Handsome Dan is Screwing up. ARGH!!!!!!
Y’all know about handsome Dan. He undertook the absurdly monumental project of restoring a roofless late-19th century chateau in France.
I was not joking about the roofless part. Floorless, too. The result of a fire in, I think, the 1980s.
At the top of the roofless tower (which Dan always incorrectly calls a turret) were square, brilliant teal ceramic pyramids.
They sat between the huge brackets supporting the “skirt” of the tower roof. They are kinda shiny in the image.
Recently, Dan removed these fabulous, unique historic elements (calling them Art Deco, which they are not). And he did not really give a reason. This would be akin to me removing the stained-glass in my Cross House. Furious viewer response though made Dan rethink this. Or so he said. Will they ever go back?
This was my first indication of alarm. I have been watching every episode since he purchased the chateau during, I think, the Covid lockdown.
Then Dan recently pulled down the only remaining plaster ceiling and plaster cornice remaining. Why?
Then he recently pulled out the only remaining wood wainscoting and destroyed it. Why?
Then he recently jackhammered lovely original tiles in the kitchen. Why?
So little remains of the original interior that it seems essential to protect the vital extant bits, right?????
My alarm was very high at this point. Dan was proving to be hostile to historic reservation, and I felt crushed. What will be next? White vinyl windows? Home Depot tile in the kitchen?
My alarm has now turned into nausea.
Back to the tower roof.
Of note:
Tall thin dormers.
Dormers flare out at their bottom.
Position of dormers.
Thin bottom edge to “skirt”.
Metal edging (likely copper) to sides of roof.
But the shape of the new dormers are all wrong. They are too wide, and too close to where the roof meets the flare of the “skirt.” And the original elegant, thin bottom edge of the “skirt”? OMG, it is now been super-sized, and crimped crimped crimped. OMG! OMG!
This is a horror. But Dan is very proud, and I seem to be the only viewer not congratulating him. Oh, and it gets worse. MUCH worse. I want to cry.
Again, what was. Note, again, how the THIN dormers flare out at the bottom.
Yep. I am crying. WTF is this mess? And the original “flares” helped to ground and anchor the dormers. And why is the bottom flashing so wide, and with angled ends? How can Dan not see that what he is doing looks nothing like…
…what was?
The new roof slates are also a mess. Note how they change height?And the vertical joints should all all be, well, vertical. But Dan is switching between vertical joints and angled. And the bottom edges go up-down, up-down. This is all a mess, and a depressing contrast to…
…the flawless slate work at Chateau de Purnon. This takes my breath away. Click image to enlarge. Note, again, how the dormers flare out at their bottoms. This helps keep them from looking top heavy.
The latter project is being ably guided by a top-notch historic restoration architect. Dan is winging it, and the results are now showing.
What Dan has accomplished seems a miracle, which is why it is so profoundly sad to see things just go so wrong suddenly. I can no longer watch his vlog.
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Hi Ross! I actually follow Dan too, and was thrilled when I saw you were featuring him. 2 of my favourite restorers together? Yes, please!
It’s rare that I disagree with your opinions, and this is that rare case.
I definitely see and understand all of your points. And I’m usually 100% with you on restoration VS renovation. But with Dan’s chateau, I’m happy to make exceptions. He didn’t buy a chateau or a house. It was a straight up ruin. There were trees growing inside! There were also no extant blueprints or plans.
So, in situations like this, I’m more than willing to excuse (and endorse) creative interpretation on the part of the new owner. Using one of my favourite Ross’isms, I genuinely believe each day the world is a little prettier, in a remote corner of France, because of the work he’s doing. I think that, in the general sense, he’s being quite respectful to what was, with small personal twists. I’m ok with this.
Thanks so much for sharing your opinion, it was great and thought provoking to read. Love your work. Have been following you for 10+ years and will continue to do so ❤️ It’s always fun to read something and then realize you (respectfully) disagree.
Happy June 😊
Hi, René!
I’ve had this blog for 11 years now. I watch a lot of restoration vlogs, and read a lot of restoration blogs, and well know that we all see things, and do things, differently. And that’s fine.
During these past 11 years I’ve been hit with a lot of criticism. Not long ago I worried that I’d be tarred and feathered for making the apparently outrageous suggestion of a pergola in front of the Carriage House. But I’ve never once deleted a critical comment.
Yes, I support what Dan is doing. I also admire his determination and dedication. Like wow! He’s also wonderfully easy on the eyes! And has doggies!
But his lack of knowledge (and a seeming lack of interest) about preservation is now showing and Dan is violating basic understandings of historical preservation. I hate to think that when his project is done it will look kinda bad. I mean, a GIANT facia in crimped copper??????????
This is the first time I’ve been critical of another project. I did so because what Dan has been doing of late makes my heart and head ache, and because his vlog is so incredibly popular. I despair at people thinking it’s OK to jackhammer out historic kitchen tiles, for example. Compare this to the extensive effort by Stephanie at Chateau de Lalande to carefully recreate damaged tiles in her chapel.
One of my favorite books is The Rebirth of an English Country House: St Giles House. Young Nicholas Ashley-Cooper unexpectedly inherited the ancient crumbling, decaying family manor. He had no experience and no knowledge, and his ultimate approach shook How Things Are Done. The results though are a glory because Ashley-Cooper reached out to qualified people to help. As have the owners of Chateau de Purnon.
I see no such effort by Dan. Which pains me.
Oh Ross! I wish we could discuss over a good Martini, in a nice parlour. I hear you, I really do. But again, where I personally draw the line is when someone is rescuing a burnt out shell / ruin VS a still extant building. With Dan it’s the former. The tall tiles he has plans to reinstate, as far as I know. With the kitchen tiles, yes it hurt me a little too, but he intends on using that big basement room as a kitchen, and the extant tiles indicated a few different rooms. So… I get it?
Steph’s case is different. The chapel was damaged, but remarkably intact. We knew what it looked it in its prime, inside and out. So when she had the resources she went all out to bring it back. And I looooove that. But it wasn’t a roofless ruin, that’s where I see the difference 🙏🏻
❤️
René
I agree with your interpretation of Dan’s situation, he is rebuilding a roofless, floorless burnt out ruin that had unstable/damaged plaster work and remains of woodwork damages by fire and decades of rain and weather. Dan has a rebuild not a restoration and I do like his vision for rebuilding the ruin. Like you I wish he had saved the kitchen tiles however for some reason I thought he said they were not original to the chateau…….perhaps I’m misremembering this to make myself feel better about their removal.
Hi, Mary.
While a roofless ruin, Dan’s chateau was not wholly lacking historical materials and details. That such materials and details survived the fire, and decades-long abandonment, seems a miracle to me. Then Dan came along and tossed much of this into a dumpster. So, yes, that concerns me. I’m also concerned about the egregious way he’s doing the tower soffit and dormers.
I agree with what both of you are saying. I prefer restoration but I would also jackhammer the kitchen floor, put in radiant heat and find similar tiles to re- lay the floor. Apparently the tower never had a gutter. The turquoise tits, some were damaged truly sad because they are unique and beautiful. The dormers are the roof jewels and deserve more attention paid to the originals. Both in detail and size. It would appear that previous owner changed a few things giving the chateau some 70’s glamour. Also thru the years doors were bricked over and some fireplace(s) changed along with exterior balusters. So some things changed, never were or were lost to flames and time. I just hope Dan gets the top of the tower as close to the originals as possible and not use that crib. Ross, you could pass on your concerns, advice or suggestions about the chateau, maybe take a valium first. Gonna quit now, carry on
He did say kitchen the tiles were common, nothing special and can be replaced easily. There is also a huge section where they are missing because they took out a staircase.
It is the tiles in the mail hall I was concerned were not going to be replaced. I love historic tile and have been looking at Liberty Style villas on Italian real estate websites to look at the tiles on the floor.
He also kept the wood wainscoting. It isn’t restoreable but it can be recreated. He also kept pieces of the plaster ceiling moldings. Time will tell how far he will go when it comes to the interior.
I think it must be kept in mind that Dan does not have the financial resources to hire experts like Stephanie and other chateau owners can. His is a basic DIY build. Dan doesn’t plan to monetize the chateau by turning it into a B&B and his sponsors are also limited. He has admitted that he is fairly clueless when it comes to the finer details and interior decorating so I imagine Stephanie will be advising him.
I did notice before the copper guy left he did make four copper finials for the four corners of the peak of the tower. I’ve seen them in the background.
I hope he does restore decorative terracotta tops of the chimneys and the fireplaces, working or not. I would love at least one large working fireplace in one of the rooms.
I am concerned for how the railings on the stairs and terraces are going to be restored. they are a bit distinctive. I know he did save a few of the more intact pieces.
Hey Ross – I think it is amusing how we appear to follow the same youtubers. And I too was saddened by the removal of the wainscoting and remaining crown moldings/plasterwork, etc. But I live in hope that he is planning to recreate all of those details. I do believe he has saved those amazing tiles from the entry hall which I assume he is planning to reinstall. You do have to give the lad credit for all of the work that has taken place so far with pretty much just himself and Nick and Brian. I know he does not plan on using the building as his home alone….I get the impression that he is formulating some plans about using it as more of a public space, probably needing commercial kitchens and fire escapes and the like. I too would love to see it restored to its former look as the old photos are so sublime. But I get the impression he does not have anything like the resources of what the folks at Purnon appear to have…so his options are going to be limited. In all likelihood, Dan’s chateau would have faced a destiny of being bulldozed and the land divided up for a housing estate or some such if he had not stepped in. So, though it will never be what it was, at least Dan is doing something that will keep such a beautiful structure from completely disappearing…sort of like a fellow I know of in Emporia, Kansas. Do you watch the boys on Escape to the Dream, Restoring the Chateau? I’m starting to think there is no one left in the UK, they all seem to have moved to France and bought chateaux!
Thank you, Brendan,
Do you read this: https://balintorecastle.blogspot.com. David has been blogging only a bit longer than I have, but his castle dwarfs the Cross House in terms of scale and work required. He’s a hero to me.
And, yes, I watch the boys. All that youthful energy! I’m quite jealous!
Agreed, the couple at Purnon obviously have more money than Dan. But having money has nothing to do with my concerns.
My concerns are rather about aptitude: “a component of a competence to do a certain kind of work at a certain level. Outstanding aptitude can be considered “talent”, or “skill”. Aptitude is inborn potential to perform certain kinds of activities, whether physical or mental, and whether developed or undeveloped.”
When Dan smashed out the sole remaining ceiling, and it’s vital plaster cornice (an invaluable template as to what the main hall cornice would have all been), and threw away the scant bit of surviving hall wainscoting (another invaluable template), this evidenced a lack of aptitude.
Ditto for jackhammering the surviving kitchen floor. That made my heart scream.
David, of Balintore Castle has very little money, but he abounds with aptitude. Same with Nicholas Ashley-Cooper of St. Giles House.
Of course I’m grateful that Dan took on the project and I can also be pained watching his lack of aptitude regarding historic preservation reveal itself. His new dormers and facia are, as noted, a horror. It should be OK to call this out.
Hey Ross,
Beth and I have been watching Jenna Phipps and her boyfriend restore a 1950s MCM in Vancouver, Canada on Youtube.
She puts out a 20+ minute vlog every week since they started. It is more entertainingining than anything Hacks and Gags TV has ever produced.
They get in over their heads, learn hard lessons and are an amazing team. Virtually rebuilding this house completely by themselves!
We are big fans, and wish them the best!
He sounds like an idiot. Like, why are you even bothering to do this if you’re not going to do it correctly? Go by a simple 2 x 4 framed drywall house and paint everything HGTV gray and white because that’s exactly what you’re doing to this Château. Sickening. I don’t even wanna pay attention.
My heart hurt when Dan started to pitch the stone balustrade parts from the exterior into the rubble piles below. It’s not clear to me if he has set aside/kept the tiles or the parts he has removed. I was upset with his treatment of the metal finials from the top of the tower.
OMG, Pam, I forgot about the stone balustrade being thrown off the building! My heart hurt, too! And this aligns with what my post is all about. I also recall that a small portion of the staircase survived the fire and collapse of the interior because it got buried. Did Dan protect this invaluable treasure? Nope. He gleefully ripped it out and discarded it. My heart hurt bigly!
Ross,
I’m with you mate. I rarely comment and I certainly wouldn’t bother with Dan et al. While I accept they certainly have energy & drive, and Dan clearly has a goal in mind.
I hear previous commentary regarding the building being bulldozed for mass produced housing and/or a carpark or a ” business park “.
What Dan et al don’t have is a sensibility, a sense of what was …it’s almost indefinable…he doesn’t know what he doesn’t know!
I’ve stopped watching this project.
Agree with you regarding Chateau de Purnon, perfection!
x2 other very good examples:
1.Chateau de Dampierre restoration
2. Chateau de Gudane restoration
Both are accessed via YouTube & Instagram
As always great reading & endlessly informative!
Regards
Jeremy
Thank you, Jeremey! And, bless you!
I started watching Dan’s work at Chateau Chaumont about the same time as I started watching the Tally Ho rebuild, both on your recommendation. I quickly soured on Dan because of his delight in demolition and cavalier attitude about preserving crucial architectural elements of the chateau. I know the chateau is a wreck, but it’s a wreck with a past worth preserving, and it didn’t feel like he was honoring that. Contrast Dan’s approach with Leo Goolden’s meticulous restoration of Tally Ho. I quickly went all in on watching the Tally Ho rebuild and gave up on Dan. I will keep following Leo now that his boat is in the water because of his outstanding storytelling and his stellar taste in music and because I learn something from every episode I watch. I wish Dan well, but I can’t watch him anymore.
Thanks, Barb!
It’s gratifying to know others see what I see regarding Dan.
I continue watching Leo and his dazzling restoration of Tally Ho. Absolute perfection. Her re-launch is an episode I’ve watched like 6 times, and I still tear up! I eagerly await her epic return to England! Oh, what an episode that will be!
BIG hug!
Just to be clear: I honor the opinions of everyone who has commented on this thread. It is Dan’s house, and he can do as he likes with it. But we all have to make choices about where we invest our time, and I won’t be investing mine in Dan’s channel any longer. That’s my personal preference, and I respect those who feel differently.
And a big hug back!
I’ve been watching Dan almost from the beginning as well.
He isn’t repairing the roof as there wasn’t anything left to repair. Neither is he restoring as there was nothing left to restore. He’s having to build the whole thing from scratch based on a few lines in the brick and some old photos.
As for the tower, he studied the few photos he had of the missing pieces, tried to calculate heights and angles and is doing his best to recreate them limited by his abilities, finances and the legalities of current building codes.
Yes, he removed the jewels and cleaned them up and will be replacing those that are in good enough condition to do so. I doubt he could afford to have the broken/missing ones recreated even if he could find someone to do it. Originally he wasn’t but he has changed his mind about that and will be putting some of them back, probably along the front.
As for the “witch’s hat” tower roof, he’s done his best. I watched him put the framework up by himself way up high with the wind blowing. He’s done his best to rebuild with lasting into the future in mind. I’m not sure he could have made it higher and narrower. The shape of the windows is limited to what he can build with wood as he can’t remake them using cut stone. The size? I think he had in mind being able to access the roof through the windows if necessary. It may also have something to do with sizes of windows he can buy to fit in those frames.
Considering his experience in laying a slate roof was basically none, he’s done pretty well. Same with the copper. I thought he was going to have the roofers and copper guy do it all, but they basically showed him how to do it and he’s continuing on. I see the corners of the roof cut as an angle to look a bit like stonework on the corner of a building. They are butt joints so that there is no flashing on them.
Does it look exactly like the photos? No. He’s doing it all himself with not much to go on.
You are going to hate that he is covering the tops of the other roofs with copper with slate only on the sides.
Size and proportion of the windows? I think he is using a jig so that all of the windows are the same size for ease of duplication. He changed his mind about the windows on the other roofs and has decided to put them in now. So the windows on the tower are the same as the windows on the rest of the roof. He’s doing the copper clad because he cannot recreate the lost carved stone. As for that big copper rim around the tower, that is to accommodate a gutter, which the tower never had. Gutters to ensure the building is protected and lasts in the next century. There will be cutters for all of the roofs.
I don’t agree with all of his decisions but I understand them. I was not the only vocal one that said the remaining jewels needed to be restored to their place and either recreated or something else put where they were. I hope he makes some copper “jewels” in the same shape so that as they patina they will be the same color as the ceramic jewels. That may even have been the inspiration for using the copper, because it will patina to the turquoise color of that ceramic center.
I also objected to removing the tile floor. At the time he said it would be put back. Now, maybe not. I believe it should be but it’s not my chateau and not my decision.
I haven’t agreed with all of your choices but the Cross House isn’t mine and not my decision. Once done I agree with most of your choices. I might have gone in a different direction but again, not my house, not my decision.
Dan has his reasons for doing what he does. Some are financial. Some are because of restrictions of labor and ability. he has acquired a lot of skills he never had but I doubt he will ever take up stone carving. He isn’t going to be able to rebuild that chateau to be identical to the photos. I imagine as he moves to the interiors I will disagree with his choices even more.
Whatever choices he makes, I will always support his drive to restore this building to a habitable building and he has said he wants to also restore it to it’s purpose during WWII, to provide a place of escape for children in need, if only for a month or two during the summer.
I simply enjoy seeing the burned out shell of what was once a lovely building being brought back, just as I enjoy seeing the Cross House and Carriage House being brought back to a lovely, habitable building.
You and Dan share a common goal. To rebuild something that will outlast you.
Hi, Mary!
Thank you for your stirring defense of Handsome Dan. However, we are having a classic apples/oranges conversation.
I, too, applaud the heroic effort Dan has expended and will continue to expend. And, of course, I would rather the structure be saved not-quite-right than not saved at all. I also well understand budgets.
But none of this is what my post was about.
Restoring a house or rebuilding one entails countless choices. And, depending one’s sensibilities, one might choose X over Y, even though Y would be the better choice from a historic preservation perspective.
The right sensibility is everything when working on a historic structure. And I’ve now concluded that Dan lacks this all-important component.
I did a series on five historic houses being rebuilt in Detroit. Each house was in as ruinous a state as Dan’s. I slammed the sloppy way three of the houses were redone (by developer A). I was critical of house #4 (developer B). And I praised the amazing effort regarding house #5 (developer C). Note that the projects were undertaken by three different developers. And the finished work clearly evidences their wildly different sensibilities.
I ended some of my posts with this:
The city of Detroit, which owned these three houses and the surrounding land, offered all for redevelopment, stipulating that the historic houses had to be retained. And this, this, was the mistake. The city should have also demanded that the facades be restored to their original appearance.
It is no coincidence that great cities are also normally beautiful cities. Humans respond to beauty, be it a beautiful flower, face, or building. Yet somebody, at some high level working for the development company, made the decision that cheapness should prevail. Somebody decided that people and the city did not deserve beauty.
With such a decision in place, what happened was inevitable. Had a more enlightened soul been in charge the results would have been striking.
Today, with laser technology, intricate brackets and ornamentation can be created with surprising affordability. But, on Alfred Street, the will to do things right did not exist.
The development company clearly did not think it necessary to retain a preservation-trained architect, instead relying on, no doubt, an underpaid and inexperienced draftsperson who did not even understand the value of scale. Because the will to do things right did not exist.
The development company clearly did not think it mattered to the buyers of their new townhouses that their windows would overlook banal brick boxes instead of gloriously restored historic houses. Because the desire for beauty did not exist. Because the knowledge that beauty has value did not exist.
When Dan gleefully pushed a historic stone balustrade to the ground, he revealed himself as somebody who would rather choose X over Y, even though Y would be the better choice from a historic preservation perspective.
When Dan gleefully pushed a historic stone balustrade to the ground, he revealed himself as having the wrong sensibility.
Ditto when he ripped out extant wainscoting (which I did not see him retain), crucial original parts of the staircase (again, discarded), the only original plaster ceiling and its vital cornice (which I did not see him save part of), and when he casually jackhammered original floor tiles in the kitchen. You wrote that Dan said the tiles were “common”. This though isn’t true. The tiles were miraculous survivors and historically invaluable.
Ditto when he removed the fabulous turquoise ceramic ornaments. He gave no solid reason for this, and was vague about his plans for them. His viewers however reacted furiously and this obviously caused Dan to change his mind, stating that the ornaments would be put back in place. Will this ever happen?
You state that the tower roof never had a gutter. Does it really need one? Its roof is not that large so will not throw off a ton of rain, and 3/4 of any rain will fall harmlessly to the huge roofs directly below, which have gutters. And the reason for the very wide “skirt” by the original architects was to perhaps make sure water was thrown clear of the house.
Mary, there is NO excuse for the horrific titanic-sized crimped copper facia that Dan has installed at the bottom of the tower roof.
The size of the dormers has nothing to do with money or materials. To make a dormer 3-feet wide is just as much work and money as to make it 4-feet wide. Dan could have easily figured out the size of the original dormers by using ImageMeter, for example, which by providing at least one known reference size, can then use this given size to compute more dimensions in the image.
The fact that Dan has made no effort to consult with a restoration architect is very telling. And the results of this bad decision is now being made manifest. Contrast this with the expert advice the owners of Château de Purnon have sought out.
Lastly, I’m not being critical of Dan because he’s doing things differently than me. Rather, as with four of the Detroit houses, he’s just doing a bad job from a preservation aspect. His vlog is a big hit, and it makes me kinda ill that people watching will think: Oh! It’s OK to smash historic elements! Basically, Dan might prove to have the seme deleterious impact that HGTV has had: Oh! Let’s smash out original plaster, knock out walls, paint original trim white, and punch in 4965 can lights into our ceilings!
Note: the dormers and bottom edge of the tower roof were not made of stone.
I have no idea if Dan consulted a historic architect or not but if not I suspect it was a fiscal decision. I know he doesn’t have the fiscal resources of the other chateau owners and his is a DIY project, so some decisions are based on cost of materials and what he can do or learn to do. Labor is expensive. He doesn’t always share what went into the decisions he makes.
As for the rest, I am willing to wait and see. I know he saved the tiles. I recall him saying the wainscoting was in such poor shape it could not be restored or reused. I think I recall him saying it would be recreated so that leads me to believe he saved some of it. I know he tried to save the plaster and may have saved some pieces to again, recreate. I will not pass judgement on a finished product based on a video of demolition. Until he actually does rebuild the staircase, redo the plaster, retile the floors and replace the balustrade I will wait. I know I did when you were doing your house. And in the end, while your choices would not have been mine, the end result was lovely. Not period, but pleasing nonetheless.
The tower? It isn’t as tall because he couldn’t make it that tall. The slates? The photo you posted shows the intersection where the bottom section meets the top section and the angles change. Of course the slates are going to be shorter. I don’t see them as being haphazard or out of line either. Just the difference between the edge slates when they meet the field slates. I don’t know anything about the decision on the size or placement of the windows. He has stated he is going to replace the decorative railing and finial on the top but it will not be a widow’s walk or observation platform. There will just be a small access hatch for maintenance purposes. I think he said they might put in a platform so that you could look out the windows, something that wasn’t in the original chateau. Those windows were just decorative. So that may have had an impact on the placement and size. If so, I think that is an acceptable change as the view from up there is so beautiful it would be a shame to waste it with no access to it and tiny windows just for exterior decoration.
I will give him the benefit of the doubt.
I expect as things progress Stephanie from LaLande will have some influence on choices since Dan has admitted no clue about the interiors and that is her area of expertise. I know she found a place that can recreate the terracotta chimneys and the vintage floor tiles. I know he saved those tiles and took many photos as reference for when the floor would be replaced.
The basement restoration has been done well, in my opinion. I think the choice of the light switches was good as it avoids ruining the stone to accommodate wiring. I know there will be a commercial kitchen in addition to the regular kitchen. The floor tiles, which did not cover the entire floor due to the removal of the staircase, are common and easily replaced.
He’s doing what he can with the skills he has and the money he has. I’ll wait to criticize his choices until after I see the balconies, staircases, wainscoting, flooring, etc. The tower doesn’t bother me as much as no tower at all. IMO it could have been a lot worse. Like no windows at all. The rest of the roofs were going to have no windows but now they are. I really don’t like the whole witch’s hat thing anyway. I’ve seen it on another building but I just don’t like that design at all so where the windows are or how big they are, etc. isn’t an issue for me as I just don’t like that particular architectural feature at all.
I don’t consider his a preservation project as there wasn’t anything to preserve other than the remains of the shell of a building with a lot of pieces missing or damaged.
I actually do believe all of the dormers had a stone façade just like the one remaining one in the back of the chateau. And carved stone finials too. So I always doubted those windows would be recreated. For me, any window is better than no window at all. Those rooms will be transformed from attic storage to best views in the chateau and huge entertaining spaces because of those windows.
So far he hasn’t put me off watching.
I have unsubscribed to Escape to the Dream because of the gaudy, interior treatments of the rooms. I think they are almost pastiches of what someone thinks a French chateau should look like. “Baroque” in that they are over ornamented to the point of bad taste. The only thing I like are the gardens because they hired a landscape architect with expertise in historical gardens and he not only does the hardscape designs but goes to the nursery to choose the plants and maps out where they go. Other than that, I can’t bear to watch them paint and slap gold and trim on everything in sight. They just don’t know when to stop.
Oh Lord!!! Don’t bring up Stephanie. SHE has taste for shit. Ugh. Her dump is basically ripped up end to end.
Dan is making mistakes with his slate roofing job and taking out the original tile flooring, but please, please, please don’t let him listen to Steph and her ugly and incompetent boy toy for ANY decorating tips. Yee gads no!!!! Her chapel was loveliest before she turned it into an unfinished ( as always) mess that screams ” Disneyland”.
Money can’t buy you good taste or sense of which that trigger has neither!
Rant over.😘
Linda, I’ve not once thought of Stephanie’s fiancé, Philip, as her boy toy. Yes, he’s younger, but does that matter? They seem well-matched. Me? I’m in love with Chris. That smile!
And I think her taste is just fine.
While her chateau is rather pulled apart right now that is due to a plumbing leak damaging the kitchen, and the remarkable and exciting discovery that the original grand salon of the chateau was on the second floor (or first floor over there), not first (or ground floor over there).
I also think the chapel restoration is stunning and the only thing unfinished is the flooring, delayed until damaged original floor tiles can be recreated.
Grifter…not trigger…lol
And how is Stephanie a grifter???????????