By Aimée Laberge
“The home should be the treasure chest of living” – Le Corbusier
A former ad executive, world renown interior decorator, and avowed “chateau-aholic”, Timothy Corrigan is a specialist of a particular French value called… l’Art de Vivre.
Timothy Corrigan
Monsieur Corrigan shared with us the challenges he met in order to fulfill his passion for design and la vie de château on Monday, November 11, during a lunchtime event organized by the French Heritage Society Chicago-Midwest Chapter at Le Colonial in Lake Forest.
With headquarters in New York and Paris, the French Heritage Society raises funds contributing to architectural restoration projects in France and in the U.S. Recent FHS grant recipients include le Grand Palais, an Olympic Games competition site, the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris and George Washington’s Mount Vernon in Virginia. FHS is also dedicated to education through a robust Franco-American internship exchange program for university students and a cross-cultural exchange for professional fellows.
Renata Sanfilippo, Marilyn Covelli and Janet Merutka
The FHS Chicago-Midwest chapter is one of 10 in the US and its youngest. It has taken on and achieved projects of great significance for the Midwest and its rich patrimoine under the leadership of Lisa Kahn, her co-chair Pascale Kichler, and their team:
“Our chapter is committed to growing awareness and support for what has long been vastly overlooked in the Midwest,” says Lisa. “In our six years of existence, we have supported restoration projects in Illinois, Missouri and Michigan; expanded FHS’s Franco-American Education Program in the Midwest; and created the French Heritage Corridor, an initiative spanning 7 states in the Midwest. It is also our commitment to create interesting, diverse and FUN fundraising events in support of our mission and vision across the Midwest.”
Kat Beaulieu, FHS Chicago-Midwest Membership Chair; Lisa Kahn, FHS Chicago-Midwest co-chair and Director of the French Heritage Corridor; Timothy Corrigan; Pascale Kichler, FHS Chicago-Midwest co-chair; Raphaelle Penelle, FHS Chicago-Midwest Steering Committee
It’s also in Chicago that Timothy Corrigan got his start in advertising at Leo Burnett, before being asked to move to Paris and join a very small advertising agency based in London and called… Saatchi & Saatchi. When his responsibilities, growing along with Saatchi & Saatchi’s reputation, took him away from his true love, he quit to start what is now considered the leading interior design firm in the world.
And thus began his quest for the perfect château…
“There are many, many châteaux in France,” says Timothy. “They are not very expensive, and the price of the land and the taxes are low. Anybody can buy a château but not everybody will have pockets deep enough to cover the cost of restoration.”
Eileen Conaghan, Kat Beaulieu, Carol Wetmore, Pam Wyne
Todd Schwebel and Timothy Corrigan
The first one Timothy did set his sight on was the Château de Blanville near Rouen, but it was … too plain. The second, the Château de Gallerande, was exactly what Timothy thought a chateau should looked like with round towers and a moat but… the stone walls were 3 feet thick and the windows, designed for defense, were so narrow they didn’t let the light in. Too dark! Next was the Château de Grand-Lucé and it was very grand indeed. It cost $8 million just to redo the slate roofs, so Timothy had to go shopping again. This is when he found his fourth and last château (so he says!), an 18th century hunting lodge called Château de la Chevallerie.
The unique touch Timothy brings to his French décor is something the French don’t always think of importance in vintage rooms: comfort. In a living room by Timothy Corrigan, the couches are large, deep soft and beige. The fabric has been specially made to be spill resistant. The antique tables are covered with navy varnish. You can have a party, spill your grand-cru, invite cats and dogs to keep you company, and have a chill time at the château! That’s when you are not busy restoring the 66 sculptures in the gardens, or replacing the 2500 boxwood ravaged by blight… A châtelain’s work is never done.
Dawn Kirsch and Renata Sanfilippo
Timothy Corrigan shares with you the story of Château de la Chevallerie’s restoration and the décor of his dazzling Paris apartment in his third book, At Home in France: Inspiration and Style in Town and Country ( Rizzoli, 2024). ”A must for everyone who dreams of living in France and bringing French chic into their own lives.”
Timothy also reminded us that “whoever does not visit Paris regularly will never be elegant” (Honoré de Balzac). He shared with us some of his favorite museums: the new Hotel de la Marine and Ville de Paris House Museums such as the Musée Nissim de Camondo in the Parc Monceau or the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature in Le Marais.
To learn about more FUN events with great guest speakers, check French Heritage Society Chicago-Midwest chapter website or, even better, become a member!
About Aimée Laberge:
Quebec born and bred, Aimée Laberge has been promoting French and Francophone cultures for 15 years in her role as Director of Programs at the Alliance Francaise de Chicago until recently. She is a Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
Photos by Aimée Laberge.
