Original subtitles

I'm Dick Strawbridge, and along with my wife, Angel,

and our two children...

Welcome aboard, mateys!

..we're not five years... Woo!

..into restoring this once-abandoned chateau.

It's beautiful.

It's brought its challenges.

CRASHING

And some amazing rewards.

Thank you for my flower gardens, Mr Strawbridge.

And across France, there are dozens of other Brits

who are on their own chateau adventure.

Yay!

We'll meet some old friends...

Smile! I am.

..and new faces...

These rooms really haven't been touched in 60 years.

..and we'll reveal more about our own chateau life.

It is so much better in real life!

There'll be highs...

CHEERS

..and lows... Oh, no!

God! What a disaster!

..as these plucky Brits...

Time is money.

..transform these once unloved buildings into incredible homes...

I just cannot believe how much work you put in for us.

..as well as businesses... CHEERING

Woohoo!

..and get to live the dream as custodians of their very own castle.

Cheers, everybody! GLASSES CLINK

Today, it's D-Day...

The priority is, for me, in 24 hours,

to get these beds made and constructed.

..as one couple prepare for their biggest chateau booking ever.

Why did I think this was a good idea?

It's like the Chuckle Brothers!

DIY decorations see some creative escapism.

This panel is all about a lady sitting by the window looking out

and...

..the bird is set free and flies out.

And wildlife roof squatters...

I can see a big poo up there.

..make a messy task even messier.

OK, here goes, Tom.

Lovely.

Across France, there are lots of Brits snapping up chateaus

and turning them into homes and businesses.

Like former fashion designer Mariam,

husband Jono, an ex-tailor

and son Monty,

who've been renovating Chateau Domaine de la Salle

for over a year now.

I love making something happen, working on a project and seeing

a difference that you can make.

I love bringing old places back to life.

Located near Bordeaux in southwestern France,

they've come a long way in 12 months,

transforming it from an empty shell

into a luxury B&B and events venue.

Let me take you in. Thank you.

They recently got the bedrooms finished just in time to welcome

a large group of visitors.

It's huge! Wow.

I feel really relieved about progress because now we can actually

receive guests and not worry whether they've actually got a door

to their room or a toilet that flushes or a sink that's gone

missing or whatever.

People can come and it's all sorted.

Mariam wants to ensure every room has a sense of elegance and style...

..so has made even grander plans for their ground floor salon,

which she wants to turn into the crown jewel of the chateau.

We really need a Grande Salon for people to sit in

and have their afternoon tea or, you know, be invited to a cocktail.

You've got to have somewhere in a chateau

that makes you feel special.

It's mainly for me, so I can sit there and read the newspaper.

You won't be allowed in there!

It sounds like it's VIPs only,

and such an exclusive room requires a very special floor.

Mariam had wanted to use Parquet de Versailles flooring,

a design first used in the 17th century

for the most prestigious chateau in France.

I looked around and got in touch with people

and it was going to be about 30,000 euros,

and we couldn't do it.

Instead, she's gone for the next best thing.

Reproduction oak panels that are still handmade,

but around a third of the price.

It should be really good fun to see it all...

..um, joining up.

They're fairly easy to install.

A combination of glue, nails,

and wooden beading, which slots between the panels,

keeps them in place.

Ah, that's the joining of them.

The boys are making light work of it,

but Mariam is leaving nothing to chance.

Kind of learned to sometimes actually come and watch

because otherwise something's done and you come and look at it

and think, "That's not what I wanted."

Keeping a close eye on what's going on can save costly misunderstandings.

This job runs smoothly,

and just 24 hours later, Mariam is keen to give Jono

a glimpse of her vision.

What do you think of the floor, then?

It looks good, doesn't it? I think it looks magnificent, yup.

No, I'm very pleased with it.

Phew! I think it's very nice.

It'll look fantastic when it's oiled.

Tubby likes it.

It's a thumbs up so far.

Mariam has equally extravagant plans for the walls.

Put in the pomegranates, which I really wanted.

And then somewhere we've got to have a peacock, don't we?

She designing decorative panels,

which she'll be painting on the salon walls herself.

These are really just rough sketches

so that I know what I'm doing before I do it.

I've got two big panels and four little panels.

There's going to be a wooden moulding around them.

Then we paint these two walls blue

and then afterwards I paint the mural inside those mouldings.

Mariam grew up in the Middle East

and wants the murals to reflect her time there.

This panel is all about a song by Fairuz that my father translated

for me when I was younger.

We used to sing it together.

It's all about a lady sitting by the window looking out,

and...

..the bird is set free and flies out.

I really hope they look good.

Otherwise, I'm going to have to just redo the whole thing.

It certainly sounds impressive.

I can't wait to see what it looks like when it's all finished.

In northern France lies Chateau de Montvason.

Built in 1878, it has 30 rooms and is set in 8.5 acres of woodland.

It's owned by Emma - a freelance development consultant -

and partner Paul, who retired from the car industry on ill health.

They run it as a B&B and events venue.

We do work very well together.

I'm OCD and he's messy.

Perfect combo.

Yeah, he messes up. I come in and clean.

I'm a happy bunny.

Located next to the Normandy coast, Emma and Paul are gearing up for one

of their biggest events since moving in just over two years ago.

75th anniversary this year for D-Day

and we've got a booking

of sort of retired and ex-American servicemen.

The whole of the chateau is getting taken over,

so, yeah, that puts a bit of extra stress on.

Right. Let's go see how we're doing.

As well as hosting a party for 250 people,

the chateau is fully booked.

Right.

They're expecting 15 guests tomorrow,

but only have five bedrooms.

The priority is, for me, in 24 hours,

to get these beds made and constructed.

Fortunately, Emma has a plan.

I'll tell you what we need to do.

I want the boys to get the furniture in place.

We need to move the white iron bed... Yeah? ..from the gold...

Into the Prussian? ..to the Prussian.

So I would like you and Jim to do that.

Jim and Jude on that.

Emma wants to put extra beds in the rooms...

No, not that stuff. We just want the bed that's underneath it.

..and has tasked mate Jim and son Jude with the job.

Stuff is everywhere.

So I'm now trying to literally get everything where it needs to be.

So I need to get beds constructed, then made up,

then clean the chateau.

That's all!

To help dress the rooms, friend Maggie's been brought in,

which leaves Emma time to keep a close eye on the boys.

I'm doing what... I know how to do it.

Don't worry. All right. I'm not going to micromanage you.

I'm going to leave you.

Just don't scratch the wallpaper.

EMMA SIGHS Oh, fantastic.

Keep going.

Although Emma's not straying too far away.

Watch the paintwork.

Seriously. Seriously watch the paintwork! Yeah!

Right, come to me. Come to me.

We should be able to get it through here. That's it.

Watch the paintwork!

Other way round.

Twist... Why did I think this was a good idea,

getting you two... It's like the Chuckle Brothers!

Oh, at least you have fun while you work. To me! To you!

With the extra beds safely in place,

Jim's now needed in an unfinished room in the West Wing.

Correct treatment for a rug.

What's that? Boot it. Boot it?! Is that...?

With so many guests staying over, Emma and Paul are moving in here.

It just needs to be a touch more habitable.

There we go. Bingo.

Oh, lovely.

OK. I just need to do a bit of tweaking in here.

Perfectionist Emma wants everything to be flawless.

I've just been focused on trying to get all of the bedrooms ready

for all our guests tomorrow.

And meanwhile, Paul's been making our little room nice.

It's just temporary, but originally I just thought we'd have a mattress,

so this is... This is great.

It seems Emma's plan is slowly falling into place.

Almost 250 people due to descend on the chateau grounds,

they're about to get busy.

Coming up, creating an event space

sees one family tackling some mucky business.

Argh.

That is disgusting.

LAUGHTER That's really grim, isn't it?!

And how many chateau owners does it take to change a light bulb?

Got to change these revolting bulbs.

I think it's actually an old one

that would have originally had candles in it.

This is the picturesque, 19th century Chateau La Perriere.

It has 20 rooms, an outdoor swimming pool and lots of outbuildings.

It's owned by Paul, who runs a workplace design company,

wife Karen, an interior designer, and children, Tom and Katie.

They bought it 15 years ago,

and have renovated it into a luxury holiday retreat.

We dream big and our dreams never stop.

And therefore, I don't think the renovations here will ever stop

because there'll always be more to do. Always.

Located in the Loire Valley in northwest France,

last time we met them, they renovated part of an outbuilding...

TOOL RUMBLES

..and transformed it into a stylish cinema entertainment room.

That's more palatial than most cinema scenes.

But as with most chateaus, not every project goes smoothly.

The roof guy's ended up sticking his foot in the roof

and making a hole.

La Perriere strikes again, is what you're saying.

It's been six months,

and Karen and Paul have finally got the builders in

to fix the outbuilding roof.

It was an old stable and coach house,

which they now want to transform into a wedding venue

to help bring in more income,

to work towards their aim of living here permanently.

To be able to hold events and celebrations here

at the chateau would be...

It'd be great. ..would be great.

But sprucing, it isn't.

Major projects, I think, is more... "Here we go again."

Today, the plan is to start ripping down the ceiling in the coach house.

The best place to start is, I think, here,

cos there's a hole already.

As Paul's away working in the UK,

it's left to Karen and 15-year-old son Tom to get their hands dirty.

We're going to expose the beams, are we? Exactly.

For the moment, it's a pretty soulless room.

So we're just going to have a crowbar and pull it down.

Well, that's the theory.

Sounds like a plan, but there's just one thing bothering Karen.

I can see a big poo up there.

Like, it's that big.

Are you sure that's just not like a dead mouse? I can't remember...

They're called... What are they called? Um, something martens.

And that's just the ideal space for them.

Ah, yes, pine marten. They're common in France.

We often spot evidence of the little fellows in our grounds.

There's a wild animal here and it's pooping in one place.

Ew! Don't be disgusting!

They belong to the same family as weasels and ferrets

and normally live in the woods.

That's night-time. Watch, watch, watch, watch, watch.

HE HOLLERS

What is that?

When they decide to visit your attic, they can be a nuisance.

But as Paul and Karen are having their roof redone,

it shouldn't be an ongoing problem.

All right. Hat on, then.

Might want to put your mask on first. Oh, God, yeah.

Ah, you're such the pro!

Well spotted, Tom.

This job requires the full kit.

Priceless.

It's not working.

And at this rate, it could take a while.

OK. You hold my gloves for me cos I'm making a right old mess of this.

It's a really good start.

You've practised putting that on. Have I? Yeah.

Look out. Right, OK. Let's go.

Safety equipment sorted...

..Karen gets stuck in.

OK. Here goes, Tom. OK.

Lovely.

That's the poo.

That's actually quite... It is quite big, right?

Ew, that's... That's not nice. It's huge. That's horrible.

Aw, heck. That was...

Ugh, horrible.

A lot easier than I thought it was.

However...

..it's actually a lot more disgusting than

I could ever have imagined.

So much so, she decides to let Tom try his luck.

Oh, good, you're up there.

Ah.

That is disgusting.

SHE LAUGHS It's really grim, isn't it?

That's one unpleasant job started.

There's a huge amount of work to turn this old coach house

into a luxurious wedding venue.

190 miles away, at Chateau de Montvason...

Let's have a look, what we've got...

Emma and Paul are busy preparing for the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

Yes. Going to be our first big one.

So, it's quite important we get it right.

Tomorrow, they'll be hosting a barbecue for 250 people

in the garden.

But today, it's all about getting the chateau ready

for a group of Army veterans and their families

who are due in just a couple of hours.

We are behind schedule for my liking, so, uh...

..a little... A little stressed.

The chateau itself played a part in the Second World War,

where the building was occupied by German infantry

before being liberated by American troops in 1944.

On the chateau's second floor,

the bedroom doors still have soldiers' names scribbled on them.

So the fantastic thing about this group is that, um, they come...

Some of them come from the 4th Division, which is the division

that actually liberated this chateau in the Second World War.

So we're going to have a real nice chat about, you know, the history,

D-Day history and the chateau's histories.

15 people are staying, which is their biggest booking so far.

As well as putting in extra beds to accommodate everyone...

..they've also arranged everything with military precision.

Great.

And their guests arrive right on time.

You brought the sun with you. Hi, I'm Emma. Hi, Emma. I'm Phil.

Oh, Phil, lovely to meet you. Nice to meet you. Of course.

Hey, Paul. Hi, Phil, how are you? This is my wife, Lisa.

Jameson. Jameson.

Come on in, we'll show you around.

So this is your room.

Lisa and Philip and Jameson are in here.

So... Let's give this a look. ..this is your room.

That's your bed.

It looks like they're all going to arrive at once.

So, you know where you are. Is it just you three,

or was there someone else?

This is my son, Carson. My wife's in the car.

Lovely to meet you, cool.

You like?

So, again, I don't mind who sleeps where. I'll let you...

Emma and Paul don't waste any time telling the guests about

the chateau's impressive military history.

Oh, you want to show them... That's where the Germans were.

Oh, yeah. We'll show you that in a sec. Yeah.

And the Americans. The Americans were up there

after they chased the Germans out.

Yeah, so it hasn't been touched since World War II.

So we've got the names... We have a couple of ceilings.

Yeah, we've got the names of the Germans on the door and also

the Americans who then liberated the chateau.

So that's why we were so excited about you guys coming.

At the end of the drive, there, um, is the 4th Division line,

whilst the battle for Vallon was going on.

Yeah, and they got the Germans out of the house

by dropping bombs in the back garden, and they just left.

So then the Americans stayed until 1946.

Having talked to Paul and Emma, this is... This is pretty special place.

I mean, to get a chance to stay somewhere

that was part of history...

Pretty special for us.

This is exactly where you would hope to be and to stay

when you come to Normandy. Just incredible.

Without a doubt, Emma and Paul have already won their guests over.

It's great, and they're all happy,

and I think they'll enjoy their...

Think they'll enjoy their stay.

These are real army guys. And people were saying earlier,

they're not used to this level of comfort,

so that's a really good thing.

They couldn't have wished for a better start.

With a barbecue for 250 people due to take place

in the chateau grounds, the party's about to ramp up.

In southwestern France, at Chateau Domaine de la Salle,

Mariam has called in specialist decorators to help complete

the next part of her grand vision for the salon.

We're just about to put up the ceiling rose,

and, after that, we might be able to put up the chandelier.

Mariam's had a ceiling rose made at a cost of over £600

and doesn't want to risk fitting it herself.

This one's made in a French factory.

These guys deal with that factory and they put them up the whole time.

For them, it's straightforward.

If it actually drops off, they have to replace it.

That's a pretty good insurance policy.

But, let's hope it doesn't come to that.

I didn't want anything too pompous.

Thought if I have put a huge, great big ceiling rose there,

it's like pretending I'm at Versailles. I'm not.

This is a little bijoux chateau.

To ensure the ceiling rose is stuck firmly in place,

the decorators attach two wooden props to support it

until the glue dries.

It's like a pair of stilts holding up the ceiling,

and if we took them away, the whole thing would come down.

Next, Mariam sets the decorators to work painting two of the walls.

But first, they have to get the colour mix exactly right.

Luckily, designer Mariam has a great eye for colour...

Oops! I shouldn't be leaning onto that! Ka-poof!

THEY LAUGH

One near miss avoided...

..and the paint colour is bang on.

Oh!

This is brilliant. It's exactly what I wanted.

I think it's very, very pretty.

With the walls painted and the ceiling rose dry...

..it's now over to Jono to hang up an 18kg antique chandelier,

they picked up for about £150.

It's jolly heavy, this thing. Oh, it looks nice in here.

Yeah, can you...? Yes, I'm trying, dear.

One of Mariam's all-time bargains.

We purchased it from a very nice lady

in a magnificent house in Paris.

It'll be all right.

HE GRUNTS

Right.

Anyway.

With the chandelier safely in place,

Mariam's already spotted an imperfection.

I've got to change these revolting bulbs.

I think it's actually an old one that would've

originally had candles in it.

It was converted at a later date, I think.

Well, that's another job to add to the list.

I can't wait to see what grand plans Mariam comes up with next.

Coming up...

Do I need to brace myself? I would say, yes.

..Karen has big news on renovation costs for husband, Paul...

I want it all. And how much is that?

3,500.

3,500 euros?

I can't even say it.

..and clearing the deadwood from Emma and Paul's chateau...

Really good way to get your woods cleared out. I love it.

..keeps the home fires burning for the D-Day barbecue.

As we say in America, it's been awesome.

At Chateau La Perriere,

with work started transforming the coach house

and stable block into a wedding venue...

..Paul is back from the UK

and Karen's called a budget meeting.

So, these are the plans, are they? QUIETLY: Sit down.

OK. Do I have to relax? You do.

That's always best. Do I need to brace myself?

Oh, I'd have to say yes to everything.

THEY CHUCKLE

I want it all. Of course you do.

So, we were thinking celebrations, parties, weddings.

Mm-hm. So, I'm thinking that the coach house would be

where people would enter in and it's going to be the welcoming area,

maybe champagne, canapes.

Then, flowing through to the stables for the main meal. Mm-hm.

Then, I'm kind of thinking we will end up with

two long tables here. Mm-hm.

So the only structural work...

OK. ..is that, isn't it? Yeah.

Karen's plan is to remove part of the wall between the coach house

and the stable block.

Now, the roofer has already given us a price for putting

a lintel in.

Yeah? Is it...?

So, you tell me, how much would you think it would cost

to put a lintel in?

2,000.

2,000 to 2,500... 2,000 euros.

2,000. There you go. My final offer. 2,000 euros.

WHISPERING: You're so short.

OK. And how much is it?

QUIETLY: 3,500.

3,500 euros? HE LAUGHS

It's 5m!

That's 5m. That's fair. Yeah...

OK, so it's 3,500...

I can't even say it.

We haven't budgeted any of this. We haven't budgeted the 40 grand

for the roof, have we?

No. There's always, "Oh, we've just found this...

"..chateau life. Get a quotation, add 20%

"and you might be just about there by the time they've finished."

OK, but we've got to do something because it's

like a tiny door at the moment, which is just not big enough.

I think the question is, how big?

And how much money we spend on doing it.

Paul might need a bit more convincing,

so Karen wants to show off the work she's done in the coach house

while he's been away working to pay for the project.

Oh, God.

What? Wow. Stop, because I want you to admire it.

She's so far managed to remove the ceiling to expose

the wooden beams, and stripped back the plastered walls

to reveal the original stonework.

That was just awful before, wasn't it?

It's like, why would you cover this wall up? It's so beautiful.

The size, isn't it? If you look at the beams, they're not that old...

No. ..sadly. I was a bit disappointed.

I'm not. We're not having to replace them all. I know.

Yeah. They're not rotten. That's the thing. This is why I'm actually

smiling because we've actually opened it up and we... For once,

we actually don't seem to have opened up a can of worms. Yeah.

I wouldn't count your chickens just yet, Paul,

as Karen also has plans for the stable block.

We've got lots of decisions to be made here.

OK. I've got some great ideas. Great ideas.

Can I tell you?

CHUCKLING: Yeah. Go on. OK.

I'm going to attempt to draw what I want these divisions to be

because we need this space to be open. Yeah.

I want tables running down the length,

two long tables. Mm-hm.

So, what I'm thinking is, we're going to take out...

..these. All of these. Yeah. Take them all out...

Yep. ..so we end up with just a frame.

Yeah. So they're not staying here, then? No, no, no.

We're going to take these and then put them on the wall

that we've just taken the render off. So just one of them?

Just one. And then that can be our support for our table.

Yeah. And that'll be our welcoming drinks, dessert table.

So they go flat against the wall?

Yeah.

Repurposing a stable partition into a buffet table

is a great idea, and it'll save some cash, too.

That. So are we doing these at Easter, are we?

Is this the...? No, today.

We're starting today.

OK.

I'm I not on holiday?

No.

Well, when you own a chateau, it's always more of

a busman's holiday.

In southwestern France, Mariam is still working in the grand salon.

A previous project in a bathroom above meant they decided

to lower the salon's ceiling to accommodate the plumbing.

I feel like this ceiling's even lower than everywhere else.

You think it's too low as well, Mariam? Hm, yes.

What? Yeah. Oh, my God. Yeah, I think I made a big mistake.

Because I'm not terribly experienced in plumbing,

I didn't think that you needed some pipes at the bottom

of the bathroom. And that's why it's come down so low.

It's a bit hard to change it now. I know. I know.

Renovating a chateau is always a steep learning curve

and some problems have a knock-on effect.

It means that I've got no space to put a curtain rail

above the window.

This one calls for a creative solution.

So, we've been thinking about it

and we're going to put in pelmets...

..and with just a really flat curtain track underneath.

Mariam and Johnno have left gaps in the cornicing

to make spaces for the pelmets.

So, these are the bits of pelmet-y stuff that I've made, OK?

Today, she and Johnno want to choose a design by experimenting

with cardboard cut-outs.

All right. So, option one.

So, we cut this piece and we put it in there.

My other option was this.

We can have that. Mm-hm.

To make an executive decision, Mariam decides it's best

to see them both in situ in the salon.

OK. So that's that.

Whoops.

That looks silly, that one. We'll try this one instead.

HE SIGHS

OK. Yeah, that's fine there.

With a decision made, she now wants Johnno to make

a more representative sample...

Right.

..as he's going to be making the pelmets himself.

Oh, maybe that'll do the trick.

I'm making a mock-up of it first before we do the real thing

because then...it'll allow Mariam to change her mind,

like she usually does.

While Johnno works on the design...

..Mariam is keen to perfect the murals she started on the walls.

When it's going OK, it's quite soothing doing it,

and when it's not, it's the most frustrating thing on Earth.

I haven't done it for so many years.

I'm completely and utterly out of practice.

Mariam was a budding painter before choosing a career in fashion.

I find it really therapeutic. I really enjoy it.

During the process, I normally hate it

and I think, "Why did I start?"

And I think I can't finish. And, hopefully, when it's finished,

what usually happens is I think, "Oh, it's not that bad after all."

Let's hope the same can be said about Johnno's mock-up pelmet.

Whoops.

Oi. Right.

Do you want to test opening the windows?

This should be fun.

It's good. OK. Good, good.

Result.

Very happy.

You've done a very nice sample.

I thought it was rather good. So, we're all good to go.

Problem resolved.

With the seal of approval from Mariam,

they're inching ever closer towards finishing their grand salon.

In Normandy, Emma and Paul are hosting a D-Day barbecue

for American troops and their families.

I love that, Lisa. That is so pretty. Isn't that perfect?

The colours! I want to sit in this bit.

Arranged by their guests, it's due to start in just

a couple of hours.

The problem I have now is the caterers have turned up

and the people who are organising tonight's thing aren't back yet.

So I have no idea where I'm going to put them.

With no-one around to check with,

Emma's going to have to take over.

SHE SPEAKS FRENCH

On the menu's going to be barbecued lamb.

Emma wants to make sure the trailer has prime position.

Being a perfectionist, she also has an exact spot.

I think I'm being a bit of a pain.

But I just want to do the right thing.

HE SPEAKS FRENCH OK, bon, alors.

With the barbecue up and running, one thing's ticked off the list.

The returning guests haven't missed all the fun.

Paul's been put in charge of getting wood for a bonfire...

Bonfire muscle. Let's go.

..and he's recruited some helpers.

Where are you going to get...? Over the back there.

That back lane, there's loads in there.

Just drag it all up. Let's get a truck.

You go and get a truck.

With eight and a half acres of woodland to choose from,

it's a simple task.

Really good way to get your woods cleared out.

It's fantastic.

I love it.

I don't have to do it now.

Two jobs for the price of one.

Yeah, that's it! That's better.

While the guests head back to help with preparations...

Yeah. Tight lock. Tight, tight, tight. Tight.

All the way. Tight. No!

..Paul's left to navigate the truck safely out of the woods.

Keep going. Keep going.

One foot. Two foot. Right, well...

It's proving to be a bit of a squeeze.

You're all right. You've got loads of room.

Yeah. Off you go. Go on. Lovely job.

Yeah. Go on.

With no damage done, it's been a successful sortie.

Back at the chateau, the barbecue is in full swing

and it looks like they've got all the bases covered with the catering.

Oh, you've gone for cold cuts. Gone for the cold cuts.

Yeah. I think these are appetisers. Oh. Amuse-bouche.

I think it's been great.

It's been very welcoming.

The chateau has been amazing. Emma and Paula are awesome.

I'm going to be sad when we leave. I literally probably will cry.

I really will.

You got food, we got drink, we got fire.

We've got friends.

Doesn't get much better than that.

So, as we say in America, it's been awesome.

This has been our biggest booking this year,

and it's very important for us to have, you know,

big group bookings.

It's really great to have the chateau full.

It's really fun.

I like...I like that. I think it's what it's made for.

Successfully hosting one of their biggest events yet

is another notch in this couple's chateau business belt

and should give them confidence to expand their events in the future.

Coming up...

Do you think I've done the right thing by taking the panels out?

..Karen has DIY doubts...

Kept them in? You told me to take them out.

You're supposed...you're supposed to say,

"No, I think you absolutely did the right thing."

..and Mariam has a cover-up for some dodgy birds...

You just want to hide the chicken.

They're meant to be pheasants.

..as the grand salon reaches completion.

What do you think?

In the Loire Valley,

Karen wants Paul, and children Tom and Kate,

to help dismantle an old stable partition.

Right.

As she has grand plans for reusing it as a buffet table

for their wedding venue.

Tasks?

Tasks are sanding. Yeah.

Right. Job, Katie - you're going to be sanding with Mummy.

I will sand, but I'm not doing the cobwebs.

OK. OK, that's fine.

Daddy'll do the cobwebs. Mm-hm.

Karen wants to remove the decades of grime

to see the condition of the wood underneath.

I quite like the markings.

I don't want to get rid of the markings. OK.

Tom's task is to cut out the panels

and he's already hit a problem.

Yeah. Katie. But who's going to move the stones first of all?

Who's going to move the stones? All of the stones there?

The tiles. Cos I can't cut until that's been...

Wow, there's a job.

KATIE: I don't think Mum thought about that.

Do we have to be move all those now? TOM: Yes.

Yeah? Wow.

1,000 tiles?

KATIE: You've got to be kidding me! Bloody marvellous.

Jobs like these are never straightforward,

but until the tiles are removed,

the panels can't be cut out.

That was half an hour of my life

I will not get back.

KAREN SIGHS I think that's the best description. You love me all the more for it.

But we want to use this one, not that one or not that one.

We need to use this one, apparently, so...

Yeah, that was a... It was a good half an hour. Loved it.

I don't know how you do this, but I'm fine.

You're doing a great job.

Problem solved.

The sawing can finally begin again.

Look out.

You need to watch... Down...

I know. I'm going down,

but I can only go down slowly. You're cutting the top.

You're cutting the top. OK. I can only go down slowly. OK.

Because otherwise I'll snap the blade.

Taking extra care

to avoid a cut in the wrong place...

..the panel should now be loose enough to come out.

You ready?

No, love, try and slice them up

cos they should all come out. They shouldn't...

That's it.

Now they're getting somewhere.

There you go.

Although Karen is starting to doubt herself.

Do you think I've done the right thing by taking the panels out?

Well, what else could you have done?

Kept them in. Hm?

Kept them in. You told me to take them out.

You're supposed... You're supposed to say,

"No, I think you absolutely did the right thing."

Well, I think it looks great. Oh, good.

Right answer.

Pleased? Yeah, I'm really pleased.

Right, let's go and have some tea.

What are you thinking? You're not changing your mind again.

I'm not changing my mind.

I'm actually really pleased with how they look. Good.

That's it then. Right.

For another day. For another day.

It's a start,

but there's still a lot of decisions to make,

money to spend

and work to do

before this place is transformed into a wedding venue.

100 miles away in southwestern France...

Johnno?

Right, at your service, Duchess.

Mariam, Johnno and son Monty

are putting the finishing touches

to their grand salon.

Do you want a hand? Hang on.

Starting with a 300-kilo

baby grand piano.

OK.

One, two, three.

No, it's come off its coasters, hasn't it?

Oops. It doesn't matter.

Do you want to put the coasters back if I lift it?

Mariam's put coasters down

to protect the parquet floor,

but I'd be more worried about Johnno's toes.

Put it there? Yep.

Perfect.

I'm stuffed in the corner.

HE EXHALES Maybe in the corner, but no foot injuries.

Can we now lift up the wing bit

to see whether that works?

You just want to hide the chicken.

Yep, I want to hide the chicken.

And they're meant to be pheasants.

There's a rather unpleasant couple of pheasants

which I painted and don't have the time to redo.

No great work of art is made in a day.

All that's left to do now

is to finish dressing the room.

Right.

What do you think?

Yeah, not bad.

Four months ago,

this room was nothing more than an empty space.

Now it's been transformed

into a stylish and elegant grand salon.

Mariam's savvy shopping

has saved her a significant amount -

from the wooden floors

to the second-hand finds.

And she's found creative ways

to make the most of the lowered ceiling.

The pelmets have worked. You know what's worked

is the fact that you don't notice them.

That's great after all that work.

MARIAM CHUCKLES

Mariam's eye for detail

and her artistic skills on the walls

help give the room that personal touch.

It's been quite a lot of work

to get the salon to the state it is now.

I feel quite relieved that the salon is finished.

I just like the way it all comes together -

the pale blue, the golds,

the painting,

the velvet sofas.

It does look like a pretty room.

I wanted something that looked

a bit like a pretty cake or something like that.

Don't ask me why.

Mariam's certainly pulled it out of the bag

and I'm sure it will only be a matter of time

before the guests come flocking.

Next time... Oh, my wisteria's going to go!

..Emma and Paul tackle a huge garden project.

Yes! Woo!

Woo!

Mariam turns on the style...

I'm just not used to this kind of thing.

..in an effort to drum up more business.

Smile!

I am.

And Karen and Paul's wedding project hits the buffers.

Hey, so here is that wall... OK.

..which has just cost...

SHE COUGHS ..£7,000.

Just got to find a way of paying for it now.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media