and design process in his 2013 book “An
Invitation to Chateau du Grand-Lucé.”
Built between 1760 and 1764, Chateau
du Grand-Lucé indubitably has a rich and
fascinating history, and thus is protected as
a French National Landmark.
Former visitors to the chateau include
luminaries from the Enlightenment period
such as Voltaire, Rousseau and Diderot,
and, during his time there, Corrigan has
shared the space with many friends and
family members. “I purposely made each
bedroom totally different, so that each one
would reflect a different type of person, or
personality,” says Corrigan. “Some of the
rooms are feminine, some are masculine,
one looks like an Army general’s room
from the 19th century and other ones look
more flowery. They reflect both guests who
have stayed and people now that may have
different styles.”
With multiple chateau restorations under
his belt, Corrigan was perfect for the task of
rejuvenating the property. “It was daunting,
but it had all the original paneling, original
wood parquet floors and fireplaces. There
was so much that was a great beauty, and
great values, so it wasn’t like you were
starting from scratch,” says Corrigan.
“There were virtually no bathrooms and the
kitchens were located outside the chateau,
so I had to put things in like that, but it’s
what I do for a living.”
Of the 29 rooms, Corrigan’s favorite is
the Chinese Salon (Salon de Chinois), with
canvas walls originally painted by 18th-
century master Jean-Baptiste Pillement, one
of Marie Antoinette’s court painters. Only
two rooms in the world exist that he fully
painted. “A small painting of Pillement’s will
go for hundreds of thousands of dollars,