- 5/9/2025
Chateau DIY Season 10 Episode 27
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00:00All across France lie a bounty of breathtaking chateaux.
00:06Many long forgotten and neglected.
00:08We'll just see what happens.
00:10Crying out for loving restoration.
00:13Great.
00:14Ready?
00:15Oh, God, this one's going to be a pain, isn't it?
00:17Are being given a new lease of life by gutsy new owners.
00:21I don't know what I'm doing, really, but that's OK.
00:24Who are turning them into jaw-dropping homes.
00:27It is a beautiful, elegant room, and I love that.
00:32And in genius event spaces.
00:34Hammer time.
00:36They'll take on a mountain of challenges.
00:39My ears are ringing.
00:40This is going to be an adventure.
00:41Reap great rewards.
00:43Cheers to the fans there.
00:44Cheers.
00:45And share a few blows.
00:47So slightly nervous what is going to come down.
00:50But with heaps of hard graft.
00:52There's only another 189 square meters to do.
00:55Look at that.
00:57It doesn't get any better than that, I don't think.
00:58They'll experience the joy.
01:00Well done, Earth.
01:01As they get to live the dream.
01:03Teamwork makes the dream work.
01:05As custodians of their very own chateau.
01:09Cheers, Carmen.
01:10Cheers, my lord.
01:10Here's to you.
01:16Today.
01:18Here we are.
01:18Quite big.
01:19One family dives into its biggest ever renovation.
01:23Operation Frog is underway.
01:26But first, they need to clear out the locals.
01:29Oh, there's one.
01:32Preparing for his first ever book launch event.
01:35Has this chateau owner cutting corners?
01:39I'm trying to work around the windows, so it's going to be fiddly, very fiddly.
01:45While some instructions get another chateau project spinning in a whirlpool.
01:51This thing comes with a tiny instruction manual that really doesn't explain how those different
01:58bits go together.
01:58Built from the famous golden sandstone of the Lot Valley, Chateau de Césirac proudly stands
02:15in four acres, featuring two wings, ten bedrooms, and even a medieval oubliette for imprisoning
02:26captives.
02:29The chateau was gutted by a fire and deserted for over a decade.
02:35Until Brits John and Carmen bought it for £175,000 in 2022.
02:45In the courtyard, there was trees up to the windows.
02:49You just couldn't see the chateau.
02:50It couldn't breathe.
02:51And now you come down the drive and you can actually see the beauty of it.
02:55To me, every time I come down the drive and see that beauty, it just makes me smile.
03:02Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-west France, the chateau is a two-hour
03:08drive from Bordeaux.
03:11The best thing about chateau life, I think it's like today, when you sit here, you can
03:15hear the birds.
03:16It's a piece.
03:17And where with, you know, the money we haven't got, could you have somewhere like this in
03:23the UK?
03:24It's just impossible.
03:25That's where I want to be.
03:29The last time we saw them, John and Carmen brought a fire-gutted guest bedroom back to
03:39life and ready to be decorated.
03:42This is now the first time this was burnt out.
03:45Yeah.
03:46It's just fantastic to see.
03:49Today, the pair are starting work on a part of the property that's been untouched since
03:55they bought it.
03:57We inherited a pool and the pool is a mess, it sat there for 15 years.
04:02It's more like a pond.
04:03Well, it's actually full of frogs.
04:04It's got green algae in it.
04:05And it's full of frogs.
04:06It's yucky.
04:07And it needs a lot of work.
04:09It's a big job, this one.
04:10We decided we're going to do it ourselves and we know absolutely nothing about pools,
04:14how they run, so it's quite a big job and it's quite a worrying job for me.
04:20An expansive 15 metres, complete with a Romanesque pool house, once finished, the couple are hoping
04:28it will be a major draw for future guests.
04:32I can't wait to get this pool up and running.
04:35Carmen's daughters Camilla and Harriet are being frog-marched over to help rehome the squatters.
04:43And here we are.
04:44It's quite big.
04:45It's like a pond.
04:46I know, it's a bit green, isn't it?
04:47It is a bit green.
04:49Operation Frog is underway.
04:52Oh, there's one!
04:53See it!
04:54Get it!
04:55Get it!
04:56Get it!
04:57Get it!
04:58Where's it going?
04:59Oh, look at this tadpole.
05:00Woo!
05:01We got it!
05:02We got it!
05:03I want a frog.
05:04I want to catch a frog.
05:06There it is.
05:07Can you see it?
05:08Get it!
05:09Get it!
05:10Oh, my God!
05:11It's going to jump out.
05:12He's so cute.
05:13Harry, look!
05:14Look!
05:15Big, fat, green one!
05:16You got him!
05:17Well done.
05:18This one's so frisky!
05:19Oh, Camilla.
05:20Soon, they managed to round up the critters.
05:25Good job, girls.
05:26I think we've got them all now.
05:29Now the fun's over.
05:30Let's do the real work.
05:31The real work.
05:32Oh, this isn't going to be as exciting.
05:33No!
05:34It's been a successful morning, with the frogs to be rehomed in a nearby friend's pond.
05:41One step closer to having our lovely chateau pool up and running.
05:46But with no pool experience between them, they're very much jumping in at the deep end.
06:01The new colic landscape of central France stands the 19th century Chateau de Jolibois.
06:09Its name means pretty woods, in a nod to the 17 acres surrounding it.
06:16It boasts 14 bedrooms, a grand terrace, and spectacular views.
06:26The chateau sat uninhabited for a decade until Brit Ben, his American wife Vanessa, and son Max bought it for £308,000 in 2017.
06:41So he'd been sending me links to all of these places, and I kept saying it's not even remotely in the realms of possibility.
06:50And he, for my birthday, organised a road trip, and we had like maybe five places to see.
06:56This was the first place.
06:58It was love at first sight for me.
07:01It was the potential that the buildings had, and the setting, which you can never change.
07:07But it was very much a question of having to see into the future rather than looking at the present.
07:18Situated an hour north of Limoges, the family are gradually restoring the chateau back to its original splendour.
07:26When we last saw them, the couple completed the jaw-dropping four-year restoration of their ballroom ceiling.
07:39Oh, my goodness.
07:41It's amazing.
07:43They are on a mission to bring the rest of the chateau up to the same dazzling standard.
07:56Over the last two years, they've been converting the old laundry into an indulgent escape.
08:04With plans for a lavish gym, cinema room and spa.
08:14Today, Ben and builder friend Paul can finally bring in some chateau luxury with their biggest flat pack yet.
08:23The sauna.
08:25Can we kind of maybe just get the big panels out and stand...
08:30Fluff it off.
08:31Fluff it off.
08:32They've already built a new room to house it at the back of the laundry.
08:38Now, all they have to do is assemble it.
08:43Shall we take the lid off this one first?
08:45Yeah, OK.
08:46Because it's in the way.
08:47And then we can take it out, can't we?
08:48Right.
08:50Right.
08:51Don't forget it's full of nails.
08:52That's your fingers job, yeah.
08:55This is flat pack on a chateau scale.
08:59This thing comes in four massive wooden boxes with a tiny instruction manual that really doesn't explain how those different bits go together.
09:10Right.
09:11This looks like a frame.
09:13Oh my word.
09:14This is a sliding door.
09:15It's all in one piece?
09:16Yeah, it is.
09:17Right.
09:18What is that?
09:19Well, these are our inlets and they're totally the wrong size.
09:35I know.
09:36I'm an optimistic kind of a person.
09:37I think my confidence levels are...
09:38Depletant.
09:39...are still going down.
09:40Well, you've got to laugh about it.
09:41Otherwise you'd curl up in a corner and cry.
09:42So far, the saunas provided more confusion than relaxation and completing the old laundry feels as far off as ever.
10:01Coming up, this chateau owner is forced to make emergency bridge repairs.
10:14Every other one is a bit spongy and it isn't going to take anyone's weight.
10:18There's already a hole under this one.
10:20While John hosts his very own pool party.
10:24This is exactly what I imagined on my birthday today.
10:34Tucked away in the beautiful Dordogne, near the winding Vézère river, is the delightful 14th century Domaine de la Barde.
10:48With 32 opulent rooms, five luxury geats and gardens bounded by ponds and streams.
11:01Today, its owners are Tim, Chris and their two sons, Owen and Ollie.
11:09It's a very nice feeling that we finally end up with the property that we really, really love.
11:17I do hope that, you know, until our hair turns grey and we take our last breath, this will be our home.
11:24I don't want to move anymore.
11:26You've still got hair.
11:28It's going grey now.
11:30The cheek of it.
11:32Just under 30 miles east of Bergerac, Tim and Chris bought the abandoned hotel in 2020.
11:45This property on paper didn't look very nice.
11:48The photos were really drab.
11:50It was only when you appeared between the branches you could see this kind of incredible opportunity.
11:55And it has been.
11:57Last time we saw them.
12:03Home sweet home.
12:06They finished converting the 90 square metre orangery from a grey and cluttered storage space into a sun filled hall.
12:18Perfect for parties.
12:20Brilliant.
12:21Well done.
12:22Good job.
12:23Very good.
12:24Aww.
12:25Today, Tim and Chris are preparing the Orangery's very first event.
12:33And it's a bit of a thriller.
12:35A friend of ours who lives in the village, Martin, is quite a famous crime writer.
12:40And his new book features us and Domaine de Labarde.
12:45And the bridges are quite prominent in the beginning of the book.
12:50So hopefully when we do his book launch, people will not think they're too shabby.
12:55I will, as usual, be with the kids, but we've got our first guest coming tomorrow.
13:00So I've got an apartment, actually two apartments to prepare.
13:04So I've got lots in my plate that I have to be doing today.
13:09With the agenda sorted, Tim heads off to inspect the first of the soon to be famous bridges.
13:19Well, there's plenty of solid timber in it.
13:21But, you know, every other one is a bit spongy and it isn't going to take anyone's weight.
13:26There's already a hole under this one.
13:29With avid fans of the detective series on their way, Tim needs to ensure the rotting wood won't cause any trouble.
13:47I'm going to put these lengths of timber on top of the old bridge, screw these down.
13:54They'll sit there solid and then the new decking will just float over the top.
13:59I've had to kind of play with the angles a bit to make sure that I've got a straight bridge, but I don't think it would be particularly noticeable.
14:20But that's come together quite well.
14:30I've still got to put some edge in and maybe some bars around the edge so no one falls in.
14:37But for today, I think that's satisfactory progress, as my school report would say.
14:46Hello.
14:47Hello.
14:48So you have done it.
14:50OK, let's try this.
14:54Wow.
14:56It's not wobbly.
14:57That's good.
14:58You've done really well here.
15:00Yep.
15:01Very good, Tim.
15:03It's the end of a decent day's work.
15:08It's solid, safe, clean and tidy, and it'll be good and ready for the book launch, I hope.
15:16But with the launch of the book featuring the bridges coming up and a second bridge yet to be repaired,
15:24Tim and Chris haven't got time for any plot twists.
15:36At Chateau de Jolibois in central France, Ben and friend Paul are wrestling with the biggest flat pack they've ever attempted.
15:47And the instructions are more of a hindrance than a help.
15:51This is the small book of lies that came with it.
15:54It doesn't seem to bear that much relationship to what we've actually got.
16:00So, they decide to wing it.
16:04You ready?
16:05Yes.
16:06There we go.
16:07Et voila.
16:08There we go.
16:09Et voila.
16:10There we go.
16:11There we go.
16:12Et voila.
16:13There's one over.
16:14Yeah.
16:15Right.
16:16That didn't sound good.
16:22Does the door look like it goes behind that?
16:23Or in front of it?
16:24I can't even bloody see it.
16:25You threw the door there.
16:26Good easy bit.
16:27So far, so good.
16:28But we haven't actually done any of the really tricky bits yet.
16:29So far, so good.
16:30But we haven't actually done any of the tricky bits yet.
16:32Okay, we can lift it up.
16:34And then it should just slot in.
16:39And then it should just slot in.
16:40So far, so good.
16:57really tricky bits yet. Okay, we can lift it up. And then it should just slot in. But with a bit
17:03of jiggery-pokery... How are you supposed to do that? Like that. There you go. They managed to get
17:13the structure in place. Vanessa is on the mend from a hip operation and has dropped by to see
17:24if their fancy new feature is ready for guests. It is massive! It is so huge. You guys have done an
17:35amazing job. Was it hard? It went together. There were a few wrinkles with the instructions.
17:43It looks like a sauna. Might not quite function like one right now. But yeah, it's a massive step
17:49forward. With the sauna still to be plumbed in, and the other rooms in the old laundry
17:56looking like a building site, Ben and Vanessa can't offer their guests a touch of luxury just yet.
18:04Over in the Lott Valley. With the frogs removed, John is on to the next phase of their pool
18:18renovation. It's John's birthday. John's been working so hard since we've been here. But
18:25we're going to try and make it as special as we can for him. This is exactly what I imagined
18:30on my birthday to be doing. No, it's, hey, birthday's just another day, isn't it? You
18:35know, one day older.
18:42It's not the party John had in mind. But thankfully, reinforcements have arrived.
18:49Ready for some real work.
18:52Right, spread ourselves out and paint it on.
18:54The lime scale. The lime scale and then right down to the water line, yeah?
18:57Oh, it stinks. Oh, what's that smell?
19:02That is acidic smell. Oh, it's gross.
19:06Abandoned for 15 years, the pool has a thick band of lime scale they need a strong acid to
19:13remove.
19:17These are the challenges you really face when you're buying an abandoned chateau. For us,
19:21it's very much about having to sort of restore and rescue stuff that's really in a pretty poor
19:30state. But it makes you appreciate it more when you've done it. It does. That's for sure.
19:38Just how I'd expect to spend a day in the south of frogs. I'll tell her I'll expect a holiday
19:44next time.
19:47This is teamwork.
19:48It's coming off.
19:49Is it?
19:50Oh, yeah.
19:52While John presses on, Carmen's scheming up a treat.
19:58I'm going to go and relax a bit, John, and make lunch.
20:02This is John's birthday present. Meet Boris the boar. I mean, he's cute. Who wouldn't
20:15like a nice little French boar for their birthday?
20:20Beautiful Boris. The piece to the response.
20:24There we go. That is perfect.
20:31Pretty good, isn't it?
20:35Still a few stubborn bits, but other than that, it's really looking good. I'm really
20:39pleased with it.
20:40Look, it's quite a suction.
20:42Yeah.
20:43Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear John. Happy birthday to
21:03you.
21:04Oh, thank you.
21:05Thank you so much.
21:08Da-da-da-da!
21:09Oh, look at that. A wild boar.
21:11Do you like it?
21:12How cool is he? Thank you so much.
21:15I'd buy you the best presents.
21:16That's something I've always wanted.
21:20After a strong start to a huge project, John can enjoy a brief respite.
21:29Whee!
21:29And they can all toast to their hard work.
21:34I wouldn't necessarily call it a holiday. I thought, brilliant, this is going to be a
21:38horrible experience, but actually, it was quite fun.
21:41Cheers, Emily.
21:42Cheers. Happy birthday, John.
21:44Cheers.
21:45Cheers.
21:46Cheers.
21:50Lovely ending to a great day.
21:52Yeah.
21:53The pool's looking fab, John. I'm really impressed.
21:55I'm really pleased with it. It's looking great.
21:57John and Carmen may be happy with their progress, but they've still got a mountain to climb to
22:06make their opulent pool guest-ready.
22:13Coming up, Ben struggles to do a two-man job solo.
22:18This is a game. Trying to get these on here.
22:22And John's pool house renovation really kicks off.
22:27One, two, three.
22:29In the dark dine, the clock is ticking for Tim and Chris.
22:45Book launch in a couple of weeks. Also, our B&B opens at the same time, so we're definitely
22:49going to need extra accommodation.
22:50I'm partway through renovating the top floor bedrooms, so I'm just trying to add a splash
22:57of colour to the room, just with a bit of subtle wallpapering.
23:01I've got guests that just checked out, so I really need to get in there and clear their
23:06apartments for it to be ready to clean.
23:08With five self-catering Gilles outside, and up to 15 B&B guests staying in the chateau,
23:18the summer season is going to be busy.
23:23So every outstanding job needs to be done and dusted.
23:28My plan is just to paper these reveals on the windows.
23:32I saw it at a friend's house, and I thought it looked actually really nice.
23:37I could put a full piece in there, and it would be in line with that, which isn't the middle,
23:42which is kind of the middle, but it would be slightly over.
23:46With windows, odd angles, and patterned paper, a simple plan soon turns into a conundrum.
23:56It's quite complicated, isn't it?
24:03Yeah, all right.
24:05I'm going to make it up as I go along.
24:07That's what I'm going to do.
24:14In hindsight, I could have got a bigger pot or a smaller brush.
24:19But if I can just get the first one on and the first one right and be confident with it,
24:24after that, it should be fine.
24:28In two weeks, the chateau will host 60 guests for the launch of a new detective novel.
24:37So Tim's decorating to a deadline.
24:40So I've got to the corners now, so I'm trying to work around the windows.
24:55So these are obviously the ones that need a lot more pulling about.
24:59And they're going to be fiddly, very fiddly.
25:03Over in the jeet, Chris is also getting things ready for guests.
25:14I spend a lot of time in the laundry room.
25:17We've got lots of changeovers during the season.
25:21There's a lot of cleaning, a lot of linen washing.
25:25But it's on a massive scale when you live in a chateau.
25:28So, yeah, it's non-stop.
25:31So that's one load in.
25:33A hundred more to go, always.
25:37This is the reality of chateau life.
25:39It's not very romantic.
25:41It's not very glamorous.
25:42But it's definitely a crucial part of it.
25:46At the top of the chateau, Tim's laissez-faire approach has almost worked.
25:52Annoyingly, that bit there, that bit there is the last piece.
25:57I mean, you couldn't make it up, could you?
26:07Seamless.
26:08You'd never know I'd been here.
26:15Hey.
26:16Hey.
26:17You've been very busy, haven't you, Daddy?
26:20I have.
26:20What do you reckon?
26:21I love it.
26:22It looks really nice.
26:23Yeah.
26:24That's a bit of character, doesn't it?
26:27Once again, you've proven yourself.
26:29Yes.
26:30Another task half-mastered.
26:32HE LAUGHS
26:33The guest rooms might be nearing completion,
26:39but with the book launch just around the corner,
26:42it's not a happy ending quite yet.
26:46HE LAUGHS
26:48Over in Limousin, the sauna installed,
26:57Ben and Vanessa have reached the next crucial stage
27:00of the old laundry transformation,
27:03making the building watertight.
27:08Today, Ben's task is to finish upgrading and reinstalling the windows.
27:14All the windows in this building are really old, single-glazed,
27:20so I've been replacing the single-glazing with some double-glazed units
27:24and the windows are very nearly ready to go back in.
27:29For Ben, jobs like this are what owning a chateau is all about.
27:36If your dream is building stuff,
27:38then this is an opportunity to do it on a really, really grand scale.
27:42And there's a little bit of everything involved as well.
27:46I certainly wanted a project that would last me a lifetime,
27:50but I think that's what I've got.
27:54All right, now I just have to nail it in.
27:57So, ready to go.
28:04The main thing you've got to be careful of
28:06is not putting a nail through the glass.
28:08There, it's finished.
28:19Now I've just got to put the hinges in.
28:23This is the last of eight windows Ben needs to install.
28:27This is a game.
28:29Trying to get these on here.
28:31At 20 kilos each,
28:34wrestling them into place
28:36is no small task.
28:44While Ben perseveres,
28:48Vanessa, now recovered from her operation,
28:51is on the hunt for some sauna accessories.
28:56I think it was a tiny little stool.
28:59And I also think I got two kind of bamboo floor mats.
29:03So this is what I always do.
29:04I buy stuff well in advance,
29:05and then I forget what I bought
29:07and where I put it.
29:09Here's one of them, which is lucky.
29:11But when we bought this place,
29:13this was Ben's dream.
29:14It wasn't mine.
29:15I tagged along with Ben's dream
29:17and then it became my dream.
29:18And it's his passion,
29:20his vision and just seeing him
29:23and enjoying it so much
29:25that it's transformed the way I've thought about it.
29:28This is an adventure for us.
29:35Right.
29:36That's only stage one.
29:39Stage two is where they actually shut.
29:40Yeah, I'm very pleased with that.
29:48And to finish it off,
29:50he's made his own window sills.
29:52How are you getting on?
30:03Oh, that was really good.
30:05We're getting there, aren't we?
30:06I know.
30:07I'm very excited.
30:08With the windows in,
30:10the old laundry can finally be declared watertight.
30:15And Ben and Vanessa can move on
30:19to the next stage of plumbing in
30:21their long-awaited sauna.
30:30In the Lot Valley,
30:32with the pool cleaned and drained,
30:35John and Carmen have enlisted
30:37the help of their friend Paul
30:39to give the rest of the pool area
30:41a fresh lick of paint.
30:46But first up,
30:48they need to demolish
30:49the old pool house kitchen.
30:52To get this wall painted,
30:53we need to get this out,
30:54clear up all the mess that's been left here,
30:56and then we can paint.
31:02There we go.
31:07Two hits, done.
31:13Removes the front,
31:15like that.
31:16We could repurpose that.
31:18Carefully.
31:24Is this a thing now?
31:26Yeah.
31:26One, two, three.
31:27With the kitchen removed,
31:39they can now begin
31:40the enormous task
31:42of painting the area
31:44around the pool.
31:47We went with white
31:48because we wanted the Mediterranean look
31:50with the blue tiles
31:51and the white walls,
31:53and then we're going to bring
31:53some green plants in.
31:55White and blue looks great.
31:56White looks stunning, doesn't it?
31:57Yeah.
31:58And the blue sky.
31:59I mean, of course,
31:59we get great blue skies here.
32:01Stir up the broth.
32:02Stir up the pudding.
32:04It's a big job.
32:06It's a big job.
32:06Just doing...
32:07Another big job.
32:08Yeah.
32:10With 190 square metres
32:13of wall to cover,
32:15this is a chateau-sized paint job.
32:18It's like painting a force bridge,
32:26isn't it?
32:29This brings back memories.
32:31I used to be a car painter
32:32in my early life,
32:34spraying cars.
32:35I was in my early 20s
32:36when I started my business,
32:38car painting,
32:39and I've been in the same business
32:40all my life.
32:40There's so many
32:42huge projects to do
32:45in this chateau.
32:47We just have to section them off
32:49and do them one by one.
32:50That's all we can do.
32:51All I've done
32:52getting on for a square metre now,
32:55there's only another
32:56189 square metres to do.
32:59Twice.
33:00It's a painting marathon.
33:14But by the end of the day,
33:16the trio reached the finish line.
33:24I'm glad that's done.
33:26The walls are amazing.
33:28Absolutely terrific.
33:29I think it goes really well
33:30with the red terracotta tiles.
33:32I really like it.
33:32And then we'll get lots of blues
33:34and furniture
33:34and everything in here
33:36look really fantastic.
33:37It's a nice green greenery.
33:39And then all we need
33:39is some water in the pool.
33:40I can't wait.
33:42I know.
33:42I'm tired.
33:44It's been a long day,
33:45hasn't it?
33:46Yep.
33:47Long day.
33:48With the kitchen removed
33:50and pool area painted,
33:53they've made solid progress.
33:55But with the pool to refill
33:57and machinery to get up and running,
34:00they won't be taking a dip
34:02any time soon.
34:08Still to come...
34:10Ooh, red!
34:11Ben and Vanessa's spa ambiance
34:14is under threat.
34:16We can't leave it like this.
34:18It's like a bordello.
34:19We can't.
34:21And Tim and Chris
34:22race to get every last detail right
34:25for their biggest event yet.
34:28I do want everything to be perfect.
34:31Perfect is the goal.
34:32In the limousin,
34:42Ben and Vanessa
34:43are making progress
34:45on the old laundry,
34:47bringing it closer
34:48to becoming a luxurious escape
34:51for themselves
34:52and their guests.
34:55So what have we got to do
34:56in here then?
34:57OK, so the bench has to go in.
34:58We have to put the bucket.
35:00The sort of bucket?
35:00Yeah, that's on a bucket.
35:02And then I bought some, you know,
35:03little things for the shower.
35:05They started the project
35:07over two years ago.
35:09And today,
35:10the end is in sight
35:12for one essential feature.
35:15We've done the hard work
35:16in the sauna
35:17and now we've just got to
35:19do some finishing touches.
35:22This is going to be a space
35:23that's not cluttered, right?
35:25It's going to be very clean,
35:27feel as though
35:27you're walking into a spa.
35:30But their first task
35:32is to figure out
35:33the lighting scheme.
35:35The remote control.
35:37That's the solar remote
35:38and that's the light.
35:40Let's try it.
35:41Ooh!
35:42Ooh, red!
35:43It came on.
35:45We don't want it red.
35:47We can't leave it like this.
35:48We can't leave it on red.
35:48It's like a bordello.
35:49We can't.
35:51Maybe the battery's dead.
35:53Do you want to change
35:54the battery?
35:54Yeah.
35:54We can't leave it red.
35:59That's appalling.
36:02After a quick battery change,
36:04Zen is restored.
36:08And Vanessa can now perfect
36:10the soothing atmosphere.
36:13A little bit of alchemy.
36:15I found that if you mix
36:17eucalyptus
36:17with a little bit of orange oil,
36:19that it smells like a spa.
36:21And it's lovely
36:22and calming already.
36:24This goes in the corner.
36:29Oh, look.
36:30Now that we're there.
36:31Oh, look.
36:31Oh, look.
36:32It's so childish.
36:53Right now,
36:54I feel like
36:54it is exactly
36:55what I needed it to be.
36:56Calm, relaxing.
36:58It smells really nice
36:59in here now,
36:59doesn't it?
37:00It does look great.
37:02And it looks finished now.
37:06For a decade,
37:07the old laundry
37:08was left to decay,
37:10a forgotten outbuilding
37:12riddled with damp
37:14and mould.
37:14after a remarkable transformation.
37:17After a remarkable transformation,
37:22it features a new room
37:25dedicated to pure relaxation.
37:30The luxurious refuge
37:33features a high-tech sauna
37:35and shower room
37:37built by Ben.
37:38and thoughtful details
37:40and thoughtful details
37:42by Vanessa
37:42offer guests
37:44a spa-level
37:46pampering experience.
37:49With sleek tiles,
37:53underfloor heating
37:54and new double-glazed windows,
37:58the rest of the old
38:01laundry building
38:02is on the path
38:04to becoming
38:04the state-of-the-art
38:06gym and cinema room
38:08the couple
38:09have been dreaming of.
38:12Well, today,
38:13we have actually
38:14finished,
38:15I think this is probably
38:16officially our first
38:17ever finished room.
38:19I love it.
38:20I think it's a really cool room.
38:22I think it's going to bring up me
38:24a lot of enjoyment.
38:25I hope that, you know,
38:27people that come here
38:27are going to be able
38:28to enjoy it
38:29and just know
38:30that we've done it
38:30for them, too.
38:33Ben and Vanessa
38:34can finally
38:36check a finished room
38:37off their to-do list.
38:40But with the rest
38:41of the old laundry
38:42to complete
38:43and a whole chateau
38:45in need of renovation,
38:47they won't be able
38:49to relax
38:50in their new spa
38:52for long.
38:55In the Dardogne,
39:02Tim and Chris
39:03are preparing
39:04for the chateau's
39:05biggest event yet,
39:07celebrating the publication
39:09of a book
39:10featuring them
39:11and the chateau.
39:15We're very much
39:15looking forward
39:16to Martin's book launch.
39:18We're going to have
39:18lots of people
39:19looking around,
39:21so this garden
39:21needs to be pristine.
39:23With dozens of locals
39:28visiting the chateau
39:30for the first time,
39:32it's a chance
39:34to showcase
39:35the enormous amount
39:36of work they've done.
39:38We are very proud
39:40of these gardens
39:41and we want them
39:41to be perfect.
39:47That's the lawns mode.
39:48Now I need to do
39:49a bit of strimming,
39:49a bit of hedge trimming.
39:52When Tim and Chris
39:53first found
39:54the abandoned hotel,
39:56it was a ruin
39:57both inside
39:59and out.
40:00Like everything,
40:02these were here
40:02when we got here,
40:03but they were
40:04completely down
40:05to the ground,
40:06ruined.
40:07When we found
40:07the old brochures,
40:08you know,
40:08they were nice
40:09sort of square
40:10clipped things
40:11and that's what
40:11we're trying
40:12to do again.
40:23It's looking okay.
40:24It's looking good.
40:25Topiary, though,
40:33is Chris's
40:34area of expertise.
40:37Hello.
40:38Oh, hi.
40:40Where are my balls?
40:42What have you done
40:43to them?
40:43They were never balls.
40:44But weren't we
40:45training them as balls?
40:46They'd never look
40:47like balls, though.
40:48Yes, they did
40:49look like balls.
40:50Okay, all right.
40:51Well, they are now
40:52this shape.
40:54It's very artistic.
40:55Very creative,
40:56very interesting indeed.
40:58I knew the compliments
40:59would come eventually.
41:02They put their
41:03topiary troubles
41:04to one side,
41:05as they still need
41:07to get everything
41:08ship-shaped.
41:11We are very excited
41:12to show everybody
41:14our gardens,
41:16the chateau.
41:18I do want everything
41:19to be perfect.
41:20Perfect is the goal.
41:25It's time to get changed
41:37and prepare for a book launch
41:39like no other.
41:41So, Martin writes
41:49the Bruno Chief of Police
41:51series,
41:53the Dordogne Mysteries,
41:54as they're also known,
41:55and they're very popular.
41:57All of the books
41:57are loosely based around here,
41:58but today is our turn.
42:01I thought we would be
42:03fleetingly within the pages,
42:05and we crop up fairly regularly,
42:09and it's wonderful.
42:11As well as being
42:12the chateau's largest event,
42:15it's also the first
42:16to be held
42:17in the newly refurbished
42:19orangery.
42:22Although the author,
42:24Martin Walker,
42:25found inspiration
42:26in a different area.
42:29When I first met Tim,
42:31we went over
42:32into the woods there,
42:34and Tim showed me
42:35a rather mysterious grave
42:36on the property,
42:38and being a writer
42:39of crime stories,
42:40I thought,
42:41aha,
42:42a grave,
42:43there's got to be
42:44a story here.
42:45So I thought this would
42:46make an absolutely
42:47terrific yarn.
42:50Soon,
42:51the orangery is filled
42:52with Bruno fans
42:54mingling.
42:55From Domaine de la Bard,
42:58we would like to ask
43:00the Bard of the Brune
43:01to please give us
43:04its flavour.
43:06Thanks very much.
43:10Bruno,
43:11do you know
43:12that old,
43:13disused hotel,
43:15that lovely old building?
43:17A little bit of a ruin now,
43:18Domaine de la Bard.
43:20We have a potential buyer.
43:22Ha, ha, ha!
43:23Who's the buyer?
43:26Oh, it's an Englishman.
43:27In his late 30s,
43:29I think,
43:29with a wife
43:30and a young child,
43:32there is
43:32one problem,
43:35a grave.
43:36It's a success.
43:46All Tim and Chris's
43:48hard work
43:49has paid off.
43:51When I first met
43:53Tim,
43:54he was thinking
43:55about getting this place
43:56and restoring it.
43:57I just feel
43:58very glad
43:59that he's made a go
44:00of this
44:01and such a
44:01splendid restoration
44:03of this wonderful
44:04old ruin.
44:05and just as hoped,
44:08their guests
44:09are delighting
44:10in their manicured gardens.
44:13I'm so impressed.
44:14It's gorgeous here.
44:16It's like
44:16a National Trust property.
44:19Big thumbs up.
44:23I'm really happy
44:24with how it's gone.
44:25You know,
44:25huge turnout.
44:26It went really well.
44:27It was lovely.
44:28It was really,
44:28really,
44:29really,
44:29really,
44:29really nice.
44:30Chateau Dream.
44:31Oh, yeah,
44:32it's Chateau Dream,
44:33yeah.
44:36Today's event
44:37wasn't just
44:38the launch
44:39of a new
44:40detective novel,
44:41but also
44:42a celebration
44:44of Tim
44:44and Chris's
44:45hard work
44:46and the life
44:47they've created
44:48here
44:49for their family
44:50in France.
44:52next time.
44:59A grand wedding
45:00is thrown
45:01into chaos.
45:02If the chandelier
45:03is not ready
45:04in 20 minutes...
45:05Oh,
45:05it will be done.
45:06You will never
45:06be happy.
45:07A pair of
45:08DIY novices
45:09take on
45:10a big new
45:11challenge...
45:12It's not
45:12sticking in this one.
45:13It needs, like,
45:14five times
45:15as much glue.
45:16...and John
45:16and Carmen's
45:17pool project
45:18reaches breaking point.
45:21Hammer time.
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