
Janine: 1, 2, 3.
[Indistinct chatter]
Dick: The big moment
has arrived,
and everything is just right.
It's been an incredible effort,
and Janet and Phillip have
pulled it off in fine style.
Janet: Pretty proud
of ourselves honestly
because, man, has it
been a slog. Ha ha!
Phillip: And proud of our
friends, too, I might add.
Without them, we wouldn't
have got here.
[Applause]
Janet: I am so pleased.
Phillip: Yeah.
Janet: I am so, so pleased.
Phillip: And Penny and Mark
are both very happy,
which is--that's what it's
about really for us.
Dick: It's been a great success,
and I'm sure daughter Penny
and new son-in-law Mark
will have memories to treasure
for many years to come.
[Indistinct chatter]
Next time...
Emma: The priority is...
Dick:
It's a military operation...
Emma: to get these beds made
and constructed.
Dick: as Emma and Paul hit D-Day
for their biggest booking yet.
Emma: We are behind schedule,
so a little stressed.
Dick: Mariam and Johnno
have interior designs...
on making
their grand salon sing.
Mariam: This panel is all
about a lady sitting
by the window, looking out,
and the bird is set free
and files out.
Dick: and a familiar family take
on an ambitious, new project.
Karen: Oh, heck.
That was--oh--horrible.