Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00France is home to thousands of chateaux,
00:05with many left derelict and unloved.
00:08We're not standing in the swimming pool area.
00:10Some courageous individuals.
00:13Oh, my word.
00:15Are reviving these old buildings.
00:18All this is going to go boom.
00:20And bringing them back to life.
00:23It's just unbelievable.
00:25It isn't always a smooth ride.
00:28What if I fall through, Phil?
00:30When restoring historic castles.
00:33I think we just realized there's no easy way to strip wood.
00:36Into fairytale homes.
00:38It's like surgery, isn't it?
00:40And thriving businesses.
00:42Our first wedding is in a week's time.
00:45And I'm going, ah.
00:48But those who have the ambition and drive.
00:51To see the final results, it's worth every second.
00:54Often get to enjoy the rewards.
00:57Oh, it looks amazing in here.
00:58Oh, wow.
00:59As they get to live out their dreams.
01:02I could never have imagined chateau life would be this much fun.
01:06Oh, my God.
01:07As keepers.
01:09Well done.
01:10Of their very own French palace.
01:15Today, one chateau owner is left to his own devices on a kitchen renovation.
01:22It's always daunting.
01:23You know, am I qualified?
01:24Well, I'm definitely not qualified to do this.
01:26One couple.
01:28I don't think we'd better do too much to this stage, Ben.
01:31Undertake a risky restoration.
01:34One false move and it could all go.
01:37And in the Lott Valley, the stakes have never been higher.
01:41It is a major portion of the house and a major disaster zone.
01:46In the popular Dordogne region of southwest France stands the historic 14th century Chateau
02:01des Vieilles Vignes.
02:05This sleeping beauty has 35 rooms, crumbling outbuildings, and a tower.
02:15Wellness company owners Nick and Nicole are determined to bring it back to life.
02:20We're looking to create this beautiful haven for ourselves where we are picking out the beauty
02:27of the chateau itself.
02:30We've got some just beautiful spaces that just give us that kind of grand feeling.
02:35But also a cosy feeling at the same time, which I'm really looking forward to.
02:39It's still going to feel like a home, and I think that was very important to us.
02:42We're raising a family here.
02:44We want it to feel like ours, and it really does.
02:48It's coming along beautifully.
02:53Located 20 minutes south of Bergerac, the couple bought the chateau in 2021 for £195,000.
03:02They currently live with their son Noah in an apartment they renovated from ruin, and recently
03:12began a massive renovation on the first floor.
03:16Once we come to the end of this project, I will never want to do this again ever in my life.
03:21To create their dream home.
03:24Worst case, we strip it out and start again.
03:27Oh, exactly.
03:29But with four large rooms to complete, these DIY novices have had their work cut out.
03:36It's always a bigger job than you think, and you always, always need more materials.
03:41They're aiming to move in for Noah's first birthday in just four weeks' time.
03:48The plan for the day is to hopefully get the tiling done in the kitchen.
03:53We're really keen to get the kitchen in.
03:55We can't do that, of course, until the floor's down.
03:57Thankfully, Paul has made a great start, so we've got our builder mate Paul helping out.
04:02I have never tiled a floor before.
04:07It's not just about putting the shapes down, it is a pattern.
04:10The travertine is basically in four different sizes, so I'm hoping that Nick will be okay with it.
04:17Okay, so we've got one big tile going under here then, Isabel, right?
04:19Yeah.
04:20Yeah, so a little one there, a big tile there.
04:21Yeah.
04:22Woohoo!
04:23Got this.
04:24Phew.
04:25Basically, like you would butter bread on the back side.
04:28Yeah.
04:29Don't worry about making a mess.
04:32Voilà .
04:33Perfect.
04:34First tile.
04:35I mean, I'm starting with a baby one, so I think this is probably the most apt one to start with.
04:39But, yeah, I'm interested to see how this goes down.
04:42The other thing that is important is, normally, when you're tiling, you'd have a nice little rubber mallet.
04:46Yeah, I was thinking that you'd have that.
04:48But the trouble is, you tap these with a rubber mallet.
04:50They break.
04:51And they will break.
04:52Really?
04:53Just tap it.
04:54Tap it with your hands.
04:55If you keep your fingers to the side where you haven't got tile.
04:59Here?
05:00Yeah, that's it.
05:01Like so?
05:02That's perfect.
05:03Just gently press it down.
05:06That looks pretty level.
05:07That's good.
05:08Yeah, that looks good to me.
05:12Perfect.
05:13You're looking to be very, very gentle with it.
05:16I mean, I'm not going to get ahead of myself, but, you know, this first few have gone okay.
05:20A couple of adjustments and Paul's help with those, but, yeah, no, I feel, I feel relatively confident.
05:27I'm going to go and see what Papa's done.
05:28Nicole's keen to inspect the new floor.
05:29Let's go and see.
05:30Wow.
05:31My God.
05:32What do you think?
05:33You've done so much.
05:34You've made some really good progress.
05:35This looks amazing.
05:36This is giving me really, really high hopes that we could actually potentially pull this
05:42off for his birthday.
05:43Yeah, maybe.
05:44Just maybe.
05:45Yeah.
05:46So I think that you've done enough for one day, gents.
05:48Would you like some wine?
05:49Yes.
05:50Yes.
05:51Yes.
05:52Yes.
05:53Yes.
05:54Yes.
05:55Yes.
05:56Yes.
05:57Yes.
05:58Yes.
05:59Yes.
06:00Yes.
06:01Yes.
06:02Amazing.
06:03Yes.
06:04Yes.
06:05Yes.
06:06Yes.
06:07Yes.
06:08Yes.
06:09Yes.
06:10Yes.
06:11Yes.
06:12It's a big step forward, but with the kitchen arriving any day and decorating to do first,
06:19this busy couple have a long week ahead.
06:30Rising over the Lotte Valley in south-west France
06:33is the magnificent Chateau de Cadreze.
06:38Boasting 17 bedrooms
06:40and four fairy-tale turrets,
06:46it's the home of Paul, a builder, and designer Debbie,
06:52who bought it in 2021.
06:56What's lovely about the Chateau is when you go out for a run
06:59or if you take the horses out, you look back and you think,
07:02oh, wow, we own that, that's really beautiful.
07:07And that, you just cannot put a price on.
07:14The Chateau is located halfway between Toulouse and Bordeaux.
07:20In the couple's expert hands,
07:23it has undergone a breathtaking transformation.
07:26They've recently launched it as a wedding and events business
07:32and need to finish renovating their four-storey tower stairwell
07:37before the season starts.
07:40It is a major portion of the house
07:44and, at the moment, a major disaster zone.
07:49With the help of a temporary platform,
07:52Paul has already insulated the roof.
07:55I'll sleep all right now and there's insulation up there.
07:58We're not letting any more cold air in.
08:00And plastered the ceiling.
08:03Being a Chateau owner and being a perfectionist,
08:06do not go hand in hand.
08:12Once designated for servants,
08:15today the stairwell is going up in the world
08:18with its first chandelier.
08:21It's going to come down, hopefully, to about here.
08:25So it spreads its light all through the stairwell.
08:29But the stairwell ceiling is 30 feet from the ground.
08:34It's not without its risks,
08:37because I don't like heights.
08:38That'll be about it, I think.
08:48I don't want it to go any lower.
08:50Righty-tighty.
08:53Not lefty-loosey.
08:55That sounds like it might fall off.
08:57Oh, right, OK.
08:58We're going to lower it down.
08:59We're going to lower it down.
09:00Into position.
09:05That's it, darling.
09:06Marvellous.
09:08The light will come into its own
09:10once it's got all its crystals on it.
09:12It looks a bit drab and creepy at the minute.
09:17In traditional electrician's mode,
09:20I'm throwing all my spoils on the floor,
09:23and I won't be clearing them up.
09:25I'm going to tighten the shroud up,
09:27and hopefully this part of the operation is done.
09:36So I'm just going to turn it on,
09:38and then I'll start loading it up with its crystals.
09:43That's nice, isn't it?
09:44I like that.
09:45Yeah, it's going to look nice.
09:50As Debbie assembles the chandelier,
09:53Paul makes a start on a mammoth task.
09:59We've got to give the new plaster we're going to do
10:04every chance of sticking to the existing wall.
10:10So what we're doing is using a PVA
10:12to help that process.
10:16In terms of total on the walls,
10:18I would say there's about 100 square metres.
10:21It's probably the biggest project
10:23in terms of just plastering that I've done in my life.
10:32Once you get started,
10:33plastering doesn't take long.
10:36As Paul steams ahead,
10:39Debbie's stuck in a crystal maze.
10:41I can't remember what it looked like
10:43and which crystals go where,
10:45so I think it's a case of sucking it and seeing.
10:48How are you getting on, darling?
10:51Slowly.
10:52Oh, yeah, it is, isn't it?
10:54It's quite tricky.
10:56The chains are right.
10:57Yeah.
10:58But...
10:58The crystals are right.
11:00I don't remember if it was big one, little one,
11:03big one, little one.
11:07By the end of the day,
11:10Debbie's managed to hang around a third of the crystals.
11:14If I've done everything right so far,
11:17I would say I've got about another hour and a half on it.
11:21If I've done it wrong,
11:22then we can quadruple that.
11:25Could be weeks.
11:25We've got an awful lot to do here still,
11:28but it's downhill now.
11:31The tower stairwell may be starting to sparkle,
11:35but with four stories still to decorate,
11:38this couple will be kept busy for weeks to come.
11:45Coming up...
11:47One couple battle to preserve a chateau tradition...
11:50Oh, please, don't fall apart.
11:52Please, please, please.
11:53And Nick and Nicole struggle to keep the plates spinning.
11:57I don't really know what we were thinking.
11:59We were like, oh, yes,
12:00we can renovate a chateau and have a baby at the same time.
12:03Just south of the celebrated Roi Valley
12:13is Chateau La Grande Maison.
12:18It lives up to its name with 45 elegant rooms,
12:24a spectacular ballroom,
12:27and a stunning orangery.
12:31Today, it's home to professional musicians Ben and Billy.
12:37When we saw the chateau, it was just love at first sight,
12:40and the thing that really excited us
12:42was that it had a really soft beauty about it.
12:46We found it quite soulful.
12:47The second we looked at it, that was it.
12:55Located 100 miles south of Le Mans,
12:59Ben and Billy bought the 19th century chateau in 2011.
13:05Since then, they have worked non-stop
13:09to breathe new life into the old building.
13:12Recently, they renovated their hallway.
13:16Oh, my goodness.
13:18I'll certainly feel a sense of achievement
13:20if I can pull this one off.
13:21They take their responsibility
13:23for the 150-year-old building very seriously.
13:29When you look at the history of the chateau,
13:31there's various characters throughout its ownership.
13:33The botanist who built this wing of the chateau,
13:36and if you fast forward 200 years,
13:39we want to be one of those people
13:40that you pick out of the story of the chateau,
13:43Keen to keep the chateau's traditions alive,
13:46today Ben and Billy have an important job to do.
13:50Before it's too late.
13:53When we bought the chateau in 2011,
13:55we inherited this fantastic vinegar barrel
13:57that's been making red-white vinegar
13:58in our pantry for the last 50 years.
14:01Hello!
14:03Oh, that does smell good, though, Ben.
14:07Unfortunately, Ben and Billy
14:09have allowed the wooden barrel to dry out,
14:11with dire consequences.
14:14For a barrel to actually work,
14:15it has to be wet at all times.
14:17As soon as there's no liquid inside,
14:19the wood starts drying,
14:20the rings start moving,
14:22and suddenly you get tiny little cracks in the barrel,
14:24and now the liquid can escape.
14:25It's no longer a barrel, it's a sieve.
14:29Are you ready, Ben?
14:30Yeah, one.
14:31OK, two, three.
14:34This isn't the first time
14:36they've attempted to rescue a wine barrel.
14:45So, they're hoping for better luck this time.
14:49Oh, please don't fall apart.
14:50Please, please, please.
14:52See, when you hope to find treasure
14:54inside the chateau you buy,
14:55this is the kind of thing...
14:56Yeah.
14:57..it really is.
14:58Your own vinegar barrel.
14:59Go slower.
15:00Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry.
15:01I feel like one of the rings is slipping here.
15:04It's not only the barrel they're trying to save,
15:07but also the live vinegar culture inside.
15:11So, Ben has come up with an ingenious solution.
15:16Once we've given it a bit of a clean,
15:18we're then going to cover it in towels
15:19and then completely soak the whole thing.
15:21And at the end of the day tomorrow,
15:23we're going to take them off,
15:24give it one more good soaking,
15:26and then hopefully the wood's expanded just enough
15:28to make it watertight.
15:29Wine tight?
15:30Wine tight.
15:32You have to...
15:33Oh, look.
15:33Oh, yeah.
15:34That's a really good example.
15:35Oh, my gosh.
15:36That hasn't moved, that ring, but it's loose.
15:38That shouldn't be loose.
15:39That should be so tight.
15:40I don't think we'd better do too much at this stage, Ben.
15:43One false move and it could all go.
15:45Yeah.
15:45I'll turn the water on.
15:47This is honestly the kind of mad thing
15:49that you find yourself doing when you've got a chateau.
15:54It can not be too wet.
15:57They're hoping some damp towels
15:59will help the moisture soak into the wood so it expands.
16:03As soon as it's getting the spa treatment,
16:05do you think it needs a massage?
16:06Yeah, yeah, that might help.
16:07Come on, Beryl.
16:08You'll feel much better soon.
16:12Enjoying your holiday?
16:18So we're hoping this will just hold the moisture
16:20next to the barrel for as long as possible.
16:22The logic works, doesn't it?
16:24Just if it works in practical.
16:26Oh, this looks completely sensible, yeah.
16:28I always believe you when you say something's going to work.
16:30I always think, yeah, that makes sense.
16:32Ben believes in it, so it's going to work.
16:34Ben and Billy can only hope their emergency operation
16:46has come in the nick of time.
16:48In the countryside near Bergerac, with their kitchen floor tiles laid,
17:00Nick and Nicole are forging ahead with the rest of the renovation.
17:04We have to continue painting today in what's going to be the kitchen.
17:09So the painting of the walls and the ceiling.
17:12We haven't got any child support today,
17:14so it is going to be a matter of us juggling our time
17:16and trying to get as much done as we can.
17:19So, yeah, we'll just have to take turns.
17:20And I'm trying to get out of painting the ceiling.
17:23No, no, you're so good at it.
17:25Even Noah agrees.
17:26No.
17:27Yeah, no, it's really...
17:27He really doesn't.
17:28He does.
17:28I keep forgetting.
17:31Bye-bye.
17:32See you later.
17:35Bye.
17:36Bye.
17:37Bye.
17:39Suit up.
17:44Ta-da.
17:45I mean, at least we get to look good when we're doing this.
17:50Yeah.
17:51See you, Hudson.
17:51We mix it 50-50 with water for the first coat
17:59so that it really goes well into the plasterboard
18:02and soaks that in.
18:05I look like I know what I'm doing.
18:10Despite her reservations,
18:12Nicole decides to tackle the ceiling first.
18:16God.
18:17Oh, no, it's way too wet.
18:22Oh, God, this is such a mess.
18:27It's supposed to be wet, though, the first coat.
18:31It's very wet.
18:33I take my hand off to any painter
18:34who does this all day long
18:36because their necks must be so painful.
18:39Trust the process.
18:42This is the biggest challenge of a life,
18:44without a doubt.
18:45I don't really know what we were thinking
18:48when we were like, oh, yes,
18:50we can renovate a chateau
18:51and have a baby at the same time.
18:55I mean, what's the big deal?
18:57The couple have a tricky juggling act on their hands,
19:01but they're determined
19:02to create the perfect family home.
19:06This kitchen is going to be,
19:08well, it's going to be my dream kitchen, pretty much.
19:10We're going to try to make it
19:11as sociable a kitchen as possible
19:13because we love hosting people,
19:15we love having people over for dinners.
19:18That's the kind of feel we wanted to create for it,
19:20with a beautiful view of the gardens
19:22and the sun poking in
19:24because it's south-facing.
19:25It's going to be great.
19:28Downstairs, Nick and Noah
19:30have been taking in a very special delivery.
19:33We've just had the remainder
19:43of our kitchen delivery in,
19:45which we already were kind of overwhelmed
19:47by just how many things we've got to build,
19:49but now there's even more.
19:51With about four weeks to go,
19:52it's looking like an uphill struggle.
19:56Upstairs,
19:57Nicole is battling on
19:59with the ceiling's second coat.
20:02I've always wanted tall ceilings.
20:04I think they're incredibly beautiful.
20:07Now, I wish
20:08they were a lot this tall.
20:14And I think it looks pretty pristine,
20:18so I am surprisingly happy.
20:21I'm definitely starting to envisage
20:22what this is going to look like
20:24once the kitchen units start coming in.
20:26It's starting to really look like
20:28the finished article,
20:29which feels like a dream,
20:30and that would never happen, pretty much.
20:32So that's nice.
20:34OK.
20:37Before they can start assembling
20:39the mountain of cabinets,
20:41they need to finish the painting
20:43and grout the floor,
20:46so their kitchen is still
20:48a long way off.
20:52In the Lott Valley,
20:55the deadline is fast approaching
20:57for Paul and Debbie's
20:59enormous tower stairwell
21:00renovation project.
21:03This all needs to be done
21:04within another three weeks
21:06in its entirety
21:07because we have an event coming up,
21:10so it's quite imperative
21:11that this gets finished
21:13as soon as possible,
21:14and I'm putting about
21:15two to three weeks, Gail, on it.
21:17Having finished most of the plastering,
21:20today Paul is creating
21:21a feature wall
21:22with a wallpaper chosen by Debbie.
21:26The problem with
21:27doing wallpaper in a chateau
21:30is that you can get
21:32some incredibly long drops.
21:34I sometimes wish I'd bought
21:35a bungalow at the sea
21:36instead of a 900 square metre chateau.
21:40Right, this is our roll of paper.
21:44A wallpaper paste,
21:45which is pink,
21:47but it's nice
21:48because you can see
21:49where you've pasted.
21:55First one's most difficult.
21:56You can't hang about.
22:06You've got to work
22:08quite rapid.
22:10Right, here's our first lint up.
22:13Our first drop.
22:15Well, we've got an angle
22:16to cut up there
22:17and mark at the bottom,
22:19and I can't do both,
22:20so I shall call on
22:21Debbie to come and help me.
22:23This is wallpapering
22:27on a chateau scale.
22:29Each piece is five metres long
22:31and there are four flights
22:33to cover.
22:35You're ever so close
22:36to the edge there.
22:38Yeah.
22:38We're just cutting it,
22:51lined it up
22:52and cut what we need.
22:58We're very excited
22:59when this bit's finished
23:01because it's been a long time
23:03not finished
23:04and it really lets
23:07the whole place down, really.
23:09Lining it up
23:10keeps the continuity
23:11of the paper going,
23:13so in effect
23:13it looks like one piece.
23:18After an afternoon's work,
23:20they finished
23:21one flight of the wallpaper.
23:24Happy days.
23:25You were dreading the wallpaper,
23:29weren't you?
23:29I was dreading doing it,
23:31yeah, because of the height.
23:32It was a nice wallpaper,
23:34so it was very forgiving,
23:35so that helped
23:36and you've done a nice job.
23:40Yeah, I think the end's
23:41in sight now.
23:42The tower stairwell
23:44renovation is on track,
23:46but with their first event
23:48just weeks away,
23:49they can't afford
23:50to rest on their laurels.
23:52Coming up,
23:58Nick's forced
23:58to trust his luck.
24:00I'm kind of really
24:01just guessing at the moment
24:02and it could be either
24:03fantastically,
24:04flukily right
24:05or it could also
24:06be terribly wrong.
24:07And it's all hands on deck
24:09for Paul and Debbie's
24:10tower renovation.
24:12This one's going to be
24:13a bit awkward,
24:14or they're both
24:14going to be awkward.
24:22Near the Dordogne village
24:25of Saint-Julien-des-Mays,
24:28Nick and Nicole
24:29have been working hard
24:30on their new kitchen.
24:33Having finished laying
24:34the floor tiles,
24:35Nick now faces
24:36a new DIY challenge.
24:39I'm not looking forward
24:40to this next task
24:41of grouting the floors
24:42because I've literally
24:43never done it before.
24:45It's absolutely crucial
24:46to grout these tiles
24:48because it kind of
24:49gives them the stability.
24:50first of all,
24:51it also helps
24:51to kind of seal
24:52between the joints
24:53so that water
24:53doesn't get in there.
24:55After receiving
24:56specialist advice
24:58from his friend Paul,
24:59a builder,
25:00Nick begins work
25:02on the mix.
25:04Instruction from Paul
25:05was literally
25:06stick it in,
25:07add some water,
25:08hope for the best.
25:11Ah!
25:14Faith to say
25:15I need a lot more product
25:17and less water.
25:20Now it's going to be too dry.
25:30The irony.
25:34A meringue mixture almost.
25:39I think I might be happy
25:40with that.
25:41I guess one way
25:42to find out.
25:42I'm just going to go for it.
25:44What could go wrong?
25:45I'm going to start
25:46in a very safe area
25:47which is where
25:48the units are going to go
25:49and hopefully
25:50as I progress
25:51and get a bit more confident
25:52then I can start moving out
25:53into the areas
25:53that we're actually going to see
25:54with the naked eye.
25:55Planning to start badly
25:57and get better
25:57as I get on.
26:01With around
26:0240 square metres
26:03to grout,
26:05he needs to learn fast.
26:09I wonder if it does need
26:11to be a bit wetter
26:12because at the moment
26:13it feels like
26:13it's wanting to just
26:14stick.
26:17Still have no idea
26:17if I'm doing this correctly.
26:19Time will tell.
26:22I'm kind of really
26:23just guessing at the moment
26:24and it could be
26:25either fantastically
26:26flukily right
26:27or it could also
26:28be terribly wrong.
26:29It's always daunting.
26:30You're always like,
26:31oh God,
26:32am I qualified?
26:33Well, I'm definitely
26:33not qualified
26:34to do this.
26:36Well, that actually
26:36doesn't look too bad.
26:37I think it looks okay.
26:39It's hard to say.
26:41But maybe confident enough
26:42to just keep going
26:43a bit further.
26:44While Nick valiantly
26:45presses on,
26:47Nicole and gardener Caleb
26:49are tackling
26:50a more green-fingered job
26:52outside.
26:53What we're planting
26:54are cypress trees.
26:56You find them all
26:56over the French countryside
26:57and I think
26:58they're absolutely lovely.
26:59So we're planting
27:00five of them
27:01along the border.
27:03So yes,
27:03we snuck out
27:04into the garden
27:05instead of doing
27:05tiling.
27:06left Nick
27:07to do that.
27:08I've never had
27:09a garden before
27:10other than the fact
27:11that I grew up
27:12with a garden
27:12but I've never
27:13owned my own garden.
27:15So it's really exciting.
27:16Isn't it exciting?
27:17Yeah.
27:19Okay, so I literally
27:20just did it.
27:21Lift it out.
27:21It should come out.
27:22Don't it?
27:22Okay.
27:25This is a very
27:26special moment.
27:28There we go.
27:29First tree planted.
27:30It's looking very good.
27:37I must say
27:38that my first tree planting
27:40has been an utter success.
27:42Yes, it's transformed
27:44the entire garden.
27:45So I'm looking forward
27:46to seeing them grow.
27:48Back inside,
27:50Nick's got further
27:51with the grout
27:52than expected.
27:53That seems to be
27:55going in
27:56and staying in
27:56which is
27:57a positive thing.
28:00The more I do it,
28:00the happier I get.
28:02But yeah,
28:02it feels okay.
28:04I still would
28:05probably like
28:06to spend maybe
28:07a few hours
28:08with someone
28:09who knows
28:09what they're doing
28:10just to kind of
28:10show me
28:11what I'm doing wrong
28:12but I do feel
28:14like I've made
28:14some progress.
28:16But he's still
28:17got a long night
28:18of grouting ahead
28:19as the couple
28:20want to start
28:21fitting the kitchen
28:22tomorrow.
28:32In the Loire Valley,
28:34while Ben and Billy's
28:35barrel enjoys
28:36a long soak,
28:37the couple
28:38head out
28:38to buy
28:39the other
28:39essential ingredient
28:41required to make.
28:42vinegar.
28:46Today,
28:47we're in the
28:47lovely village
28:48of Luda,
28:49outside our
28:50very, very
28:51favourite wine shop.
28:52But they've got
28:52a very special
28:53thing here,
28:54which is these
28:54big tanks
28:55at the back
28:55of the store.
28:57All the wine
28:57here is good wine,
28:58but obviously
28:59we don't want
28:59to spend heaps
29:00of money
29:00to make vinegar,
29:01so the bulk
29:02buying of wine
29:03is the way
29:04to go.
29:05Bonjour!
29:06Bonjour!
29:08Les vouturants
29:09du vin
29:10rouge
29:11en frac.
29:12D'accord?
29:13In this
29:13wine-producing
29:14region,
29:15wine is
29:16available
29:16en vrac
29:17or in bulk
29:19at a fraction
29:20of the cost.
29:22So much wine,
29:23so little time.
29:26Temple of wine.
29:29Look at this.
29:31Et le prix,
29:32c'est pour un litre?
29:33Oui.
29:341 euro, 65
29:35a litre.
29:37And people
29:37ask why we
29:38live in France.
29:40Would you
29:4010 litres
29:41de chino,
29:42s'il vous plaît?
29:42Oui.
29:43Merci.
29:43Je vous prépare ça.
29:44Super.
29:45Merci.
29:49Merci pour votre
29:50assistance.
29:50Merci.
29:51Et le prix.
29:52Merci.
29:52Merci.
29:52Bonne journée.
29:52Et le prix.
29:53Et le prix.
29:53Au revoir.
29:54Yay.
29:56Success.
29:58Well done, Ben.
29:59Is that heavy?
30:00Yeah.
30:0110 kilograms.
30:01Back home,
30:04it's time to see
30:05if the restoration
30:06of the vinegar
30:07barrel has worked.
30:10All right,
30:10bring that baby in.
30:11Yeah.
30:13You're holding it
30:14like it's an infant.
30:17Ben has regularly
30:18been soaking
30:19the barrel.
30:20They're hoping
30:21the oak
30:22has swollen enough
30:23to make it
30:24watertight
30:25once more.
30:27So,
30:27moment of truth.
30:28And then we'll
30:29risk our
30:30incredibly expensive
30:31wine.
30:32Smell that
30:33there as well.
30:34I think there's
30:35definitely still
30:36a bit of culture
30:37in there.
30:38That is vinegary.
30:42Time to see
30:43if their creative
30:44thinking has
30:45paid off.
30:46Good luck,
30:47barrel.
30:47Yeah, good luck.
30:48I'll stand by
30:49with a mop.
30:51If their barrel
30:52leaks,
30:53it will spell
30:54the end
30:54of a 50-year-old
30:56chateau tradition.
30:59Wine's going in.
31:00Is wine
31:01going to come
31:01back out?
31:04Oh, my goodness.
31:05I think it's
31:06worked, Ben.
31:07The chateau's
31:08red wine
31:09vinegar barrel
31:09has survived.
31:12Excellent.
31:12Fantastic.
31:14So, just got to
31:15wait eight weeks
31:15now for the wine
31:16to turn into
31:17vinegar.
31:19And we can have
31:20lunch.
31:20Yeah.
31:20But Ben and
31:24Billy don't need
31:25to wait for
31:26eight weeks
31:27as Billy
31:28has some
31:28leftover
31:29from a
31:30previous batch.
31:32Charmante's
31:32local melon
31:33season.
31:34Gorgeous.
31:35French ham.
31:36Fantastic.
31:37And, of course,
31:38some homemade
31:39vinegar dressing.
31:41OK.
31:42That's fabulous.
31:43Mm.
31:43It's going to
31:44be absolutely
31:45delicious.
31:50Mm.
31:52Glad you moved
31:52to France?
31:53Glad I moved to
31:54France.
31:55Definitely.
31:55Cheers.
31:56Cheers, honey.
31:57Cheers.
31:57It's gorgeous.
31:58Thanks to their
32:00hard work...
32:01Very good.
32:03..a 50-year-old
32:04tradition is still
32:06alive and well.
32:13200 miles away
32:15at Chateau de Cadrez,
32:17Paul has finished
32:18the wallpaper
32:19and is making a
32:20start on the
32:21stairwell floor.
32:25Just getting that
32:26so that the sides
32:27are even.
32:28And then we'll do
32:29cut left and
32:30right.
32:31We'll try and
32:32keep it square
32:32where we can.
32:34Certainly is a
32:34labour of love
32:35doing that whole
32:36stairs and
32:36landing.
32:38It's a big job.
32:38How places,
32:39really, isn't it?
32:40Well, yes.
32:42Well, the tiles
32:43are certainly
32:43going to make it
32:44look a lot nicer.
32:46They've chosen
32:47marble tiles to
32:49smarten up the
32:50stairwell landings.
32:52There's always
32:53one tile that
32:54is absolutely
32:55so awkward
32:58to cut.
33:03Come on.
33:04Come on.
33:05Come on.
33:05It's worth
33:17spending some time
33:19cutting round
33:19doorways and
33:20architrade.
33:21It just...
33:23Nine out of ten
33:24people will never
33:25see it, but I do.
33:26People often ask me
33:32what the bigger
33:32picture is with
33:33the chateau.
33:35Just enjoying
33:35refurbishing it,
33:37really, at the
33:37moment.
33:38The main obstacles
33:39we have to work
33:39round is the size
33:41of it.
33:41Turrets, round
33:43turrets to put
33:44bathrooms in.
33:45It's just...
33:47at first glance
33:48it's a no-no
33:49because every
33:50finished tile on
33:51the edge is a
33:52cut, but you
33:54just have to work
33:55with it and
33:55overcome it.
33:58So, this is
33:59quite easy, really.
34:03That's it.
34:04Our first five
34:05tiles in place.
34:06The tiling's only
34:09just begun, but
34:11Paul decides to
34:12stop there and
34:13dismantle the
34:14platform he built
34:15at the top of
34:16the tower.
34:18This one's going
34:19to be a bit
34:19awkward, but
34:20they're both
34:20going to be
34:21awkward.
34:23Debbie and
34:24daughter Harriet
34:25are here to
34:26help.
34:28Oh, that's it.
34:29It's out now.
34:30Yeah, but they
34:30get caught on the
34:31joys.
34:32Yeah.
34:33Where are we
34:34going?
34:35Right, I'm
34:35going to hand it
34:36through to you
34:36into the stores.
34:38Oh, just
34:39lifting things
34:41like today.
34:42That's generally
34:43the only
34:44involvement I
34:45have.
34:46Unlike the
34:46pack new
34:47at the
34:48chateau.
34:52To get the
34:53platform down,
34:54they needed to
34:56remove the
34:56chandelier.
34:58I would be
34:58really pleased
34:59to see this
35:00temporary platform
35:00gone because
35:01it'll open it
35:03all up.
35:04this is
35:05that.
35:10There you are.
35:10Frightened you
35:11then, didn't it?
35:18All done.
35:22For the first
35:23time since they
35:24started the
35:25project, the
35:26full expanse of
35:27the stairwell
35:28has been revealed.
35:30Going really
35:31well, isn't it,
35:32at the moment?
35:32I've started the
35:33tiling, platforms
35:35down, can finish
35:36the plastering.
35:37It's so fresh to
35:38see it all like
35:39on its way.
35:41It was quite
35:43depressing, really,
35:44wasn't it?
35:44And plus the fact
35:45we've had some
35:46lovely family time
35:47today, haven't we?
35:48Yeah.
35:49Yeah, that was
35:49nice to do
35:50something as a
35:51family.
35:52Some families
35:53go out for the
35:53day, but we
35:54tend to find
35:56our entertainment
35:57in the chateau.
35:58Oh, yeah.
36:00The tower
36:01stairwell is
36:02finally starting
36:03to shine.
36:04But with the
36:05rest of the
36:06tiling and
36:07more decorating
36:08still to do,
36:09this project
36:10will keep the
36:11family entertained
36:12for a while
36:14yet.
36:14Still to come,
36:21Nicole's realising
36:22the extent of
36:23installing a
36:24chateau-sized
36:25kitchen.
36:26There are over
36:26300 packages
36:27here.
36:28It's slightly
36:28difficult to find
36:30what we're looking
36:31for.
36:31And Paul uses
36:33tricks of the
36:34trade to perfect
36:35the tower floor.
36:36Just leave it
36:37to dry up for a
36:38couple of hours
36:39and then it'll
36:40be good to walk
36:41on.
36:44Amongst the
36:50vineyards of
36:51the dog
36:51dying, Nick
36:52and Nicole have
36:54a busy day
36:55ahead.
36:57We've got
36:58grand plans for
36:59today to get
37:00on with the
37:01kitchen.
37:02Seeing the
37:02units coming
37:03in place, that
37:04will feel really
37:05like we're closing
37:06in on the finish
37:07line, doesn't it?
37:09Yeah, just to add
37:10to our time
37:10pressures, I'm also
37:11going away for
37:12some work this
37:13afternoon, so we're
37:15going to try and
37:15make what progress
37:15we can.
37:17And with no
37:17childcare today,
37:19it's going to be
37:20DIY for three.
37:22Come on,
37:23monsieur.
37:24Come on, you.
37:26Got a kitchen to
37:27build?
37:28Yeah.
37:28Yeah?
37:30I'll grab his
37:30pram.
37:32They've finished
37:33the kitchen floor,
37:34but their deadline
37:35of Noah's first
37:36birthday in just
37:37three weeks is
37:39still a tall
37:40order.
37:41Let's not get
37:42ahead of ourselves.
37:43We still have a
37:44whole kitchen to
37:44build with what
37:45is 350 items.
37:48We built a
37:48kitchen this time
37:49last year, and
37:52that was painful.
37:53But we did get a
37:54lot quicker and a
37:55lot better at it
37:55towards the end.
37:58I think we're
37:59going to just start
38:00on this side just
38:01for ease because
38:02this is a smaller
38:03side.
38:05While Nick
38:05starts on the
38:06wall brackets,
38:07downstairs,
38:10Nicole and
38:11Noah are playing
38:12hide-and-seek
38:13with the flat-packed
38:15kitchen.
38:16We're looking for
38:17something like this,
38:19and this ends with a
38:202-8.
38:210-5-5-2-8.
38:240-5-5-3-3.
38:27No, that's not what we
38:28need.
38:29We are trying to find
38:31the first, the very
38:32first unit to go up
38:33on the wall, but
38:34because there are
38:35over 300 packages
38:36here, it's slightly
38:37difficult to find
38:39what we're looking
38:39for.
38:45Good to start
38:46putting some
38:46units together,
38:49almost, which is
38:50exciting.
38:54I found it.
38:56Oh, amazing.
38:58I know, but it was
38:58just under a massive
38:59stack of super-heavy
39:00things.
39:01But you managed to
39:01get it, so that's
39:03good.
39:05Okay, so these
39:06need to go in.
39:07Yep.
39:08So there, there,
39:10there, you can
39:11have four.
39:13They go on this
39:15side.
39:18I'm going to hammer
39:19it down this
39:20evenly.
39:25And yes, facing
39:26the white side,
39:27perfect.
39:29Yeah, that might
39:29still go in.
39:30We're starting at the
39:32corner.
39:36I'm not really sure.
39:37Yeah, that's on.
39:38That's on.
39:39First one, yeah.
39:41Yeah.
39:43He's not happy about it,
39:43right?
39:43This is actually a
39:45positive step, Noah.
39:47Picky-boo.
39:48OK, done.
39:57Yeah, now they're
40:00completely flush.
40:01That's great.
40:02The trio can get a
40:04small glimpse of how
40:06their new kitchen will
40:07look.
40:08High five, Emily.
40:09High five it.
40:09Yay.
40:11High five.
40:11We're not allowed to
40:11high five yet, are we?
40:12Shall we do a fist bump?
40:16Really pleased.
40:17I mean, to see, you know,
40:18obviously what we've done,
40:20it's all flush, it's all
40:22aligned, it looks really
40:23good.
40:24I mean, it's starting to
40:24take shape.
40:26It's only the beginning
40:27of a big job, but it's
40:29given them a spring in
40:30their step.
40:32We got really back into
40:33the groove of getting
40:33those units together
40:34quite quickly.
40:35Yeah, yeah, yeah, no,
40:35that was very good.
40:36Which actually is a big
40:37confidence boost, given
40:38how many we've got to
40:39make and stuff.
40:40I'm actually feeling
40:41quite optimistic.
40:41Yeah.
40:42I think, look, we've
40:43made some great progress.
40:44Two units in, but rails,
40:46you know, partly up, and
40:47yeah, I think I'm feeling
40:48good.
40:48Yeah.
40:49Progress.
40:50As Nick heads off on a
40:52work trip, the kitchen
40:54and dining room are
40:57still a long way off, and
40:59Noah's birthday is
41:01approaching fast.
41:12At Chateau de Cadrez, ten
41:15weeks from when they
41:16started, Paul and Debbie are
41:18putting the finishing
41:19touches to their four-story
41:22tower stairwell
41:23renovation.
41:24Lovely.
41:29To finish off his
41:31expertly laid tiling, Paul
41:33has a final trick up his
41:35sleeve.
41:38He kind of put this stone
41:40slurry grout over the top
41:42of the stones, which has
41:43really given it a sense of
41:46newness, so it really does look
41:48very, very pretty.
41:49I wouldn't have to tell you
41:50that secret.
41:51Was you not?
41:51No.
41:52I would have had to kill you
41:55if I told you.
41:57Ah, well, so I've let the
41:59care out of the bag now.
42:00Well, I'll try to seek this.
42:02Just leave it to dry up for a couple of
42:06hours, and then it'll be good to
42:08walk on.
42:09This one, I'm not sure if it's this
42:15step or...
42:16No, that's it, yeah, right to the
42:18back.
42:19OK.
42:19All right.
42:20This is make-do-amines in a
42:23chateau, because everything's
42:26awkward.
42:26So I'm acting as part of the
42:29ladder, and Debbie will be doing
42:31the fitting of the curtain.
42:35Designer Debbie is in her
42:38element.
42:41So I've chosen these royal
42:43curtains, one, because they still
42:46allow the light to come through
42:47the window, and I think that the
42:50cushion is kind of quirky, rather
42:53than having a tassel, and it sort
42:56gives it a soft feel about the
42:58place.
42:58So I think it works.
43:03Ten weeks ago, the chateau's
43:05tower stairwell was drab and
43:08gloomy, with a dated tongue-and-groove
43:11ceiling and mismatched paintwork.
43:19Now, the former servant's
43:21stairwell has been transformed.
43:24Paul has re-plastered the old ceiling
43:27and over 100 square meters of wall, and
43:32laid a new marble tile floor.
43:36While Debbie's creative vision for a
43:39bright color scheme and elegant feature
43:41wall has brought a sense of light and
43:45softness to the space.
43:46And with the original wrought-iron balustrades
43:50cleaned up, plus the addition of an opulent
43:53chandelier bringing a touch of glamour, the
43:57transformation is complete.
43:59It was worth the effort, because now it's nice and neat and clean and stylish to walk through to get to wherever you need to get to.
44:09When I look around the chateau, I imagine when it was built was superb, because someone hadn't come along and messed it up.
44:21So I tried to be sympathetic to Mr. LM, who built it, and I'm sure he looks down on me with a smile.
44:31Debbie and Paul have another huge job under their belts, but with guests to host and a chateau to run, there's no shortage of work ahead of them.
44:43Next time, there's family friction.
44:52He's doubting my plan. He doesn't trust my plan.
44:54I think we need to readjust.
44:56A daring decor decision.
44:58I really hope I don't regret doing this, because there's only so much paint that I have.
45:02I'm gonna go for it. There's no turning back.
45:05And for Nick and Nicole, a kitchen crisis.
45:09What doesn't drive you insane makes you stronger, but right now I feel like I'm in a losing battle here.
45:39What does 깎아 do that?
45:49And when I look at the