Chateau DIY - Season 10 Episode 6 -
Episode 6
Episode 6
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00:00Across France, there are thousands of stunning chateaux.
00:06Many lying abandoned and unloved...
00:10If we hit water, you run.
00:13..are now being brought back to life by intrepid owners...
00:17We need to try and get this done as quick as we can.
00:20..taking on unique challenges...
00:22Stop! Stop!
00:24This is pretty nerve-wracking stuff.
00:26..to renovate these historic buildings.
00:29This is like surgery, isn't it?
00:31..into spectacular new homes...
00:34Creating our own, like, Louis XV-style bedroom from scratch, really.
00:39..and event venues.
00:44There'll be triumphs...
00:46Ooh, I like it.
00:48..and tribulations...
00:50I think we're going to need to repaste.
00:52How are we going to do that, then?
00:54..but with great effort...
00:55The level keeps dropping back down.
00:57That looks like I've done nothing.
00:59..comes great reward...
01:01Oh, my goodness. It's amazing.
01:04..as they get to live the dream...
01:07Cheers to the chickens!
01:10..as custodians of their very own castle.
01:17Today, an epic suite renovation is hanging in the balance.
01:24What if I fall through, Phil?
01:26One Chatelaine gets thrifty with inventive upcycling.
01:30This is great, to be able to repurpose something that's a gift.
01:34It's really expensive stuff as well.
01:37And this pair's dining room refit...
01:40Oh, it's a disaster.
01:42..doesn't go to plan.
01:44I think we just realised there's no easy way to strip wood, is there?
01:48MUSIC FADES
01:56On the edge of the stunning Cervennes National Park,
02:00in southern France, lies the magical Château de la Fare...
02:06..boasting 35 elegant rooms...
02:11..and an impressive 12th-century tower
02:14that's thought to have been constructed by a knight's templar.
02:20Since 2012, it's been home to Australian-born couple Janet...
02:26..and Philip,
02:28who previously worked as a senior coachman at Buckingham Palace.
02:34Château de la Fare has provided us with a huge adventure,
02:38with some fabulous highs
02:41and some pretty grovelling, dirty, difficult lows.
02:45But overall, I absolutely do not regret coming here.
02:50I think we're proud to have brought the building back to life.
02:54This building has reached out and wrapped itself around my heart.
03:04Located near the ancient city of Nîmes,
03:08Janet and Philip bought the château for £318,000
03:13and run it as a luxury B&B.
03:18When we last saw them,
03:20they transformed part of the derelict medieval tower
03:24into an opulent master bedroom, complete with stylish en suite.
03:29I cannot believe the transformation.
03:33It's fabulous. It's everything we were hoping for.
03:38The reality is, there's a pause, then the work keeps on going.
03:45And just next door is their next project,
03:49three rooms that they want to transform
03:52into one majestic guest suite.
03:55I don't even know where to start in here.
03:57No.
03:58The tower suite is going to be a two-bedroom apartment.
04:03A kitchen, dining area.
04:06Another large room, which is a salon.
04:09The first thing guests should feel should be a sense of awe.
04:13I think they should just go, wow!
04:20This is your famous secret door eventually, isn't it?
04:23Yeah.
04:24So this will eventually be a bookcase along this wall here,
04:27and there'll be a door in the bookcase
04:29to what would be the other room.
04:32Another bedroom.
04:34Every chateau needs a secret door.
04:36Of course.
04:38It's a hugely ambitious project,
04:41and today they're starting on the tower suite salon.
04:45So this room basically has just been a storage area,
04:48so it's been a bit of a dumping ground, I'm afraid.
04:52First task is to clear out the space.
05:00Now, these haven't been open for a very long time.
05:03Oh, wow!
05:05And even the old shutters look like they're in workable condition.
05:10I'm sure we can resurrect those.
05:14I'm definitely in equal parts totally daunted
05:19and also very excited.
05:22To help speed up the clearing process,
05:25Philip has a novel idea.
05:28I'm going to move it to one side a bit.
05:30Yeah, I think it will work.
05:32Philip is a past master at finding creative shortcuts
05:38to mundane, boring tasks.
05:41I guess I'd be the one who plods up and down the stairs
05:44and Phil says,
05:46no, let's just throw it out the window.
05:49Does it look about right?
05:51It looks fantastic, as long as we don't hit the car.
05:55OK, ready, steady.
06:00Oh, almost.
06:02That wasn't even close.
06:05They're your plants, by the way.
06:07Only when we're ready.
06:09Go on, then.
06:11Perfect.
06:13As she gets into the swing of it,
06:15Janet's now the one throwing caution to the wind.
06:19OK, ready for a bigger one?
06:21I'm not sure it's a good idea, but anyway, let's do it.
06:24Don't be such a scaredy cat.
06:26OK, ready?
06:29Go on.
06:33OK.
06:35If Janet and Philip keep throwing everything they've got
06:38at this project,
06:40soon there'll be some demolition to get stuck into.
06:54Close to the Normandy coast in northern France
06:57stands the picturesque 19th-century Château Trois-Cloches.
07:04Surrounded by several acres of woodland,
07:07this historic building has 20 rooms,
07:11a unique bell tower
07:13and a stunning orangery.
07:17The proud owners are celebrity assistant Chris
07:21and husband Jolien.
07:23It still doesn't feel real.
07:25We are 100% living the dream.
07:27I mean, forget all of the hard work and the money worries,
07:30all of that type of thing.
07:32I mean, the orangery and the spiral staircase, for me,
07:35the most magical bits of the château.
07:37We're making good progress now
07:39and it feels like things are starting to fall into place.
07:46Situated just a 20-minute drive from the English Channel...
07:50Your favourite job, Jolien?
07:52Yeah, making the beds.
07:54..Chris and Jolien snapped up the place
07:58for £520,000 in 2022.
08:04And when we were last with them,
08:06they totally transformed their Grand Salon
08:09into a stylish and opulent space for entertaining.
08:14This has been a really big, long project, hasn't it?
08:17It's kind of so incredible to know that it's finished
08:20and such an amazing result.
08:25With the summer fast approaching,
08:27Chris and Jolien have set their sights even higher,
08:31only this time in the dining room.
08:35So this is a room we've been wanting to do for a long time.
08:38It's not quite to our taste, I think we'll put it that way.
08:41We've got this, like, plan for it to be
08:43almost like a kind of a members' club
08:45with stained wooden panelling
08:47and a bit like a captain's cabin on a ship.
08:50We're very close to the sea here.
08:52Hopefully we can draw some inspiration from that. Hmm.
08:56Today, they want to start by stripping the wooden doors.
09:01So last night I put on lots of this gooey paste
09:04which you stick on with a trowel
09:06and then you have to cover it with clingfilm
09:09and then leave it for sort of 12 hours or so.
09:12We've used this stuff before and it worked so well.
09:14It's the quickest way we've found of doing it by far
09:17and I just cannot wait to peel off that horrible yellow colour.
09:23Right, shall we get going then?
09:25The poultice action of the chemical paste
09:28should draw out paint from the grain of the wood
09:31to make removal easy.
09:34I'm excited to see what's underneath.
09:41Oh, wow, look.
09:43It's gone right back to the wood.
09:45That's so satisfying.
09:47It took a bit of a while last night
09:49but it's definitely been worth it.
09:52It's saving us so much time now, isn't it?
09:54It's like four hours putting it on
09:56and then seconds to pull it off.
10:03It's these bits that are going to be a bit tricky, isn't it?
10:06I think different owners have applied different coats of paint to it.
10:13Shall we have a look?
10:16That looks really good. What do you reckon?
10:18Yeah, it's coming off great.
10:20The wood is... Beautiful.
10:22Yeah, that's the main thing.
10:24Once it's all done, it's going to look incredible.
10:26Actually, I've found you can crack the bits that are still on
10:29with this scraper.
10:31It can take a long time without a little scraper.
10:33Good luck.
10:35With so many stubborn layers of paint to remove,
10:38Chris and Jolien are in it for the long haul.
10:43I think we just realised there's no easy way to strip wood, is there?
10:46Yeah, I think this sort of job doesn't lend itself well
10:49to someone with ADHD like myself.
10:53And, yeah, I'm quite tempted to just move on to another job
10:57but Chris, he wouldn't let me, I don't think.
11:00I'm not doing this one solo.
11:03And once the woodwork is stripped, they'll need to varnish it
11:07before they can even contemplate the rest of the room.
11:13Coming up...
11:16One chateau owner battles for barbecue perfection...
11:20We're just going to scrape out the joints
11:22and re-point it with some line mortar
11:25so that it is more in keeping.
11:27..and Janet and Philip...
11:31..hit a brick wall.
11:33This whole thing is a lot more solid than we anticipated.
11:43Amongst the lush forests
11:46and winding rivers of the Dordogne in south-west France...
11:51..stands the beautiful 14th-century Domaine de la Barde.
11:58This former hotel has 18 characterful rooms
12:02and sits in ten acres...
12:05..with five rental apartments and even a tennis court.
12:11It's home to trained chef Tim,
12:14wife Chris and their two boys, Owen and baby Ollie.
12:20Don't leave me hanging. Don't leave me hanging! Yes!
12:23I always wanted the big house in the country.
12:26That was what led me into the chateau world, I think.
12:29Just having land, space, big gardens, high ceilings,
12:33just having the grandeur.
12:35It was a dream that I didn't think I'd ever have.
12:39I'm very happy, we're all very happy
12:42that we have finally have got our forever home
12:45and I'm very proud of it.
12:49Located 100 miles east of Bordeaux,
12:53Tim and Chris bought the chateau in 2020
12:57and set about the mammoth task of turning it into a gastro B&B...
13:02This is all good to go now? Yeah.
13:05..and culinary centre.
13:07Please come in and see what we've done to the cookery school.
13:10Oh, my goodness. Oh, it's lovely.
13:13This is incredible.
13:17Now Tim, along with friend and stonemason Steve,
13:21have begun work on a new alfresco dining area for guests.
13:26I'm pretty happy with that.
13:28Tim's vision is of a shady dining terrace
13:31looking onto a grass lawn and a new gravel garden
13:35with a communal four-grill barbecue at its heart.
13:39That's the last block in.
13:41With the summer season fast approaching,
13:44today Tim and Steve are back to it.
13:48So the barbecue's all built
13:50and now we're just going to scrape out the joints
13:53and repoint it with some lime mortar
13:56so that it is more in keeping aesthetically.
14:00We need to seal all the joints,
14:03A, so it stops the water getting in,
14:05and B, it helps tie it all together, make it more solid.
14:09Very important.
14:12It's time-consuming, but Tim is aiming for perfection.
14:17This is integral to what we're trying to offer.
14:22And not only is it practical for us, for the apartment,
14:25to have kind of four stations to cook at,
14:27also with the cookery school in mind and things like that,
14:30it means more people can interact
14:32and we can maybe make this part of the cookery school theme
14:36and the courses that we do, things like that.
14:38So it will be very multi-purpose.
14:43An hour-and-a-half later, and it's time to call it a day.
14:48Pointing is complete.
14:51And it looks great.
14:53They just need it to set overnight.
15:02Eight o'clock the next morning, Tim and Steve crack on.
15:07The pointing has all dried enough now
15:10that we can start to brush it out.
15:12You don't want to leave it so it's so hard you can't brush it off,
15:16but still soft enough that you can
15:18without knocking it all out of the joints.
15:21But it's a nice time of day to be about.
15:23Nice and quiet, just you and the birds singing.
15:27As the sun comes out, Chris, Owen and baby Ollie
15:32pop by to lend a hand.
15:35Wow!
15:37Look at this.
15:39You made this, Daddy?
15:41Yeah.
15:42I've left one for you, look.
15:44Here, look, if I do this and you brush off all the powder...
15:48Yeah, there you go.
15:52Did you have to do this?
15:54Jack of all trades, master of none.
15:58It's looking really immaculate, Tim.
16:00Yeah, no, I love it.
16:02Did you know that this is the only one in the world like it?
16:07Owned by De Mendele Bard, home of the Tim BBQ range.
16:12Yeah.
16:14It's all pointed, it's all cleaned up.
16:16Really it's at the point now where we just need to let it set
16:19for a couple of days and then we can put all the metal work in.
16:23And, really, it's good to go.
16:28Right, are you happy with it, Owen? Can I have a hug?
16:31ROARING
16:35Come on, then.
16:37But there are still metal grill boxes to make,
16:40a herb garden to plant and the area to landscape
16:44before the al fresco dining haven of Tim's dreams is complete.
16:53MUSIC
16:58400 miles away in Normandy,
17:01Chris and Jolien are on a mission
17:03to create a maritime-inspired dining room.
17:07Got all of the paint off the wood behind us, which was a big job.
17:11It was worth the effort to get there.
17:13Now all we need to do is stain it and varnish it.
17:16But before they do,
17:18the couple are headed to the nearby harbour town of Honfleur
17:22in search of design ideas.
17:26Hopefully we can find something that is going to give us
17:29some inspiration for the dining room and that kind of ship,
17:32kind of oldie-woldie vibe.
17:34St Catherine's Catholic Church
17:36is one of the oldest and largest timber churches in France.
17:43Wow, it's beautiful, isn't it? Massive as well.
17:47Constructed in the 1400s,
17:49its unique ship-shaped ceiling reveals the town's naval heritage.
17:56The roof was built by shipbuilders,
17:58which is why it looks like a timber boat upside down.
18:02So clever. I love the colours as well. Yeah.
18:06I think the ceiling, that colour, is, like, perfect, I think.
18:09That's going to kind of blend into our theme.
18:12It's just amazing that it's lasted so long, given it's made of wood.
18:18It's so good to see. It felt like a step back in time.
18:21Also, it had all the different tones of wood,
18:23and so we're going to blend all of that into the dining room.
18:26And it should come out really well, I think. I'm glad we did it.
18:29I'm excited.
18:30It's been a worthwhile trip.
18:33And back at the chateau, Chris and Jolien are raring to go.
18:38I think we're going to try and replicate the same tones
18:41that they have in the church on the wall behind us.
18:44Yeah, and bring a bit of en flair to the chateau.
18:48So we need to get the consistency right between varnish and stain.
18:52I'm going to go for 80% to 20% varnish.
18:58I mean, this is purely trial and error.
19:01I really should get some gloves.
19:05These are very industrial.
19:06They feel like kind of nuclear reactor-type stuff,
19:09but they should do the trick.
19:11With the mixture ready, it's the moment of truth.
19:17Perfect.
19:20Something nice about bringing the old wood back to life a bit.
19:24It looks identical to the church we saw in en flair already.
19:30Have we got a way to go yet?
19:37Jolien, meanwhile, has a challenge of his own,
19:40creating panelling to add character to the dining room walls.
19:45I've got a piece of plywood that I've cut out already,
19:49and then also I'm going to be making a new dado rail,
19:52just using some moulded bits of wood.
19:55It should look quite good, I think.
19:57I did, like, carpentry at school.
20:00It was probably, like, my one A-level A.
20:06With so much panelling to build and fit...
20:10..all of Jolien's woodworking credentials will be put to the test.
20:23Down in the south of France, at Chateau de la Farre...
20:27Well, that's a job well done, I think.
20:31..Janet and Philip have finished clearing out the salon
20:35for their grand tower suite.
20:37Our next step is to tackle that set of cupboards there
20:41and try and pull those down.
20:43I don't want to just completely smash it all up,
20:46because there could be a purpose for it in the future.
20:49I think that might be a challenge, to try and pull that wall out
20:52and keep it in one piece.
20:54And we don't actually know quite what is behind it,
20:57what it's covering up.
20:59We might find a treasure or a nightmare.
21:02Or not.
21:07KNOCKING
21:15Any treasure?
21:16No, sorry.
21:18That's a shame.
21:20I can see layers upon layers of other people's decorations.
21:24There's a plain blue paper.
21:26Underneath that is a striped paper.
21:28It's just four layers.
21:30Look at that.
21:31There's a layer there.
21:33Underneath that...
21:35..is another layer.
21:38Just imagine going back in time
21:41and a Chatelaine being able to chew her bit of wallpaper
21:47and then someone comes along 50 or 60 years later
21:50and thinks, oh, it's terribly old-fashioned.
21:53Thank you, darling.
21:57Look at that.
21:59It is like a marbled effect, isn't it?
22:03We'll keep fragments of this
22:04and I'll sort of put it into some sort of scrapbook
22:07so I've got as much as possible record
22:10of some of the wallpapers that we find here.
22:19With the last of the doors removed,
22:22Philip spots a problem.
22:25There's a timber frame with plaster in between,
22:28so I'm going to have to smash it down, really.
22:32The cupboards can't be saved,
22:35but there is a silver lining.
22:38This is Philip's favourite bit
22:40where he can get a big hammer and bash at it.
22:49There's going to be a lot more mess getting it down.
22:53Ah!
22:59That's... That's the chimney.
23:01That's the old chimney, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
23:04Unfortunately, it seems Philip has damaged a chimney
23:08that serves a fireplace on the ground floor.
23:11But he needs to keep going.
23:17This whole thing is a lot more solid than we anticipated.
23:23Yeah.
23:27Still, in little over an hour,
23:30today's demolition is done.
23:38We made more mess.
23:40It's a happy mess.
23:42Until someone has to clean it up.
23:44Yeah, exactly.
23:48But with a new chimney to build
23:51and the whole salon to decorate,
23:54tidying up isn't the biggest of Janet and Philip's challenges.
24:05Coming up...
24:07Oh, it's a disaster.
24:09It's chaos for Chris and Julian.
24:12Julian's numbered all of these very cleverly,
24:14but the number's written on the back of the board.
24:18And Philip's battling for a breakthrough.
24:22The walls in the chateau are about three feet thick.
24:34Up in Normandy, at Chateau Trois Cloches...
24:38Oh, it's looking great.
24:40Oh, I really like it.
24:42..Chris and Julian's dining room is taking shape.
24:47You missed a bit.
24:48I missed a lot of bits.
24:52The wooden doors have now been stained
24:55and Chris is making headway with the wall colour.
24:58How long do you reckon you're going to be doing the thing that you do?
25:02Do you mean my masterful woodworking? Yeah.
25:05I think we're good to go.
25:08But today, it's over to Julian,
25:11as he wants to put up his wall panelling.
25:14Right, let's mark that up.
25:16So this is the moment of truth.
25:18Very excited to see all of your hard work come out.
25:21Yeah, let's hope it works.
25:24Is that enough?
25:26It's taken two days to build,
25:29so he's just hoping he's got the right measurements.
25:33Is it right up against the thing? Yeah.
25:36What a fit.
25:38The wall's actually straight for a change.
25:45Soon, however, Julian notices an issue.
25:49I was doing DIY with a few glasses of wine
25:52and somehow I managed to make this cut a little bit short.
25:55A bit of filler is our friend
25:57and we won't notice it once we've painted over the top of it.
26:01Have you found which ones go where? Yeah.
26:03Each of the mouldings has been numbered.
26:07I don't think you've got the right ones.
26:10None of them had gaps like that.
26:13Unfortunately, the careful planning is not paying off.
26:18Julian's numbered all of these very cleverly,
26:21but the number's written on the back of the board.
26:24So it's not so helpful.
26:28The only option now is to try them all out for size.
26:33Oh, it's a disaster.
26:36It can't be five there, so it'd be five here.
26:41How much wine did you have?
26:45Four, three, two, one.
26:50That's perfect, actually.
26:56Five.
26:58That works well there.
27:01Perfect.
27:05Yeah, nearly there now.
27:07With a crisis averted...
27:11..it's just a matter of adding the final decorative features.
27:17There we go.
27:19That's not going anywhere.
27:23That looks really good. Yeah.
27:25It just makes that whole wall nicer and more...
27:28..in keeping, older. Yeah.
27:30Can't wait to get the paint on and you can see it all blend in.
27:33Well done. You should be very proud.
27:35Yeah, it's going to look really good.
27:37But with their maritime-inspired dining room not even half finished
27:42and a spectacular ceiling mural still to install,
27:46they've got a long way to go
27:48before it's all ship-shape and Bristol fashion.
27:55Over in the south of France...
27:58Actually, it's cleaning up really well.
28:04..Janet, along with dog Bobby,
28:06is prepping the salon balcony for painting.
28:10It's very, very satisfying.
28:14Breathing life back into this old princess.
28:20Meanwhile, inside the tower, work in the salon is also progressing.
28:26It actually goes together quite easily, which is fabulous.
28:31Philip has almost finished creating a makeshift chimney
28:34to replace the one he damaged in demolition.
28:39Look at that. It's perfect.
28:42Whoa, Phil!
28:45Hasn't taken long, has it?
28:48I can't wait to see if this actually works as a chimney.
28:52But testing out the chimney is being put on hold for now.
28:56As today, Janet wants to tackle a more complex task,
29:00creating a petite bathroom.
29:03This is just a small shower room toilet
29:06to service the little tower bedroom through there.
29:10We don't want to impinge on too much space for this sitting room.
29:15So that's 360 wide.
29:19The loo is definitely one of those places
29:22you want to be able to sit comfortably.
29:24Give me one of those things, we'll put it up for the wall.
29:29All right.
29:33OK, have a sit in the loo.
29:35And tell me, do you have enough room?
29:37I'll be ladylike.
29:41What if I fall through, Phil?
29:43And do you have room beside you, on your left-hand side?
29:47Yeah, it's OK. It's better than I thought.
29:51It does seem extraordinary that in this huge chateau
29:55with all our enormous rooms,
29:58here we are, worried about getting a one-metre little shower room in.
30:04I think in endeavouring to make sure
30:07every room has their own toilet and shower,
30:10there is compromise sometimes.
30:12Satisfied they have enough space...
30:15I'm going to jackhammer there next, yeah?
30:17I can't help do that. Nope.
30:19..Philip wants to carry on, creating a hole for the waste pipe.
30:25It's been a hell of a task.
30:27The walls of the chateau are about three feet thick.
30:31I have spent two days on the jackhammer,
30:34knocking that hole, and I'm hoping to get all the way through.
30:50Meanwhile, Janet returns to her balcony renovation.
30:56I'm going to do a first coat and then just see.
31:00The balcony has been like a hidden gem.
31:04I'm really hoping now, with a fresh coat of paint,
31:07it's going to shine like a jewel.
31:10But there's a long way to go
31:12if this whole suite is to be the jewel in the chateau's crown.
31:20200 miles away in south-west France...
31:26..Tim and friend Steve have been busy
31:29in the chateau's new al fresco dining area.
31:33With the barbecue almost complete,
31:36chef Tim has been inspired.
31:39Decided to fabricate this herb box next to the barbecue.
31:44Guests can come and help themselves to the herbs.
31:47Guests can come and help themselves to herbs while they're cooking,
31:51or, you know, it'll attract the insects and bees will buzz,
31:55and, you know, it's just a nice little added extra,
31:58a nice little cottage garden in the barbecue area.
32:03They're constructing it using offcuts of sandstone from the barbecue.
32:08Rather than put it all into landfill or chuck it out,
32:11the more places we can use it, the better,
32:13because it all helps the budget
32:15and also it's a really nice material, you know, it's lovely stuff,
32:19so the more we can use, the better.
32:26Whilst Tim works, Chris is on childcare duty
32:30and loving every minute.
32:33It's beautiful that they're growing up in this kind of environment.
32:37I spend most of my life in the city
32:40and to have this luxury of, you know,
32:43bringing my kids up in this kind of environment,
32:46it's total luxury, you know.
32:49I've never really thought that this is going to be my life
32:54and I'm just so happy that, you know, the kids are experiencing this.
33:03The following day, Tim is all set for planting.
33:07I want it to look like a kind of market stall,
33:10just overflowing, overflowing, overflowing with produce.
33:14To keep the maintenance to a minimum, he's opted for woody herbs,
33:18including sage, rosemary and thyme, perfect for barbecuing with.
33:24They're all oily herbs, you know,
33:26so they'll release their aroma really easily.
33:29Tease those roots out, encourage some sidewards growth.
33:34Unfortunately, the rest of the dining area isn't quite as finished.
33:40At the moment, this is still just a big quagmire,
33:43so until the quarry have got enough gravel, they can deliver it to me.
33:47I can't gravel all this and have lovely crisp paths to walk on.
33:52Likewise, we need a bit of warm weather for the grass to germinate
33:56and it will come. You just have to have a little patience.
34:00Wow! Hey, hey!
34:02Look what is done here. This is all ready for the summer, Tim.
34:06All planted, all ready to go, all edible.
34:08I hope it all just sort of fills, fills, spills out, spills out, spills out
34:13and you can sit in amongst the herbs every time you brush it.
34:17I love it. This is a brilliant idea.
34:20Yeah, I like it, cos you can be over here working and you...
34:24Oh, I know, a bit of that, and you can come over and pick some of that.
34:28All fresh herbs as well.
34:30Oh, God!
34:34Perfect.
34:37All right, are you ready to go, Owen? Let's go.
34:42Tim is all fired up about his perfect foodie haven,
34:46but there's still a lot of landscaping to do.
34:51Still to come...
34:533315. 3315.
34:56..Janet and Philip fall short...
34:59Clearly, one of us here didn't either read it right...
35:04..or didn't say it right.
35:06..and sparks fly as Tim tries to complete his dream barbecue.
35:12Over in the south of France...
35:16OK, that's it, I think. I think we're done.
35:20..Philip's finally managed to fit the waste pipe in the tower suite.
35:25I wouldn't suggest anybody do that.
35:28I don't want to do that.
35:30I don't want to do that.
35:32I don't want to do that.
35:34I don't want to do that.
35:36I don't want to do that.
35:39I wouldn't suggest anybody take up a career as a jackhammer operator.
35:45Kneeling down's not good on the old knees, that's for sure.
35:49Outside on the balcony, Janet is also making strides
35:54as the painting is now complete.
35:57I think when the first guest steps out onto that Juliet balcony,
36:02they're going to feel like a princess.
36:09On the bottom of that chimney, see there?
36:11Today, Philip's eager to finish off
36:14building a stud wall frame for the bathroom.
36:183315. 3315.
36:20Yeah.
36:21I think we've broken the back of this wall.
36:23Now what we have left is the so-called easier part of the work.
36:28But we'll soon find out.
36:30You often say that, Phil, and it always worries me.
36:343315, is that right?
36:36That is right.
36:39The couple's measurements need to be spot-on
36:43for each piece of wood to fit seamlessly.
36:50Clearly, one of us here didn't either read it right...
36:55Or didn't say it right.
36:57So I've measured it wrong.
37:00Ah, see, yes, I went to three.
37:02Instead of 33, I went to three.
37:06What's the story? Measure twice, cut once.
37:10So I was 300mm short.
37:15I'm delighted not to get to blame this time.
37:19They just need to hope it's second time lucky.
37:23We'll just hold there.
37:25Well, I think that is spot-on.
37:27Just as well that is spot-on.
37:30Now, that's perfect, it is.
37:32We like perfection.
37:34Problem solved.
37:36Philip is in the groove.
37:45And manages to make light work of the rest of it.
37:52Finally, last one.
37:54OK, well, that's square now.
37:56Yeah, that looks good.
38:01Yeah, I'm pleased with that.
38:03Now I can visualise more what it's going to be like with that wall.
38:07The bathroom is taking shape.
38:09And with Philip on a roll,
38:11he wants to test out the improvised chimney he's made
38:15after damaging the original.
38:19So they light up the fireplace on the ground floor.
38:23Quick, come on, Bob, let's see.
38:25Let's go and see, quick.
38:29We've got smoke.
38:32I think it's a job well done.
38:35Well, I think today's been a pretty successful day.
38:38Definitely.
38:39We've got the rest of this wall up,
38:41so now we're ready to move forward with that.
38:43We've done well.
38:45But there's a mountain to climb yet.
38:47Janet and Philip say it's time to move on.
38:50There's a mountain to climb yet.
38:52Janet and Philip's huge project is slowly beginning to make progress.
38:58But with a salon to finish, a kitchen diner to build
39:02and a second bedroom to design,
39:05the hard work to create their grand tower suite
39:09is only just beginning.
39:21The gravel has been delivered
39:23and Tim's al fresco dining area is beginning to take shape.
39:28We have pretty much finished the barbecues.
39:30The area's ready, it's looking good, the grass is coming through.
39:33However, the last job we've got to do so that they're usable
39:37are build some kind of plate to sit in that will then hold the charcoal.
39:42I've managed to get some sheet metal off a friend
39:45that was removing a balcony, so that's kept the cost down nicely.
39:49I'm hoping that this is effortless and we just make it look easy.
39:57To make each charcoal tray,
40:00five separate pieces of metal need to be cut and welded.
40:11Certainly not the prettiest welding anyone's ever seen, but it will do.
40:16It's really, really thick, solid stuff, just what I was looking for.
40:20Really expensive stuff as well,
40:22so this is great to be able to repurpose something that's a gift.
40:28It doesn't take long for Tim and Steve
40:31to turn one old balcony into four new trays.
40:36Over to the welding station.
40:41Back when this was a working estate, this was the blacksmith's forge.
40:45It's a bit of a shabt that we're out here now,
40:48welding and not quite forging, but we're nearly there.
40:53Just using the magnets to hold the metal in position,
40:56and then we can weld it in place.
40:59It'll look brilliant.
41:09Each tray is then tidied up
41:12with a coat of heat-resistant paint to protect the welds.
41:17It'll do the job,
41:19and it's good repurposing of old junk that nobody wanted,
41:24so it'll look good.
41:30I spent my whole life as a kid on French campsites
41:33and communal barbecues down in the south of France in the sunshine,
41:37just cooking up stuff, surrounded by people.
41:40It was all part of the experience.
41:43It was great. Absolutely loved it.
41:47The charcoal trays aren't the only upcycled elements.
41:52Very nice.
41:54As Tim's also making use of some old fridge shelving.
41:59I'm really happy with that.
42:01If you were to try and buy this barbecue,
42:04I don't think any amount of money could get this.
42:07Priceless. Absolutely priceless.
42:11This once-neglected muddy corner...
42:18..has been transformed into an idyllic, tranquil dining area.
42:26With a stunning four-grill sandstone barbecue,
42:30cleverly utilised upcycled metalwork...
42:35..an aromatic herb garden constructed from leftover materials...
42:42..all beautifully framed by a new gravel garden,
42:47with tables and parasols offering the perfect place
42:51for guests to enjoy all their gastronomic creations.
42:56It's all gone really well. It's all looking great.
42:58We've got the planting in, the terraces made.
43:00It's all looking like a very nice, usable,
43:03tranquil little Mediterranean courtyard,
43:06which is what I kind of hoped it would feel like.
43:16I've already lit the barbecue. It's lovely and hot.
43:20After weeks of work, it's time to test drive the new space.
43:26Whoa!
43:29And Tim's dream of having fresh herbs within reach
43:33to add to the barbecued meats is blossoming.
43:37Very good, very good. It's like being on holiday, isn't it?
43:42Oh!
43:44You nearly there.
43:47Yes!
43:50It's a celebratory drink.
43:53Cheers!
43:55Mmm!
43:57Cheers.
43:59Yay!
44:01Mmm!
44:03That's really good.
44:05For Tim and Chris, it's an evening to savour,
44:08as it's going to be one of the last times they can relax
44:12and enjoy the outdoors.
44:16Next time...
44:18One chateau pair take on a huge renovation project.
44:22That's the size of my brush.
44:24It's going to take me a long time.
44:27This couple struggle with a heavy load.
44:30Give it slack.
44:32Tick, tock, tick, tock.
44:34Tick, tock, tick, tock.
44:36Tick, tock, tick, tock.
44:38Tick, tock, tick, tock.
44:40Tick, tock, tick, tock.
44:42Tick, tock, tick, tock.
44:44Slack! Give me some slack!
44:47And Chris and Jolien hit new heights.
44:51I think we're going to need to repaste.
44:54Yeah. How are we going to do that, then?
45:14© BF-WATCH TV 2021