Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 4, Episode 15 - Episode #4.15 - full transcript
Dick, voice-over:
I'm Dick Strawbridge.
Along with my wife Angel
and our two children...
Angel: Yay!
Dick: Well done.
Dick, voice-over: We've lived
in this magnificent chateau
for the past 5 years.
Dick:
Look. Look, look, look, look,
look, look, look, look, look,
look, look, look,
look, look, look.
Angel: Oh, my God.
That is so beautiful.
Dick, voice-over:
It's not just our home...
Dick: Ahh, we're up.
Dick, voice-over:
But our business.
Dick:
You may kiss your bride.
[Cheering and applause]
Dick, voice-over: And all over
France, there are other Brits
doing exactly the same.
Woman: Oh, my God.
Dick, voice-over:
We'll follow a new wave of
intrepid chateau owners...
[Tool whirring]
Man: Open some windows.
Might help get rid of some dust.
Dick, voice-over:
and some familiar faces...
[Tool whirring]
as they take on these
majestic buildings...
and we'll reveal more about
our own chateau life.
Girl: Thank you very much.
Dick and Angel: Yay!
Dick, voice-over:
There'll be triumphs...
Woman: This looks incredible.
Second woman: You like it?
First woman: I love it.
Dick, voice-over:
and setbacks...
Man: Oh!
Dick, voice-over: as they battle
to renovate their homes...
[Clattering]
and earn their keep.
Woman: OK. I'm ready.
Dick, voice-over: But no matter
how hard the going gets...
Woman: This is probably, yeah,
my worst nightmare.
Dick, voice-over: They get
to live the dream
as custodians of
their very own castle.
Today...
[Thud]
Woman: Oh!
Guess that's in half then.
Dick, voice-over: One family
prepare for a special party...
Woman: I feel like
I'm having a hot flash.
Dick, voice-over: New chateau
owners find themselves
in a hole...
Man: Can you get
through the door there?
Dick, voice-over: As they take
on a new challenge.
Man: How is your claustrophobia?
Boy: There aren't
too many fossilized mice.
Dick, voice-over: Angel goes
bargain hunting...
Angel: I mean,
the color's quite nice.
Dick: Color's quite nice.
It's called rust.
Dick, voice-over:
And one couple's
search for perfection...
Woman: So what's your thoughts?
Man: I'm not keen.
Dick, voice-over: As they aim to
complete an ambitious project.
Woman: If it doesn't add to it,
you take it away, so,
I'm--honestly,
I'm fine with that.
Dick, voice-over: This is
the impressive 17th-century
Chateau Domaine
de la Salle.
With 31 rooms,
several outbuildings,
and 52 acres of land,
it was snapped up
for 315,000 pounds
by Mariam and husband Johnno,
who have been renovating it
for 18 months.
Mariam: I love making
something happen,
working on a project and seeing
a difference that you can make.
And I love bringing
old places back to life.
Dick, voice-over: Located
70 miles from Bordeaux
in southwest France,
they want to run the place
as a B&B
and events venue,
having almost
finished the work inside.
They recently hosted
a celebration party...
[Indistinct chatter]
Johnno: The cocktails
are actually
going down extremely well.
Dick, voice-over: to officially
launch their business.
Woman: Ah.
Johnno: As usual,
Mariam's carried
everything off very well.
Mariam: Oh, stop it already.
Dick, voice-over:
Now Mariam and Johnno
are turning their attention
to a unique building
in their grounds--
a picturesque [speaking French]
at the side of the chateau.
They discovered a magnificent
bread oven
and want to bring it
back to life
so they can trial
a bread-making weekend
in a few months.
Johnno: Oh, there we are.
That's how I remember it.
Pretty much.
Dick, voice-over: Son Monty
has been roped in
to help empty it...
Monty: It's only really that bit
there we need to clear out.
The wood can stay.
Johnno: Yeah, we need
all the wood.
Oh, look at that. Ooh.
That's one of those, um...
Monty: Yeah, for the trees.
Johnno: Nets for the trees.
I found some firedogs
for the gite fireplace.
Dick, voice-over:
although clearing it
could be a time-consuming job.
Johnno: I find it very hard
to throw things away
and I don't think you should
throw things away, really.
Dick, voice-over: Hear, hear.
A man
after my own heart.
Johnno: Might be able to use
that to make a shutter.
Inevitably, within
a couple of days,
you need the thing
that you've thrown away.
Dick, voice-over: With the space
at least half-cleared,
they can finally inspect
the state of the oven.
Johnno: Do you think...get
through the door there?
Go on, have a go.
What do you think?
How is your claustrophobia?
Monty: Fine.
There aren't too many
fossilized mice.
It's not that bad.
Johnno: Any bats hanging
from the ceiling?
Dick, voice-over:
There are no bats,
but Johnno is intrigued
by something else.
Johnno: It doesn't actually look
as if there was ever
a door there, does there?
Monty: Not really.
Johnno: They probably
just put a chunk of...
Monty: Wood there.
Johnno: Metal in front
or something.
As far as we can see, the--
the vault is in
pretty good condition.
We just need to redo the...
Monty: Floor a bit.
Johnno: The floor a bit. Yeah.
Dick, voice-over: Some of
the original bricks are broken
and need to be replaced.
Thankfully, Johnno's
got to know
a local traditional brick maker.
Johnno: Monsieur Pauzat,
the chap who makes
the terra cotta floor,
he still makes the...
Monty: Fire bricks.
Johnno: It was probably
his company that made them
in the first place
back in God knows when.
Dick, voice-over: Luckily,
Monsieur Pauzat's company
is just down the road.
[Mariam speaking French]
Dick, voice-over:
So, Mariam and Johnno decide
to pay him a visit.
Pauzat: Hello. [Speaking French]
Dick, voice-over: The company
have been making bricks here
for 400 years.
[Mariam and Pauzat
speaking French]
Mariam: Wow.
Dick, voice-over: The original
brick making shed
has been preserved
in the modern building.
With heritage like this,
there's a good chance
they'll have the right bricks
to match the one Johnno's
brought from the oven.
[Pauzat and Johnno
speaking French]
Dick, voice-over:
But finding the right one
may take some time.
260 miles north
lies the 19th-century,
30-room Chateau de Montvason.
With 8 1/2 acres of land,
and its own lakes...
this beautiful place is owned
by Emma and partner Paul,
who have spent 2 1/2 years
renovating it into a B&B
and events venue.
Paul: The house was built
for entertaining,
and it'd be nice
to see the house
come, you know, back to
its full life again.
Dick, voice-over: Located close
to the Normandy coast,
this DIY duo have plenty of
projects on the go.
They're renovating the west wing
into a luxury two-bedroom suite.
Emma: Oh, my God.
That is really good, isn't it?
Woman: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over:
And making more
of their outside space...
Man: All the overgrowth
came to here, didn't it?
Dick, voice-over:
with the intent to connect
the newly discovered
dry lake bed
to the existing lake
adjacent to it.
But the machinery they need
to make it happen
is being used for
the harvest season.
Emma: I mean, it would've been
nice to have had this done,
but you get the picture.
Dick, voice-over:
With the lake on hold,
they can now finish off
the west wing,
which they first started
well over a year ago.
Emma: So, the west wing is
where we've gone up a notch.
We're trying to incorporate
Art Nouveau,
Arts and Crafts, and Art Deco.
It's not an easy task,
but, you know,
we really want this
to be very impressive,
that it's gonna be
a private suite,
so, we want it to be amazing.
Dick, voice-over:
While one bedroom is complete,
and the bathroom
is getting there,
the second bedroom still needs
a lot of work.
Today, to help
get things moving,
they've brought in friend Mark,
who specializes in
ornate plaster.
Emma: Hello!
Mark: Just about to put
the ceiling rose up.
[Emma gasps] Oh, my word.
So, this is
the [indistinct] one.
Mark: Yes, it is, yeah.
Emma: It is absolutely stunning.
Mark: Yeah.
Emma: Isn't it, Paul?
Paul: It's lovely.
Emma: That's so Art Nouveau.
Mark: Yeah.
Paul: Can we get up
and have a look?
See where it needs to be.
Mark: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over: Mark's made
the ceiling rose for free.
Buying something like this
would cost about 100 pounds.
So, he's saved them some cash.
Emma: That looks great.
That looks great like that.
Perfect.
Dick, voice-over:
The ceiling rose
is just the start of many unique
features in the room.
Paul: That is really nice.
Dick, voice-over: Emma's also
getting creative.
She's designed wall panels
based on the artist
Alphonse Mucha,
who was known for his classic
Art Nouveau style.
Emma: I always loved
the Art Nouveau period
and I always had his books
and I love the way
he made women look.
Dick, voice-over:
Mucha was best known
for his decorative
theatrical posters,
and Emma's come up with her own
impression of his work.
Emma: So, this is the color wash
for the dress.
I'm trying to build up layers
so that it's all a bit dreamy
rather than the hard lines.
I'm happy once
I start blocking in,
because then I start
to see it come together
and I--I--I really, really
like this one.
Dick, voice-over: It seems
to be coming on nicely.
I can't wait to see
what else they have planned.
In northwest France
lies the beautiful
19th-century
Chateau la Perriere.
This 20-room stunner,
with its own
outdoor swimming pool,
was bought 15 years ago
for 500,000 pounds.
To earn its keep,
it's been renovated
into a luxury holiday retreat
and is rented out by
interior designer Karen
and husband Paul, who runs
a workplace design company.
Along with children
Tom and Katie,
they're currently based
in the U.K.
Karen: We're hoping,
that eventually,
we will be able
to come and live here.
That's the dream.
That's why we bought this place.
Paul: It's relaxing.
It's exciting.
But then we need to go back
and earn some more money
to pay for the refurbishment
of the chateau.
Dick, voice-over: Located in
the Loire Valley,
their latest project is to turn
the old coach house
and stable block
into a wedding venue.
Paul: It's a big, old beam,
isn't it?
Makes a change from
what it was last time.
Dick, voice-over: It's proven
to be an expensive job,
as they've spent
3/4 of their budget
replacing the roof.
Karen: We got the final bill
and it came in at 53,000 euros.
Dick, voice-over:
It's a huge amount of money,
and they want to start
recouping the costs.
Now it's 4 months on
and they still haven't secured
any wedding bookings.
The dining area is coming on
leaps and bounds,
thanks to some
creative shopping.
Karen: We've had
the electrician in,
so, we've now got lights,
and I came over
a couple of weeks ago
with a vanload of furniture
that I've got off eBay,
but we've still got a lot to do.
Dick, voice-over: Now they
want to finish it off
and throw a party
for their friends
in two days' time.
Today, Karen's task
is to complete
the huge sliding door
between the coach house
and the stable block,
which she designed and built
with 16-year-old son Tom.
Karen: Now we're working on
putting the frame in
so that we can put
the metal mesh that we've got,
and it's going to
sit behind the frame.
It is essentially
expanded metal lath
that you use for
plastering walls,
which is fantastic,
'cause it's so cheap.
Dick, voice-over:
It's a nice idea,
but first, they have
to finish off
adding the frames for the mesh,
which is easier said than done.
Karen: Whilst I'm up here, Tom,
could you write that as door 4?
We've got to measure
every length.
It would appear
that every window
is a different size,
'cause although
we measured them
when we were building it,
clearly...you know, timber isn't
always exactly the same size.
I blame it on the timber.
Dick, voice-over: Tom is in
charge of cutting the wood...
[Saw whirring]
Dick, voice-over:
Which leaves Karen free
to glue it into place.
Karen: We're trying to
set them back slightly
so we've got the right amount
of gap at the back
to house the mesh.
It's a rustic door,
shall we say.
Paul: So, how's the door job
going, then?
Karen: Slow.
Paul: Yeah?
Karen: How do you fancy...
measuring and cutting these
to size?
This is a proper job.
Paul: OK.
Karen: OK, it's gotta look nice.
Dick, voice-over:
No pressure then, Paul.
Paul: We can give it a go,
can we?
[Laughter]
Karen: We could use masking tape
to demark the line
where you're cutting.
Paul: If you mask it...
Karen: Yeah.
Paul: you're never gonna
get it accurate enough,
whereas if you do it by hand...
Dick, voice-over: I'm staying
out of this one.
[Punching]
Karen: It just needs to be in
so we don't catch fingers,
'cause I'll--eventually,
I'll put
a beading over it.
Paul: One down...8 to go.
Dick, voice-over: Over at
Chateau Domaine de la Salle,
Johnno and son Monty
have swept out
the old bread oven...
and now want
to replace the bricks
with new ones they bought
at the traditional
brick makers'.
Johnno: Monty's just positioning
the--the first new brick,
in fact.
He just needs to get
the level of sand right
and then slot it
into position, basically.
[Hammering]
Monty: Yeah, fits
quite nicely.
It's good.
Dick, voice-over: But it's
not all plain sailing,
as some of the bricks
need cutting into shape
to fit in the circular oven.
Johnno: That needs to
curve around a bit,
'cause it's such a big circle.
I reckon it should be
something like that.
Do you want to cut it?
Monty: Yeah, sure.
Dick, voice-over: The bricks
need to be cut
to the right size,
[Saw whirring]
and it's best to have
the right safety kit on
when angle grinding.
After a quick blast...
it's time to see if it fits.
Johnno: How does it look?
Monty: They--quite a bit more
needs to come off at
the bottom of the curve.
I think it needs
to be a bit sharper.
Johnno: Oh, really? OK.
Dick, voice-over:
That was phase one.
A bit more trimming
should sort it out.
[Saw whirring]
Johnno: It doesn't have
to be too exact.
Dick, voice-over: Let's hope
it's second time lucky.
Monty: Fine.
Johnno: Ah, yeah,
that's brilliant.
Dick, voice-over: One down.
Now they just need
to do the same
to the rest of the bricks.
Johnno: How were you imagining
this was going to fit,
'cause it's nowhere
near fitting.
[Saw whirring]
[Saw whirring]
Dick, voice-over:
After 3 hours...
Monty: Hang on, there.
[Hitting brick]
Dick, voice-over: it's job done.
Monty: Perfect.
Johnno: Jolly good.
Job well done, now.
Monty: Nice. Let's go.
Very nice.
Johnno: We've earned
ourselves some lunch now.
Monty: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over:
By all means, go and chill,
but it still needs
to be fired up.
Johnno: I think it's
quite exciting, really.
It'll be fun to get the oven
actually going,
although I'm told that it takes
a week to warm it up. [Laughs]
Dick, voice-over:
260 miles away,
at Chateau de Montvason,
Emma and Paul are creating
an Art Nouveau-style bedroom,
and Emma has headed to their
8 1/2 acres of garden
to search for inspiration.
Emma: Definitely feel like
[blows] that leaf
needs to be on
my chimney breast.
The whole emphasis of the Mucha
suite, Art Nouveau, is using
flowers and plants,
and that whole period
was all about nature,
so, we want to
incorporate that
into the design.
* Ta-da! *
Happy days.
Dick, voice-over: Having
already fitted an intricate
ceiling rose,
Emma now wants to create
some decorative,
nature-inspired plasterwork
for the walls.
Emma: Let's go see what
Mark thinks of this.
Dick, voice-over: And mate Mark
has got an idea using ivy.
Mark: Have you got
what I asked you for?
Emma: I have.
Well, I've taken a load,
so, I wanted to see if
any of this might work,
'cause I know you want it
in sections, don't you?
Mark: I think we go with
the shorter ones first, OK,
and then we'll add
the bigger ones afterwards, OK,
'cause we're gonna do it
in two sections.
Emma: I'm so excited
to see this.
OK, so, should I go
grab some scissors?
Dick, voice-over:
He starts by pressing the ivy
into clay to make an imprint.
Emma: And so, say this one,
I would put this one...
Mark: Yeah, put that one
there, yeah.
Emma: Just follow the shape.
Mark: Yeah.
We need to go
a little bit deeper,
because obviously what...
Emma: Really get the--
Mark: Yeah...
Emma: Dimensional.
Mark: Yeah.
Emma: So, would this have been
how they did it
in the old days?
Mark: Yeah. [Laughs]
Emma: Is that the old method?
Mark: Yeah.
Emma: I love all that.
Mark: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over:
Once pressed in deep enough...
Emma: Ooh!
Dick, voice-over: They can
take it all off.
Emma: Oh, that looks
really cool.
You can see the line
of the leaf.
Mark: So, what we'll do now,
we'll make
a plaster impression
of this, OK,
and then we'll make
3 individual molds of those
to obviously give us
that 3-D effect.
Emma: I'm so excited!
Mark: Yeah.
[Sloshing]
[Tapping]
Dick, voice-over: After pouring
plaster into the clay mold,
Mark has a sheet of fiberglass
to reinforce it.
Mark: Without the reinforcement,
you'll never be able
to take it out of the mold.
OK, so.
Emma: So, how long
will it take to set?
Mark: Normally about
10 to 15 minutes.
Emma: Is that all?
Mark: Yeah, about
10 to 15 minutes.
Emma: That is so fast.
Mark: OK.
Dick, voice-over:
Designing a bedroom
is not the only thing
they need to get done.
The Art Deco-style bathroom
has been a while
in the making.
[Dick and Paul talking at once]
Dick, voice-over:
Last year, I helped Paul
cut rare Vitrolite tiles.
Dick: It's rock-solid.
Paul: Yeah...
Dick: Come the next
nuclear holocaust,
this'll be what's left.
Paul: You can imagine.
Dick, voice-over:
Now he's finally moved on
to the floor tiles,
which just need finishing off.
Paul: Stand on that, because
I can't press it down.
Dick, voice-over: He's
contrasting black granite tiles
with white Carrara ones
to make the Art Deco look
as authentic as possible.
Paul: And the next--next one,
this is
the last little one.
Dick, voice-over: But having
picked up the whole lot
for just 200 pounds,
he's got himself a bargain.
Paul: These are never
gonna be seen,
because they go
behind the bath. Ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: At least
you'll know it's a job
well done, Paul.
As for Emma, she's eager to see
what the now-dried
ivy plasterwork
looks like in the bedroom.
Emma: OK. So.
Mark: What we're gonna do
is we'll start
down on this bottom
left-hand corner.
Obviously, once this mold
is made--made...
Emma: Yeah.
Mark: We can repeat
this pattern...
Emma: OK.
Mark: up the wall...
Emma: Quick question to you.
Mark: Yeah.
Emma: I thought
it was going here.
Mark: We're doing it
right hand to left.
Emma: So we're gonna have
that pattern--
Mark: On each side as well.
Dick, voice-over: Mark's plan
is to creep the ivy around
the chimney breast.
Mark: You can put some in there
or put one there or...
Emma: Sure.
Mark: put one there or put one
round the corner.
Emma: Ahh, yeah, I love that.
Dick, voice-over: With the
theory out of the way,
it's just a case of putting it
into practice.
In the Loire Valley,
it's just 24 hours until
Karen's party
in the new wedding venue.
Karen: So we're going to need
the--
Tom: Is it the jigsaw?
Karen: The jigsaw as well.
Dick, voice-over: Today she's
roped in son Tom,
as she wants to create a
3-meter-long buffet table
to fit beside an old stable
partition.
Karen: 45.
Dick, voice-over: Karen's making
it out of an old table.
The tricky bit is she's cutting
it in half long ways
to make sure it's
the right length.
And already there's a problem.
Karen: We're not sure whether
the blade is blunt.
Tom: I think it's slightly
curved.
Karen: Which probably isn't
great.
Dick, voice-over: It is better
if they're straight,
but having found no other
blades,
they'll have to make due.
And with the stable block next
door being put on hold for now,
they have more space to
maneuver.
First task is to cut the
tabletop in two.
Karen: That's about halfway.
Dick, voice-over: Let's just
hope the blade isn't as bad
as they fear.
Karen: It is coming over to
the left a little bit.
It's really difficult to keep
the blade, isn't it?
Tom: Really blunt.
Like, super blunt.
Dick, voice-over:
With no other option,
they're going to have to
soldier on.
Tom: It's not very straight.
Karen: It doesn't matter.
You're doing a good job.
You've just got to make sure you
meet up with that one.
Tom: OK.
Dick, voice-over: Go for it.
It's bound to meet in
the middle.
[Bang]
Karen: Oh!
Guess that's in half, then.
Dick, voice-over: With the
tabletop safely separated,
they're halfway there.
Karen: OK.
Dick, voice-over: Now they need
to do the same with the base,
which thankfully is more
straightforward.
Karen: We've trashed a table,
Tom.
Do you want to grab one?
Dick, voice-over: Let's see
how it fits
along the stable partition.
Karen: Look at that.
That's amazing.
So now we need to find
a way of
pinning it back to
the partition.
Let me just think about this.
This could be bracketed
back to the partition.
Dick, voice-over:
Sounds like a plan.
Although there seems to be
a hiccup.
Karen: I've got no idea if we've
got any brackets.
We need to go and have a little
bit of a rummage
around the tool room.
Oh, god, it's quite heavy.
Tom: Oh, nice new jigsaw blades.
They would have been helpful.
Dick, voice-over: Better late
than never,
but still need those brackets.
Karen: We could rob them off
the swimming pool fence.
We can replace them before we
have our next guests.
We could take one off the top
'cause the other one's
still securing it.
Tom: There you go.
Karen: Do you think that'll do
the job?
Tom: It should do the work,
yeah.
Dick, voice-over: Well, there's
one way to find out.
Karen: Solid.
Dick, voice-over: It's worked
a treat.
With the whole base
now attached,
it's mission complete.
Paul: How's it going?
Dick, voice-over: And just in
time to show Paul,
who's been food shopping
for the party.
Paul: It's really good.
Karen: It actually turned out
better than I thought it would.
Yeah, now it's down to you
to cook
and make the food look amazing.
Paul: I'll do my bit.
Dick, voice-over:
Best of luck, Paul.
Over at our place, we never
miss an opportunity
to turn something old
into something new.
When it came to transforming
the mudroom,
we wanted to find
an interesting way
to disguise an old radiator.
Having drawn a blank in
the chateau...
Angel: This may cover
the radiator,
but it won't cover that
length of space.
Dick, voice-over:
Angela set off to one of
our favorite brocantes.
Angel: Dick said find yourself a
radiator cover that looks nice.
Dick, voice-over: Here they
specialize in salvaging
ironmongery.
Sure enough, Angel found
a disused old iron balcony
she thought would be perfect.
Angel: See, this could work.
OK. That's probably right.
OK?
Dick, voice-over:
Back at the chateau,
they big question I had,
is it going to work?
Dick: You had no choice, this is
the only one they had, is it?
Angel: No, but I thought that
was the nicest.
Dick: Absolutely perfect.
[Grunts]
Angel: I mean, the color's quite
nice.
Dick: Color's quite nice?
It's called rust.
Angel: 1, 2, 3.
What would you reckon,
Mr. Strawbridge?
I thought that was pretty good,
right?
That's lovely.
Dick: I'm probably gonna buzz
off these
little sticking out bits here,
'cause they're just gonna
get in the way.
Angel: Yeah. OK.
Dick: Yeah?
Dick, voice-over: It was
a great find.
But first it needed a good old
scrub down.
Angel: When Dick asked me to
find the radiator cover,
heh heh, only it was apparent
that they were all ugly.
Like seriously, the only
one that I liked
was this Spanish-inspired
custom made cast iron and wood,
and it was beautiful.
It sort of had that
functionality,
and it was very elegant,
and it was thousands.
So this is our alternative.
And instead of being thousands,
it was 150 euros,
which I think is a bit of
a bargain.
Dick, voice-over: 150 euros?
You never told me that.
And after a quick paint job,
I remove those sticky out bits,
which probably cost 10 euros.
Dick: It's heavy, yes, it is.
Dick, voice-over: And added
a wooden shelf
to sit on top of it.
Dick: Stained that's going
to be gorgeous.
The result.
Dick, voice-over: It took
no time at all,
and the new radiator cover is a
great feature in our mudroom.
Just goes to show how a little
creativity can go a long way.
160 miles away in
southwest France,
Mariam and Johnno's challenge
is heating up.
Their bread-making weekend
starts tomorrow,
and they need to ensure
the old bread oven
is working perfectly.
Mariam: He has been stoking this
for about a month now,
on and off,
because you have to build up
the heat in the bricks.
Can I just ask--is it not meant
to be at about 250 degrees?
Johnno: No, you have to get it
up to 350 around.
Mariam: 300? And it's only 120
today.
Johnno: Yeah, but that's because
I don't want it
blasting away at full
temperature all the time.
The wood will be gone in
5 seconds.
Mariam: OK.
Johnno: I can easily get it up
to 300 and something without
too much problem.
Dick, voice-over:
Well, Johnno's happy.
He seems to have it
under control.
Now they just need to
add a cast iron bargain
of their own,
an oven door which they bought
online for 40 euros,
a little under £35 pounds.
Johnno: Oop!
Dick, voice-over:
Let's hope it fits.
[Tapping]
Johnno: Yep. A bit of brute
force always does the trick.
Dick, voice-over: With the oven
door safely on,
when it heats up, they should be
able to keep it
at a constant temperature.
Johnno: Shut like that,
and there we are.
Absolutely perfect.
Dick, voice-over: But several
hours later,
Johnno notices smoke seeping
through the outside
of the oven wall.
Johnno: You can see where the
smoke's been coming out.
Dick, voice-over: If smoke is
escaping,
the heat will, too.
Johnno: You have to mix it up
a bit first.
Dick, voice-over: Johnno's going
to attempt to fill the cracks in
with traditional lime
and sand mortar.
Johnno: But it's actually a lot
harder than it looks,
this banging this at the wall.
Dick, voice-over: Lucky stone
mason friend Dudu
is around to oversee.
Dudu: [Speaking French]
Johnno: Dudu is
the master mason.
So he's been giving me lessons
on how to do it.
Oh!
Dick, voice-over:
Looking good, Johnno.
Here's hoping it does the trick
in time for tomorrow.
In Normandy, Emma and Paul
are finally close
to completing their
Art Nouveau-style bedroom suite.
Now Emma wants to try adding the
final bit of the jigsaw.
Emma: When I was looking around
in the attic,
I came across the old bed canopy
that used to belong here.
So we thought it would be
brilliant to restore it
and put it back in
the master suite,
which is the Mucha suite.
Hopefully that will just
be the finishing touch
on the beautiful Art Nouveau bed
that we've got.
Dick, voice-over: Having
restored the frame,
Emma and Paul are dressing it
with white silk.
Emma: No, no, what I'm doing.
We're stretching it to that
corner like this.
Paul: Oh. OK, yeah.
Emma: Yeah?
And then we do a bit in
the middle.
Dick, voice-over: She wants
to create a traditional
sunburst pattern.
Emma: See, that's lovely.
Dick, voice-over: And Paul's
task is to pleat the fabric,
then attach it to the frame
of the staple gun.
[Click]
But it's easier said than done.
Paul: I would say that this is
quite frustrating.
Emma: Let me see it.
Paul: I've not figured it out
at all.
I'm not happy with any of it.
Dick, voice-over: Paul might
want to brush up
on his pleating skills.
And before he does any more,
he wants to see what it looks
like above the bed.
Emma: So what's your thoughts?
Paul: I'm not keen.
Your eye has been taken off
of the bed
and it's looking at that.
Emma: Mm-hmm.
Paul: And I don't--I mean, with
the little beds
in the other room, the
[Speaks French] really work,
right, because your eye's
not immediately drawn to them.
But when you walk in here,
you've got this big brown thing
on a light wall, and your eye
immediately goes to that.
You don't look at the bed.
The bed is like the room.
I'm just--
Emma: I'm fine with that.
I want you to be happy.
There's no point spending all
this time doing this,
if it doesn't add to it.
You take it away.
So I'm--honestly,
I'm fine with that.
Dick, voice-over: It was worth
the try, Emma.
A few months ago, this room
was nothing more
than an empty shell.
Now it's been transformed
into an elegant Art
Nouveau-style bedroom.
With the help of friends,
they've managed
to recreate the era with
ornate plaster work
both on the ceiling
and the walls,
using ivy from their own garden.
While Emma's hand-painted
wall panels
pay tribute to her favorite
artist, Alphonse Mucha.
Emma: This has been
the most work,
but I think it shows
we've definitely achieved what
we wanted.
It's gorgeous.
Apart from the bed canopy,
obviously.
Paul: Yeah, that's--we're
swiftly moving on.
Dick, voice-over: And a year
in the making,
the Art Deco bathroom
is also complete.
The two-bedroom suite in
the west wing
is officially done.
Emma: I just can't believe we've
come such a long way
since we started this
west wing.
To see it finished is
absolutely amazing.
And to have the Art Deco
bathroom done as well,
the whole west wing's now
finished,
and that--that's just such
an achievement.
Dick, voice-over: I couldn't
agree more.
It's been a busy summer,
as they also hosted
a big event for the
75th anniversary of D-Day.
Man: As we say in America,
it's been awesome.
Dick, voice-over: And made
great strides
in transforming their
outdoor space.
Emma: We've come
a really long way,
and now he's not allowed
to mention anything else
for at least 6 months,
but I'm pretty sure in the next
week he will.
Dick, voice-over: I bet you he's
got a huge to-do list.
But however long it is,
I wish you the best of luck.
In the Loire Valley,
there's just a few hours to go
before Karen and Paul's party
in their new wedding venue.
Karen: I always find it
actually works to my advantage
being completely oblivious of
the time,
'cause then I don't have to get
so stressed.
Dick, voice-over: Karen is
dressing the space
using bargain buys she's picked
up from local brocades,
as well as using things
from their grounds.
Karen: Even some of the green,
Tom, is quite nice as well.
Dick, voice-over:
In the chateau...
Paul: How are the tomatoes
going?
Dick, voice-over: Paul is
preparing some appetizers
with a helping hand from
sous chef
and 12-year-old daughter Katie.
Paul: Oh, that is nice.
Can I tell you, the worst thing
about that is
Daddy can't pinch any,
'cause if I pinch any of them,
you'll spot it, won't you?
Katie: Yep!
Dick, voice-over: Paul is hoping
to impress his guests
with samples of the local
cuisine.
Paul: So just finishing off now
with a smoked fish.
This is something they do
quite a lot here as well,
which is smoked tuna,
and we've got smoked eel.
Just really different,
interesting things
which are just delicious.
Dick, voice-over: He has it
under control.
But with time ticking,
Karen is feeling the pressure.
Karen: I'm getting all
flustered.
I feel like I'm having
a hot flash. Heh.
Tom, what time is it?
Tom: 6:23. Half an hour.
Karen: Half an hour.
Oh, my word, that looks amazing.
Paul: There.
Wow.
This is great.
Karen: And I'm actually really
pleased with it.
I'm genuinely really excited
about seeing everybody's faces.
Paul: I know you haven't had
time for one of these
for about a week and a half,
but there you go.
You got it.
That's it, done.
Dick, voice-over: 6 months ago,
this coach house
was a neglected outbuilding.
Now it's been transformed into
a stylish dining area,
which takes them a long way
towards being able to
host weddings.
With Karen's design skills,
creative ideas,
and shrew shopping,
it certainly looks the part.
Now it's time to show it off
to their friends.
Paul: Have everybody in.
All right, come in.
[Indistinct chatter]
Woman: You've done a great job.
That's amazing.
[Indistinct chatter]
Karen: I'm really pleased
with the table.
Dick, voice-over: It's certainly
made an impression.
Woman: And are they the actual
original--
Karen: Original papers.
Woman: They're really lovely.
Karen: Yeah.
Woman: Fabulous.
Karen and Paul have done
an amazing job.
Paul: Come on in, crowd in.
Join, join, join, join.
Man: What a fantastic place.
I raise a glass to them,
if I still can
in a few hours' time.
Dick, voice-over: It's proved
to be a success
and means Karen and Paul's
hard work
has eventually paid off.
Paul: We did it.
We launched the space,
and it's fantastic.
It is--it is really, really
good.
Karen: It's really--it's really
nice to see
how the space will actually work
for an event.
Dick, voice-over: There's more
good news,
as they've managed to secure
their first wedding booking
for next season.
So there's lots to celebrate.
Paul: To the next chapter.
Cheers.
Karen: Cheers.
Paul: Cheers, everybody.
Thanks for coming.
[Laughter]
Dick, voice-over: 100 miles away
in southwest France,
it's the day of Mariam and
Johnno's bread-making weekend,
which they're trialing with
friends and family.
Mariam: Today's very much
a soft opening.
It's a test run of
the bread oven.
It's a test run of us, actually,
organizing the whole thing.
I was gonna have beautiful linen
aprons
with "La Salle" embroidered
on them.
Guess what I forgot.
Dick, voice-over: To teach
the art of bread making,
they've roped in mate
and master baker Mark...
Mark: How are things?
Johnno: Perfect.
- Good. And it's brightened up.
- I know. We're lucky.
Mariam: Hello.
Mark: Very lucky.
Mariam: How are you?
Dick, voice-over: who knows
all the pitfalls
of using a traditional
wood fire oven.
Mark: The oven could get
too hot.
The bread could therefore burn
on the outside and overcook.
So we need to try and time it
right,
so we heat it up, then let
the temperature drop,
'cause what you need to do
in a wood-fired oven
is cook in an oven where the
temperature's descending
and let the bread cook gently,
as it were.
Dick, voice-over: Johnno could
have his work cut out,
as it's up to him to ramp up
the heat.
Johnno: Right, we're
just putting some
faggots of wood on now
to try and super heat it.
Dick, voice-over: He needs to
get the oven to 350 degrees.
Johnno: So the beauty of
the faggots is that
it's small wood
tightly bound together.
And it basically burns
very quickly
at a very high temperature.
Hence it was the preferred
former wood for burning
witches and bishops.
Dick, voice-over:
Savage times indeed.
Now centuries later,
Johnno's using a state of
the art thermometer
to keep an eye on
the temperature.
Johnno: 550 degrees,
which is a bit too much,
I would say, wouldn't we?
I hope I haven't overdone it.
The oven has never got to this
temperature before.
I'm just hoping the whole
thing's not gonna collapse
at the last moment, as I've
rather fired it up too much.
Mark: Cool. Off you go.
You get mixing.
Dick, voice-over:
Over at the chateau,
Mark already has everyone
making bread...
Mark: Yeah, you're not far off
at all,
just get those dry bits
around the edge.
Dick, voice-over: kicking off
with a sourdough loaf,
which will be amazing straight
from the oven.
Man: That looks lovely.
Smells good, too.
Mark: So we want 200 grams,
which isn't very much.
Dick, voice-over: Even Johnno's
getting stuck in
while he waits for the oven
to cool down.
Mark: The determination
on that face.
Johnno: Oh, look at that.
Today is very much experimental,
really,
both from the point of view
of the workshop
and particularly of
the oven.
'Cause we've not too much idea
what we're doing.
Dick, voice-over: With the bread
dough being left to rest,
Johnno wants Mark to check on
the temperature of the oven.
Mark: The oven's about 370
at the back.
That's OK.
We need to clean the oven
as quick as we can.
Dick, voice-over: They need to
empty the ashes
to make way for the bread,
and don't want to waste time.
Johnno: [Speaks French]
Mark: We'll check the
temperature in a second.
Dick, voice-over: Now they have
to mop it clean.
Mark: And then go back.
Come back.
Johnno: OK.
Mark: Shut the door.
1-6-9. You want about 140.
Yeah, shut the door.
We've got about 10, 15 minutes.
Perfect.
Johnno: This is really
the moment, yeah.
So we're now going to be baking
bread in this oven
for the first time in,
well, probably nigh on
a hundred years,
don't you think? So, yeah, it's
all quite exciting.
Mark: Perfect. We'll need
someone with a timer,
30 minutes, please.
Johnno: Mind your head.
Mark: 30 minutes.
And a prayer.
Dick, voice-over: Now it's
a waiting game.
[Chickens clucking]
In just half an hour,
the bread is baked
and looks amazing.
But the proof is all in
the taste.
Man: Ahh. It's great.
Second man: It's very good.
[Laughter]
Johnno: Absolutely delicious.
Dick, voice-over: It's a thumbs
up from Johnno.
And it seems family and friends
are also impressed.
Man: The best bit of making
bread
is breaking it when it's
still warm.
Woman: Highlight of the day was
definitely eating
what we've done.
Johnno: The hard work of
restoring the bread oven
was really worth it.
It's pretty satisfying
at the end
to bring something back to life,
basically.
Mariam: We definitely,
definitely want
to do the sourdough weekends.
They're really good fun.
It's such a buzz.
Dick, voice-over: This year
Mariam and Johnno
have come a long way...
from renovating rooms in
the chateau
to transforming the outside
grounds.
And now finally they have
everything as they want it.
Mariam: I think we're pretty
much ready now
to host events and have guests
come to stay.
La Salle is looking pretty good
at the moment.
It's really good to live in.
Johnno: Just need to have a bit
of spare time
to sit down and enjoy it,
but then what?
Mariam: The cats do. They're
always lying around, sleeping.
Dick, voice-over: I'm sure
it won't be long
till guests come flocking in.
Next week, we follow the trials
and tribulations
of a new bunch of chateau-owning
Brits.
Woman: This is it.
Oh, my god.
Dick, voice-over: At this place,
it's moving in day.
Man: He doesn't care.
He's coming straight
through regardless.
Watch out. Watch out.
It's gonna go.
Dick, voice-over: One couple
attempt to hatch
a new business idea.
Woman: It'll be a lot less
pigeon poo here
when you're practicing yoga.
Man: Is this the first handstand
in this room?
Woman: I reckon so.
Dick, voice-over:
These owners go camping...
Man: Just the essentials.
Dick, voice-over:
chateau-style...
Woman: You're like crazy.
Second woman: What's the point
of being normal?
Dick, voice-over: the language
barrier becomes a brick wall...
Woman: [Slowly speaking French]
Dick, voice-over: and a
long-awaited delivery
spells disaster.
Man: Oh, no.
Woman: This is not good.
This is a very, very bad sign.
I'm Dick Strawbridge.
Along with my wife Angel
and our two children...
Angel: Yay!
Dick: Well done.
Dick, voice-over: We've lived
in this magnificent chateau
for the past 5 years.
Dick:
Look. Look, look, look, look,
look, look, look, look, look,
look, look, look,
look, look, look.
Angel: Oh, my God.
That is so beautiful.
Dick, voice-over:
It's not just our home...
Dick: Ahh, we're up.
Dick, voice-over:
But our business.
Dick:
You may kiss your bride.
[Cheering and applause]
Dick, voice-over: And all over
France, there are other Brits
doing exactly the same.
Woman: Oh, my God.
Dick, voice-over:
We'll follow a new wave of
intrepid chateau owners...
[Tool whirring]
Man: Open some windows.
Might help get rid of some dust.
Dick, voice-over:
and some familiar faces...
[Tool whirring]
as they take on these
majestic buildings...
and we'll reveal more about
our own chateau life.
Girl: Thank you very much.
Dick and Angel: Yay!
Dick, voice-over:
There'll be triumphs...
Woman: This looks incredible.
Second woman: You like it?
First woman: I love it.
Dick, voice-over:
and setbacks...
Man: Oh!
Dick, voice-over: as they battle
to renovate their homes...
[Clattering]
and earn their keep.
Woman: OK. I'm ready.
Dick, voice-over: But no matter
how hard the going gets...
Woman: This is probably, yeah,
my worst nightmare.
Dick, voice-over: They get
to live the dream
as custodians of
their very own castle.
Today...
[Thud]
Woman: Oh!
Guess that's in half then.
Dick, voice-over: One family
prepare for a special party...
Woman: I feel like
I'm having a hot flash.
Dick, voice-over: New chateau
owners find themselves
in a hole...
Man: Can you get
through the door there?
Dick, voice-over: As they take
on a new challenge.
Man: How is your claustrophobia?
Boy: There aren't
too many fossilized mice.
Dick, voice-over: Angel goes
bargain hunting...
Angel: I mean,
the color's quite nice.
Dick: Color's quite nice.
It's called rust.
Dick, voice-over:
And one couple's
search for perfection...
Woman: So what's your thoughts?
Man: I'm not keen.
Dick, voice-over: As they aim to
complete an ambitious project.
Woman: If it doesn't add to it,
you take it away, so,
I'm--honestly,
I'm fine with that.
Dick, voice-over: This is
the impressive 17th-century
Chateau Domaine
de la Salle.
With 31 rooms,
several outbuildings,
and 52 acres of land,
it was snapped up
for 315,000 pounds
by Mariam and husband Johnno,
who have been renovating it
for 18 months.
Mariam: I love making
something happen,
working on a project and seeing
a difference that you can make.
And I love bringing
old places back to life.
Dick, voice-over: Located
70 miles from Bordeaux
in southwest France,
they want to run the place
as a B&B
and events venue,
having almost
finished the work inside.
They recently hosted
a celebration party...
[Indistinct chatter]
Johnno: The cocktails
are actually
going down extremely well.
Dick, voice-over: to officially
launch their business.
Woman: Ah.
Johnno: As usual,
Mariam's carried
everything off very well.
Mariam: Oh, stop it already.
Dick, voice-over:
Now Mariam and Johnno
are turning their attention
to a unique building
in their grounds--
a picturesque [speaking French]
at the side of the chateau.
They discovered a magnificent
bread oven
and want to bring it
back to life
so they can trial
a bread-making weekend
in a few months.
Johnno: Oh, there we are.
That's how I remember it.
Pretty much.
Dick, voice-over: Son Monty
has been roped in
to help empty it...
Monty: It's only really that bit
there we need to clear out.
The wood can stay.
Johnno: Yeah, we need
all the wood.
Oh, look at that. Ooh.
That's one of those, um...
Monty: Yeah, for the trees.
Johnno: Nets for the trees.
I found some firedogs
for the gite fireplace.
Dick, voice-over:
although clearing it
could be a time-consuming job.
Johnno: I find it very hard
to throw things away
and I don't think you should
throw things away, really.
Dick, voice-over: Hear, hear.
A man
after my own heart.
Johnno: Might be able to use
that to make a shutter.
Inevitably, within
a couple of days,
you need the thing
that you've thrown away.
Dick, voice-over: With the space
at least half-cleared,
they can finally inspect
the state of the oven.
Johnno: Do you think...get
through the door there?
Go on, have a go.
What do you think?
How is your claustrophobia?
Monty: Fine.
There aren't too many
fossilized mice.
It's not that bad.
Johnno: Any bats hanging
from the ceiling?
Dick, voice-over:
There are no bats,
but Johnno is intrigued
by something else.
Johnno: It doesn't actually look
as if there was ever
a door there, does there?
Monty: Not really.
Johnno: They probably
just put a chunk of...
Monty: Wood there.
Johnno: Metal in front
or something.
As far as we can see, the--
the vault is in
pretty good condition.
We just need to redo the...
Monty: Floor a bit.
Johnno: The floor a bit. Yeah.
Dick, voice-over: Some of
the original bricks are broken
and need to be replaced.
Thankfully, Johnno's
got to know
a local traditional brick maker.
Johnno: Monsieur Pauzat,
the chap who makes
the terra cotta floor,
he still makes the...
Monty: Fire bricks.
Johnno: It was probably
his company that made them
in the first place
back in God knows when.
Dick, voice-over: Luckily,
Monsieur Pauzat's company
is just down the road.
[Mariam speaking French]
Dick, voice-over:
So, Mariam and Johnno decide
to pay him a visit.
Pauzat: Hello. [Speaking French]
Dick, voice-over: The company
have been making bricks here
for 400 years.
[Mariam and Pauzat
speaking French]
Mariam: Wow.
Dick, voice-over: The original
brick making shed
has been preserved
in the modern building.
With heritage like this,
there's a good chance
they'll have the right bricks
to match the one Johnno's
brought from the oven.
[Pauzat and Johnno
speaking French]
Dick, voice-over:
But finding the right one
may take some time.
260 miles north
lies the 19th-century,
30-room Chateau de Montvason.
With 8 1/2 acres of land,
and its own lakes...
this beautiful place is owned
by Emma and partner Paul,
who have spent 2 1/2 years
renovating it into a B&B
and events venue.
Paul: The house was built
for entertaining,
and it'd be nice
to see the house
come, you know, back to
its full life again.
Dick, voice-over: Located close
to the Normandy coast,
this DIY duo have plenty of
projects on the go.
They're renovating the west wing
into a luxury two-bedroom suite.
Emma: Oh, my God.
That is really good, isn't it?
Woman: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over:
And making more
of their outside space...
Man: All the overgrowth
came to here, didn't it?
Dick, voice-over:
with the intent to connect
the newly discovered
dry lake bed
to the existing lake
adjacent to it.
But the machinery they need
to make it happen
is being used for
the harvest season.
Emma: I mean, it would've been
nice to have had this done,
but you get the picture.
Dick, voice-over:
With the lake on hold,
they can now finish off
the west wing,
which they first started
well over a year ago.
Emma: So, the west wing is
where we've gone up a notch.
We're trying to incorporate
Art Nouveau,
Arts and Crafts, and Art Deco.
It's not an easy task,
but, you know,
we really want this
to be very impressive,
that it's gonna be
a private suite,
so, we want it to be amazing.
Dick, voice-over:
While one bedroom is complete,
and the bathroom
is getting there,
the second bedroom still needs
a lot of work.
Today, to help
get things moving,
they've brought in friend Mark,
who specializes in
ornate plaster.
Emma: Hello!
Mark: Just about to put
the ceiling rose up.
[Emma gasps] Oh, my word.
So, this is
the [indistinct] one.
Mark: Yes, it is, yeah.
Emma: It is absolutely stunning.
Mark: Yeah.
Emma: Isn't it, Paul?
Paul: It's lovely.
Emma: That's so Art Nouveau.
Mark: Yeah.
Paul: Can we get up
and have a look?
See where it needs to be.
Mark: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over: Mark's made
the ceiling rose for free.
Buying something like this
would cost about 100 pounds.
So, he's saved them some cash.
Emma: That looks great.
That looks great like that.
Perfect.
Dick, voice-over:
The ceiling rose
is just the start of many unique
features in the room.
Paul: That is really nice.
Dick, voice-over: Emma's also
getting creative.
She's designed wall panels
based on the artist
Alphonse Mucha,
who was known for his classic
Art Nouveau style.
Emma: I always loved
the Art Nouveau period
and I always had his books
and I love the way
he made women look.
Dick, voice-over:
Mucha was best known
for his decorative
theatrical posters,
and Emma's come up with her own
impression of his work.
Emma: So, this is the color wash
for the dress.
I'm trying to build up layers
so that it's all a bit dreamy
rather than the hard lines.
I'm happy once
I start blocking in,
because then I start
to see it come together
and I--I--I really, really
like this one.
Dick, voice-over: It seems
to be coming on nicely.
I can't wait to see
what else they have planned.
In northwest France
lies the beautiful
19th-century
Chateau la Perriere.
This 20-room stunner,
with its own
outdoor swimming pool,
was bought 15 years ago
for 500,000 pounds.
To earn its keep,
it's been renovated
into a luxury holiday retreat
and is rented out by
interior designer Karen
and husband Paul, who runs
a workplace design company.
Along with children
Tom and Katie,
they're currently based
in the U.K.
Karen: We're hoping,
that eventually,
we will be able
to come and live here.
That's the dream.
That's why we bought this place.
Paul: It's relaxing.
It's exciting.
But then we need to go back
and earn some more money
to pay for the refurbishment
of the chateau.
Dick, voice-over: Located in
the Loire Valley,
their latest project is to turn
the old coach house
and stable block
into a wedding venue.
Paul: It's a big, old beam,
isn't it?
Makes a change from
what it was last time.
Dick, voice-over: It's proven
to be an expensive job,
as they've spent
3/4 of their budget
replacing the roof.
Karen: We got the final bill
and it came in at 53,000 euros.
Dick, voice-over:
It's a huge amount of money,
and they want to start
recouping the costs.
Now it's 4 months on
and they still haven't secured
any wedding bookings.
The dining area is coming on
leaps and bounds,
thanks to some
creative shopping.
Karen: We've had
the electrician in,
so, we've now got lights,
and I came over
a couple of weeks ago
with a vanload of furniture
that I've got off eBay,
but we've still got a lot to do.
Dick, voice-over: Now they
want to finish it off
and throw a party
for their friends
in two days' time.
Today, Karen's task
is to complete
the huge sliding door
between the coach house
and the stable block,
which she designed and built
with 16-year-old son Tom.
Karen: Now we're working on
putting the frame in
so that we can put
the metal mesh that we've got,
and it's going to
sit behind the frame.
It is essentially
expanded metal lath
that you use for
plastering walls,
which is fantastic,
'cause it's so cheap.
Dick, voice-over:
It's a nice idea,
but first, they have
to finish off
adding the frames for the mesh,
which is easier said than done.
Karen: Whilst I'm up here, Tom,
could you write that as door 4?
We've got to measure
every length.
It would appear
that every window
is a different size,
'cause although
we measured them
when we were building it,
clearly...you know, timber isn't
always exactly the same size.
I blame it on the timber.
Dick, voice-over: Tom is in
charge of cutting the wood...
[Saw whirring]
Dick, voice-over:
Which leaves Karen free
to glue it into place.
Karen: We're trying to
set them back slightly
so we've got the right amount
of gap at the back
to house the mesh.
It's a rustic door,
shall we say.
Paul: So, how's the door job
going, then?
Karen: Slow.
Paul: Yeah?
Karen: How do you fancy...
measuring and cutting these
to size?
This is a proper job.
Paul: OK.
Karen: OK, it's gotta look nice.
Dick, voice-over:
No pressure then, Paul.
Paul: We can give it a go,
can we?
[Laughter]
Karen: We could use masking tape
to demark the line
where you're cutting.
Paul: If you mask it...
Karen: Yeah.
Paul: you're never gonna
get it accurate enough,
whereas if you do it by hand...
Dick, voice-over: I'm staying
out of this one.
[Punching]
Karen: It just needs to be in
so we don't catch fingers,
'cause I'll--eventually,
I'll put
a beading over it.
Paul: One down...8 to go.
Dick, voice-over: Over at
Chateau Domaine de la Salle,
Johnno and son Monty
have swept out
the old bread oven...
and now want
to replace the bricks
with new ones they bought
at the traditional
brick makers'.
Johnno: Monty's just positioning
the--the first new brick,
in fact.
He just needs to get
the level of sand right
and then slot it
into position, basically.
[Hammering]
Monty: Yeah, fits
quite nicely.
It's good.
Dick, voice-over: But it's
not all plain sailing,
as some of the bricks
need cutting into shape
to fit in the circular oven.
Johnno: That needs to
curve around a bit,
'cause it's such a big circle.
I reckon it should be
something like that.
Do you want to cut it?
Monty: Yeah, sure.
Dick, voice-over: The bricks
need to be cut
to the right size,
[Saw whirring]
and it's best to have
the right safety kit on
when angle grinding.
After a quick blast...
it's time to see if it fits.
Johnno: How does it look?
Monty: They--quite a bit more
needs to come off at
the bottom of the curve.
I think it needs
to be a bit sharper.
Johnno: Oh, really? OK.
Dick, voice-over:
That was phase one.
A bit more trimming
should sort it out.
[Saw whirring]
Johnno: It doesn't have
to be too exact.
Dick, voice-over: Let's hope
it's second time lucky.
Monty: Fine.
Johnno: Ah, yeah,
that's brilliant.
Dick, voice-over: One down.
Now they just need
to do the same
to the rest of the bricks.
Johnno: How were you imagining
this was going to fit,
'cause it's nowhere
near fitting.
[Saw whirring]
[Saw whirring]
Dick, voice-over:
After 3 hours...
Monty: Hang on, there.
[Hitting brick]
Dick, voice-over: it's job done.
Monty: Perfect.
Johnno: Jolly good.
Job well done, now.
Monty: Nice. Let's go.
Very nice.
Johnno: We've earned
ourselves some lunch now.
Monty: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over:
By all means, go and chill,
but it still needs
to be fired up.
Johnno: I think it's
quite exciting, really.
It'll be fun to get the oven
actually going,
although I'm told that it takes
a week to warm it up. [Laughs]
Dick, voice-over:
260 miles away,
at Chateau de Montvason,
Emma and Paul are creating
an Art Nouveau-style bedroom,
and Emma has headed to their
8 1/2 acres of garden
to search for inspiration.
Emma: Definitely feel like
[blows] that leaf
needs to be on
my chimney breast.
The whole emphasis of the Mucha
suite, Art Nouveau, is using
flowers and plants,
and that whole period
was all about nature,
so, we want to
incorporate that
into the design.
* Ta-da! *
Happy days.
Dick, voice-over: Having
already fitted an intricate
ceiling rose,
Emma now wants to create
some decorative,
nature-inspired plasterwork
for the walls.
Emma: Let's go see what
Mark thinks of this.
Dick, voice-over: And mate Mark
has got an idea using ivy.
Mark: Have you got
what I asked you for?
Emma: I have.
Well, I've taken a load,
so, I wanted to see if
any of this might work,
'cause I know you want it
in sections, don't you?
Mark: I think we go with
the shorter ones first, OK,
and then we'll add
the bigger ones afterwards, OK,
'cause we're gonna do it
in two sections.
Emma: I'm so excited
to see this.
OK, so, should I go
grab some scissors?
Dick, voice-over:
He starts by pressing the ivy
into clay to make an imprint.
Emma: And so, say this one,
I would put this one...
Mark: Yeah, put that one
there, yeah.
Emma: Just follow the shape.
Mark: Yeah.
We need to go
a little bit deeper,
because obviously what...
Emma: Really get the--
Mark: Yeah...
Emma: Dimensional.
Mark: Yeah.
Emma: So, would this have been
how they did it
in the old days?
Mark: Yeah. [Laughs]
Emma: Is that the old method?
Mark: Yeah.
Emma: I love all that.
Mark: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over:
Once pressed in deep enough...
Emma: Ooh!
Dick, voice-over: They can
take it all off.
Emma: Oh, that looks
really cool.
You can see the line
of the leaf.
Mark: So, what we'll do now,
we'll make
a plaster impression
of this, OK,
and then we'll make
3 individual molds of those
to obviously give us
that 3-D effect.
Emma: I'm so excited!
Mark: Yeah.
[Sloshing]
[Tapping]
Dick, voice-over: After pouring
plaster into the clay mold,
Mark has a sheet of fiberglass
to reinforce it.
Mark: Without the reinforcement,
you'll never be able
to take it out of the mold.
OK, so.
Emma: So, how long
will it take to set?
Mark: Normally about
10 to 15 minutes.
Emma: Is that all?
Mark: Yeah, about
10 to 15 minutes.
Emma: That is so fast.
Mark: OK.
Dick, voice-over:
Designing a bedroom
is not the only thing
they need to get done.
The Art Deco-style bathroom
has been a while
in the making.
[Dick and Paul talking at once]
Dick, voice-over:
Last year, I helped Paul
cut rare Vitrolite tiles.
Dick: It's rock-solid.
Paul: Yeah...
Dick: Come the next
nuclear holocaust,
this'll be what's left.
Paul: You can imagine.
Dick, voice-over:
Now he's finally moved on
to the floor tiles,
which just need finishing off.
Paul: Stand on that, because
I can't press it down.
Dick, voice-over: He's
contrasting black granite tiles
with white Carrara ones
to make the Art Deco look
as authentic as possible.
Paul: And the next--next one,
this is
the last little one.
Dick, voice-over: But having
picked up the whole lot
for just 200 pounds,
he's got himself a bargain.
Paul: These are never
gonna be seen,
because they go
behind the bath. Ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: At least
you'll know it's a job
well done, Paul.
As for Emma, she's eager to see
what the now-dried
ivy plasterwork
looks like in the bedroom.
Emma: OK. So.
Mark: What we're gonna do
is we'll start
down on this bottom
left-hand corner.
Obviously, once this mold
is made--made...
Emma: Yeah.
Mark: We can repeat
this pattern...
Emma: OK.
Mark: up the wall...
Emma: Quick question to you.
Mark: Yeah.
Emma: I thought
it was going here.
Mark: We're doing it
right hand to left.
Emma: So we're gonna have
that pattern--
Mark: On each side as well.
Dick, voice-over: Mark's plan
is to creep the ivy around
the chimney breast.
Mark: You can put some in there
or put one there or...
Emma: Sure.
Mark: put one there or put one
round the corner.
Emma: Ahh, yeah, I love that.
Dick, voice-over: With the
theory out of the way,
it's just a case of putting it
into practice.
In the Loire Valley,
it's just 24 hours until
Karen's party
in the new wedding venue.
Karen: So we're going to need
the--
Tom: Is it the jigsaw?
Karen: The jigsaw as well.
Dick, voice-over: Today she's
roped in son Tom,
as she wants to create a
3-meter-long buffet table
to fit beside an old stable
partition.
Karen: 45.
Dick, voice-over: Karen's making
it out of an old table.
The tricky bit is she's cutting
it in half long ways
to make sure it's
the right length.
And already there's a problem.
Karen: We're not sure whether
the blade is blunt.
Tom: I think it's slightly
curved.
Karen: Which probably isn't
great.
Dick, voice-over: It is better
if they're straight,
but having found no other
blades,
they'll have to make due.
And with the stable block next
door being put on hold for now,
they have more space to
maneuver.
First task is to cut the
tabletop in two.
Karen: That's about halfway.
Dick, voice-over: Let's just
hope the blade isn't as bad
as they fear.
Karen: It is coming over to
the left a little bit.
It's really difficult to keep
the blade, isn't it?
Tom: Really blunt.
Like, super blunt.
Dick, voice-over:
With no other option,
they're going to have to
soldier on.
Tom: It's not very straight.
Karen: It doesn't matter.
You're doing a good job.
You've just got to make sure you
meet up with that one.
Tom: OK.
Dick, voice-over: Go for it.
It's bound to meet in
the middle.
[Bang]
Karen: Oh!
Guess that's in half, then.
Dick, voice-over: With the
tabletop safely separated,
they're halfway there.
Karen: OK.
Dick, voice-over: Now they need
to do the same with the base,
which thankfully is more
straightforward.
Karen: We've trashed a table,
Tom.
Do you want to grab one?
Dick, voice-over: Let's see
how it fits
along the stable partition.
Karen: Look at that.
That's amazing.
So now we need to find
a way of
pinning it back to
the partition.
Let me just think about this.
This could be bracketed
back to the partition.
Dick, voice-over:
Sounds like a plan.
Although there seems to be
a hiccup.
Karen: I've got no idea if we've
got any brackets.
We need to go and have a little
bit of a rummage
around the tool room.
Oh, god, it's quite heavy.
Tom: Oh, nice new jigsaw blades.
They would have been helpful.
Dick, voice-over: Better late
than never,
but still need those brackets.
Karen: We could rob them off
the swimming pool fence.
We can replace them before we
have our next guests.
We could take one off the top
'cause the other one's
still securing it.
Tom: There you go.
Karen: Do you think that'll do
the job?
Tom: It should do the work,
yeah.
Dick, voice-over: Well, there's
one way to find out.
Karen: Solid.
Dick, voice-over: It's worked
a treat.
With the whole base
now attached,
it's mission complete.
Paul: How's it going?
Dick, voice-over: And just in
time to show Paul,
who's been food shopping
for the party.
Paul: It's really good.
Karen: It actually turned out
better than I thought it would.
Yeah, now it's down to you
to cook
and make the food look amazing.
Paul: I'll do my bit.
Dick, voice-over:
Best of luck, Paul.
Over at our place, we never
miss an opportunity
to turn something old
into something new.
When it came to transforming
the mudroom,
we wanted to find
an interesting way
to disguise an old radiator.
Having drawn a blank in
the chateau...
Angel: This may cover
the radiator,
but it won't cover that
length of space.
Dick, voice-over:
Angela set off to one of
our favorite brocantes.
Angel: Dick said find yourself a
radiator cover that looks nice.
Dick, voice-over: Here they
specialize in salvaging
ironmongery.
Sure enough, Angel found
a disused old iron balcony
she thought would be perfect.
Angel: See, this could work.
OK. That's probably right.
OK?
Dick, voice-over:
Back at the chateau,
they big question I had,
is it going to work?
Dick: You had no choice, this is
the only one they had, is it?
Angel: No, but I thought that
was the nicest.
Dick: Absolutely perfect.
[Grunts]
Angel: I mean, the color's quite
nice.
Dick: Color's quite nice?
It's called rust.
Angel: 1, 2, 3.
What would you reckon,
Mr. Strawbridge?
I thought that was pretty good,
right?
That's lovely.
Dick: I'm probably gonna buzz
off these
little sticking out bits here,
'cause they're just gonna
get in the way.
Angel: Yeah. OK.
Dick: Yeah?
Dick, voice-over: It was
a great find.
But first it needed a good old
scrub down.
Angel: When Dick asked me to
find the radiator cover,
heh heh, only it was apparent
that they were all ugly.
Like seriously, the only
one that I liked
was this Spanish-inspired
custom made cast iron and wood,
and it was beautiful.
It sort of had that
functionality,
and it was very elegant,
and it was thousands.
So this is our alternative.
And instead of being thousands,
it was 150 euros,
which I think is a bit of
a bargain.
Dick, voice-over: 150 euros?
You never told me that.
And after a quick paint job,
I remove those sticky out bits,
which probably cost 10 euros.
Dick: It's heavy, yes, it is.
Dick, voice-over: And added
a wooden shelf
to sit on top of it.
Dick: Stained that's going
to be gorgeous.
The result.
Dick, voice-over: It took
no time at all,
and the new radiator cover is a
great feature in our mudroom.
Just goes to show how a little
creativity can go a long way.
160 miles away in
southwest France,
Mariam and Johnno's challenge
is heating up.
Their bread-making weekend
starts tomorrow,
and they need to ensure
the old bread oven
is working perfectly.
Mariam: He has been stoking this
for about a month now,
on and off,
because you have to build up
the heat in the bricks.
Can I just ask--is it not meant
to be at about 250 degrees?
Johnno: No, you have to get it
up to 350 around.
Mariam: 300? And it's only 120
today.
Johnno: Yeah, but that's because
I don't want it
blasting away at full
temperature all the time.
The wood will be gone in
5 seconds.
Mariam: OK.
Johnno: I can easily get it up
to 300 and something without
too much problem.
Dick, voice-over:
Well, Johnno's happy.
He seems to have it
under control.
Now they just need to
add a cast iron bargain
of their own,
an oven door which they bought
online for 40 euros,
a little under £35 pounds.
Johnno: Oop!
Dick, voice-over:
Let's hope it fits.
[Tapping]
Johnno: Yep. A bit of brute
force always does the trick.
Dick, voice-over: With the oven
door safely on,
when it heats up, they should be
able to keep it
at a constant temperature.
Johnno: Shut like that,
and there we are.
Absolutely perfect.
Dick, voice-over: But several
hours later,
Johnno notices smoke seeping
through the outside
of the oven wall.
Johnno: You can see where the
smoke's been coming out.
Dick, voice-over: If smoke is
escaping,
the heat will, too.
Johnno: You have to mix it up
a bit first.
Dick, voice-over: Johnno's going
to attempt to fill the cracks in
with traditional lime
and sand mortar.
Johnno: But it's actually a lot
harder than it looks,
this banging this at the wall.
Dick, voice-over: Lucky stone
mason friend Dudu
is around to oversee.
Dudu: [Speaking French]
Johnno: Dudu is
the master mason.
So he's been giving me lessons
on how to do it.
Oh!
Dick, voice-over:
Looking good, Johnno.
Here's hoping it does the trick
in time for tomorrow.
In Normandy, Emma and Paul
are finally close
to completing their
Art Nouveau-style bedroom suite.
Now Emma wants to try adding the
final bit of the jigsaw.
Emma: When I was looking around
in the attic,
I came across the old bed canopy
that used to belong here.
So we thought it would be
brilliant to restore it
and put it back in
the master suite,
which is the Mucha suite.
Hopefully that will just
be the finishing touch
on the beautiful Art Nouveau bed
that we've got.
Dick, voice-over: Having
restored the frame,
Emma and Paul are dressing it
with white silk.
Emma: No, no, what I'm doing.
We're stretching it to that
corner like this.
Paul: Oh. OK, yeah.
Emma: Yeah?
And then we do a bit in
the middle.
Dick, voice-over: She wants
to create a traditional
sunburst pattern.
Emma: See, that's lovely.
Dick, voice-over: And Paul's
task is to pleat the fabric,
then attach it to the frame
of the staple gun.
[Click]
But it's easier said than done.
Paul: I would say that this is
quite frustrating.
Emma: Let me see it.
Paul: I've not figured it out
at all.
I'm not happy with any of it.
Dick, voice-over: Paul might
want to brush up
on his pleating skills.
And before he does any more,
he wants to see what it looks
like above the bed.
Emma: So what's your thoughts?
Paul: I'm not keen.
Your eye has been taken off
of the bed
and it's looking at that.
Emma: Mm-hmm.
Paul: And I don't--I mean, with
the little beds
in the other room, the
[Speaks French] really work,
right, because your eye's
not immediately drawn to them.
But when you walk in here,
you've got this big brown thing
on a light wall, and your eye
immediately goes to that.
You don't look at the bed.
The bed is like the room.
I'm just--
Emma: I'm fine with that.
I want you to be happy.
There's no point spending all
this time doing this,
if it doesn't add to it.
You take it away.
So I'm--honestly,
I'm fine with that.
Dick, voice-over: It was worth
the try, Emma.
A few months ago, this room
was nothing more
than an empty shell.
Now it's been transformed
into an elegant Art
Nouveau-style bedroom.
With the help of friends,
they've managed
to recreate the era with
ornate plaster work
both on the ceiling
and the walls,
using ivy from their own garden.
While Emma's hand-painted
wall panels
pay tribute to her favorite
artist, Alphonse Mucha.
Emma: This has been
the most work,
but I think it shows
we've definitely achieved what
we wanted.
It's gorgeous.
Apart from the bed canopy,
obviously.
Paul: Yeah, that's--we're
swiftly moving on.
Dick, voice-over: And a year
in the making,
the Art Deco bathroom
is also complete.
The two-bedroom suite in
the west wing
is officially done.
Emma: I just can't believe we've
come such a long way
since we started this
west wing.
To see it finished is
absolutely amazing.
And to have the Art Deco
bathroom done as well,
the whole west wing's now
finished,
and that--that's just such
an achievement.
Dick, voice-over: I couldn't
agree more.
It's been a busy summer,
as they also hosted
a big event for the
75th anniversary of D-Day.
Man: As we say in America,
it's been awesome.
Dick, voice-over: And made
great strides
in transforming their
outdoor space.
Emma: We've come
a really long way,
and now he's not allowed
to mention anything else
for at least 6 months,
but I'm pretty sure in the next
week he will.
Dick, voice-over: I bet you he's
got a huge to-do list.
But however long it is,
I wish you the best of luck.
In the Loire Valley,
there's just a few hours to go
before Karen and Paul's party
in their new wedding venue.
Karen: I always find it
actually works to my advantage
being completely oblivious of
the time,
'cause then I don't have to get
so stressed.
Dick, voice-over: Karen is
dressing the space
using bargain buys she's picked
up from local brocades,
as well as using things
from their grounds.
Karen: Even some of the green,
Tom, is quite nice as well.
Dick, voice-over:
In the chateau...
Paul: How are the tomatoes
going?
Dick, voice-over: Paul is
preparing some appetizers
with a helping hand from
sous chef
and 12-year-old daughter Katie.
Paul: Oh, that is nice.
Can I tell you, the worst thing
about that is
Daddy can't pinch any,
'cause if I pinch any of them,
you'll spot it, won't you?
Katie: Yep!
Dick, voice-over: Paul is hoping
to impress his guests
with samples of the local
cuisine.
Paul: So just finishing off now
with a smoked fish.
This is something they do
quite a lot here as well,
which is smoked tuna,
and we've got smoked eel.
Just really different,
interesting things
which are just delicious.
Dick, voice-over: He has it
under control.
But with time ticking,
Karen is feeling the pressure.
Karen: I'm getting all
flustered.
I feel like I'm having
a hot flash. Heh.
Tom, what time is it?
Tom: 6:23. Half an hour.
Karen: Half an hour.
Oh, my word, that looks amazing.
Paul: There.
Wow.
This is great.
Karen: And I'm actually really
pleased with it.
I'm genuinely really excited
about seeing everybody's faces.
Paul: I know you haven't had
time for one of these
for about a week and a half,
but there you go.
You got it.
That's it, done.
Dick, voice-over: 6 months ago,
this coach house
was a neglected outbuilding.
Now it's been transformed into
a stylish dining area,
which takes them a long way
towards being able to
host weddings.
With Karen's design skills,
creative ideas,
and shrew shopping,
it certainly looks the part.
Now it's time to show it off
to their friends.
Paul: Have everybody in.
All right, come in.
[Indistinct chatter]
Woman: You've done a great job.
That's amazing.
[Indistinct chatter]
Karen: I'm really pleased
with the table.
Dick, voice-over: It's certainly
made an impression.
Woman: And are they the actual
original--
Karen: Original papers.
Woman: They're really lovely.
Karen: Yeah.
Woman: Fabulous.
Karen and Paul have done
an amazing job.
Paul: Come on in, crowd in.
Join, join, join, join.
Man: What a fantastic place.
I raise a glass to them,
if I still can
in a few hours' time.
Dick, voice-over: It's proved
to be a success
and means Karen and Paul's
hard work
has eventually paid off.
Paul: We did it.
We launched the space,
and it's fantastic.
It is--it is really, really
good.
Karen: It's really--it's really
nice to see
how the space will actually work
for an event.
Dick, voice-over: There's more
good news,
as they've managed to secure
their first wedding booking
for next season.
So there's lots to celebrate.
Paul: To the next chapter.
Cheers.
Karen: Cheers.
Paul: Cheers, everybody.
Thanks for coming.
[Laughter]
Dick, voice-over: 100 miles away
in southwest France,
it's the day of Mariam and
Johnno's bread-making weekend,
which they're trialing with
friends and family.
Mariam: Today's very much
a soft opening.
It's a test run of
the bread oven.
It's a test run of us, actually,
organizing the whole thing.
I was gonna have beautiful linen
aprons
with "La Salle" embroidered
on them.
Guess what I forgot.
Dick, voice-over: To teach
the art of bread making,
they've roped in mate
and master baker Mark...
Mark: How are things?
Johnno: Perfect.
- Good. And it's brightened up.
- I know. We're lucky.
Mariam: Hello.
Mark: Very lucky.
Mariam: How are you?
Dick, voice-over: who knows
all the pitfalls
of using a traditional
wood fire oven.
Mark: The oven could get
too hot.
The bread could therefore burn
on the outside and overcook.
So we need to try and time it
right,
so we heat it up, then let
the temperature drop,
'cause what you need to do
in a wood-fired oven
is cook in an oven where the
temperature's descending
and let the bread cook gently,
as it were.
Dick, voice-over: Johnno could
have his work cut out,
as it's up to him to ramp up
the heat.
Johnno: Right, we're
just putting some
faggots of wood on now
to try and super heat it.
Dick, voice-over: He needs to
get the oven to 350 degrees.
Johnno: So the beauty of
the faggots is that
it's small wood
tightly bound together.
And it basically burns
very quickly
at a very high temperature.
Hence it was the preferred
former wood for burning
witches and bishops.
Dick, voice-over:
Savage times indeed.
Now centuries later,
Johnno's using a state of
the art thermometer
to keep an eye on
the temperature.
Johnno: 550 degrees,
which is a bit too much,
I would say, wouldn't we?
I hope I haven't overdone it.
The oven has never got to this
temperature before.
I'm just hoping the whole
thing's not gonna collapse
at the last moment, as I've
rather fired it up too much.
Mark: Cool. Off you go.
You get mixing.
Dick, voice-over:
Over at the chateau,
Mark already has everyone
making bread...
Mark: Yeah, you're not far off
at all,
just get those dry bits
around the edge.
Dick, voice-over: kicking off
with a sourdough loaf,
which will be amazing straight
from the oven.
Man: That looks lovely.
Smells good, too.
Mark: So we want 200 grams,
which isn't very much.
Dick, voice-over: Even Johnno's
getting stuck in
while he waits for the oven
to cool down.
Mark: The determination
on that face.
Johnno: Oh, look at that.
Today is very much experimental,
really,
both from the point of view
of the workshop
and particularly of
the oven.
'Cause we've not too much idea
what we're doing.
Dick, voice-over: With the bread
dough being left to rest,
Johnno wants Mark to check on
the temperature of the oven.
Mark: The oven's about 370
at the back.
That's OK.
We need to clean the oven
as quick as we can.
Dick, voice-over: They need to
empty the ashes
to make way for the bread,
and don't want to waste time.
Johnno: [Speaks French]
Mark: We'll check the
temperature in a second.
Dick, voice-over: Now they have
to mop it clean.
Mark: And then go back.
Come back.
Johnno: OK.
Mark: Shut the door.
1-6-9. You want about 140.
Yeah, shut the door.
We've got about 10, 15 minutes.
Perfect.
Johnno: This is really
the moment, yeah.
So we're now going to be baking
bread in this oven
for the first time in,
well, probably nigh on
a hundred years,
don't you think? So, yeah, it's
all quite exciting.
Mark: Perfect. We'll need
someone with a timer,
30 minutes, please.
Johnno: Mind your head.
Mark: 30 minutes.
And a prayer.
Dick, voice-over: Now it's
a waiting game.
[Chickens clucking]
In just half an hour,
the bread is baked
and looks amazing.
But the proof is all in
the taste.
Man: Ahh. It's great.
Second man: It's very good.
[Laughter]
Johnno: Absolutely delicious.
Dick, voice-over: It's a thumbs
up from Johnno.
And it seems family and friends
are also impressed.
Man: The best bit of making
bread
is breaking it when it's
still warm.
Woman: Highlight of the day was
definitely eating
what we've done.
Johnno: The hard work of
restoring the bread oven
was really worth it.
It's pretty satisfying
at the end
to bring something back to life,
basically.
Mariam: We definitely,
definitely want
to do the sourdough weekends.
They're really good fun.
It's such a buzz.
Dick, voice-over: This year
Mariam and Johnno
have come a long way...
from renovating rooms in
the chateau
to transforming the outside
grounds.
And now finally they have
everything as they want it.
Mariam: I think we're pretty
much ready now
to host events and have guests
come to stay.
La Salle is looking pretty good
at the moment.
It's really good to live in.
Johnno: Just need to have a bit
of spare time
to sit down and enjoy it,
but then what?
Mariam: The cats do. They're
always lying around, sleeping.
Dick, voice-over: I'm sure
it won't be long
till guests come flocking in.
Next week, we follow the trials
and tribulations
of a new bunch of chateau-owning
Brits.
Woman: This is it.
Oh, my god.
Dick, voice-over: At this place,
it's moving in day.
Man: He doesn't care.
He's coming straight
through regardless.
Watch out. Watch out.
It's gonna go.
Dick, voice-over: One couple
attempt to hatch
a new business idea.
Woman: It'll be a lot less
pigeon poo here
when you're practicing yoga.
Man: Is this the first handstand
in this room?
Woman: I reckon so.
Dick, voice-over:
These owners go camping...
Man: Just the essentials.
Dick, voice-over:
chateau-style...
Woman: You're like crazy.
Second woman: What's the point
of being normal?
Dick, voice-over: the language
barrier becomes a brick wall...
Woman: [Slowly speaking French]
Dick, voice-over: and a
long-awaited delivery
spells disaster.
Man: Oh, no.
Woman: This is not good.
This is a very, very bad sign.