Daphne Reckert and Ian Figueira thought they’d all of it discovered. The married couple would arrange roots in a tiny California residence. That was till destiny intervened and brought on them to vary course for Paris. The couple determined to place every thing into reworking a 500-year-old chateau inherited from Reckert’s grandfather, who handed away in 2020. Their journey is documented within the new HGTV collection Fort Not possible.
The greater than 130-acre property situated in a small city simply outdoors the French capital was bought in 1981. There was a mountain of debt owed together with 1,000,000 in taxes to the French authorities. Reckert and Figueira put their life financial savings into retaining the Chateau de Lesigny, which as soon as performed host to King Louis XIII. The place they’ve additionally known as Beau Château has served as a venue for weddings and greater than 50 French productions.
They’ll use each little bit of their renovation and design backgrounds to remodel greater than 20 rooms, which is simpler stated than accomplished when trying to preserve inside finances regardless of plenty of points together with bug infestations and structural obstacles. Reckert and Figueira first look to remodel the bell tower area right into a luxurious bed room suite (photo voltaic room). Nonetheless, because the premiere demonstrates, seeing their imaginative and prescient realized means overcoming obstacles like doubtlessly pricey rotted roof beams and a windstorm.
Right here the highschool sweethearts open up about their relationship, challenges and what’s to come back.
Daphne and Ian are renovating the kitchen pantry within the Hunter’s Lodge on Chateau de Lesigny (HGTV)
Did you are taking any ideas or discover any inspiration from Escape to the Chateau as you have been leaping into this?
Daphne Reckert: No, we discovered about (Dick and Angel Strawbridge) later.
Ian Figueira: We turned conversant in their present and truly like plenty of what they’ve accomplished. I really feel like their strategy to renovation and design just isn’t sure or restricted by any concepts. They simply have enjoyable with it. That’s actually inspiring.
Daphne: We haven’t had plenty of time for TV or films.
How was it having HGTV doc your renovation journey? I do know you’ve been doing one thing like this by means of your YouTube channel, however not on this scale.
Ian: It’s very totally different. At first, you meet the crew and ultimately it’s such as you’re dwelling with the crew. It’s truly been very good as a result of they’ve all been tremendous supportive and good. There have been instances that have been actually scary and demanding. Everyone that was right here confirmed up every day and rolled with the punches. It was considerably totally different from YouTube the place I simply have my one digital camera on a tripod.
Daphne: And it’s simply the 2 of us making the selections.
You’ve got an awesome dynamic and appear to have an awesome relationship, however how is it managing these tough instances?
Daphne: I imply rock, paper, scissors just about saves us each time.
Ian: Provided that I all the time select rock, and we’re good. No, I really feel like we nearly needed to compartmentalize stress as a result of we had various things occurring each single day. On the finish of day, we simply needed to get some meals and fall asleep. We wanted to be on the identical web page about what was coming subsequent. We attempt to talk as a lot as potential.
Daphne: And keep in mind we’re on the identical staff.
Ian: And that every of our issues is shared.
Daphne: It’s nearly like the issues are so massive on the chateau that we don’t have time to have issues with us.
Ian: Yeah, if the largest downside of the day is that I ate the final little bit of ice cream, that’s a superb day. That’s stable.
Is there something you do to flee the chaos of those tasks?
Daphne: We actually like out of doors time. We’ll take walks across the lake. We go to the village to have an ice cream or go to the market. We’ll go to Paris each infrequently.
Ian: Earlier than we actually entrenched ourselves with these renovations, we’d go to Paris extra actually because we’re actually shut. It’s about half-hour by automobile. The enjoyable is limitless in Paris, however as soon as we actually kicked up the renovations, it has been overwhelming.
Daphne: Generally what helps it’s good to simply return to California.
Ian Figueira and Daphne Reckert, as seen on Fort Not possible, Season 1.
Within the premiere, it’s a must to truly cope with trespassers. Is {that a} common concern?
Ian: The factor is the chateau property is about 130 acres whole. There are boundaries and fences that cowl the entire property, however when you go previous the lakes behind the chateau, it type of turns into forest land. Individuals have discovered methods or breaks by means of the fence to allow them to are available and stroll round. Normally, they’re simply highschool children and we’ll catch them and inform them to depart. We’ve been attempting to repair the fences, however each infrequently we’ll discover they’re damaged once more. It has been irritating.
Daphne: The legal guidelines are totally different in France, so there may be not lots for us to do aside from construct and rebuild the fences.
Ian: Though once we catch excessive schoolers, or typically center schoolers, it’s humorous as a result of Daphne will then ask for his or her mom’s cellphone numbers to allow them to know they’re there.
Daphne: Like, “Truly, I’ve your son right here.”
What sort of challenges do you face this season?
Daphne: One of many greatest challenges is simply how massive every thing is. We’d do that room, and this room is the dimensions of an condominium or perhaps a small home. That’s what occurs time and time once more.
What are you able to say concerning the transformations we’re about to see?
Daphne: I feel we’ve shocked ourselves with how great these turned out to be.
Ian: We began these tasks with a really clear thought, and was one thing else. In California, I used to work on homes that I used to contemplate previous in the event that they have been from the Nineteen Fifties and Nineteen Sixties. Now we’re rooms from the 1660s. It’s like they don’t even have electrical energy and insulation. The strategy to the renovation is a complete totally different ball recreation since you’re not simply contemplating the way you need the format to be. It’s how can we appropriate the format and herald lodging like electrical energy or warmth.
Daphne: It turns into how can we get electrical energy from the opposite facet of the chateau to the place we want it now.
Ian: It’s plenty of issues like that. It has been wild.
Daphne: It’s a problem and wild and enjoyable.
Ian: And terrifying.
How has enterprise been for the reason that present announcement? Are you getting extra inquiries for it as a marriage venue?
Daphne: It hasn’t picked up simply but. Possibly after the present airs, that can change. Nonetheless, once I inherited the chateau, I needed to push weddings as a lot as I may. I managed to triple the quantity of weddings we have been reserving per 12 months. We’re doing about 80 weddings a 12 months now.
You point out within the present the potential of buried treasure on the grounds. Have you ever discovered any?
Daphne: We’re nonetheless trying.
Ian: What’s enjoyable about that is I truly didn’t perceive there being an actual mythology of the treasure till Daphne defined the historical past of the place. It’s true within the 1600s, there was somebody in shut ties to this household. Ones married to the treasurers of France on the time.
Daphne: A number of treasurers of France have owned the chateau.
Ian: This couple particularly was the place the husband was shot or stabbed in Paris and the spouse…
Daphne: It was a sword duel.
Ian: After all it was, so the spouse Leonora Dori, who bought the chateau in 1613, was put to loss of life for witchcraft. They have been very wealthy. The husband being the treasurer. Apparently, earlier than they might seize her, she had a number of days. Once they did come to grab her, there was no giant cash they might seize. She did one thing with that between these days.
Some folks truly imagine a lot that when Daphne’s grandfather was nonetheless alive, they might name him and be very satisfied they knew precisely the place the treasure was. They’d attempt to see if he can be keen to separate the treasure 50/50 in the event that they paid for the tractors to come back and open up that piece of land. He all the time stated no as a result of he didn’t need random folks digging round his property.
Are you watching extra HGTV now?
Ian: We’ve undoubtedly been watching much more HGTV. There have been a number of reveals that we discovered of after the very fact, along with Escape to the Chateau now, which has been enjoyable to observe.
Daphne: In highschool, HGTV was on on a regular basis.
Ian: It’s an awesome place for inspiration for designs. I really feel like all of the totally different reveals on HGTV have an academic issue in relation to renovation or backyard, which is one thing we want.
Daphne: A little bit slice of residence.
Do you assume life will change for you a lot after the present premieres?
Ian: The reality is in France I don’t assume they care, so I don’t assume it can change our day-to-day. Daphne has seen a number of well-known actors in Paris earlier than, and no person gave them a re-assessment once they walked by means of.
Daphne: That was fairly humorous.
Ian: We’ll see if folks acknowledge us extra now. In the event that they do, nice. If not, that’s nice too.
Fort Not possible premiere, April 29, 9/8c, HGTV