Chateau DIY Season 10 Episode 26
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00:00Across France are thousands of chateaux, many left abandoned and forgotten.
00:08It's like a pond.
00:09I know, it's a bit green, isn't it?
00:11Yet a brave few...
00:13We're not new to gardening, but this is on a completely different level, isn't it?
00:17...are taking on the challenge...
00:19What could possibly go wrong?
00:22...of restoring these timeless treasures.
00:25Seamless. You'd never know I'd been here.
00:27Renovating ancient buildings...
00:30It's making a hollow sound, it means that it's coming away from the wall.
00:34...into magical homes...
00:36I can't actually really believe it's almost finished now.
00:39...and thriving businesses...
00:41Perfect is the goal.
00:43...isn't for the faint-hearted...
00:46Well, you've got to laugh about it, otherwise you'd curl up in a corner and cry.
00:49...but those with passion and grit...
00:52You have to put the effort in, don't you? Just get the reward.
00:55...can enjoy the ultimate prize...
00:57I love doing this, it's one of my favourite things.
01:00...of living out their dreams...
01:02It's starting to look a bit more ready for occupation.
01:05...as stewards...
01:07It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it is amazing.
01:09...of their very own piece of history.
01:13Today...
01:16With water, we'll always find the way.
01:19...one chateau family go with the flow.
01:21There is somewhere in the bottom of that liner a leak.
01:25...another couple rush to finish their tower suite.
01:29I honestly am nervous about this, Phil.
01:31...and worry their handiwork won't hold up.
01:34...while another couple...
01:36Why won't it come out?
01:38...have just the 40 shutters to renovate.
01:41I keep on finding holes.
01:44I'm very much over it.
01:46In the Occitanie region in the south of France...
01:55...is the charming Chateau de la Faire.
02:01Set in glorious woodland, it boasts 35 rooms...
02:08...and is built around a magnificent medieval tower.
02:11Since 2012, it's been owned by Australian-born Janet...
02:19...and husband Philip, a former head coachman at Buckingham Palace...
02:23...who run it as a luxury B&B.
02:26I walk through and that...
02:30I get a sense of wonder.
02:31This is actually my home.
02:33The beautiful high ceilings, the elegant windows, the lovely lights...
02:38...or even just the sunlight slanting in through the windows.
02:42This is part of us now.
02:44We're part of its history.
02:51Located near the city of Nîmes...
02:55...Janet and Philip bought the Chateau for £318,000...
03:02...and last year created a stunning new bedroom on the first floor...
03:07...which is going to form part of a huge tower suite.
03:12The last time we saw them...
03:14...they had created a stunning new kitchen dining area for the suite.
03:18That's not just the kitchen.
03:21It is a beautiful, elegant room.
03:23And I love that.
03:24With special guests arriving from Australia in four weeks' time...
03:35...they need to get the rest of the suite finished and are dreaming big.
03:40The first thing guests should feel when they walk into that new suite...
03:45...I think should be a sense of awe.
03:47To me, it's almost like stepping onto a movie set.
03:51Stepping back in time and experiencing life 50, 60...
03:56A hundred years ago.
03:58Yeah.
03:58That's what it should feel like.
04:02They have started to create a salon.
04:05And next door, Janet is eager to add a second bedroom in the 12th century tower.
04:10Oh dear, the fun part.
04:16It's a sad little place.
04:18But I think it could become quite magical.
04:22Once I get into this roof, it'll get mucky.
04:24So I'll start down here and...
04:27We'll just see what happens.
04:29This actually looks like it's just one layer of wallpaper on top of the original plaster.
04:42So I'm not anticipating this is going to be terribly difficult.
04:46But that could also be famous last words because these chateaus fight back.
04:59Back in the salon, Philip has a challenge of his own.
05:05As the original medieval arch to the tower is in need of repair.
05:10So I have prepared this morning's job as best I can.
05:13I've made a little former for the arch that's missing.
05:17In the shape of what was there once before.
05:20I'm not sure how strong the former is and how much weight it can hold.
05:24But in theory, gravity and that effect should hold itself.
05:31I'm starting with this first brick here.
05:35And I'm just going to lay them in order running that way.
05:38That's the plan.
05:41I don't know what I'm doing really, but that's okay.
05:47I'm going to be a bit slow here because I am going one step at a time.
05:55Philip can't afford to make a mistake.
05:58And with Janet only just starting in the bedroom,
06:02they have an almighty job to get the tower suite ready in four weeks' time.
06:13In the green fields of the Auvergne lies a majestic 16th century Chateau de Bruges.
06:22Inside, it comprises ten opulent bedrooms and five elegant living rooms.
06:31While outside, there are seven acres and numerous outbuildings.
06:39Since 2022, it's been home to Graham, his son Jake, and Jake's fiancé, Danielle,
06:47after buying it for £605,000.
06:52As soon as we drove in here and we saw the Chateau, we knew that this was the one.
06:56It's unbelievable in the sunny days where you just walk around the grounds and you just look back at the Chateau
07:01and you just think, wow, I actually live here. This is our home.
07:07The surrounding area is just beautiful and we have a dog, so walking around the lake is just idyllic.
07:13Another aspect for me of the Chateau that I love is just the beautiful wood flooring throughout.
07:19It goes throughout the Chateau and into every bedroom and it's just, it's beautiful.
07:25It's a real reminder of what it would have looked like.
07:27Located in central France, hold on there, put your weight on it.
07:33The last time we saw them, they had locked huge branches from a dangerous ash tree.
07:41Narrowly missing a prized greenhouse in the process.
07:44The greenhouse is fine. Survive, survive. Success, good work.
07:50Having made the tree safe, today they're planning to bring an original outside water feature back to life.
07:58So we're at the fountain in the garden, which is part of the garden where every guest has to drive past
08:04in order to come to the Chateau. So it's a really important piece of the garden for us.
08:09So the plan will be to, to empty out all of the dirt and all of the carnage that's at the bottom
08:14of the fountain and put a pool liner in. So we can then have this as a, as a working fountain and
08:20it will look splendid. What's nice soft earth, which is good.
08:27The water feature hasn't functioned as a fountain for at least 40 years. So now it's time to relocate the roses.
08:38Where we've prioritised a lot of the inside of the Chateau for the last two years, it's meant that
08:49the garden has possibly seen a little bit of neglect. So it would be really nice to be able to bring the
08:53garden back to its former glory. The plan will be to flatten it out with some sand, make sure it's nice
08:59and level before we put a liner in, which will then hold the water and make sure it's watertight. And then
09:05on top of that, we're going to have the steel frame that sits on the top. And then on top of the steel
09:10frame, we'll have some nice big rocks so that when the water cascades off of the fountain,
09:15it's going to hit the rocks, drop down into the reservoir and pump right back up again.
09:19But that all rests on finding the water supply pipe. It's water fed. It'll be coming from that
09:29direction. The water source for the fountain will be taken from one of the wells that we're lucky
09:35enough to have on the Chateau grounds. Because the water supply is limited in France, it's expensive.
09:40We're on a water meter. So every time we use fresh water, it costs us money. So to be able to fill
09:45the pool and water the gardens and fill the fountain using the wells is really nice for us.
09:55So I was just quickly digging around the base of the fountain here just to see if I could see that
10:01pipe that's in that corner coming up into the fountain here, which may be the pipe which runs all
10:06the way up the middle to feed the top of the fountain, but I've not exposed it yet.
10:14Really quite important to find this pipe, as without it, I don't think we're going to have a working
10:19fountain. The search for the water pipe continues, but it's a definite setback in bringing the Chateau's
10:27grand fountain cascading back into life. Coming up, Philip has a secret in the grand tower renovation.
10:42You won't know it's there unless you're told. And Graham and Jake explore 40 years of slimy history.
10:50Much smellier here. Yeah. Dredging their way to restore a feature fountain.
10:57In Normandy in northern France is the impressive 19th century Chateau Trois-Cloches.
11:13Set in several acres, the charming property boasts 20 rooms, several outbuildings, and a stunning orangery.
11:24Since 2022, it's been owned by celebrity assistant Chris and husband Jolyon, a civil servant, who have been lovingly restoring it ever since.
11:38We're making good progress now, and we've got sort of only a few more rooms to do.
11:43It feels like things are starting to fall into place.
11:46It's where the Chateau starts, like, coming alive. And it's exciting. It's like, we feel like we're actually achieving the dream of it.
11:57Located just a 20-minute drive from the English Channel, Chris and Jolyon bought the Chateau for £520,000,
12:07and run it as an events venue.
12:16The last time we saw them, they had transformed a once-neglected spare room into an elegant guest suite.
12:24Today, it's all about repairing the original shutters, and with 20 windows on the orangery side,
12:44that adds up to 40 shutters in all to repair and paint.
12:50It turns out quite a lot of them are quite rotten, and so we've had to do quite a lot of repairs,
12:54so we've got more of that to do this morning.
12:57When you've got 40 of them, it's a classic Chateau-style challenge.
13:01Yeah, I think we have to divide and conquer a bit. If you do, like, the hardcore fixing,
13:06and I'll do filling and cleaning.
13:12I mean, just taking them off is taking probably about a day and a half in total,
13:17and we thought the longer we leave them, the worse they're going to get, so it was a job way down on
13:22our list, but suddenly it became a priority, so we want to get them to save before the next winter,
13:26basically, so we don't have to replace them completely. Okay, I think that will do.
13:32Oh, God, this one's going to be a pain, isn't it? I'm probably just going to make a new one of these,
13:38because it's quite rotten, so it'll be quicker to replace it and just try and repair that. All of
13:44the shutters have been a bit of a nuisance. There are a lot that are really, really rotten.
13:51Why won't it come out? It's just not coming out. It's going to work.
14:02It's going to work. It's going to work. There we go.
14:07There. Right. Got to make a new one of these now.
14:13It's a tricky job, which Jolyon has never done before.
14:28I think that'll do. It's a little bit big, but maybe I should cut it down.
14:40What is it? Measure twice? Cut once? I tend to measure about 16 times and still get it wrong,
14:45but we'll give it a go.
14:52I'm going to run out of pillars soon.
14:55Chris is starting to make progress with some of the shutters.
14:59I'm getting there, but it's the gift that keeps giving. It's just like another one, another one, another one.
15:06And I keep on finding holes, so I'm very much over it.
15:11It's not bad. Not quite close.
15:14Right. That is a good fit. I think it's going to work nicely if I just go a little bit out.
15:27They've made a good start.
15:29We'll get there in the end.
15:35But with a lot of the repair work still to go, and all 40 shutters to paint, there's a mountain for Chris and Jolyon to climb.
15:44Five and a half hours south, at Chateau de Bruges, it's not long before the holiday season.
15:57And the challenge of getting a cherished fountain working again has gone to the next level for Graham and Jake.
16:06They've failed to find the old water supply pipe, but they're not giving up yet.
16:13Now we've got up here, we can see that the whole top bowl is independent to the shaft, which is coming up through the middle.
16:19So we should, in theory, although it's very heavy, we're going to try and lift off the top bowl.
16:23You can then concentrate on repairing and looking how we're going to get a new pipe into it.
16:28One, two, three.
16:31This huge bowl is made of cast iron.
16:35One, two, three.
16:39Try a bit.
16:39Ah, so I think the next stage is to empty the water out of this secondary bath,
16:47and then we can see what we're dealing with in the middle.
16:50Oh, even with three on the job, it's a long process.
16:56There's an awful lot of leaves and foliage.
17:03Oh, it's much smellier here.
17:06The guests, unfortunately, won't see all of this hard graft that's gone in.
17:22They will hopefully just see a beautiful working fountain.
17:28This central bit will be the next thing to try and loosen and lift off, I think.
17:32Time for the big tools to come out.
17:36We've got the winch to help us.
17:44And done.
17:44The plan is to use the winch to pull upward the centre structure,
17:50so that when Dad is chiselling away with it with the STS drill,
17:54it's just alleviating a bit of pressure.
18:00Take the slack.
18:05All right, that will do it.
18:08It's definitely, definitely separate from the lower bit.
18:12Yeah.
18:12This is a difficult job, as the central column is sitting on a plinth of concrete.
18:27It's going to take a couple of days to drill this out, so we'll do that another time.
18:33I'm pleased we've made a start. We know what we're dealing with now.
18:36Next sunny day, we'll come back out and carry on.
18:39Maybe a couple of weeks to a month, we'll have a working fountain,
18:42ready for the start of the season to welcome our guests.
18:45With the fountain pulled apart, this is the very first thing their guests will see.
18:52So for Graham, Jake and Danielle, there's no going back now.
19:03Four and a half hours south, at Chateau de la Fare.
19:06Fortunately, this is coming off without the steamer.
19:12Janet's making headway in the tower suite bedroom.
19:18This is the way it should come off.
19:22I'm just going to put a bit more mortar in to fill the gaps.
19:27While in the salon, Philip has almost rebuilt its 12th century arch.
19:32That's better. That's much better.
19:39Well, I think that looks pretty darn good if I do say so myself.
19:43But will the bricks hold in place when the wooden support is removed?
19:56I honestly am nervous about this, Phil.
19:58Look at that.
20:13Oh, wow.
20:13It doesn't get any better than that, I don't think.
20:17Don't stay underneath it.
20:18OK, this is how much I trust you, Philip.
20:22More fool you.
20:26Well, I'm pretty happy with that.
20:29Now, all of a sudden, this little almost tunnel into the tower room,
20:35actually, it gives that more meaning.
20:37It's now a bit even more magical than what it was before.
20:46Days later, and with the archway given time to fully dry,
20:52and the bedroom now plastered,
20:55Philip has another big idea.
20:57What I'm doing is putting a bookcase in with a secret door behind there.
21:02And you won't know it's there unless you're told that it will be operated via moving a book
21:09or a piece of wood or something along those lines.
21:14Philip hopes to create it using some old cabinets.
21:19Actually, it's a nice chunky piece of wood, substantial.
21:21Yeah.
21:22Nice feel.
21:23That will go there, right?
21:24I would imagine that we'll have a shelf across maybe about that height, OK?
21:32And the door will be there.
21:35Philip is always up for a challenge.
21:38If it's not challenging, stimulating, exciting, he gets bored really quickly.
21:48It's an epic task.
21:50But as a trained electrician, Philip is skilled and fearless when it comes to DIY.
22:02That's a good starting point.
22:21Hopefully, it all just fits together nicely.
22:25Oh, wow.
22:26Now you can visualise it better, can't you?
22:31It looks like the beginnings of a bookcase.
22:34Oh, will you please, yeah?
22:36We're getting there.
22:37I don't care what they say.
22:38I think you're clever.
22:39It's slowly taking shape.
22:44But with the bookcase shelves to add, a secret door to create, and two rooms to decorate,
22:53they're nowhere near ready for guests.
22:59Coming up, Chris and Julian need to double their efforts.
23:04One down, 39 to go.
23:06If they are ever going to finish, while Philip and Janet are up against it.
23:12We're now down to two days before our guests arrive.
23:15As they try to complete their biggest ever renovation.
23:19This is going to be an adventure.
23:27In the Auvergne in central France, Graham, Jake and Daniel have cleaned and salvaged what they can
23:35of the original Chateau Fountain, and have a new plan for the water supply.
23:43Yeah, and we're trying to get it in the fountain.
23:45You keep getting in the way.
23:47But first, they need to make the base waterproof.
23:52It's like being back at school again, making the sand pit.
23:57Once all the sand's in, once it's all flattened off, we're going to put the liner in,
24:02and we've got a four by four metre square that we're going to cut down the centre,
24:05so we can fit it around the fountain, pop that down in the middle,
24:09and then we've got a roll of liner which we all then put around the outside of the fountain.
24:14As every Chateau owner knows...
24:18It's nice and thick.
24:20..every job is on a completely different scale.
24:24Ta-da!
24:25That's perfect.
24:28Come on. Good boy.
24:29There's a lot of liner to go, and it needs to be patched together without a drop getting through.
24:37One of the few negatives to being so tall.
24:41That's a long way down.
24:43So this is a special waterproofing tape, waterproof tape,
24:52that we're going to seal the gaps in the liner with.
24:55I'm thinking that a plan is coming together, and it's slowly getting there.
25:14OK, just get this edge...
25:20..about where we want it.
25:21..so this is our secondary liner.
25:24This is going to take very little water here,
25:26because the fountain won't squirt out this far.
25:29But this is just to collect rainwater and then feed it all down to the main reservoir.
25:38That'll do.
25:38Next stage is to start putting some water into it.
25:43There we go.
25:44Fingers crossed that it's properly sealed.
25:50It's holding water.
25:52We're going to stop the hose very soon,
25:55and we're going to put some tyres in just to keep the tarpauling from blowing away.
26:04Unfortunately, it doesn't take long to realise their hard work has been in vain.
26:11So within about half an hour of turning the hose off,
26:15because we thought that the water was at a good level,
26:17it decided to drop that level,
26:20meaning that there is somewhere in the bottom of that liner a leak.
26:26Not a huge gap, but it is a gap,
26:29and as we all know, water will always find the way.
26:32Hopefully, that will be a better drawing.
26:41So, just making a mark on the white tape to make sure the water level hasn't gone down.
26:48There we go.
26:50Fingers crossed again.
26:51It's a waiting game for now to see if the water holds this time.
26:57So, as well as making the deep reservoir watertight,
27:02we then need to lay all of the tyres.
27:04That will then support the steel rods and then rose granite rocks,
27:09which will then sit on top and hide all of the...
27:12The mess.
27:13..the mess that lies underneath.
27:16Hopefully, this time, they've made it watertight
27:20and can focus on bringing this once grand attraction back to life.
27:31Over five hours north, at Chateau Trois-Cloches,
27:36Chris and Jolyon have almost finished the huge job of repairing 40 shutters.
27:43All right, good.
27:45It comes together very nicely.
27:46It's proving to be an epic challenge,
27:49and they're not done yet.
27:52It was a late one last night, wasn't it?
27:53But we had a good system in the end.
27:54It was like a glass of wine, you fixing something,
27:57me sanding it, and then washing it, and it's like a...
27:59A glass of wine.
28:02Yeah, they're in a better state now.
28:05Today, they're facing the mammoth task of painting them all.
28:11This is the colour.
28:13I just love it.
28:14It's kind of like a minty, sagey, greeny blue.
28:17Hopefully, you'll look in keeping when it's all up on multiple windows.
28:22Right there?
28:23Yeah, go for it.
28:24It looks great.
28:34It's very quick, but I feel like most of the paint is spraying the bush over there.
28:40It's just going to be getting all of the fiddly bits.
28:42I'm having a go now.
29:03It's so speedy.
29:05Once they're back in place on the windows, it's going to be a huge transformation.
29:14And this is like the money shot.
29:16So, if you're having a wedding or you're having a photo,
29:19you normally have it outside the front.
29:20So, just to see them all up is going to be incredible.
29:25I feel as though, yeah, maybe another half an hour and we might be done.
29:28I think we're looking pretty good.
29:43I think we're all there.
29:46That was good fun.
29:47I think I've got almost as much paint on myself as on the shutters.
29:51They look great.
29:52Yeah, they look really good.
29:53With the fine layers of paint drying quickly in the warm air...
29:57In at the middle, in at the bottom.
29:59..there's now just the lengthy job of reattaching the shutters.
30:04Almost the top, just needs a little wiggle.
30:06There we go.
30:07Yeah. She's in.
30:10One down. 39 to go.
30:18Well done.
30:19Yeah.
30:19There we go.
30:23So much easier as a team, isn't it?
30:25Beautiful.
30:31Good. Are you good?
30:32No. Probably enough.
30:36Yeah.
30:38Just three days ago, the original shutters were damaged, rotten and flaking.
30:44Now, they have a new lease of life, thanks to Chris and Julian's handiwork.
30:52Good.
30:53It looks really nice.
30:55Very good. Yeah, it looks really good.
30:56It's a really nice colour choice.
30:58It does really bring out the fact that we probably need to get the wall painted.
31:01Yeah.
31:02But it'll look amazing when it's all fresh paint.
31:05It will, yeah.
31:06And compare it to, like, the other half that's not done.
31:08Mm.
31:09It's going to look incredible.
31:10Yeah, that side looks sad.
31:11This side looks happy.
31:13No, I love it.
31:14I really miss the paint.
31:14No, it looks lovely.
31:15Yeah.
31:16Well done, Earth.
31:19The outlook is clearer for Chris and Julian, who have repaired, painted and hung 12 of their 40 shutters back into place.
31:28Just 28 left to go.
31:41Down in the south of France.
31:43The moment of truth.
31:47Wow.
31:48It's been three weeks, and Janet and Philip's tower suite is beginning to emerge.
31:56The salon has been painted, along with the adjacent bedroom. But there's no time to lose before family from Australia arrive.
32:05We're now down to two days before our guests arrive. We're not panicked very much, but we are working long hours.
32:14If we're going to do this, Bill, we're going to absolutely push ourselves to the nth degree to get it done.
32:20To help build the bookcase and its secret door, Philip has got his mate Bruce in to help.
32:36It's finally taking shape.
32:38I just want to see, against the wall.
32:50Meanwhile, Janet has drafted in sister Angela to help dress the salon windows.
32:57What does that look like against the wall, Ange?
32:59That looks good.
33:01Colours look great, too.
33:02Yeah, you measure from the bottom.
33:05Yep.
33:06You need 32 centimetres.
33:0832 centimetres.
33:09Right on to the floor, Jan.
33:11Yeah, yeah, I'll do it right to the floor.
33:13Yeah.
33:13I really want to see what it's going to look like. How good are your muscles?
33:20Let's see.
33:26Oh, do you know what? That's going to be fantastic.
33:27That was great, yeah.
33:28Because we actually picked out this colour to paint, and it works.
33:34Ooh.
33:34Fabulous.
33:35I'm really happy.
33:36I'm not happy about the fact that I've got to alter them now.
33:40Even though these are big curtains, they're nowhere near long enough for this particular drop.
33:45Will you have enough of this fabric, do you think?
33:47Ooh, well, that's the slight problem.
33:50I've got...
33:51So, these are two old pillow slips or pillowcases, and I think by patching them together, I'll get just enough.
33:58Mm.
33:59And now it's on to the door, which is the big challenge.
34:11Having not done one like this before, this is going to be an adventure.
34:16It's set to be a busy couple of days, with a secret door to install, curtains to make, and two rooms to dress, Janet and Philip are still a long way from the finish line.
34:33Still to come, the picture looks bleak.
34:39Plug us in.
34:40For Graham and Jake's fountain facelift, while Philip's secret door project...
34:47Just see if it lines up.
34:49Hangs in the balance.
34:58In central France, at Graham, Jake and Danielle's, their fountain at the chateau entrance is finally watertight.
35:07They have laid a new pipe system, hidden amongst seven tonnes of rose granite,
35:13which rests on top of a steel grid and a layer of chicken wire.
35:19The jobs that we have to do next, the steel rebar is coming out further than we would like,
35:25so we're going to go around and cut the excess off, fold in any chicken wire and pond liner that's on show,
35:31so you can't see anything, and get it turned on, get all the nozzles lined up,
35:35and then hopefully we'll be able to stand back and admire it.
35:44One down, 50 to go.
35:49They're going to go around the edge, once Dad's cut the rebar away, and it's just going to neaten up that edge.
36:05This has not been an easy job, and they soon realise the quarry rocks have given them another problem.
36:14When we first filled the fountain up, the fountain looked really crystal blue,
36:20you could see the lovely detail at the bottom of the fountain,
36:22and then we went and picked the rocks up from the quarry, some of which were covered in sand and dirt,
36:28and now since we've put them on here, the rainwater's washed the sand and the dirt down into the reservoir,
36:34which has then come up through the jets and then into the fountain.
36:39So it's turned the fountain water a bit murky, and there's a lot of sand and stuff at the bottom of it.
36:44Plug us in.
36:46This job has been anything but plain sailing, as now they need to drain...
36:51Water some plants while we're at it.
36:53..and clean it one more time to make the most of the ornate detail.
37:08Finally, it is filled with fresh, clean water,
37:12and Jake and Graham have lined up the all-important water nozzles.
37:18We've come a long way, so we're very happy.
37:23After weeks of hard work, trying to reinvent a defunct and decrepit-looking fountain,
37:30which hadn't functioned for 40 years,
37:37they've re-energized it into a more modern single-tier water feature
37:43to grace the entranceway of the chateau.
37:47They have created more of a focus on the ornate cast-iron detail
37:52of the 16th-century bowl, now revealed in all its glory.
37:58The local rose granite gives the opulent feature a modern contrast.
38:05The perfect combination of the old and the new.
38:10For the first time in years, the chateau's gardens are filled with the soothing sound of flowing water.
38:21Proud of their achievements, the family are keen to show it off to local friends Max and Kevin.
38:27Are you ready?
38:29Yes.
38:30What do you think?
38:31Oh, what?
38:33Yeah, nice, really nice.
38:35These rocks are the same rocks that the chateau was once built out of.
38:41No kidding.
38:42Yeah, so this is rose granite, and the chateau is built from rose granite.
38:47Oh, that's unbelievable.
38:49Yeah.
38:49I like that.
38:50Yeah.
38:50This is great.
38:52I think it's a great job, and this is really nice seeing old Fontaine bringing back to life,
39:00and this is a plus for the castle. I really like that.
39:06It's a definite moment to celebrate.
39:09Cheers to the fountain.
39:11Cheers.
39:14Very happy.
39:14Day's gone very well.
39:16Yeah.
39:16Yeah.
39:17Happy it's all finished.
39:19It looks pretty.
39:20It works.
39:20It looks polished, and it works as intended.
39:26Their fountain now exudes the elegance of the chateau,
39:30creating a grand first impression, and in time for the holiday season.
39:39Down in the south of France.
39:47How many years since this floor has been cleaned?
39:51Hmm, a very long time.
39:55Janet and Philip's guests are due in a couple of hours, and the tower suite needs to be finished.
40:02And that sits back really nicely out of the way.
40:05Thankfully, Philip's figured out a plan for the secret door into the bedroom.
40:12So it'll be a handle this side, a handle on the inside here, with book bindings at the back,
40:18and you have to open the door, reach your hand in to unlock the door.
40:22All he needs to do now is check it works.
40:27Looks pretty good to me, Bruce.
40:29Now, can we just swing that closed, and just see if it lines up with the shelves that are already here?
40:38The catch worked.
40:39The door went click, click!
40:41Ha ha ha!
40:43Yay!
40:44Yeah, that's great, Bruce!
40:46You want to have a go, do you?
40:51You want to have a go, do you?
40:55Yes, absolutely.
41:05Voila.
41:07I actually think it's going to look like a secret door.
41:10Thank goodness.
41:12Philip's plan has paid off.
41:14But with their guests due imminently.
41:18Oh, thanks, Bobby.
41:18You've been ironing my curtains.
41:21Excellent.
41:22They still need to dress the salon.
41:27They hang perfectly.
41:30And add some last-minute finishing touches.
41:35I put one side on first.
41:36Hang on.
41:37Oh, hang on.
41:38That side's on.
41:39Yeah, I think it looks fantastic.
41:45It really suits the room.
41:49Five months ago, the chateau's first floor had three derelict adjoining rooms,
41:56and was nothing more than a huge dumping ground for Philip's tools.
42:01Last year, they created a master bedroom, setting the level of grandeur for the suite to come,
42:12and recently created a stunning kitchen-dining area.
42:19Now, they have a stylish new salon for guests to relax in, with a unique entrance through Philip's
42:27ingenious secret bookcase door into a tower bedroom that oozes charm.
42:36Their huge grand suite is finally ready for guests.
42:45You look so grown up.
42:47And right on time, as Janet's niece, Rebecca, husband James, and their two daughters, Chloe and Sophie, have arrived.
42:59Shall we wander inside?
43:01Welcome to the tower suite.
43:06Oh, my gosh.
43:07So this was derelict completely three months ago.
43:13It was bare walls, no roof, broken windows.
43:17And I think it was only about 30 minutes ago we were still decorating in here.
43:21Yeah.
43:21Now, girls, there's something special about this room.
43:25This bookcase is a special bookcase.
43:28Behind this here is a handle.
43:31And darling, just go straight ahead into there.
43:38This is really old.
43:39This is going to be a bedroom in here.
43:42We had planned for this to be your bedroom.
43:45But there's one or two details.
43:47Yeah, we didn't quite get finished.
43:50But don't worry, we have somewhere else to sleep.
43:53Come on, Robbie.
43:58Can you get up there?
44:01Oh, well done, Sophie.
44:03It's amazing the work they've done and how it just feels like a castle, I guess.
44:08I can't believe how much work goes into every single room.
44:11The way that they make things out of ordinary bits of furniture.
44:15All of a sudden, you've got a door and a bookcase that opens into another world.
44:18It's just, it's incredible.
44:20It's such a great place.
44:23Gosh, wasn't that fantastic?
44:25The reactions were really excited.
44:27The reactions were gorgeous.
44:28You couldn't have asked for more, could you?
44:30What we've managed to achieve here for their arrival, I think, is incredible, considering
44:37what we started with.
44:38I think it's fantastic.
44:39Yeah.
44:40I think it's beautiful.
44:40Yeah.
44:41I'm actually really excited by it.
44:43It's been a colossal project.
44:47Now, Janet and Philip have a huge grand suite for guests to enjoy for many years to come.
44:59Next time.
45:00Here we are.
45:01This family take the plunge.
45:03Operation Frog is underway.
45:05Into their biggest project yet.
45:07It's like a pond.
45:08I know, it's a bit green, isn't it?
45:10Is it a bridge too far for this chateau?
45:13Every other one is spongy and it isn't going to take anyone's weight.
45:17And building a flat pack spa room.
45:19It looks like a frame.
45:20Oh my word.
45:21This is a sliding door.
45:22Gets this owner in a sweat.
45:24Oh my word.
45:26What is that?