Episode 42 - Dior at Our Château, Hidden Wallpaper & Château de Purnon

Added: 2026-05-12

[00:00:01]I got it. I got it.

[00:00:03]>> The French Revolution. So, it's a Louis V 16.

[00:00:10]>> This week, the chatau surprises us again. More hidden wallpaper buried just beneath the surface like it was waiting to be found. But while the pass slowly reveals itself, we're forced deep inside the walls, chasing something far less romantic, bringing internet into a place that was never meant to have it. Welcome back to Chat Boseidon.

[00:00:37]We are back on the second floor and we are removing wallpaper in the kitchen, what will be the kitchen eventually. And we did some really cool discoveries. So, I'm going to share that with you.

[00:00:50]So, we are in the kitchen. I don't know if you remember this room, but lots has been done today. Lots of cleaning on the floor. You can see the lenolium is gone.

[00:01:00]This is the wood. Uh there's still a bit of linen here. But now we tackle the horrible yellow wallpaper that's everywhere. And look at this surprise.

[00:01:11]We have Elyn, our wonderful volunteer with Solange here, who have been helping us uh to remove the wallpaper. And look at what we found. This is a wonderful discovery. It is such a beautiful paper.

[00:01:26]We've never seen it before. And we will talk to the team of Subliss who is helping us with our wallpaper to be able to re-edit it because this is a wonderful addition to the chat wallpaper. And yes, we will keep what we can. Look at this. How satisfying is that?

[00:01:46]Oh my god, this is so exciting.

[00:01:50]And we found another one also. So this is one of them. Look at the other one.

[00:01:54]we found. It's right here.

[00:01:58]Can you believe that they covered these wallpapers with this incredibly ugly yellow yellow piece?

[00:02:06]Look at that.

[00:02:09]Wonderful.

[00:02:12]So, we we'll keep fragments of this one as well. If we can re-edit it somehow, we will.

[00:02:19]But this is what the room looks like now without all the bird feces and all. This is our future kitchen.

[00:02:35]Well, hello. We may have not mentioned this or have, I don't know. Um but one important thing for us is to spend time in the community and connected with the community. A chatau for us is an a crucial piece of the community um surrounding it. Chatau were in villages were in small towns. They are places where people come and this place has been mostly abandoned and quiet for you know decades really. Today there is the um blood donation association um doing a walkathon basically um raising money and and awareness for blood donation. So they have three circuits six, 10 and 18 kilometers. People are walking all all morning I think and they approached us not so long ago to uh ask if we could be one of the pit stop of the walk and we said yes of course that was months ago.

[00:03:40]Today's the day. Today the walk is here and um it's so nice to see people from the village to stop by. They have questions. So I'm wearing my hoodie.

[00:03:52]Funny, you know, people know we changed the name of the chateau, but to our English community, uh, local people don't know. So now when I talk to them about chat bid, they're like, "Oh, this is Chatau Bidon." Cuz they always have known the chat as Chat de Lab. So anyway, we're having good conversation.

[00:04:12]Started mowing my lawn at the same time.

[00:04:14]But truly, I think this is too important. We need to have a conversation with the people from the community. They asked me before taking pictures. I'm like, please do. This beauty needs all the love in the world.

[00:05:05]And that's a wrap. up for the community event. It was really, really nice. Um, of course, you know, you can't get consent from all these people to film, so I I didn't uh shove the camera too close, but um I met someone who lived at the chatau before when he was still the um cooperative here, the farm. So, he said he was going to come back and tell us more stories. So, the building that is abandoned down in the forest was apparently for cows. Anyway, I gotta tell Damon because there's a lot more stories that he told me and I wanna I want to tell him first, you know.

[00:05:53]So, today we have another very exciting day here at the chateau. As you know, every single day is different here. And today we have a whole team from Canada for the magazine CL who came and we are doing a photo shoot for Dior.

[00:06:11]It's so exciting. It's our first photo shoot here at the chateau and they're going to use the chateau as a backdrop for their campaign. Um and it's one of my friend Florence who I've known for 15 years who made this happen. So very excited about this and I'm going to show you some behind the scenes today. But this is the team getting ready, makeup, hair, steaming, beautiful dresses. So the house is taken over so they can prep for the photo shoot.

[00:07:14]Heat. Heat.

[00:07:24]I know you.

[00:07:42]And that's a wrap for today for the photo shoot at the chateau. They are packing everything, but before they leave, I asked them for one picture of Tom and I in front of the chateau.

[00:07:53]It's not every day you get a professional team like this, so you got to make the most of it. And we have Arthur here in the back who's just living his best life. You can't even see him. He's Yeah, he's right there. Okay, let's finish it up.

[00:08:09]Okay, let's maybe take two minutes in today's episode to talk about Patreon because we get a lot of questions around Patreon. We advertise it, but a lot of people don't know what's happening there.

[00:08:19]>> So, Patreon is a wonderful community of 450 people from all around the world. We were lucky enough that in the past 9 months, we were able to build this community from scratch and they are just amazing. Not only do they support us, but they support the project and this big lady behind us who needs a lot of love.

[00:08:39]>> They also support one another, right?

[00:08:40]Like we find that the community now has grown to a point where people connect from um from the same state, from the same country or all over the world and sharing the same passion which is most of the time the chateau or Arthur at this point.

[00:08:53]>> Absolutely. and they join us for as little as €5 a month and then they can choose which tier like better suit them I should say. And we don't do just daily videos. There's a lot more perks that come with our Patreon subscription.

[00:09:07]>> Absolutely.

[00:09:08]>> And this this is one of our favorite parts of all of this. Those letters you're seeing, we actually send them out ourselves, handwritten, sealed with our own wax stamp and sent from the shadow to some of you when you join or around Christmas. It's simple, but it matters to us. It's a way of saying you're not just watching this from afar. And that's really what Patreon is for us. It's where we go when we're figuring things out. When we're standing in a room, not sure which direction to take, and we share it there first. We ask what you think. We read everything. And more often than not, it generally influences what we end up doing here. You're not just seeing decisions after they're made. You're part of them. And then there's a car cast. That's usually just us in the car talking through everything properly. What worked, what didn't, what's stressing us out, what's next, all the things that don't fully make it into the episode. It's a bit more raw, a bit more personal. So, if you've ever wanted to be a little closer to the project to understand it, but also to shape it, that's exactly what this is.

[00:10:08]And on Patreon, we share with our patronons daily updates, discoveries as they happen, asking them if they have an idea or do some research around what's going on. So, if that's something that speaks to you, subscribe to our Patreon and we would love to see you there. And make sure to send us a little message on Patreon as soon as you do, letting us know that you subscribed following this video just to see if this actually worked. All right, let's go back to our episode.

[00:10:40]This is may not be shadow content, but it's chatauish content. So trying to find a permanent spot for my internet. I'm going to try to explain this to you here. But wait, I got to put it down. So support and the internet that shall remain nameless. Okay.

[00:11:04]So the chatau is obviously not connected to the internet. 40 years without connection. Now there is a fiber optic which is the the fastest internet highspeed internet at the very end of our driveway which is 750 m from the chateau. Great. Um if we do want to connect to the fiber we need to dig a trench then pass the what they call f so like a plastic tube that protects the cable all the way to the street. that's you know going to come up with a bit of a bill which we will do eventually because of the capacity of satellite versus that is different. Now, we've been working with um uh a satellite, sorry. We've been working with a satellite receptor of a company that shall remain nameless for um almost a year now. And it's it's working um pretty well considering we're in the middle of of nowhere and and we get highspeed internet without having to pass any wire. But the satellite was temporarily on the other side of the house. So, I right now I'm in the backyard. Hello, laundry. Hello, tractor.

[00:12:23]And um it was it was on the other side, but now there's a parking lot and and the literally the receptor is on the ground for now because that's where we dug made a little bit of a hole inside the house. And now it's time to put it permanently on the roof so it it you know gets the right angle and and permanently also connects all my physical plugs so that my computer when I upload YouTube videos is better at that. Okay. So yesterday I passed a wire and all of that last night and it's pretty clever company. they it refuses to use any other cable than it's um original cable and obviously you have to buy it if you want an extension at an outrageous price. So I'm trying to make it work. Bear with me. So we tried a few things to move it around. Um now I'm going to try to uh well now it's it's here. I I got to go get the cable back downstairs. And from there, it's not very high where it is, but it makes it more dramatic if you use the ladder. So, I'm going to try to put the cable and uh connect it. Then hopefully hopefully this works because yesterday, last night, my little playing around cut the internet for Damian for an hour. He needs his internet. So, let me see in the basement if I can make it work.

[00:13:54]Basement of the house.

[00:13:58]Wiring.

[00:13:59]So, before it was coming from outside all the way up and now I got to go inside.

[00:14:09]Welcome to my life. This is just I'm getting my steps.

[00:14:17]Okay. Mission number one. Cable found.

[00:14:20]Now the whole system that was coming from down. Let let me actually show you.

[00:14:24]I passed it from the parking lot here and this brings to the basement and it would come out here and connect to the router. But now I need to bring everything upstairs. I need my two hands.

[00:14:42]All right. Now it's time to um you know, we're still insulating the top of the house, but you guys are done with the house. You know, a lot of people said we're not interested and we want to see the chateau. Now, wait, let me show you. I got to fit in this hole.

[00:15:00]I just want to show you the size of this hole because uh you know, I'm I'm not a small person. Uh but I got to find my way outside with this little thing. It should be interesting. Let me give you a full Blair Witch Project POV.

[00:15:20]Hopefully that we don't close the wall up before.

[00:15:29]This is some highly visually interesting section. I apologize for that. It's the best I can do. We can get a camera person in the walls. Okay.

[00:15:46]Now, internet. The things we do for good and reliable highspeed internet.

[00:16:03]All right, hold this here. I'll be right back.

[00:16:17]I'm going to try to show you what I'm doing. Okay, the cable is through. I got to get out of this space because well, it's disgusting. Really?

[00:16:35]Now I'm returning the old one back into that nasty crawl space, but I'm not going to have to go there because uh well, there's enough cable hanging out of it to pull it.

[00:16:49]The black cable is stuck. So I now have to get it unstuck and go back in there. I don't know what it's stuck on. I keep pulling. It's not coming.

[00:17:05]Now it's really resisting. I have to go back in there.

[00:17:12]Showtime.

[00:17:17]It's literally stuck in the hole.

[00:17:22]I may save you this moment of watching painfully go back in here by just accelerating it.

[00:17:35]I got it. I got it.

[00:17:39]Okay. All tests confirm.

[00:17:42]Internet is working in a permanent state of affair for the first time in I think it's the first time there's internet at the chateau on a permanent state. Now, there was a um I crawled uh in a space that makes me have to change immediately cuz all my clothes are itchy.

[00:18:04]And I'll be uh will continue this episode.

[00:18:17]It's Saturday morning and what do we do on our days off? we visit other chats once again.

[00:18:28]>> So, we're really excited to go check out Chat Deo. You guys probably have heard of it. Uh they are huge in terms of chateau restoration.

[00:18:40]Um we have known of them for quite a few years. They bought the chateau I think six years ago and they just two weeks ago removed the scaffolding on the facade.

[00:18:51]>> Yeah, true. I told them, "Thank you for doing that for lunch. It's right on schedule."

[00:18:57]>> So, we're going to have lunch with them.

[00:18:59]But the thing you have to know is we're we're 100% fanirling here. Um, we started following their journey long before we secured Chachobidon. Damian bought their book, stunning book, um, as a coffee table book. Um, and we had it and I remember you read it. uh you were reading it at night just to get you inspired and see what they were doing and and I remember like you were showing me some pictures of how far they took this building going like see people can do it.

[00:19:31]>> It's it's just incredible what they've done. Um and we have a lot of questions for them. We will try to film a little bit. We'll see what we can do. Um and yeah, we're getting there in 10 minutes.

[00:19:43]So >> So we're having lunch with them. They promised a little bit of a tour. Chateau tours are not a small affair and that thing can take hours. But I don't know how we can see inside that much because it's not that um >> well we don't know actually. We'll see.

[00:19:59]>> We'll see. What we know is the exterior has like the roof has been fully redone.

[00:20:05]They are so they don't work with the same um freedom as as we do I guess but they do get a lot more funding and support. Yeah. So, it's kind, you know, it's always a bit of a tradeoff. Um, >> wow.

[00:20:22]It is incredible.

[00:20:25]>> I don't know where to go.

[00:20:27]>> Um, we'd seen Chateau de Pno so many times online, but arriving here felt completely different. We brought a bit of British weather with us. Gray skies, a light drizzle, and somehow it made everything feel even more dramatic because in front of us, this perfectly symmetrical 18th century chateau frozen in time untouch in a way you almost never see anymore. The roof alone, the lines, the dormers, the detail. It's the kind of place you could just stand and stare at. Then we stepped inside. Tim welcomed us and just before lunch took us through the chatau room by room, sharing the story of what they bringing back to life here. And meanwhile, Arthur had already made a new friend, running around with Tuf like they'd known each other forever. And for a moment, it all felt very simple. Two dogs playing, lunch about to be served, and this extraordinary place slowly waking up again.

[00:21:19]>> Hello from Perno. We are at Perno, most beautiful, incredible, magical castle ever.

[00:21:25]>> It's unbelievable. Really nice to see um more crazy people like us. We just had a lovely lunch and now we're going to divide and conquer like we did with Dick and Angel. Damian's going to visit the chateau and I'm going with Tim to visit the uh heating system because that's apparently what excites me in life.

[00:21:43]>> Yeah, that is practical stuff and I'm going to go see the pretty stuff.

[00:21:46]>> All right, so let's go.

[00:21:49]>> All right, so we are inside the chateau and like we Tom said, we're going to divide and conquer. I'm with Click and the dogs are having a very jolly time here together.

[00:22:00]And we're about to go see some of the beautiful pernel papers.

[00:22:04]>> Yeah. So, we're going to go and have a look at one of our original 18th century wallpapers.

[00:22:08]>> That's so exciting.

[00:22:08]>> Let's go.

[00:22:09]>> Let's go.

[00:22:10]>> I love all the bust you have everywhere.

[00:22:12]Oh, >> yeah.

[00:22:13]>> Beautiful.

[00:22:16]>> That's That's how I light my chateau, too, with my flashlight from my phone.

[00:22:20]>> Yeah.

[00:22:22]>> So, this wallpaper here is one of our original 18th century wallpapers.

[00:22:26]>> Oh my god. In fact, it's the only surviving example of this in situ anywhere in the world.

[00:22:33]>> And you can see um >> so beautiful >> that so it's block painted obviously and you can see you know with an 18th century wallpaper one of the ways to tell it is the size of the paper because they didn't make paper on rolls >> right >> in the 18th century. So you can really see here clearly. So was it kind of like um they they pressed on it like they had like a a template basically they put the paint on and then they just kind of pressed on it or >> each individual color is done with a different block. Okay.

[00:23:02]>> And one of the unusual things here at Fernal actually is you can see that it's not on a solid wall.

[00:23:09]>> So our wallpapers are hung on burlap backing paper which is like a hesshen backing paper and sorry a hesshen backing and then the wallpaper sits on top of it. So you can see there there's essentially a void behind the back of the wallpaper which allows >> air to go through and circulate. Okay.

[00:23:28]So it doesn't mold.

[00:23:29]>> Exactly. And it's one of the reasons that these wallpapers are so beautifully preserved.

[00:23:33]>> It's a really incredible one. This one did you redo it with the >> No. So this wallpaper hasn't been part of the burn on paper collection, but I can show you some that have.

[00:23:44]>> I would love that.

[00:23:45]>> Let's go have a look.

[00:23:46]>> Okay.

[00:23:48]They're actually standing there and they're cute.

[00:23:53]>> Yeah, they're they're having a very jolly old time, both of them together.

[00:23:58]>> They care not that there's no lives.

[00:24:00]>> No.

[00:24:02]>> We ended in the library, quiet, timeless, lined with stories that have outlived generations. And just like that, it was time to leave. We stepped back outside, took one last look, and left this magical place, knowing we'd carry a bit of it with us. Just got out of Shat de Po and boy oh boy was this an impressive visit. Like there's no words. It was it was just incredible. Um >> heart is full full full. They shared with us their highs and lows and they even told us how they missed the first year's craziness uh which we're going through right now because they've been at it for six years and they just removed the scaffolding from the facade literally two weeks ago.

[00:24:49]I told them right on time for our lunch.

[00:24:51]Thank you so much for having removed them right before we got here. Um we we we got in a conversation and um filming was not necessarily we may have forgotten to film a little bit. Um but we enjoyed this moment. We just put our phone down and and got stuck in a million conversations, questions. Um and again, I think it's always great to uh have these conversation with chateau owners. You may have noticed there's a bit of a pattern uh with what we're doing um with chateau owners. We visit a lot of them and we always approach them with a lot of curiosity trying to see a little bit kind of learn and and jump up to our own conclusion but really approach and see and ask around. And all of them so far have been generous of not telling us what to do, but rather what they've mistakes they've made, lessons they've learned, >> and for us to make our own mind >> and then for us to make our own mind and that is so precious. Um, so honestly, I'm I'm leaving here my my heart full, my belly full. Yeah. Um, and >> and talking about all the papers also uh with Flick was just so interesting because we're going >> the wallpaper we're going through that right now. Removing old layers of wallpaper in the chateau and finding the original ones and I want to recreate them and it's really really fun to see someone obsessed like that about wallpaper just like I am. Um, and they have incredible 18th century ones that I was drooling over. I was a bit wallpaper jealous. I'm not going to lie. But yeah, anyways, it was just a wonderful afternoon. And they're two hours away from us, so really not far. If you don't follow them, go check out their YouTube.

[00:26:44]We post on Saturdays, they post on Sundays, so you can watch both of us during your weekend. And uh >> now, don't compare the work. Hey, hey, don't compare the work because we do it all ourselves. And um they have the the the beauty of having the architect, the monument France, people who have knowledge and are doing basically God's work on this chateau.

[00:27:09]>> That's true.

[00:27:09]>> And then there's this dude trying to fix one thing and breaks another one. Don't compare us. See, we're like the charity compared to their work. But um yes, they're wonderful. Thank you for having us. And now we get to go back to our own little plaza land.

[00:27:27]>> There you go.

[00:27:28]>> Bye.

[00:27:30]>> Thank you so much for being here with us. If you like what we do, please click the like and subscribe button. It helps us more than you can imagine. And if you'd like to see even more content, we post daily on Patreon for exclusive updates from Chattopas Idol.