Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 5, Episode 1 - Episode #5.1 - full transcript
and along with my wife Angel...
- Hello.
- And our two children,
we’ve lived
in this magnificent chateau
for the past five years.
- Aw, it’s lovely.
- It’s my little corner
of paradise.
- [laughs]
- It’s not just our home.
- Whoo!
[both laugh]
- But our business.
- That’s a proper kiss.
- And with over 1,000
chateaus in France...
- Wow.
- Oh, my God.
Absolutely incredible.
- We’re not the only Brits
buying into
the French fairytale.
- Do you like it?
- I mean, yes.
It is gorgeous.
- We’ll follow
more daring owners...
It looks to be
a massive undertaking.
- And familiar faces...
- Why?
- As they battle
to renovate their homes.
- That is disgusting.
- And we’ll reveal more
about our own chateau life.
- That is lovely.
[laughs]
- There’ll be ups...
- [gasps]
Oh, my God, this is beautiful.
- And downs.
- What are you going to do?
- Well, it’s gonna take all day.
- Yeah, but
there’s no alternative.
- But however hard
the going gets...
- No!
- These plucky Brits...
- Hoo-hoo.
- Get to live the dream
as custodians...
- God bless France.
- Of their very own castle.
Today a poolside paint job...
- Oh, no!
- Sorry.
- Doesn’t go as planned.
- No. Not all over the patio.
- Yes. It’s not gonna
come off, is it?
[blows notes]
- One couple clear the clutter
to raise money
for renovations...
- It’s just gonna annoy me
if he keeps on playing that,
so we’ll sell that.
- A DIY project...
- If I had the money,
I’d get the plasterer.
- To stop a grand library
being left on the shelf.
- When the books are in it,
it’s gonna look as if
it’s been here forever.
It’s gonna really blend in.
- And we’re helping
to bring the outside in.
- Oh, my God.
That is fantastic.
Well done.
- All over France,
Brits are breathing new life
into old buildings,
as they take on
these historic grand estates
as family homes
and businesses.
Sitting high
above the Dordogne Valley
is the magnificent
Chateau Du Doux.
Built at the start
of the twentieth century,
it has 48 rooms,
7 1/2 acres of grounds,
and its own swimming pool.
It’s not the full-time home
of IT consultant Clive
and his wife Karen,
who bought the place
10 years ago
for themselves,
sons Ross and Alex
and daughter Abbie.
- I just love the building.
We all love the location.
I don’t think
we ever have a dull day
living in this chateau.
- There’s always
something to do.
- Yeah, you’re your own boss.
You can do something different
every day.
- Located 65 miles from Limoges,
to pay for bills and repairs
at the huge home,
they offer
luxury wedding packages
where they accommodate
up to 70 guests overnight.
- I’ll show them
what’s in there,
and then I’m headed out
to market.
- It’s an incredible amount
of work for one family,
with no hotel staff to take on.
- We work seven days a week,
and a minimum--
I’m not exaggerating--
12 hours a day.
- 12 hour days at least.
- No, not them as well.
No, no, no.
We’re just doing bubbly.
- And all through it,
general manager Abbie
is trying to grow the business
to 10 weddings a year
to increase profits,
but so far it’s proving tough.
- Unfortunately,
we don’t have as many bookings
as we’d ideally like
to cover our costs.
- It’s important
they grow their reputation
by promo-ing popular features
like the chateau’s pool,
that’s been lying empty
since the end of last season
six months ago.
With their first wedding
of the year fast approaching,
Abbie wants everything just so,
starting with
the weather-worn pool house.
- It annoys me, because every
day I go in and out the gate,
and all you can see is sort of
the gray coming through
where the paint’s chipped off.
It’s a little rundown.
- Pick up our equipment.
- Abbie still
has lots to organize
for the wedding season,
so to speed up the job
of painting the exterior,
she’s called on
big brother Ross.
- Right.
This is gonna be fun.
- As well as doing the job
themselves,
to keep the costs down further,
she’s using cut-price paint
dad Clive’s had lying around
from a previous job.
- Just watch out,
because that liquid can spill.
- I’m gonna need a stick
to stir it.
- I’ll find a stick.
- I’m gonna put it
somewhere flat.
- That’s an easy find.
- When paint ages,
it separates and needs stirring.
Let’s hope Ross’ forest twig
is up to the job.
- Wow.
- This is weird paint.
Very watery.
I absolutely hate painting.
It’s the most boring job ever,
and it just goes on
and on and on.
- The paint’s very thin
because most of the pigment
has settled at the bottom.
- This doesn’t seem very thick.
It needs another mix really.
- Mm. I think it does.
- And I think I’m going
to go put something underneath.
’Cause it’s very watery paint,
and we don’t really want--
- It does make quite a lot
of mess on the ground.
- Ross sources
some possible drip guards.
- That’s tiny. We’re not
gonna catch much with that.
- But Abbie goes
for something bigger.
- Oh, no!
- Hmm-mm-mm.
[sighs]
- Oh.
- [hums a tune]
- Sorry.
- Ross, you’re gonna need
to get the hose,
’cause if it dries,
it’s not coming out.
Ross, you need to hurry up.
- Not the best time
for dad to make an inspection.
- No. Not all over the patio.
- Yes. It’s not
gonna come off, is it?
- You’re gonna have to get
the power washer.
Ross, go and get
the power washer. [sighs]
- We wasted half a bloody thing
of paint, too.
- Oh, my God.
What a disaster.
- I’m gonna go find
another brush
and try and clear it up.
- No good
crying over spilt paint.
Time to pull the started cord
on this cleanup.
Abbie swiftly washes the spill,
but now
it’s heading for the pool.
- No, no, no!
- What?
- You’re flowing away
from where you want it.
- Next time we’ll know
not to put the paint can
underneath the tarpaulin.
I’m never, ever
making that mistake again.
- All right.
I think that’ll do really.
- We all live and learn,
and with tarp
now protecting from spills,
the paint can be put on
where it’s wanted.
- How you getting on there?
- Mum Karen
decides to lend a hand.
- Do you want me
to do a bit with this?
- But Abbie’s
a tough taskmaster.
- Oh, forget it.
You botched it already.
Mum, seriously?
You’ve been there for two
minutes and you messed it up.
- Oh, yes,
you’re absolutely right.
- Yeah, mum, it’s okay.
I’m good here.
- It’s not always easy
working with family,
but lots of brush strokes later,
the paint job is complete.
- Well, we’ve
just about finished it,
which is the good news.
The bad news is
it hasn’t gone as smoothly
as I would have hoped.
Rather frustrating.
- Over 300 miles north
is the splendid 19th century
Chateau des Lys.
With over 50 rooms,
including four gites,
it sits on 15 acres
of wooded grounds.
It’s been home to Essex born
rock musician Tim,
his Dutch wife Margreeth,
a former English teacher,
and their 11 year old son John
for the past six years,
and was a case of love
at first site for the couple.
- It was huge.
The sun was filtering
through the trees,
and we just stopped
in the middle of a path
and we looked at each other,
and we said, wow,
we could own this.
- It’s been more work
than we expected it to be,
but I think
there’s been more rewards
than we expected there to be.
- Located an hour’s drive
from Calais,
last summer they expanded
the chateau business
to include
full wedding packages.
- I know it looks like
a rat infested shed,
but in four month’s time,
it’s going to be wonderful.
- By converting an old shed
and pigsty...
- There’s a century
of chicken poo here.
- Aw, yuck.
- Into a boho gin bar.
- The drinks are amazing.
The people are amazing.
The scenery is amazing.
So what more
could we ask for, really?
- They also tried their hand
at hosting special events
in the off season,
such as good food weekends.
- This is it
for the winter months I think.
Once a month,
two event weekends,
it’s a lot of fun.
- This year, their plan
is to branch out even more.
- It’s definitely going to be
a bigger year than last year
financially and also
in terms of workload.
- We are hoping
to have more bigger events
and more weddings.
- So attention is turned
to one of the largest rooms
in the chateau: the library.
With 540 square feet
of floor space,
this grand room
has bags of potential
for events.
whatever the weather.
- Oh, big, isn’t it?
- But as yet untouched by Tim
and Margreeth’s renovations,
it’s in a sorry state.
- We have a mess up there.
- They need to tackle
mismatched furniture,
a damp and mossy balcony,
as well as flaking paint
on the walls
and original plaster moldings.
So a fair bit to do.
- Right. Let’s go for it,
shall we?
I’m getting
the loose stuff off.
- Tim starts
on the 20 foot high ceiling,
tackling old paint
and blown plaster
damaged by leaks
from a broken window.
- And Margreeth
scrapes plant life
from the balcony.
- Everything’s a bit
green algae and moss.
It really needs a bit of TLC.
- How’s it going with the moss?
- It comes off really easily.
- Great. Well done.
If I had the money,
I’d get the plasterer,
but I can’t afford that,
so I’ve got to do it myself.
- So the balcony is moss free.
- Oh, man,
you can hardly see it.
That’s great.
- Yeah, it’s looking good.
- If I did one more little pass
to make it so it’s--
It very slightly
looks a big dirty,
but that’s because
it’s so thin in certain places.
So it’s great. It’s better than
I thought it was going to be.
Can we tidy up a bit?
- Yeah.
- Mwah.
- We did good.
- Yeah.
- Tim’s made a tidy job
of the plaster
and saved himself the cost
of hiring a professional.
But they still need to decorate
and sort out the shelving
and furnishings
before this room
is ready for events.
Standing proud in the
wooded hills of the Dordogne,
are the turrets and towers
of Chateau Monteil.
The magnificent 20 room home,
with its heated
outdoor swimming pool,
is set in a seven acre estate.
It was bought
for 380,000 pounds six years ago
to become home for Tim, who’d
previously worked as a chef,
and his wife Krys.
who live here with
their two year old son Owen.
- He’s now the complete
focus of our life,
but we’re trying to juggle
business with family,
and it’s just a great adventure.
We love every minute of it.
- Located 93 miles
from Bordeaux,
the couple spent last year
changing their business model
from B&B
to full chateau rental
to free up
more family time together.
- Good boy.
- Owen, look.
- Fabulous.
- And with little advice
from Angel and I...
- You’re doing
everything in your life
for your family,
but just enjoy it.
- You’re gonna have
six people here
who have all paid a wedge
to support you.
They launched their first
good food weekend...
- That’s dirty, Owen.
- Which proved to be a success.
- It’s given us
a lot of time as a family.
I’ve got lots of attention
to give to my son.
- It’s been
so much easier for us.
- Now they have
a bit more spare time,
the couple have set their sights
on tackling the next part
of the chateau renovation.
- A beautiful old stone barn.
It’s quite tired,
dated looking,
so it’d be nice to try
and bring that back to life.
- Eventually they’d like
more accommodation,
but first they’re planning
an indoor games room
as well as a storage area
for their guests.
- I think we can put
table tennis here
and give them
some usable space.
They can keep
their bikes, boots,
all that kind of stuff.
- They’re hoping that by
getting rid of unwanted items,
they can raise money
for renovations.
- We can sell
all this kitchen equipment.
You know, this old fridge--
we don’t use
this fridge/freezer anymore.
The fire, we don’t use that.
- It’s of no use to us.
- It’s of no use to us,
but it’s got a bit of value.
Yeah, look. I’ve got
two bathroom radiators.
Towel rails.
And that’s it.
We’ve got five radiators.
And they have not been used,
but we’re not using them.
- Looks like there’s quite a bit
of stored cash here.
- There’s a trumpet over there.
My old trumpet.
Can’t play it.
[blows notes]
- [laughs]
- Plays like a dream,
doesn’t it?
- It’s just going to annoy me
if he keeps on playing that,
so we’ll sell that.
- I expect that’s worth
quite a bit of money.
- Now for some internet research
to find out
if their big sell-off
could cover the cost
of the barn renovation.
- Fridge/freezer,
same as the one we’ve got, 275.
- Oh, we put those--
- There’s one for 100,
one for 150, one for 130.
So 100 quid?
- Okay.
It will be around 2,000,
2,500.
- Well, that’ll do,
wouldn’t it?
- I’m very happy
that it will give us
actually
an extra amount of money.
It will cover the work
that he needs to do.
- Great news.
They can clear their clutter
and raise enough cash
to pay for tools and material
for the barn.
Time to start selling
and put their DIY action plan
into place.
In the pied-de-loire
at our place,
we wanted to maximize
the potential space
offered by our chateau’s
outbuildings, too.
This is actually a big room.
It’s eight meters
by six, seven meters across.
After our wedding,
the old coach house had
been mainly used for storage.
We felt that
with some hard work
and a bit of vision,
it could be transformed
into a bright and airy
new home
for Angel’s parents,
Steve and Jenny.
Jenny loves cooking.
This kitchen will have doors
going in
through the walled garden.
There’s going to be
a mezzanine level up above it.
As part of the conversion,
we wanted access
into the walled garden.
That meant me
and my builder mate Steve
knocking out
a chunk of the back wall.
I think what we’re gonna do
is leave the oak lintel.
Just cutting a hole down,
and the hole we cut down
we can do with impunity.
A supporting lintel
means we can safely knock out
a doorway to the garden.
in the 150 year old stone wall,
so we cleared the clutter.
- Got it?
- And got stuck in.
- Right. Let’s go.
- And then there was light.
- You know, it’s interesting.
It stood for 150 years
rock solid,
and as soon
as you break the seal,
we’re actually
pulling off rocks.
Considering
if we hadn’t touched it,
it would stay
for another 150 years.
Time for Angel to see
the difference
a bit of natural light had made
to what was to be
her mum and dad’s
open plan kitchen.
Hello, darling.
- How have I missed
that big hole?
- Right. There’s
a lot of light there.
- Oh, honey, how lovely.
That’s fantastic.
Well done.
It’s amazing.
It’s going to go even lighter
and bigger and brighter.
Love it.
- It was an old
and underused building,
but after a lengthy
labor of love...
- Grandma first.
- Ladies first.
You’ll like it.
- We were ready
to show Steve and Jenny
the heart of their new home.
[all laugh]
The old coach house
was transformed.
Our hole in the wall
was now French doors
to bring light
into Jenny’s big kitchen
and lead out to a terrace
in the garden,
a space for the whole family
to enjoy.
- This is granddad’s den.
- Thank you, Steve.
- A pleasure.
- Thank you, darlings,
- You’re so welcome.
I think the bar
is officially open, isn’t it?
[laughs]
- 250 miles south
at Chateau du Doux,
Abbie, Clive, and Karen’s
first wedding of the season,
with 70 guests,
is booked for next month.
The pool house
has been smartened up,
but the main attraction
has been empty
since the end of last season
seven months ago.
- It’s unfortunate the swimming
pool isn’t up and running
because it is a huge
selling point for guests.
Everyone loves the pool.
- It’s very important.
- Yeah.
- Last year, they were
helped out of a fix
with a broken pool pump
by Uncle Bob,
a retired telecoms engineer
on a summer holiday visit.
- Do a quick repair.
- Now Uncle Bob’s back
and is being called on
to help fill the pool
from their rain water reservoir
constructed
to serve the chateau.
- Okay.
- You ready?
- Well, it could take
anything between two days
and a week, really.
- Depends how much water’s
in the source.
But you got quite a lot of rain,
so it should be pretty full.
- The chateau
is now on main’s water,
but using that to fill the pool
would cost over 500 pounds,
money they’d rather not spend.
- Okay. Let’s give it a go.
- It may save them
a lot of cash,
but reaching the reservoir top
is a job in itself.
- I always wanted
to do potholing.
[groans]
- Okay, go, Bob.
- Right.
I’ll try and turn it on.
Wait a minute.
Hang on.
- I’m gonna get wet.
That’s coming.
That’s coming.
Bob?
It’s coming a big more now.
- Uncle Bob tries
giving the pipes a good bang.
[tapping]
- A little bit. Yeah.
Maybe not.
- Uncle Bob
wants to see for himself.
- It is a bit more than it was.
- Oh, there’s a little bit more.
- Yeah.
- Not a lot. It should be
coming out like that.
- With a pool requiring
half a million liters of water,
getting it filled
from this trickle
in time for the wedding
next month
could be a challenge.
- That’s definitely going
more than it was.
[tapping]
- Oh, oh, oh, oh.
It’s coming!
Yes! We have water!
- Ugh.
Let hope they have enough time
for the pool filter
and chemical sanitizers
to work their magic.
- It is rusty.
- Not that rusty.
- Let it run for a bit
and it’ll clear.
- How did you do that?
- It was jammed.
All my banging
must have loosened it enough.
Give it an extra little push
and it went.
I didn’t want to force it
and break something off.
I mean, it’s 100 year old.
- If you break it, we would
have been in more trouble.
- You’d be in real trouble
if you break that.
- What the heck is that?
There’s a leech in there
Look at that.
- Got a leech in there.
- Look. There’s another one.
They’re creepy.
- Bug off, leech.
- Unwelcome guests aside,
the rest of the water
is starting to look
a little bit more inviting.
- It’s pretty clear now.
- It’s starting to clear.
- Fingers crossed, they can
get the pool lovely and clean,
ready for the wedding guests
to take a dip next month.
Over 300 miles away
in northern France,
Tim and Margreeth
are ready to address
the mismatch of shelving
in the ground library
at Chateau des Lys,
a room they want to offer
year round for events.
- We really like the idea
of doing special
intimate events here,
like a Shakespeare weekend.
We’re going to do
a flower arranging weekend here.
- When the chateau was built
in the 19th century,
a ground library was often used
as an entertaining space
for the wealthy.
The original shelving
has been joined by
the couple’s flat pack units,
which they have ambitions
to decorate
so they blend
with the rest of the room
without spending too much money.
- Why throw away
perfectly good bookcases
when all you have to do
is use some stuff you’ve got
lying around in the shed
to turn it
into something wonderful?
And that’s
what we’re doing here.
- And then save us the money
on buying a proper
library cupboard.
- Yes, a proper
antique library cupboard,
if you can find one.
- Now to put their plan
into action.
- You have to judge that.
- No. Got it.
- Okay. Good for you?
- Tim creates a skirting board
using reclaimed wood
from a previous project.
- Perfect.
- And now I realize
this is one
that’s very slightly damaged.
There we are.
But I like that.
It’s gonna look antiquey
and looks like
it’s been here forever.
- He then fashions an upright
to cover the gap
between the shelves.
- And already they’re
beginning to look a bit more--
Yeah, a bit rando, really.
They’re sort of
a bit more shadowy.
The last little bit,
and then we’re finished
on this side, I think.
Let’s have a look at that.
Wow.
Even just like this
in that space,
without anything happening
to it, this looks brilliant.
- Tim and Margreeth
have a clear vision.
Now they just need
to create an impression
of aged antique wood.
Back in western France,
three months after sorting out
their clutter in the old barn...
- He was coming
for the shower tray today.
- Tim and Krys’s sale items
have already raised a tidy sum.
- If we had to pay someone
to clear all this junk,
it would cost thousands.
So we’re rolling in money.
We’re making hundreds
by the day.
One man’s rubbish
is another man’s treasure.
- That’ll help cover the costs
of the barn project,
but there’s another
more pressing renovation job
that needs attention.
Access to the chateau
is through a narrow gate
that’s a tight squeeze
for modern vehicles.
They can’t always get
the deliveries they need,
and the adjoining drystone wall
has been damaged
ever since they moved in.
- The plan
is to rebuild this wall
and hopefully change
these old temporary gates
for a nice, bigger,
more solid pair.
Because of the gates we have,
we’re limited
for kind of what size vehicles
can access the property.
- Building drystone walls,
or mur en pierre seche
as they’re called in France,
is an acquired skill.
Tim’s friend Paul,
who’s experience
in stone masonry,
is on hand
to help with the repair.
- I know nothing
about what we’re doing,
which is why I’ve begged Paul
to give me his wisdom.
That’s all I know.
[laughs]
Had to happen eventually,
didn’t it?
- Let’s hope they can put
more stability into the wall.
They need to sort
the fallen stones
into different shapes and sizes.
- That’s a nice shaped stone,
actually.
- This wall is built
from local limestone.
While smaller piece are used
to fill in gaps,
the wall will be topped
with rounded capstones.
- So it’s just a case
of sorting through
and finding which ones
are the decorative top bits.
Yeah, when you see people do it,
it looks simple enough,
but the reality of it
is it’s quite intricate.
- Since the walls
were made years ago,
the lower stones
have been covered in earth
so Tim and Paul
are digging them out.
- The biggest, most solid stones
are always
going to be at the bottom
because they’re
what you want to build off.
So in theory, we should find
some nice solid stuff
that the wall sat on.
That’s a nice round stone there.
I’m amazed at what you find.
That’s like an old shot
from a musket.
Or a lump of concrete
or just a very round stone.
- It’s a round stone.
- I don’t know.
I think I’ve found
a beautiful old
medieval shot.
- I’m happy to side with your
imagination on this one, Tim.
Stones sorted,
time to lay the foundations.
They’re opting
to break with tradition
and add modern cement
into the mix.
- Tie up against that one,
I think.
- And it’s in with the largest,
flattest stones.
- That’s good.
- If we get the cement
onto that,
we’ll use that as our face
for the opposite side, can’t we?
- Now the trick
is to use the smaller stones
to infill and ensure
the face of the wall
is as flat as possible.
- Very good.
- Before topping it all off
with the capstones.
- That’ll be nice for the top.
- That is what I call a wall.
[laughs]
- A wall that has
a way to go yet.
- Well, we’ll be done by
the end of the week, won’t we?
- Uh, yeah.
Of course we will.
Of course we will.
- That’s it for today,
but there’s more stonework
to be laid
before they can turn
their attention to the gate
and get the chateau entrance
ready for deliveries.
Over 300 miles north,
Tim and Margreeth
are partway through
turning their neglected library
into a grand room
for hosting events.
The modern shelving units
have been painted dark brown,
but they’re still a long way
from matching
the original shelving
in the rest of the room.
Margreeth has a technique
to do just that.
- I’m putting faux boison it,
and faux boismeans fake wood,
to make it look like
it’s really lovely old wood.
- First the paint
is put on with a brush.
- So it’s really simple.
Just a thin layer.
Doesn’t have to be even.
- Then add some magic.
- I’ve got this tiny tool
that I ordered online,
and when I got it in,
I thought how is that
ever going to work?
You get the rounded bit.
That’s how you do it.
And you swirl,
and then you move it
up and down a bit.
And it just appears.
Isn’t that amazing?
Fake wood grain
on a new material.
And it just transforms it.
I like it, and I think
when the books are in it,
it’s going to look
as if it’s been here forever.
It’s going to really blend in.
- Tim’s got another
creative trick up his sleeve.
Cutting down an old mirror
from the chateau,
which he’ll combine
with some secondhand frames.
- The frames,
they all came from the market.
They were about
two or three euros each.
Cost us nothing again.
It’s brilliant.
- Tim’s resizing
one of the frames
on it’ll fit on the shelves.
- This is my frame,
my modified frame.
Ah. Yes.
Hey, Margreeth.
- That is really, really nice.
I think it looks great.
- We’ve got a mirror.
- Really, really well done.
- Now that the graining tool
has blended new with old,
they’re ready
to throw some light
on their antique look creation.
- Okay, stand back.
[laughs]
Here we go.
[hums a fanfare]
- Ahh.
- Hey.
- Yay! They work.
Cheers. Mwah.
- I love it. It’s great.
- I just can’t wait
to have our first event here.
- Yeah, me, too, ’cause
it’s going to be brilliant.
It looks so cool, doesn’t it?
- They’ve made good headway
with their up-cycle project,
but there’s furniture to source
and dressing and decorating
to finish
before this library
is ready for its first event.
Near the Dordogne Valley,
Abbie, Clive, and Karen
are due to host
their first chateau wedding
of the season next month.
It’s vital the pool is ready
as it’s one
of the main features.
But they’ve had to pause
filling it
to wait for more rain
to top off the reservoir.
- If there isn’t enough water
in the source,
we would have to use
the main’s water,
which is incredibly expensive.
We don’t want
to be doing that this year.
I don’t think
that’ll be the case
because last week
we had torrential rain.
- With bookings down last year,
every penny counts.
- Do you want to give it a go?
Open the tap and see
if it starts filling up again.
- So fingers crossed
Clive can get the reservoir tap
flowing again.
- Give me a shout
if you see the water.
- Okay.
- Oh. Hello, Mr. Toad.
Just a moment.
Got ribbits down here.
- And Mr. Toad’s
not the only wildlife
populating the tap house.
- There’s an ants’ nest here
as well. How nice.
[blows]
Aah. Quite. All right.
Oh. Ow!
I’m being attacked by ants.
- Several ant bites later,
Clive gets the tap open.
- I can see it. Oh, no.
It’s coming out brown.
It’s all rusty.
- Is it coming out?
- Yes.
It’s making a bit of a mess.
Come and have a look.
- All right. We need to get
the filter on fairly quickly.
- The filter on
and some chlorine in.
At least we’ve got water.
- Yeah at least
there’s plenty of water.
- Fingers crossed the system
will get this cleared up
before the first wedding guests
arrive for a dip.
- It’s running clear now anyway.
That’s good.
- Abbie’s next project
is inspired by a visit
to my Angel.
- This is your bar.
You need to make sure
that the bar looks interesting.
- To show them how
to create character on a budget
using items foraged
from around our chateau.
- Who wants a drink?
[all laugh]
- Abbie’s going to make her bar
with some old wine barrels
she found in a barn.
- They are quite rundown,
aren’t they?
Better than a boring old table
for a bar, isn’t it?
- We’re gonna have to clean
them off with something first.
- A wire brush.
- It’s all part of Abbie’s plan
to start making money
by selling alcohol.
- Previously we let people
bring in their own drinks,
and there’s lots of money
to be made by selling drinks.
I promised it for the wedding,
so fingers crossed
they don’t fall apart
while we’re trying to fix them.
- That actually
looks quite good.
It looks really, like, rundown,
but in a good way?
That’s shabby chic.
Is that the word?
- It looks cleaner.
That’s the word: cleaner.
- Once the barrels are sanded,
it’s back to Abbie’s
least favorite job:
painting.
- Right. I’m going to use
this metal paint,
and there is the varnish
for you.
- And mum’s
been given permission
to join in on this one.
- I sort of envisaged
how I wanted these barrels to be
when I rescued them
from the old barn,
so this is almost
my little project to do.
- That’s looking good, isn’t it?
- Yeah.
- Barrels painted, Abbie
heads to the chateau storerooms
to look at some old oak planks
she has in mind
for the top of her bar.
- Nope, not in there.
- Navigating the stores
of a 36 bedroom chateau
can be easier said than done.
- I’ve checked
all the obvious places.
I really don’t know
what to do now.
Where can they be?
I actually have no idea
where they are.
- Abbie cuts her losses and
comes up with an alternative.
- This is my plan B.
I’m going to have to improvise.
The only problem is
it’s a lot smaller
than I wanted,
but, hey, we’ll make it work.
- With this bar
already promised for a wedding,
let’s hope Abbie can make it
work in time for the big day.
In western France,
work to get Tim and Krys’
chateau entrance
ready to receive deliveries
is going well.
The damaged old stone wall
has been repaired,
the narrow gates
replaced with wider ones.
- We ended up
buying some steel posts,
and then we welded a new
big set of gates onto them.
- Now Krys needs to weatherproof
the new gate
with a coating of paint.
- Here goes.
Painting is more my job, yes.
It’s useful that I do something,
and then Tim does another thing.
’Cause sometimes
when we’ve got different ideas,
we clash.
- One thing that won’t clash
is the metalwork
at their chateau.
They plan to use
the same pale blue color
to coordinate
all the gates on the estate.
- This is a very easy job
for me, and I do enjoy it.
I know some people would say,
ah, it’s so, you know, boring,
like watching paint dry,
but I do actually enjoy
watching paint dry.
So weird.
- Good job, because
with so many nooks and crannies,
gates and railings
can take a surprisingly
long time to finish.
- They’re looking nice.
- It’s gonna need a second coat.
- Oh, wow.
Yeah, they look lovely,
don’t they?
- Paint duties
may not be over for Krys
but the entrance is already
looking more suitable
for deliveries to the chateau.
- It’s sweet with this color.
Really, really sweet.
Very romantic color.
- Yeah, well done.
- Well done to you, too.
- Well done.
Well done us.
- One month later,
the new wider gates are painted
and ready for deliveries,
starting with a load of gravel
to make a vehicle-friendly
driveway.
The lorry gets through the gates
and delivers the 10 ton order
with ease.
- There you go.
We can now get big trucks in
to Chateau Monteil.
- Making this
into a smooth driveway
will be a more hardcore task.
For that,
Tim’s roped in dad Rob
and younger brother Ben
to help out.
- It’s all in
the...organization.
- So, Dad, I need you
to fill that end there.
Put it in the wheelbarrow.
I need you to bring it
to this corner here.
- Tim said he thinks
this will take an hour.
but I think he’s wrong.
I think
it’s going to take three.
- They look like
they’re having a great time.
[laughs]
- After a good bit
of team effort,
not only does the entrance
look smarter,
being able to receive large
deliveries onto the estate
will make future projects
that bit easier.
- It turned out really nice.
I’m very proud of it.
I’m very proud of Tim.
He’s done a really good job.
- It’s another corner
that we’ve cleaned up,
and slowly
we’re kind of clawing back
this abandoned
Sleeping Beauty castle.
We’re getting it bit by bit.
This looks lovely, doesn’t it?
Yeah, I’m really happy.
- Really happy.
Very, very happy.
In northern France,
Tim and Margreeth
have headed
three miles down the road
to their local broconte
to source furniture
for the grand library
they’ve earmarked
for upcoming events.
- Oh, wow.
If that’s for sale...
- That would be a great table
for the library
to go with those golden chairs.
- It’s not
what I was looking for,
but that would actually work
for me.
- Whilst a great place
to find bargains,
it can also be tempting
to buy in bulk.
- 60 euros.
That’s not bad, is it?
- No. A good find.
- It’s not
what I was looking for.
It’s nothing
I would ordinarily buy.
But, I think, you know,
I mean,
to be honest,
let’s just go for it.
One of those?
- Yeah, but that’s a vase.
- This one.
That’s a flower vase.
[speaking French]
- And this haul
comes with an unexpected bonus.
- We’ve got a secret drawer.
- What?
- Oh.
- [laughs]
- Oh, my gosh.
- Oh, wow. Wow.
Look at all this.
- These are all social security
and tax papers
from 1943, 1944.
- Not a find
to fund early retirement,
so it’s back to the chateau
to work on finishing
the planned new events room.
- So if you move
these books out of the way,
it’s going over here, isn’t it?
I think.
Was that your plan as well?
- Tim carries out a repair
to a second hand sofa
they picked up for 30 euros.
That’s about 26 pounds.
- It’s a bit touchy
and it’s a bit damaged,
but it’s actually a really
nice piece of furniture.
I think that someone
has had a go at this before
in a strange little way
and botched it.
So I’m going to hope
that my bodging
is better than
the previous bodger’s bodge.
- Talking of bodging,
Tim gives his handiwork
a good thwack
with a croquet mallet.
- Two millimeters left.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
- That it?
Goes with the room, doesn’t it?
- It does, yeah.
- Just this color.
- I really like the material.
- Yeah, and it’s even got
this shadowy red thing going on.
- Yes.
- Yeah.
- Aging, 60-ish,
it would fit, wouldn’t it?
- Mm-hmm.
- Absolutely.
- I wonder how old it really is.
- 2014?
[both laugh]
- No one need ever know.
Now all that’s required
are some finishing touches.
- About there?
- Perfect.
What do you think
of the curtains?
- I think they’re great. Yep.
Yeah, it’s good, isn’t it?
- Yeah.
- A couple of months ago
one of the largest rooms
in their chateau
was neglected space
with blown plaster work
and a damp, uninviting balcony.
Where mismatched
modern furniture
sat alongside
19th century features.
Now grandeur is restored.
The transformed flatpack units
and brocontefinds
set off the original features
a treat.
The library’s
ready for business,
and they’ve done it all
for 210 euros.
That’s around 180 pounds.
- Still not used to it.
I can’t wait
for other people to see this.
It’s got the wow factor of it,
this one now.
[laughs]
- Next time,
chipping away at renovations...
- When it’s weathered
and it’s popped,
it looks really bad.
- See Krys and Tim’s
big barn project take shape.
- Do they still fit?
- Should still fit.
- The cost of concreting
Chateau du Doux’s marquis floor
could hit the roof.
- Jesus, look at that.
- I hope we don’t have
hot cement all over my roof.
- And Tim and Margreeth
have a smashing time
creating a new potage garden.
[crunch]
- Okay, that’s down.
[laughs]
- Is it smashed?
Is it broken?
I’ve broken all the glass.
- Yeah.
- [laughs]
- Well...
- Hello.
- And our two children,
we’ve lived
in this magnificent chateau
for the past five years.
- Aw, it’s lovely.
- It’s my little corner
of paradise.
- [laughs]
- It’s not just our home.
- Whoo!
[both laugh]
- But our business.
- That’s a proper kiss.
- And with over 1,000
chateaus in France...
- Wow.
- Oh, my God.
Absolutely incredible.
- We’re not the only Brits
buying into
the French fairytale.
- Do you like it?
- I mean, yes.
It is gorgeous.
- We’ll follow
more daring owners...
It looks to be
a massive undertaking.
- And familiar faces...
- Why?
- As they battle
to renovate their homes.
- That is disgusting.
- And we’ll reveal more
about our own chateau life.
- That is lovely.
[laughs]
- There’ll be ups...
- [gasps]
Oh, my God, this is beautiful.
- And downs.
- What are you going to do?
- Well, it’s gonna take all day.
- Yeah, but
there’s no alternative.
- But however hard
the going gets...
- No!
- These plucky Brits...
- Hoo-hoo.
- Get to live the dream
as custodians...
- God bless France.
- Of their very own castle.
Today a poolside paint job...
- Oh, no!
- Sorry.
- Doesn’t go as planned.
- No. Not all over the patio.
- Yes. It’s not gonna
come off, is it?
[blows notes]
- One couple clear the clutter
to raise money
for renovations...
- It’s just gonna annoy me
if he keeps on playing that,
so we’ll sell that.
- A DIY project...
- If I had the money,
I’d get the plasterer.
- To stop a grand library
being left on the shelf.
- When the books are in it,
it’s gonna look as if
it’s been here forever.
It’s gonna really blend in.
- And we’re helping
to bring the outside in.
- Oh, my God.
That is fantastic.
Well done.
- All over France,
Brits are breathing new life
into old buildings,
as they take on
these historic grand estates
as family homes
and businesses.
Sitting high
above the Dordogne Valley
is the magnificent
Chateau Du Doux.
Built at the start
of the twentieth century,
it has 48 rooms,
7 1/2 acres of grounds,
and its own swimming pool.
It’s not the full-time home
of IT consultant Clive
and his wife Karen,
who bought the place
10 years ago
for themselves,
sons Ross and Alex
and daughter Abbie.
- I just love the building.
We all love the location.
I don’t think
we ever have a dull day
living in this chateau.
- There’s always
something to do.
- Yeah, you’re your own boss.
You can do something different
every day.
- Located 65 miles from Limoges,
to pay for bills and repairs
at the huge home,
they offer
luxury wedding packages
where they accommodate
up to 70 guests overnight.
- I’ll show them
what’s in there,
and then I’m headed out
to market.
- It’s an incredible amount
of work for one family,
with no hotel staff to take on.
- We work seven days a week,
and a minimum--
I’m not exaggerating--
12 hours a day.
- 12 hour days at least.
- No, not them as well.
No, no, no.
We’re just doing bubbly.
- And all through it,
general manager Abbie
is trying to grow the business
to 10 weddings a year
to increase profits,
but so far it’s proving tough.
- Unfortunately,
we don’t have as many bookings
as we’d ideally like
to cover our costs.
- It’s important
they grow their reputation
by promo-ing popular features
like the chateau’s pool,
that’s been lying empty
since the end of last season
six months ago.
With their first wedding
of the year fast approaching,
Abbie wants everything just so,
starting with
the weather-worn pool house.
- It annoys me, because every
day I go in and out the gate,
and all you can see is sort of
the gray coming through
where the paint’s chipped off.
It’s a little rundown.
- Pick up our equipment.
- Abbie still
has lots to organize
for the wedding season,
so to speed up the job
of painting the exterior,
she’s called on
big brother Ross.
- Right.
This is gonna be fun.
- As well as doing the job
themselves,
to keep the costs down further,
she’s using cut-price paint
dad Clive’s had lying around
from a previous job.
- Just watch out,
because that liquid can spill.
- I’m gonna need a stick
to stir it.
- I’ll find a stick.
- I’m gonna put it
somewhere flat.
- That’s an easy find.
- When paint ages,
it separates and needs stirring.
Let’s hope Ross’ forest twig
is up to the job.
- Wow.
- This is weird paint.
Very watery.
I absolutely hate painting.
It’s the most boring job ever,
and it just goes on
and on and on.
- The paint’s very thin
because most of the pigment
has settled at the bottom.
- This doesn’t seem very thick.
It needs another mix really.
- Mm. I think it does.
- And I think I’m going
to go put something underneath.
’Cause it’s very watery paint,
and we don’t really want--
- It does make quite a lot
of mess on the ground.
- Ross sources
some possible drip guards.
- That’s tiny. We’re not
gonna catch much with that.
- But Abbie goes
for something bigger.
- Oh, no!
- Hmm-mm-mm.
[sighs]
- Oh.
- [hums a tune]
- Sorry.
- Ross, you’re gonna need
to get the hose,
’cause if it dries,
it’s not coming out.
Ross, you need to hurry up.
- Not the best time
for dad to make an inspection.
- No. Not all over the patio.
- Yes. It’s not
gonna come off, is it?
- You’re gonna have to get
the power washer.
Ross, go and get
the power washer. [sighs]
- We wasted half a bloody thing
of paint, too.
- Oh, my God.
What a disaster.
- I’m gonna go find
another brush
and try and clear it up.
- No good
crying over spilt paint.
Time to pull the started cord
on this cleanup.
Abbie swiftly washes the spill,
but now
it’s heading for the pool.
- No, no, no!
- What?
- You’re flowing away
from where you want it.
- Next time we’ll know
not to put the paint can
underneath the tarpaulin.
I’m never, ever
making that mistake again.
- All right.
I think that’ll do really.
- We all live and learn,
and with tarp
now protecting from spills,
the paint can be put on
where it’s wanted.
- How you getting on there?
- Mum Karen
decides to lend a hand.
- Do you want me
to do a bit with this?
- But Abbie’s
a tough taskmaster.
- Oh, forget it.
You botched it already.
Mum, seriously?
You’ve been there for two
minutes and you messed it up.
- Oh, yes,
you’re absolutely right.
- Yeah, mum, it’s okay.
I’m good here.
- It’s not always easy
working with family,
but lots of brush strokes later,
the paint job is complete.
- Well, we’ve
just about finished it,
which is the good news.
The bad news is
it hasn’t gone as smoothly
as I would have hoped.
Rather frustrating.
- Over 300 miles north
is the splendid 19th century
Chateau des Lys.
With over 50 rooms,
including four gites,
it sits on 15 acres
of wooded grounds.
It’s been home to Essex born
rock musician Tim,
his Dutch wife Margreeth,
a former English teacher,
and their 11 year old son John
for the past six years,
and was a case of love
at first site for the couple.
- It was huge.
The sun was filtering
through the trees,
and we just stopped
in the middle of a path
and we looked at each other,
and we said, wow,
we could own this.
- It’s been more work
than we expected it to be,
but I think
there’s been more rewards
than we expected there to be.
- Located an hour’s drive
from Calais,
last summer they expanded
the chateau business
to include
full wedding packages.
- I know it looks like
a rat infested shed,
but in four month’s time,
it’s going to be wonderful.
- By converting an old shed
and pigsty...
- There’s a century
of chicken poo here.
- Aw, yuck.
- Into a boho gin bar.
- The drinks are amazing.
The people are amazing.
The scenery is amazing.
So what more
could we ask for, really?
- They also tried their hand
at hosting special events
in the off season,
such as good food weekends.
- This is it
for the winter months I think.
Once a month,
two event weekends,
it’s a lot of fun.
- This year, their plan
is to branch out even more.
- It’s definitely going to be
a bigger year than last year
financially and also
in terms of workload.
- We are hoping
to have more bigger events
and more weddings.
- So attention is turned
to one of the largest rooms
in the chateau: the library.
With 540 square feet
of floor space,
this grand room
has bags of potential
for events.
whatever the weather.
- Oh, big, isn’t it?
- But as yet untouched by Tim
and Margreeth’s renovations,
it’s in a sorry state.
- We have a mess up there.
- They need to tackle
mismatched furniture,
a damp and mossy balcony,
as well as flaking paint
on the walls
and original plaster moldings.
So a fair bit to do.
- Right. Let’s go for it,
shall we?
I’m getting
the loose stuff off.
- Tim starts
on the 20 foot high ceiling,
tackling old paint
and blown plaster
damaged by leaks
from a broken window.
- And Margreeth
scrapes plant life
from the balcony.
- Everything’s a bit
green algae and moss.
It really needs a bit of TLC.
- How’s it going with the moss?
- It comes off really easily.
- Great. Well done.
If I had the money,
I’d get the plasterer,
but I can’t afford that,
so I’ve got to do it myself.
- So the balcony is moss free.
- Oh, man,
you can hardly see it.
That’s great.
- Yeah, it’s looking good.
- If I did one more little pass
to make it so it’s--
It very slightly
looks a big dirty,
but that’s because
it’s so thin in certain places.
So it’s great. It’s better than
I thought it was going to be.
Can we tidy up a bit?
- Yeah.
- Mwah.
- We did good.
- Yeah.
- Tim’s made a tidy job
of the plaster
and saved himself the cost
of hiring a professional.
But they still need to decorate
and sort out the shelving
and furnishings
before this room
is ready for events.
Standing proud in the
wooded hills of the Dordogne,
are the turrets and towers
of Chateau Monteil.
The magnificent 20 room home,
with its heated
outdoor swimming pool,
is set in a seven acre estate.
It was bought
for 380,000 pounds six years ago
to become home for Tim, who’d
previously worked as a chef,
and his wife Krys.
who live here with
their two year old son Owen.
- He’s now the complete
focus of our life,
but we’re trying to juggle
business with family,
and it’s just a great adventure.
We love every minute of it.
- Located 93 miles
from Bordeaux,
the couple spent last year
changing their business model
from B&B
to full chateau rental
to free up
more family time together.
- Good boy.
- Owen, look.
- Fabulous.
- And with little advice
from Angel and I...
- You’re doing
everything in your life
for your family,
but just enjoy it.
- You’re gonna have
six people here
who have all paid a wedge
to support you.
They launched their first
good food weekend...
- That’s dirty, Owen.
- Which proved to be a success.
- It’s given us
a lot of time as a family.
I’ve got lots of attention
to give to my son.
- It’s been
so much easier for us.
- Now they have
a bit more spare time,
the couple have set their sights
on tackling the next part
of the chateau renovation.
- A beautiful old stone barn.
It’s quite tired,
dated looking,
so it’d be nice to try
and bring that back to life.
- Eventually they’d like
more accommodation,
but first they’re planning
an indoor games room
as well as a storage area
for their guests.
- I think we can put
table tennis here
and give them
some usable space.
They can keep
their bikes, boots,
all that kind of stuff.
- They’re hoping that by
getting rid of unwanted items,
they can raise money
for renovations.
- We can sell
all this kitchen equipment.
You know, this old fridge--
we don’t use
this fridge/freezer anymore.
The fire, we don’t use that.
- It’s of no use to us.
- It’s of no use to us,
but it’s got a bit of value.
Yeah, look. I’ve got
two bathroom radiators.
Towel rails.
And that’s it.
We’ve got five radiators.
And they have not been used,
but we’re not using them.
- Looks like there’s quite a bit
of stored cash here.
- There’s a trumpet over there.
My old trumpet.
Can’t play it.
[blows notes]
- [laughs]
- Plays like a dream,
doesn’t it?
- It’s just going to annoy me
if he keeps on playing that,
so we’ll sell that.
- I expect that’s worth
quite a bit of money.
- Now for some internet research
to find out
if their big sell-off
could cover the cost
of the barn renovation.
- Fridge/freezer,
same as the one we’ve got, 275.
- Oh, we put those--
- There’s one for 100,
one for 150, one for 130.
So 100 quid?
- Okay.
It will be around 2,000,
2,500.
- Well, that’ll do,
wouldn’t it?
- I’m very happy
that it will give us
actually
an extra amount of money.
It will cover the work
that he needs to do.
- Great news.
They can clear their clutter
and raise enough cash
to pay for tools and material
for the barn.
Time to start selling
and put their DIY action plan
into place.
In the pied-de-loire
at our place,
we wanted to maximize
the potential space
offered by our chateau’s
outbuildings, too.
This is actually a big room.
It’s eight meters
by six, seven meters across.
After our wedding,
the old coach house had
been mainly used for storage.
We felt that
with some hard work
and a bit of vision,
it could be transformed
into a bright and airy
new home
for Angel’s parents,
Steve and Jenny.
Jenny loves cooking.
This kitchen will have doors
going in
through the walled garden.
There’s going to be
a mezzanine level up above it.
As part of the conversion,
we wanted access
into the walled garden.
That meant me
and my builder mate Steve
knocking out
a chunk of the back wall.
I think what we’re gonna do
is leave the oak lintel.
Just cutting a hole down,
and the hole we cut down
we can do with impunity.
A supporting lintel
means we can safely knock out
a doorway to the garden.
in the 150 year old stone wall,
so we cleared the clutter.
- Got it?
- And got stuck in.
- Right. Let’s go.
- And then there was light.
- You know, it’s interesting.
It stood for 150 years
rock solid,
and as soon
as you break the seal,
we’re actually
pulling off rocks.
Considering
if we hadn’t touched it,
it would stay
for another 150 years.
Time for Angel to see
the difference
a bit of natural light had made
to what was to be
her mum and dad’s
open plan kitchen.
Hello, darling.
- How have I missed
that big hole?
- Right. There’s
a lot of light there.
- Oh, honey, how lovely.
That’s fantastic.
Well done.
It’s amazing.
It’s going to go even lighter
and bigger and brighter.
Love it.
- It was an old
and underused building,
but after a lengthy
labor of love...
- Grandma first.
- Ladies first.
You’ll like it.
- We were ready
to show Steve and Jenny
the heart of their new home.
[all laugh]
The old coach house
was transformed.
Our hole in the wall
was now French doors
to bring light
into Jenny’s big kitchen
and lead out to a terrace
in the garden,
a space for the whole family
to enjoy.
- This is granddad’s den.
- Thank you, Steve.
- A pleasure.
- Thank you, darlings,
- You’re so welcome.
I think the bar
is officially open, isn’t it?
[laughs]
- 250 miles south
at Chateau du Doux,
Abbie, Clive, and Karen’s
first wedding of the season,
with 70 guests,
is booked for next month.
The pool house
has been smartened up,
but the main attraction
has been empty
since the end of last season
seven months ago.
- It’s unfortunate the swimming
pool isn’t up and running
because it is a huge
selling point for guests.
Everyone loves the pool.
- It’s very important.
- Yeah.
- Last year, they were
helped out of a fix
with a broken pool pump
by Uncle Bob,
a retired telecoms engineer
on a summer holiday visit.
- Do a quick repair.
- Now Uncle Bob’s back
and is being called on
to help fill the pool
from their rain water reservoir
constructed
to serve the chateau.
- Okay.
- You ready?
- Well, it could take
anything between two days
and a week, really.
- Depends how much water’s
in the source.
But you got quite a lot of rain,
so it should be pretty full.
- The chateau
is now on main’s water,
but using that to fill the pool
would cost over 500 pounds,
money they’d rather not spend.
- Okay. Let’s give it a go.
- It may save them
a lot of cash,
but reaching the reservoir top
is a job in itself.
- I always wanted
to do potholing.
[groans]
- Okay, go, Bob.
- Right.
I’ll try and turn it on.
Wait a minute.
Hang on.
- I’m gonna get wet.
That’s coming.
That’s coming.
Bob?
It’s coming a big more now.
- Uncle Bob tries
giving the pipes a good bang.
[tapping]
- A little bit. Yeah.
Maybe not.
- Uncle Bob
wants to see for himself.
- It is a bit more than it was.
- Oh, there’s a little bit more.
- Yeah.
- Not a lot. It should be
coming out like that.
- With a pool requiring
half a million liters of water,
getting it filled
from this trickle
in time for the wedding
next month
could be a challenge.
- That’s definitely going
more than it was.
[tapping]
- Oh, oh, oh, oh.
It’s coming!
Yes! We have water!
- Ugh.
Let hope they have enough time
for the pool filter
and chemical sanitizers
to work their magic.
- It is rusty.
- Not that rusty.
- Let it run for a bit
and it’ll clear.
- How did you do that?
- It was jammed.
All my banging
must have loosened it enough.
Give it an extra little push
and it went.
I didn’t want to force it
and break something off.
I mean, it’s 100 year old.
- If you break it, we would
have been in more trouble.
- You’d be in real trouble
if you break that.
- What the heck is that?
There’s a leech in there
Look at that.
- Got a leech in there.
- Look. There’s another one.
They’re creepy.
- Bug off, leech.
- Unwelcome guests aside,
the rest of the water
is starting to look
a little bit more inviting.
- It’s pretty clear now.
- It’s starting to clear.
- Fingers crossed, they can
get the pool lovely and clean,
ready for the wedding guests
to take a dip next month.
Over 300 miles away
in northern France,
Tim and Margreeth
are ready to address
the mismatch of shelving
in the ground library
at Chateau des Lys,
a room they want to offer
year round for events.
- We really like the idea
of doing special
intimate events here,
like a Shakespeare weekend.
We’re going to do
a flower arranging weekend here.
- When the chateau was built
in the 19th century,
a ground library was often used
as an entertaining space
for the wealthy.
The original shelving
has been joined by
the couple’s flat pack units,
which they have ambitions
to decorate
so they blend
with the rest of the room
without spending too much money.
- Why throw away
perfectly good bookcases
when all you have to do
is use some stuff you’ve got
lying around in the shed
to turn it
into something wonderful?
And that’s
what we’re doing here.
- And then save us the money
on buying a proper
library cupboard.
- Yes, a proper
antique library cupboard,
if you can find one.
- Now to put their plan
into action.
- You have to judge that.
- No. Got it.
- Okay. Good for you?
- Tim creates a skirting board
using reclaimed wood
from a previous project.
- Perfect.
- And now I realize
this is one
that’s very slightly damaged.
There we are.
But I like that.
It’s gonna look antiquey
and looks like
it’s been here forever.
- He then fashions an upright
to cover the gap
between the shelves.
- And already they’re
beginning to look a bit more--
Yeah, a bit rando, really.
They’re sort of
a bit more shadowy.
The last little bit,
and then we’re finished
on this side, I think.
Let’s have a look at that.
Wow.
Even just like this
in that space,
without anything happening
to it, this looks brilliant.
- Tim and Margreeth
have a clear vision.
Now they just need
to create an impression
of aged antique wood.
Back in western France,
three months after sorting out
their clutter in the old barn...
- He was coming
for the shower tray today.
- Tim and Krys’s sale items
have already raised a tidy sum.
- If we had to pay someone
to clear all this junk,
it would cost thousands.
So we’re rolling in money.
We’re making hundreds
by the day.
One man’s rubbish
is another man’s treasure.
- That’ll help cover the costs
of the barn project,
but there’s another
more pressing renovation job
that needs attention.
Access to the chateau
is through a narrow gate
that’s a tight squeeze
for modern vehicles.
They can’t always get
the deliveries they need,
and the adjoining drystone wall
has been damaged
ever since they moved in.
- The plan
is to rebuild this wall
and hopefully change
these old temporary gates
for a nice, bigger,
more solid pair.
Because of the gates we have,
we’re limited
for kind of what size vehicles
can access the property.
- Building drystone walls,
or mur en pierre seche
as they’re called in France,
is an acquired skill.
Tim’s friend Paul,
who’s experience
in stone masonry,
is on hand
to help with the repair.
- I know nothing
about what we’re doing,
which is why I’ve begged Paul
to give me his wisdom.
That’s all I know.
[laughs]
Had to happen eventually,
didn’t it?
- Let’s hope they can put
more stability into the wall.
They need to sort
the fallen stones
into different shapes and sizes.
- That’s a nice shaped stone,
actually.
- This wall is built
from local limestone.
While smaller piece are used
to fill in gaps,
the wall will be topped
with rounded capstones.
- So it’s just a case
of sorting through
and finding which ones
are the decorative top bits.
Yeah, when you see people do it,
it looks simple enough,
but the reality of it
is it’s quite intricate.
- Since the walls
were made years ago,
the lower stones
have been covered in earth
so Tim and Paul
are digging them out.
- The biggest, most solid stones
are always
going to be at the bottom
because they’re
what you want to build off.
So in theory, we should find
some nice solid stuff
that the wall sat on.
That’s a nice round stone there.
I’m amazed at what you find.
That’s like an old shot
from a musket.
Or a lump of concrete
or just a very round stone.
- It’s a round stone.
- I don’t know.
I think I’ve found
a beautiful old
medieval shot.
- I’m happy to side with your
imagination on this one, Tim.
Stones sorted,
time to lay the foundations.
They’re opting
to break with tradition
and add modern cement
into the mix.
- Tie up against that one,
I think.
- And it’s in with the largest,
flattest stones.
- That’s good.
- If we get the cement
onto that,
we’ll use that as our face
for the opposite side, can’t we?
- Now the trick
is to use the smaller stones
to infill and ensure
the face of the wall
is as flat as possible.
- Very good.
- Before topping it all off
with the capstones.
- That’ll be nice for the top.
- That is what I call a wall.
[laughs]
- A wall that has
a way to go yet.
- Well, we’ll be done by
the end of the week, won’t we?
- Uh, yeah.
Of course we will.
Of course we will.
- That’s it for today,
but there’s more stonework
to be laid
before they can turn
their attention to the gate
and get the chateau entrance
ready for deliveries.
Over 300 miles north,
Tim and Margreeth
are partway through
turning their neglected library
into a grand room
for hosting events.
The modern shelving units
have been painted dark brown,
but they’re still a long way
from matching
the original shelving
in the rest of the room.
Margreeth has a technique
to do just that.
- I’m putting faux boison it,
and faux boismeans fake wood,
to make it look like
it’s really lovely old wood.
- First the paint
is put on with a brush.
- So it’s really simple.
Just a thin layer.
Doesn’t have to be even.
- Then add some magic.
- I’ve got this tiny tool
that I ordered online,
and when I got it in,
I thought how is that
ever going to work?
You get the rounded bit.
That’s how you do it.
And you swirl,
and then you move it
up and down a bit.
And it just appears.
Isn’t that amazing?
Fake wood grain
on a new material.
And it just transforms it.
I like it, and I think
when the books are in it,
it’s going to look
as if it’s been here forever.
It’s going to really blend in.
- Tim’s got another
creative trick up his sleeve.
Cutting down an old mirror
from the chateau,
which he’ll combine
with some secondhand frames.
- The frames,
they all came from the market.
They were about
two or three euros each.
Cost us nothing again.
It’s brilliant.
- Tim’s resizing
one of the frames
on it’ll fit on the shelves.
- This is my frame,
my modified frame.
Ah. Yes.
Hey, Margreeth.
- That is really, really nice.
I think it looks great.
- We’ve got a mirror.
- Really, really well done.
- Now that the graining tool
has blended new with old,
they’re ready
to throw some light
on their antique look creation.
- Okay, stand back.
[laughs]
Here we go.
[hums a fanfare]
- Ahh.
- Hey.
- Yay! They work.
Cheers. Mwah.
- I love it. It’s great.
- I just can’t wait
to have our first event here.
- Yeah, me, too, ’cause
it’s going to be brilliant.
It looks so cool, doesn’t it?
- They’ve made good headway
with their up-cycle project,
but there’s furniture to source
and dressing and decorating
to finish
before this library
is ready for its first event.
Near the Dordogne Valley,
Abbie, Clive, and Karen
are due to host
their first chateau wedding
of the season next month.
It’s vital the pool is ready
as it’s one
of the main features.
But they’ve had to pause
filling it
to wait for more rain
to top off the reservoir.
- If there isn’t enough water
in the source,
we would have to use
the main’s water,
which is incredibly expensive.
We don’t want
to be doing that this year.
I don’t think
that’ll be the case
because last week
we had torrential rain.
- With bookings down last year,
every penny counts.
- Do you want to give it a go?
Open the tap and see
if it starts filling up again.
- So fingers crossed
Clive can get the reservoir tap
flowing again.
- Give me a shout
if you see the water.
- Okay.
- Oh. Hello, Mr. Toad.
Just a moment.
Got ribbits down here.
- And Mr. Toad’s
not the only wildlife
populating the tap house.
- There’s an ants’ nest here
as well. How nice.
[blows]
Aah. Quite. All right.
Oh. Ow!
I’m being attacked by ants.
- Several ant bites later,
Clive gets the tap open.
- I can see it. Oh, no.
It’s coming out brown.
It’s all rusty.
- Is it coming out?
- Yes.
It’s making a bit of a mess.
Come and have a look.
- All right. We need to get
the filter on fairly quickly.
- The filter on
and some chlorine in.
At least we’ve got water.
- Yeah at least
there’s plenty of water.
- Fingers crossed the system
will get this cleared up
before the first wedding guests
arrive for a dip.
- It’s running clear now anyway.
That’s good.
- Abbie’s next project
is inspired by a visit
to my Angel.
- This is your bar.
You need to make sure
that the bar looks interesting.
- To show them how
to create character on a budget
using items foraged
from around our chateau.
- Who wants a drink?
[all laugh]
- Abbie’s going to make her bar
with some old wine barrels
she found in a barn.
- They are quite rundown,
aren’t they?
Better than a boring old table
for a bar, isn’t it?
- We’re gonna have to clean
them off with something first.
- A wire brush.
- It’s all part of Abbie’s plan
to start making money
by selling alcohol.
- Previously we let people
bring in their own drinks,
and there’s lots of money
to be made by selling drinks.
I promised it for the wedding,
so fingers crossed
they don’t fall apart
while we’re trying to fix them.
- That actually
looks quite good.
It looks really, like, rundown,
but in a good way?
That’s shabby chic.
Is that the word?
- It looks cleaner.
That’s the word: cleaner.
- Once the barrels are sanded,
it’s back to Abbie’s
least favorite job:
painting.
- Right. I’m going to use
this metal paint,
and there is the varnish
for you.
- And mum’s
been given permission
to join in on this one.
- I sort of envisaged
how I wanted these barrels to be
when I rescued them
from the old barn,
so this is almost
my little project to do.
- That’s looking good, isn’t it?
- Yeah.
- Barrels painted, Abbie
heads to the chateau storerooms
to look at some old oak planks
she has in mind
for the top of her bar.
- Nope, not in there.
- Navigating the stores
of a 36 bedroom chateau
can be easier said than done.
- I’ve checked
all the obvious places.
I really don’t know
what to do now.
Where can they be?
I actually have no idea
where they are.
- Abbie cuts her losses and
comes up with an alternative.
- This is my plan B.
I’m going to have to improvise.
The only problem is
it’s a lot smaller
than I wanted,
but, hey, we’ll make it work.
- With this bar
already promised for a wedding,
let’s hope Abbie can make it
work in time for the big day.
In western France,
work to get Tim and Krys’
chateau entrance
ready to receive deliveries
is going well.
The damaged old stone wall
has been repaired,
the narrow gates
replaced with wider ones.
- We ended up
buying some steel posts,
and then we welded a new
big set of gates onto them.
- Now Krys needs to weatherproof
the new gate
with a coating of paint.
- Here goes.
Painting is more my job, yes.
It’s useful that I do something,
and then Tim does another thing.
’Cause sometimes
when we’ve got different ideas,
we clash.
- One thing that won’t clash
is the metalwork
at their chateau.
They plan to use
the same pale blue color
to coordinate
all the gates on the estate.
- This is a very easy job
for me, and I do enjoy it.
I know some people would say,
ah, it’s so, you know, boring,
like watching paint dry,
but I do actually enjoy
watching paint dry.
So weird.
- Good job, because
with so many nooks and crannies,
gates and railings
can take a surprisingly
long time to finish.
- They’re looking nice.
- It’s gonna need a second coat.
- Oh, wow.
Yeah, they look lovely,
don’t they?
- Paint duties
may not be over for Krys
but the entrance is already
looking more suitable
for deliveries to the chateau.
- It’s sweet with this color.
Really, really sweet.
Very romantic color.
- Yeah, well done.
- Well done to you, too.
- Well done.
Well done us.
- One month later,
the new wider gates are painted
and ready for deliveries,
starting with a load of gravel
to make a vehicle-friendly
driveway.
The lorry gets through the gates
and delivers the 10 ton order
with ease.
- There you go.
We can now get big trucks in
to Chateau Monteil.
- Making this
into a smooth driveway
will be a more hardcore task.
For that,
Tim’s roped in dad Rob
and younger brother Ben
to help out.
- It’s all in
the...organization.
- So, Dad, I need you
to fill that end there.
Put it in the wheelbarrow.
I need you to bring it
to this corner here.
- Tim said he thinks
this will take an hour.
but I think he’s wrong.
I think
it’s going to take three.
- They look like
they’re having a great time.
[laughs]
- After a good bit
of team effort,
not only does the entrance
look smarter,
being able to receive large
deliveries onto the estate
will make future projects
that bit easier.
- It turned out really nice.
I’m very proud of it.
I’m very proud of Tim.
He’s done a really good job.
- It’s another corner
that we’ve cleaned up,
and slowly
we’re kind of clawing back
this abandoned
Sleeping Beauty castle.
We’re getting it bit by bit.
This looks lovely, doesn’t it?
Yeah, I’m really happy.
- Really happy.
Very, very happy.
In northern France,
Tim and Margreeth
have headed
three miles down the road
to their local broconte
to source furniture
for the grand library
they’ve earmarked
for upcoming events.
- Oh, wow.
If that’s for sale...
- That would be a great table
for the library
to go with those golden chairs.
- It’s not
what I was looking for,
but that would actually work
for me.
- Whilst a great place
to find bargains,
it can also be tempting
to buy in bulk.
- 60 euros.
That’s not bad, is it?
- No. A good find.
- It’s not
what I was looking for.
It’s nothing
I would ordinarily buy.
But, I think, you know,
I mean,
to be honest,
let’s just go for it.
One of those?
- Yeah, but that’s a vase.
- This one.
That’s a flower vase.
[speaking French]
- And this haul
comes with an unexpected bonus.
- We’ve got a secret drawer.
- What?
- Oh.
- [laughs]
- Oh, my gosh.
- Oh, wow. Wow.
Look at all this.
- These are all social security
and tax papers
from 1943, 1944.
- Not a find
to fund early retirement,
so it’s back to the chateau
to work on finishing
the planned new events room.
- So if you move
these books out of the way,
it’s going over here, isn’t it?
I think.
Was that your plan as well?
- Tim carries out a repair
to a second hand sofa
they picked up for 30 euros.
That’s about 26 pounds.
- It’s a bit touchy
and it’s a bit damaged,
but it’s actually a really
nice piece of furniture.
I think that someone
has had a go at this before
in a strange little way
and botched it.
So I’m going to hope
that my bodging
is better than
the previous bodger’s bodge.
- Talking of bodging,
Tim gives his handiwork
a good thwack
with a croquet mallet.
- Two millimeters left.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
- That it?
Goes with the room, doesn’t it?
- It does, yeah.
- Just this color.
- I really like the material.
- Yeah, and it’s even got
this shadowy red thing going on.
- Yes.
- Yeah.
- Aging, 60-ish,
it would fit, wouldn’t it?
- Mm-hmm.
- Absolutely.
- I wonder how old it really is.
- 2014?
[both laugh]
- No one need ever know.
Now all that’s required
are some finishing touches.
- About there?
- Perfect.
What do you think
of the curtains?
- I think they’re great. Yep.
Yeah, it’s good, isn’t it?
- Yeah.
- A couple of months ago
one of the largest rooms
in their chateau
was neglected space
with blown plaster work
and a damp, uninviting balcony.
Where mismatched
modern furniture
sat alongside
19th century features.
Now grandeur is restored.
The transformed flatpack units
and brocontefinds
set off the original features
a treat.
The library’s
ready for business,
and they’ve done it all
for 210 euros.
That’s around 180 pounds.
- Still not used to it.
I can’t wait
for other people to see this.
It’s got the wow factor of it,
this one now.
[laughs]
- Next time,
chipping away at renovations...
- When it’s weathered
and it’s popped,
it looks really bad.
- See Krys and Tim’s
big barn project take shape.
- Do they still fit?
- Should still fit.
- The cost of concreting
Chateau du Doux’s marquis floor
could hit the roof.
- Jesus, look at that.
- I hope we don’t have
hot cement all over my roof.
- And Tim and Margreeth
have a smashing time
creating a new potage garden.
[crunch]
- Okay, that’s down.
[laughs]
- Is it smashed?
Is it broken?
I’ve broken all the glass.
- Yeah.
- [laughs]
- Well...