0:00:02 > 0:00:04For the country's super wealthy,
0:00:04 > 0:00:09there's only one man to turn to when it comes to good taste.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11I think I've got what the antique trade
0:00:11 > 0:00:13and the dealers call "the eye".
0:00:13 > 0:00:15There's no question. I've got to buy all three.
0:00:15 > 0:00:22I've got a very defined and, some would say, refined sense of taste.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26What's extraordinary is how beautiful it is in this room.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Gordon Watson is one of the world's leading authorities
0:00:29 > 0:00:31on 20th-century design...
0:00:31 > 0:00:34- 7,500 and we are friends! - OK. Thank you very much.- OK.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36..turning his passion for collecting
0:00:36 > 0:00:39into a multi-million pound business...
0:00:39 > 0:00:42At 4,000,250. Sold!
0:00:42 > 0:00:44It's a mania.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48It's not natural, how much I buy and how much I need to buy.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50Oh, my God! This is so exciting!
0:00:50 > 0:00:53..always on the hunt for the most desirable pieces to buy.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Gordon, lovely to see you.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58He's charming his way into the grandest of homes,
0:00:58 > 0:01:02gambling he'll make the deal of a lifetime.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06I reckon it's going to be an easy sell and I'll make a lot of money.
0:01:06 > 0:01:07I'm hoping.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19At a five-star hotel on the Waddesdon estate in Buckinghamshire,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Gordon is doing his homework -
0:01:22 > 0:01:25swotting up on the dynamic story of one of the most wealthy
0:01:25 > 0:01:28and influential families in Europe.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32I'm meeting with Lord Jacob Rothschild at Waddesdon Manor.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36Lord Rothschild is an incredible collector.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39It's in his DNA, like all the Rothschilds.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42They love buying, they love amassing beautiful things,
0:01:42 > 0:01:47so me being at Waddesdon with Lord Rothschild could,
0:01:47 > 0:01:52please, God, be the opportunity for me to make a few pennies.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57Set in the English countryside, Waddesdon Manor was built in the
0:01:57 > 0:02:03style of a French chateaux by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in 1877.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07It was used as a weekend retreat - a place to hold extravagant
0:02:07 > 0:02:11weekend-long parties and house the family's vast collection of art
0:02:11 > 0:02:13and antiquities.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17The Rothschilds have, for centuries, been a powerhouse in banking,
0:02:17 > 0:02:21amassing the largest private fortune in the world.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25They showed their power and status by building magnificent houses
0:02:25 > 0:02:28and starting exquisite collections.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33This began a strong family tradition of building and collecting,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37which Lord Rothschild continues today.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40I think it's a really interesting place to have kept going,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43and I'm really proud to have added to its collection,
0:02:43 > 0:02:48to have added to the architectural interest of the whole place.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Gordon has not been to Waddesdon for many years
0:02:50 > 0:02:54but he's done his research and will be looking for an opportunity
0:02:54 > 0:02:58- to add to one of the world's finest collections.- How are you?- Hi, Jake.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00- I'm very well.- Very good to see you. - Good to see you.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03- Thanks so much for inviting me. - Early in the morning.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05- Oh, very early in the morning, a wet morning.- A wet morning, yeah.
0:03:05 > 0:03:06I'm so excited.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09I've heard, on the grapevine, you've done so many new projects,
0:03:09 > 0:03:11you've bought so many new things.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14- Let's go in and we'll show you a few things.- Perfect.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16- So shall I follow you? - Yes, do.- Thank you.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19'Lord Rothschild is one of the people I admire the most.'
0:03:19 > 0:03:22He's deeply passionate. From his youth, he was buying.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24'From the age of 19 and his early 20s,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27'he was buying extraordinary pieces.'
0:03:27 > 0:03:31Waddesdon holds an unparalleled collection of 18th-century art
0:03:31 > 0:03:36and furniture, and one piece has pride of place.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38So it's an automaton, isn't it?
0:03:38 > 0:03:40You wind it up and everything moves and the flowers move
0:03:40 > 0:03:42and the trunk moves.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46- Can we see it working?- Yes. Let's wind it up and see it working.
0:03:48 > 0:03:49Oh, my God!
0:03:49 > 0:03:52CHIMING
0:03:52 > 0:03:54Oh, it's truly amazing!
0:03:56 > 0:03:58- You know the story of it? - Of the Shah?
0:03:58 > 0:04:03What happened was that the Shah of Persia was persuaded to come
0:04:03 > 0:04:06and stay here. His son was very spoilt
0:04:06 > 0:04:10and Ferdinand's response to that was to go out and look
0:04:10 > 0:04:15for an object that would keep the son amused over the whole weekend.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18How could this not enthral anyone?
0:04:18 > 0:04:23The elaborate automaton is over 150 years old.
0:04:23 > 0:04:24It was made in France
0:04:24 > 0:04:28and is believed to have taken nearly a decade to construct.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31With its hundreds of intricate moving parts,
0:04:31 > 0:04:35it's one of the crowns in Lord Rothschild's collection.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38It's extraordinary. Look at the eyes. Oh, my God!
0:04:39 > 0:04:43Gordon only has a limited amount of time with the Lord to find out
0:04:43 > 0:04:45if there's anything he can sell him.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48It's not going to be a piece of 18th-century furniture,
0:04:48 > 0:04:52as the collection here is unparalleled.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55So, Jacob, what do we have here?
0:04:55 > 0:05:01Well, this is an extremely beautiful piece of furniture.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05This is a rather small piece made for Marie Antoinette's
0:05:05 > 0:05:06dressing room.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Marie Antoinette, one of the most famous women in history,
0:05:09 > 0:05:13sat here, wrote probably secret notes that she stashed
0:05:13 > 0:05:16away in a secret drawer, and then she got her head cut off.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18- I mean, it's pretty poignant, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20You've got a great sense of history.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23I'd also read the little anecdote that your relation,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26when he bought this, I think he paid £6,000, and he was
0:05:26 > 0:05:29slightly ridiculed for spending so much for such a little table!
0:05:29 > 0:05:32- I think it cost a bit more than that.- Oh, did it?
0:05:32 > 0:05:34- How much did it cost at the time? - I think it cost £8,000.- 8,000.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36- I'm so sorry.- That's all right.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39But I love the idea that Marie Antoinette sat here.
0:05:39 > 0:05:40I mean, it is extraordinary, isn't it?
0:05:40 > 0:05:44- It's an extraordinary story. - It's living history.
0:05:44 > 0:05:45On the tour so far,
0:05:45 > 0:05:49Gordon has yet to find anything that the Lord might need.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52What can you sell to someone with a vast fortune,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55who's spent their lifetime collecting the finest art?
0:05:57 > 0:06:01When I'm invited to someone's home, the blood courses through
0:06:01 > 0:06:03my veins a little quicker, my pulse goes up,
0:06:03 > 0:06:07because you've got the possibility that there might be something
0:06:07 > 0:06:09that you see that they need,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12and I think it's going to be something to do with furniture.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15I've sort of got an idea but, as usual,
0:06:15 > 0:06:19I just sort of float around and then something will happen.
0:06:19 > 0:06:20So...
0:06:21 > 0:06:25Well, I know who it's by, I know what it's called,
0:06:25 > 0:06:29but what's extraordinary is how beautiful it is in this room.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33It's Ingo Maurer, isn't it, the great German lighting designer?
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Yes, and the story of him making the chandelier is an amusing one
0:06:37 > 0:06:41because he had an exhibition in Milan,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43didn't like the way they had done it,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46picked up a pile of plates, threw them on the floor
0:06:46 > 0:06:50and smashed them, and then he felt remorse
0:06:50 > 0:06:54and made them into this rather crazy but beautiful chandelier.
0:06:54 > 0:06:55You see, I've got this theory - I think
0:06:55 > 0:06:58this is the way to go forward in the historical houses.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01This is the 21st century in one of the most
0:07:01 > 0:07:03classic 18th-century French boiseries.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06I think this is the way to go. I mean, it's so exciting.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10I think, provided you do it very selectively and pointfully...
0:07:10 > 0:07:11Yep, absolutely.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14Gordon might just have found a way in.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16In what might be a surprise to some,
0:07:16 > 0:07:21Lord Rothschild might be receptive to something contemporary.
0:07:21 > 0:07:22He loves lighting,
0:07:22 > 0:07:26he loves the frisson of a new piece in an old environment,
0:07:26 > 0:07:30and I just suddenly thought, that's what I can try and sell him.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33All these lights, all these candles would have been lit
0:07:33 > 0:07:35and there would have been a blaze of colour.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38I can make this like a fairy castle for him.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43Gordon's spotted what he can do and it's bold -
0:07:43 > 0:07:47to introduce new light to the old collection at Waddesdon.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51Like all collectors, Lord Rothschild likes to show off a bit.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53He's got this new project, it's the newest thing,
0:07:53 > 0:07:54it's just been finished.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57He wants to show it to people who will appreciate it.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00It's called Flint House and I'm also excited.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02I'm really excited to see this.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08In the true traditions of the Rothschild family,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Lord Rothschild has become a patron of modern architecture,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15having commissioned the most extraordinary modern guesthouse
0:08:15 > 0:08:17to be built on the estate.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19It's a private residence
0:08:19 > 0:08:23and another building to house his ever-expanding collection.
0:08:23 > 0:08:28It's also an opportunity for Gordon to suggest how he might fill it.
0:08:28 > 0:08:29It's astonishing.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33Seeing it in this sunlight, the sun appearing,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36forcing its way through the clouds, I absolutely love it.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41Good, fantastic. I mean, it's an amazing site.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Designed by architect Charlotte Skene Catling,
0:08:44 > 0:08:49the Flint House has won the coveted RIBA House of the Year award.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52What gives it its remarkable look is the thousands
0:08:52 > 0:08:55of hand-knapped flints.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Dark at its base and lighter towards its summit, the house is
0:08:59 > 0:09:04a man-made mountain on which the illusion is the sun always shines.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09- Should win every prize known to man. - Let's pray. OK, thank you.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14Gordon's now in his stride and feels confident enough to
0:09:14 > 0:09:17comment personally on the traditional interior.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19I'm curious about the decoration.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23My overriding thought is, whilst it's comfortable and fabulous,
0:09:23 > 0:09:26I would have loved it to just be a bit edgier, that's the only...
0:09:26 > 0:09:28- Have a bit more of that flavour. - A bit more courage?
0:09:28 > 0:09:32You going away from your comfort zone a bit. I think that's the...
0:09:32 > 0:09:34I'll think about it.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Gordon hasn't an idea for the interior,
0:09:37 > 0:09:42- but the exterior might hold an opportunity.- What are these, Jacob?
0:09:42 > 0:09:46- These were probably 18th-century flint vases.- Oh, I see.
0:09:46 > 0:09:51- So there's a tradition?- And then I got the Flint team to copy them.
0:09:51 > 0:09:52And they made this?
0:09:52 > 0:09:56And they made that, which I designed with them, actually.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59- And I think it works very well. - These are the chairs that you're...
0:09:59 > 0:10:01- These are the chairs, yeah. - They're horrible!
0:10:02 > 0:10:04THEY LAUGH
0:10:04 > 0:10:07- Do find some nice ones.- Jacob, it's my mission. I've got a few missions.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10- I think we've got to find something that...- They're not great.
0:10:10 > 0:10:11They're not great
0:10:11 > 0:10:15and we're going to have something amazing sitting here.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18With the busy Lord moving on to meetings,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21Gordon has come to a conclusion.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23These chairs aren't up to Jacob's scratch.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25I mean, these probably are IKEA.
0:10:25 > 0:10:26I mean, I absolutely hate them.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29It needs some new energy, it needs a little bit of impetus.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33I think I'm the person to give that energy, I think I'm the person to
0:10:33 > 0:10:35find the pieces for him.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38I want this to be as beautiful as the rest of the house.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40To find something to impress,
0:10:40 > 0:10:42and hopefully to sell to Lord Rothschild,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46one of the world's great collectors, Gordon is going to have to find
0:10:46 > 0:10:50contemporary lights for Waddesdon and chairs for the Flint House.
0:10:57 > 0:10:58- Hello, Nicola.- Hello.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01Nicola has just arrived. OK, I'll call you later.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05There's something else I'd forgotten I needed from you. Hello, dearest.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08- How are you?- I'm fine. - You're lovely and cold.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12Back in London, Gordon has been hard at work searching for some outdoor
0:11:12 > 0:11:14chairs for the Flint House.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18It's been so hard to source outdoor chairs, so I've settled on
0:11:18 > 0:11:21the thought of buying him four
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Heatherwick chairs. What's his first name, I've forgotten?
0:11:24 > 0:11:25- Thomas.- Thomas.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30He's found what he thinks is the answer from a British designer.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Thomas Heatherwick first designed them as a piece of sculpture that
0:11:33 > 0:11:37happened to be a chair. You know, this moves on an axis,
0:11:37 > 0:11:41and you can set upright or forward, or you can lounge back.
0:11:41 > 0:11:42They're quite fun.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45The Spun chairs were originally cast in copper
0:11:45 > 0:11:48and other semi precious metals, but they are small
0:11:48 > 0:11:52in comparison to the other projects for which the studio is now famous.
0:11:52 > 0:11:58The Routemaster bus in London, the 2012 cauldron at the Olympic Games,
0:11:58 > 0:12:02and the still-to-be-built Garden Bridge across the River Thames.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05And this is what I think Lord Rothschild will not be able
0:12:05 > 0:12:07to live without. He'll probably hate it.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10He'll probably sit in it, break his neck and I'll be sued,
0:12:10 > 0:12:13but that's life, you've got to take risks.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Knowing what he wants is one thing.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20However, the Spun chairs are proving impossible to track down -
0:12:20 > 0:12:22especially for Luddite Gordon.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25I'm, like, in a Kafkaesque situation here.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28I just can't get them, and I'm losing my temper,
0:12:28 > 0:12:32so would you mind now, in front of me, trying to locate them
0:12:32 > 0:12:33and making a few phone calls?
0:12:33 > 0:12:37The prices seem to vary from 280 to 320, plus VAT.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43Nicola is my right hand.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Nicola is just, you know, everything.
0:12:45 > 0:12:50- She runs my little empire.- OK, and so you've got those in stock.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Can you tell me the price of them?
0:12:52 > 0:12:55VOICE OVER PHONE
0:12:55 > 0:12:59And then for delivery, how does that work? OK.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02You're much luckier than I was.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Oh, God.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Not easy.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11Gordon's reputation has been built on his knowledge of antiques,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13but today he's flown to Amsterdam,
0:13:13 > 0:13:17a city with a growing status in the world of modern design.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21He has an idea that he'll be able to find a light for the Lord here.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25We're in the centre of Amsterdam, in the old part.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30It's unbelievably quaint, in the nicest possible sense.
0:13:30 > 0:13:35I'm going to see Studio Drift. They make the most incredible lights.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38I'm specifically going with Lord Rothschild in mind.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41I'm in the mood to buy, I need to buy, I think
0:13:41 > 0:13:46there's nothing like waving a cheque-book under somebody's nose.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Gordon's been tipped off about Studio Drift,
0:13:49 > 0:13:53set up by award-winning designers Ralph and Lonneke.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56They specialise in contemporary lighting installations,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58and just might have the solution for the darker
0:13:58 > 0:14:01corners of Lord Rothschild's Waddesdon Manor.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08'Hello. It's the next door on the right.'
0:14:08 > 0:14:10- Hello. Ralph.- Yes.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15- God, you're so tall.- Thank you so much.- I've seen you at exhibitions.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18Have I just grown shorter? Lonneke. Hi. We know each other.
0:14:18 > 0:14:19Yeah, we met before.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26- My God, it's a factory. How many people are working here?- 15.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28- And it is by hand, isn't it?- Everything...- I mean,
0:14:28 > 0:14:31that's a rare thing in this world today.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34I already can see so many things I want to buy. The fever's starting.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Can you just show me something fabulous?
0:14:40 > 0:14:44Incredible. What was the thought process behind this?
0:14:44 > 0:14:47What we try to do with all our pieces is bring something to life,
0:14:47 > 0:14:50because it is the combination of these two different worlds.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52Nature and technology.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55I mean, it's mesmeric just looking at. It's calming, isn't it?
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Exactly, you can't stop looking at it, basically.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Especially when we are talking now...
0:15:00 > 0:15:03I can't look at your beautiful face, and certainly not yours.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07What I love about this is the juxtaposition of the delicacy
0:15:07 > 0:15:10of this and the femininity, and then the masculinity of that.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14- And it is quite phallic, isn't it, in a sense?- Well, maybe, yes...
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Do you know, in...
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Every corner I turn, there's something I want to buy.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22This is a really inspirational studio,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26inspirational designers, and I want to buy something.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28There's so much Gordon wants,
0:15:28 > 0:15:32but he's finally struck on something remarkable.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35A chandelier built of copper...
0:15:35 > 0:15:38- and dandelions.- How long will they last?
0:15:38 > 0:15:41I know there's a Faberge egg in Russia that has a real dandelion inside
0:15:41 > 0:15:46and it's still, I mean, it's 100 years old, so it's still in mint condition.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Aren't they supposed to be able to survive a nuclear holocaust or something?
0:15:49 > 0:15:53- Yeah, they'll lie dormant.- In all parts of nature, in science...
0:15:53 > 0:15:55- So, if I blew...- Try.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59- Oh, it's...- It's glued. - It's extraordinary.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02So, the fact that they don't blow away is that all the seeds are glued
0:16:02 > 0:16:04individually on the LED lights.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Each of these tiny little... these little seedlings,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10- each of those is glued to a stalk? - Exactly.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13The fact that this is nature, that you've harnessed nature
0:16:13 > 0:16:16and you've adapted it and you've made lights out of it,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18excuse me, is the most extraordinary thing.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21And not only is it functional, it's also astounding, isn't it?
0:16:21 > 0:16:25It's outstandingly beautiful. I mean, I'm just blown away by it.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27What I'd love to do now is, could I...
0:16:27 > 0:16:31- I'm longing to see 15,000 dandelions.- Yes, let's do that.
0:16:31 > 0:16:32Yeah. Can we do that?
0:16:34 > 0:16:36Oh, my God.
0:16:36 > 0:16:37We take all the seeds off,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40and we need to use all the seeds of one flower
0:16:40 > 0:16:43because they have different lengths, different colours, the seeds...
0:16:43 > 0:16:47I see, so you can only put the seeds of one flower head back on.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49And then this has slightly... Well,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52this one didn't open completely, but has slightly the same size.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55And this is why it works, we put glue in, and one by one,
0:16:55 > 0:16:59we start on the top, glue the seeds back on.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02- But when you see this, it's just... - It's amazing how it's constructed.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06And especially when you look at it on this detail level.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09I'm absolutely hooked now. I can feel the adrenaline.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12You know, I'm a shopper, that's why I'm an antique dealer.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14So what can I...
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Here and now, what can I get my Eurocheque out and buy?
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Oh, we don't sell it ourselves.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22We have a gallery who's in charge of this.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26- And I'd have to contact them to get the price?- Absolutely.- OK.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31- Well, that's easy, that's a phone call, isn't it?- Exactly.- Very good.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35Gordon may have been blown away by the work of Studio Drift,
0:17:35 > 0:17:40but they've refused to sell direct, and he leaves empty-handed.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44I thought absolutely every single thing in there was beautiful.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46I have an idea that Lord Rothschild would
0:17:46 > 0:17:49really like one of the dandelion pieces.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51One of the lights I've just seen.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55The problem is, I'm not sure what's available, what price,
0:17:55 > 0:17:59or what size, so I've got to call the gallery, find out exactly
0:17:59 > 0:18:03the status, if there is anything available, and find out the price.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Oh, how romantic.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Be careful you don't get killed.
0:18:10 > 0:18:11You're too precious.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18With his discovery of the dandelion chandelier, Gordon believes
0:18:18 > 0:18:23he's found an object worthy of Lord Rothschild here in Holland.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25But he's relying on a British designer,
0:18:25 > 0:18:29Thomas Heatherwick, for the lord's outdoor-chair problem.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32They've proved hard to track down, but one of six moulded
0:18:32 > 0:18:37plastic Spun chairs is being delivered to Gordon's home today.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40This is bigger than we thought, isn't it?
0:18:40 > 0:18:42- It looks like chocolate brown, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47Sit in it.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49Dare you.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50- I dare you. - SHE LAUGHS
0:18:52 > 0:18:55I don't know, how is it...
0:18:55 > 0:18:56Oh.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Oh, it's rather nice.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01Isn't that an amazing design?
0:19:02 > 0:19:05It can take all of 13st of me, it's amazing.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10I think they're going to look really great on Lord R's terrace.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13And that Thomas Heatherwick is a genius.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Gordon may be delighted with the Spun chairs,
0:19:18 > 0:19:23but his lighting solution for the lord is proving more difficult.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25He couldn't buy the dandelion chandelier
0:19:25 > 0:19:28direct from the designers in Amsterdam
0:19:28 > 0:19:32as it's not just any old light, it's a work of art,
0:19:32 > 0:19:35so he must go through their agent in the UK.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40He's on the back foot with no idea if a piece is available,
0:19:40 > 0:19:42or how much it will cost.
0:19:42 > 0:19:47I've got to go and meet one of the co-owners of Carpenters Workshop.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51Carpenters Workshop are the most powerful force in the world
0:19:51 > 0:19:55today for contemporary design, in terms of furniture and lighting.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59The man I'm seeing is called Loic and he's pretty frightening
0:19:59 > 0:20:02and on the odd occasion where we've been introduced
0:20:02 > 0:20:07through a mutual friend or a client, he's very, very standoffish.
0:20:07 > 0:20:08C'est de l'art.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Part of the exhibition.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14- Hi, Loic.- Hi, Gordon, how are you doing?- How are you?
0:20:14 > 0:20:18It's so kind of you to give me... I know how busy you are.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20What size is this, Loic?
0:20:20 > 0:20:22This is actually a small one because I wanted to have
0:20:22 > 0:20:25- the perfect piece to fit within the space.- Right.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27- It looks amazing here. - But, obviously, you know,
0:20:27 > 0:20:30it can be sort of different sizes and shapes.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32We've had endless phone calls and e-mails,
0:20:32 > 0:20:33and phone calls and e-mails,
0:20:33 > 0:20:37and I've been told there's only small lights available.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Small doesn't work for Lord Rothschild.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42We need something big and imposing and powerful.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Let's discuss the difficulty of my life.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Normally I wouldn't say but I think, as time's pressing,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50and there's no point being candid,
0:20:50 > 0:20:52it's for Jacob Rothschild, Lord Rothschild.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55He's starting to mix... contemporary
0:20:55 > 0:20:59in that amazing Rothschild red interior.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02That's beautiful but it's too small for the space that I'm thinking of.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Is there any chance of having a bigger piece?
0:21:05 > 0:21:08I think what you're looking for is a piece that we have called
0:21:08 > 0:21:09the Dandelion Chandelier.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12- And is that part of an edition? - Yeah, that's part of an edition.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14When would you actually need it, Gordon?
0:21:14 > 0:21:19I'd need it, erm, Thursday morning in the week, literally...
0:21:19 > 0:21:22- Not to, you know...- I love, I love, I love impossible requests.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24- I know, it's good. - But this is our speciality.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Price?
0:21:26 > 0:21:28- Price, I'm going to check this. - Yeah, check.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30HE SPEAKS FRENCH
0:21:32 > 0:21:34We do have this one piece
0:21:34 > 0:21:38- and the price is 62,000 euros plus VAT.- Right, yeah, OK.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41This is the Dandelion Chandelier I was telling you about.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Yeah, perfect. I couldn't ask for more.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Luckily for Gordon,
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Loic has the size of Dandelion Chandelier he needs,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51but at a whopping £50,000,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Gordon will have to pull in another favour.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56I'm going to have to ask him, can I borrow it?
0:21:56 > 0:21:59I don't want to be forced into buying something I don't want to
0:21:59 > 0:22:03and, actually, the real reason is I've spent all my money.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06I'm going to have to ask you a great favour.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11Could I possibly take the chandelier on consignment?
0:22:11 > 0:22:14I don't want to buy it and then he doesn't buy it, do you see?
0:22:14 > 0:22:16- Could I take it on consignment? - You... You can...
0:22:16 > 0:22:18- Yeah, of course.- Yup. OK. - Of course.- OK. OK.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20- It's not a problem.- Perfect.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24- God, it's so easy. Who knew?- It's...
0:22:24 > 0:22:26OK. Thank you, Loic. Thank you so much.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28Thank you so much.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31He said yes. I mean, he was so easy.
0:22:31 > 0:22:32I think he was a pussycat.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37Goodbye. We make nicer door handles. I should show you.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Instead of thinking, "Big fat zero and it's going to be a disaster,"
0:22:40 > 0:22:44I would say I'm, would you agree, 80% there?
0:22:44 > 0:22:4660%. 90%.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48What can go wrong?
0:22:51 > 0:22:54- These are heavy. - Ah, it's not too bad.
0:22:54 > 0:22:55Don't get scared.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59It's the day of the big reveal,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01and Gordon's back at the Flint House,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04busy preparing for the arrival of Lord Rothschild.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Protect the floor - I don't want all of this mud.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09- No.- I mean, I've got mud all over my shoes.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11- No, no, I will make sure... - You've been kind enough. Great.- OK.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15With the help of James and a team of specialist art handlers,
0:23:15 > 0:23:19Gordon is hoping that he's found the right contemporary pieces
0:23:19 > 0:23:22that Lord Rothschild might add to his collection.
0:23:22 > 0:23:23The last time I was here,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26we had a discussion and he said he desperately needed...
0:23:26 > 0:23:27Well, he didn't say "desperately".
0:23:27 > 0:23:30He said he needed chairs for the outdoor terrace -
0:23:30 > 0:23:34the most difficult thing in the world to find but I've found them.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37They're by our great designer Thomas Heatherwick.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40I'm very excited, so I'm showing them those.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42The real reason I'm here...
0:23:42 > 0:23:46I looked around for a modern light that would really give,
0:23:46 > 0:23:49you know, that wow factor, and I've found it.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52It's so filled with love and labour and madness,
0:23:52 > 0:23:57and I think that Lord Rothschild will love this piece.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00To stand any chance of a sale,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Gordon must make sure his presentation is immaculate...
0:24:07 > 0:24:11..but, on opening the crate, Gordon's mood plummets.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14It just looks terrible. I mean, it just... It couldn't look worse.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18The colour of the wood is leaching the beauty of the copper.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22I mean, he's never going to understand it.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25It's just almost pointless showing it to him.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28It's one of the great designs of the 21st century
0:24:28 > 0:24:30and it just looks terrible.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33You know, it's a lot of money, this piece. I mean, it's...
0:24:33 > 0:24:34It should look like that.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37It should just be this floating, you know,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40ethereal thing that looks as though it would just, you know,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42this object that just looks as though it would float away.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46And, you know, I had visions of it in the red velvet,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49with soaring ceilings at Waddesdon, and it would look extraordinary,
0:24:49 > 0:24:51and it looks...
0:24:51 > 0:24:55It doesn't look extraordinary here, by any stretch of the imagination.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Anyway, things can only get better
0:24:57 > 0:24:59because they certainly couldn't get worse.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05With his borrowed chandelier unimpressive,
0:25:05 > 0:25:09the chance of making a sale is diminishing.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12It falls to art handler James to come to the rescue.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14- You're quite the seamstress, aren't you, James?- Yeah.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17You're so talented. And, oh! I love it, now.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20- Do you do all your own sewing?- I do. - Do you?- I do indeed.- God.
0:25:20 > 0:25:21And your own washing?
0:25:21 > 0:25:23And my own washing.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27As usual, with a bit of genius, we're draping it in black to
0:25:27 > 0:25:29make it look much more like a piece of sculpture.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32I thought I was going to lose my hair.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35I just thought, "Oh, my God, Lord R is going to come
0:25:35 > 0:25:39"and it's in an ugly bloody pine box."
0:25:39 > 0:25:43- HE EXHALES - So now I've got to calm myself.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45I just love it.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47I hope he does.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51Jacob, I've got something to show you.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54- I've got two things.- Right.- One thing to show you, not for here -
0:25:54 > 0:25:57- it was just an idea I had for the big house.- Right.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59- Good. Good.- For the manor, but come with me.- OK. OK.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02I want you, for dramatic effect, to stand there.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04- Stand here?- If I may, yes.- OK.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06James...
0:26:17 > 0:26:20Oh, look, it is rather fantastic, isn't it? Yes.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22- It's wonderful...- Right.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24..and probably as many awards as you're going to have
0:26:24 > 0:26:26- for the Flint House. - Yeah, it's rather wonderful.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28And do you know what? They're dandelions.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30You mean, they're simulated dandelions?
0:26:30 > 0:26:33- No, no, they are.- They're real dandelions?- I've been there.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36- They cull, or glean, or gather 60,000 each year.- How extraordinary.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39- And how long do the dandelions last? - They last forever.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41- Forever, really? - Absolutely, they've been...
0:26:41 > 0:26:45You know, you need the volume for those incredible rooms at Waddesdon.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49- You know, it's a very beautiful thing.- Yeah.- Very beautiful.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Lord Rothschild seems impressed by the Dandelion Chandelier,
0:26:53 > 0:26:54but noncommittal.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57However, Gordon's not done yet.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59These are the famous Spun Chairs.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02That's right... Now, he's a friend of mine, Tom Heatherwick.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05- Is he?- Yes.- Oh, God, I'm one of his greatest fans.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08- But how do you sit on it?- Well, just wait. I'm addicted to them.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10So, you anchor your feet.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13- You sit.- Right.- You adjust.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16- You can sit up high, look, and you could eat like that...- OK.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20..or you could lounge, which is my favourite thing, or you could rock.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23- And it doesn't make you nervous? - No. Most things make me nervous.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26You make me nervous, but this doesn't.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29And the colour, of course, is perfect with the flint.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32- How much do you think these cost? - I don't know. Tell me.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35- Around £300 each.- Are they really? - I think it's a genius thing.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37I'd like to make a little profit, of course.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39- Well, that's... - That's why I'm a dealer.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41No, I think they're incredibly good value.
0:27:41 > 0:27:42- Aren't they the best value?- Yeah.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44And they're totally durable.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46- I love the way they rock in the wind.- Yeah, yeah.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50They're very beautiful.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Well, I've gone on a bloody roller-coaster.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56I wish you could lose weight from being nervous, and emotion,
0:27:56 > 0:27:58because I would have shed two stone today.
0:27:58 > 0:28:03He came, he saw, and hopefully I conquered.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07Having somebody really like something and saying, "Well done,"
0:28:07 > 0:28:11I mean, that's praise indeed, and we all like praise,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14and especially from Lord Rothschild.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Yes, so I'm feeling very proud today.