Old and New Design Elements Come Together to Transform This Historic French Chateau

In 2020, Daphne Reckert and Ian Figueira were merely high school sweethearts on the hunt for a minimalist’s dream: a tiny home on the outskirts of California. Fast-forward to today, the couple now owns a 500-year-old chateau right outside of Paris, France. Since inheriting the property, life has been nothing short of enthralling, with every day unlocking a new adventure in restoring history.

In the new HGTV series Castle Impossible, viewers follow along as Reckert and Figuiera remodel the chateau. To honor Daphne’s family legacy, the couple takes on high-stakes renovations that still reflect centuries of stories from inside the castle. We spoke with the couple to learn how they preserved its historical charm during renovations.

Keep It Cohesive and Stick to Your Budget

Reckert and Figuiera never considered selling the chateau. Instead, it was a matter of building the castle back up on a budget.

“The chateau and all the buildings have been built over the last few centuries,” said Reckert. “There are lots of little aspects that we’ve been able to pull from. And so we’ve been able to renovate things with very different styles, but we try to keep a cohesiveness throughout the design. We’re not just trying to renovate everything so that it’s all modern, or that it’s all super old, but really just speaking to the different renovations that have already taken place for inspiration, and then making sure that there’s a cohesion between everything.”

As they started decorating different rooms in the castle, the couple headed straight to vintage markets. Reckert says she wanted everything to feel lived in and cozy, and shopping secondhand helps you stick to a budget. It also leaves an opportunity for negotiation. The couple set a budget for every item and passed on anything above that price, even if the perfect light fixture or side table was right in front of them. They eventually found items even more suitable for the chateau, so it’s important to be patient and set boundaries as you shop.

Find Good People and Keep Them Close By

The couple recruited people from far and near to help, and loved ones were elated to lend a helping hand. An English handyman named Tony quickly became “Uncle Tony,” and a friend, Allison, became the chateau’s interior designer. And the couple learned quickly that putting a few heads together is always helpful when blending two different design elements.

“It takes a village—especially a castle in France,’ says Figueira. “We have friends and family that want to stay for a bit, and we’re like, ‘great, bring your work gloves!’ It helps, whether it’s construction or just regular chores—you can’t expect to do everything yourselves. We just try to find good people and keep them close by.”

Reckert and Allison imagined Art Nouveau, a late-1880s art style characterized by organic shapes, as the furniture style for at least the solar (a room designed in castles where the family would live or sleep in private), if not the entire chateau. Organic lines and shapes depicted by nature have recently made a comeback in home decor, and Allison notes how Art Nouveau was very popular in France, specifically. Using Allison’s architectural knowledge and Reckert’s visions for the chateau, the two blended old and new.

Revamping History

When asked about their favorite renovated rooms, one stands out in particular: the solar. After years of decay, it began to look like a haunted house—black widows hung throughout the space, and the floors beneath them were rotting. It seemed like there wasn’t much to work with until they dug deeper.

Hidden behind cobwebs, creaky floorboards, and recently placed sheetrock was the stunning 1800s architecture of previous bedrooms. They were able to open everything up again, and beautiful oak architectural details (you can even see up the bell tower!) now feature throughout the newly renovated space. With subtle contemporary accents like gold oversized mirrors and curvy chairs, and historical elements like pendant lights and iron railing, the solar was restored.

The couple even hints at a potential moat-turned-pond down the line—something that could honor the castle’s history and become part of its modern offerings.

While there’s still much to do, one thing is certain: it’s possible to merge design elements with the right resources, help, and attitudes. As for end goals, that’s a work in progress.

“We like the idea of having an artisan’s craftsman space open to the public, where people can tour, take classes and workshops, and enjoy fun events. We like the idea of sharing the castle experience and keeping it festive,” says Reckert.

Catch Castle Impossible every Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV and with episodes available to stream the next day on Max and discovery+.