An Invitation to Chateau du Grand-Luce: Decorating a Great French Country House

Its a good book but, it is not inspirational if you are looking for that or, for ideas. Nice to flick through but not one that you keep going back to look at!

This is my second of Mr. Corrigan s books and equally Devine! I want to be a guest at the Chateau. Worth every cent. Dreamy.

Excelentes fotografías y comentarios que reflejan el estilo de interiorismo que han querido plasmar los arquitectos y decoradores de esta fantástica mansión.

Great condition

Bildband hat voll und ganz meine Erwartungen erfüllt. Sehr schöne Fotoaufnahmen, die Anregungen für die eigene Inneneinrichtung liefern. Sehr zu empfehlen

Beautiful

Written with humour, informative and very well illustrated

Ticks all the boxes

All is well.

The mind boggles at the concept of a Californian competing against multiple French would-be purchasers’ proposals for uses and renovations for a 45,000 square footh, 18th century chateau in the Loire Valley. Then winning! Then navigating through the ormolu maze of the French bureaucracy devoted to the accurate preservation of historically designated sites, buildings, floors, mantles, tiles, art works, and details. So, I put off reading this book for a long time. Also feared that I would suffer excruciating cognitive dissonance with respect to both Corrigan's perseverance and his results. Well, reading the book was worth the risk. The organization is creative, the author’s friendly and expert enthusiasm shine, the chateau is magnificent yet comforting, the objets are delightful—all in all a wonderful read. No wonder Corrigan’s has such a great smile!

I own over 50+ books of this genre (high end design and decor) and this is my new favorite. I fell in love with Timothy a while back and have read all I can about his style and design talents - mostly in Arch Digest but also he stars in a number of You-Tube videos, including several on the Chateau. But this volume is the icing on the cake. Gorgeously photographed. I can't quite follow the premise of pretending you're a weekend guest and going through day by day. But, I'm more interested in the photographs anyway. Can't stress enough that it does not matter that you (I) don't have a Chateau. Timothy's designs are an inspiration to anyone who cares about design and decor and you really can (if you care enough) translate something from just about every room he does to your own projects. Beauty is beauty afterall. And it doesn't hurt that (from the you-tube videos) he truly seems like a super nice guy with a surprising lack of pretense or snobbery. Would LOVE to spend a few days with him but I guess curled up with this beautiful publication and a glass of wine will have to suffice.

This book offers some background on how Mr. Corrigan came to own the property and begin the exhaustive job of restoration, but the real meat of this book are the pictures of the building and its contents. The contents are laid out as if a party of guests is arriving for their first look at the chateau and their host is walking them through the history and details of the residence while planning a house party for their entertainment. The fact he dealt with so much red tape imposed by the French governmental department responsible for protecting architecture deemed to have historical significance is a testament to his commitment to this labor of love. To those who may never visit a genuine French chateau or are even less likely to be entertained as a guest in one, this is a glimpse into a bygone lifestyle. Enjoy.

This book is billed as look-see at how the author, Timothy Corrigan (famous designer), purchased and decorated a French Chateau. First the pros:1) the book is printed on very good quality paper and it would be considered a "coffee table" book.2) photos are clear, crisp;3) interesting back stories about many of the rooms that are shown;4) interesting factoids about what he could, and couldn't do, to this building since it is an historical landmark. For example, Mr. Corrigan could not alter (either structurally or design-wise) the entire first floor so it was interesting to read how he dealt with architectural and design challenges.Now the cons:I just came off of reading Howard Slatkin's book "Fifth Avenue Style: A Designer's New York Apartment" so it was probably presumptuous of me to think that this book about the Chateau du Grande-Luce would be somewhat similar. Mr. Slatkin's book, in addition to being visually absorbing was full of very detailed narrative as to how he created his Fifth Avenue home (from blank rooms to his inspirations to his vision to his ultimate design decisions). Mr. Corrigan's book doesn't delve into much detail so when I was done with the book, I felt like I only had an appetizer and didn't get the main course. Here is a run-down Chateau that he transformed into a home -- where are the "before" shots? where are actual FULL shots of an entire room? (there are several in the book but most of the photos are of table vignettes, corners of rooms, views out of the windows, view of a drape, etc). Instead of showing a table outside that is set for dinner (as seen in every other design book), how about seeing photos of all the bedrooms (the Chateau has 14 of which only several are shown). Instead of telling us what amenities a guest room should have (information that is in every other design book), how about providing more info on how the interior design selections were made.Would have been fascinating to see a "before" floor plan and then an "after" floor plan (since he said that he reconfigured some rooms to fit today's style of living). This book leaves you hungry for photos of full rooms - not just corners, vignettes, or flooring. There's a lot of fluff in this book but little substantive or hardcore design information.I have an extensive library of interior design books and had I seen this book in a bookstore, I probably would not have purchased it. I am keeping it because in spite of the many missing pieces it has its interesting parts and I have always admired Mr. Corrigan's work.

I don't own a French chateau and never will. However, this book provided me with a delightful escape from my ordinary day. Alain de Botton writes,"Great works of art aren't just for show. Approached in the right frame of mind, they can help us to deal with life's key challenges: our desire for material things, our fear of the unknown, our longing for love, our need for hope." I'll add that beautifully decorated homes are the same. It's lovely to be transported to Chateau du Grand-Luce. An experience that can be repeated over and over for the price of this charming book.

This book is not only a feast for the eye, it is an absolute pleasure to read! The story flows easily and effortlessly. The author goes into quite a few details about the renovation process, but unlike many interior design books, it never gets tedious or boring. In fact, the book is written in such a way that it makes you feel as if you are one of the special guests in the chateau. First, you find yourself in the village square entering the gates, then you are greeted by the host and invited to tour the formal gardens; then you are trying to guess which bedroom was assigned to you....it is all like a fairy tale!The photographs add to the magical effect because they are very thoughtfully arranged and presented: you can tell exactly how a room or a garden looks without missing a thing.Wonderful book! A specimen of great taste.