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“Don’t let a house control you – you control how you live in your house.”
That’s the first thing designer Timothy Corrigan tells me during our conversation about the Porcelain Room in his Loire Valley chateau, which is on the cover of our September/October 2024 issue. Although I planned to focus on the details of the image—the exquisite color treatment of the arched opening, the porcelain collection, the 19th-century antique furniture (and we’ll get into all of that), he wanted me to know the backstory, the history, so to speak, of the room itself.
So let’s start here: What is now Corrigan’s china room was the kitchen when he bought it, but it was too small for what he envisioned in the house. “The French can make the most amazing meals in tiny cooking spaces, but as an American, I wanted a kitchen where we could really live and come together,” he says. So Corrigan found another spot in the castle to set up a larger kitchen, then converted that room into a room for his antique china, which he has been collecting for decades.
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This home makeover “allowed me to realize my dream of displaying my fine china,” says Corrigan. This photo shows his Royal Copenhagen Flora Danica collection, which the designer has amassed piece by piece over the years by attending hundreds of auctions in Denmark (“You can buy Royal Copenhagen china cheaper there!”) The cobalt blue stemware is also Danish.
Flora Danica Plate
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Flora Danica Plate
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1299,00 €
Hand-blown crystal glass, set of 6
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Hand-blown crystal glass, set of 6
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140.00 USD
Royal Copenhagen Flora Danica Fish Gravy Boat & Stand
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Royal Copenhagen Flora Danica Fish Gravy Boat & Stand
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Corrigan furnished the Porcelain Room with antiques and vintage pieces, including a 19th-century painted cabinet he bought at a Paris flea market.
“I fell in love with the bamboo details and the original paintwork,” he says. “Without the paintwork it would be far too dark, and yet the paintwork does not detract from its splendor.”
The center table dates from the 1940s and features a glass top with eglomise treatment (gilding the back of the glass to create a mirror-like surface) on a Renaissance-style base. A 19th-century Baccarat chandelier reflects sunlight during the day and emits a warm, candle-like glow when lit.
Theodore Alexander Eglomise console table
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Theodore Alexander Eglomise console table
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1595,00 €
Bamboo pagoda-shaped cupboard
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Bamboo pagoda-shaped cupboard
1stdibs.com
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Baccarat crystal chandelier, 19th century
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Baccarat crystal chandelier, 19th century
1stdibs.com
6900.00 USD
The arched entrance to the Porcelain Room is also a modern change. The archway connects the Porcelain Room with a former chapel that was added to the castle in the 19th century.
“When I bought it, the room was completely clad in dark wood, almost black, and there was no natural light,” says Corrigan. After deconsecrating the space, the designer turned it into a small dining room that is now light and airy thanks to the addition of French windows connecting the room to the garden and a lot of white paint. “I painted everything a creamy white tone that is soft and not too garish (Mascarpone by Benjamin Moore),” says Corrigan.
To highlight the carvings, the designer highlighted certain details in a pretty Delft blue (Serenata by Benjamin Moore) and “added gilding here and there for additional embellishment.”
The result is a series of transformed spaces that suit Corrigan’s 21st century lifestyle while honoring the craftsmanship and grandeur of centuries past.
“When you buy a home, you have to think about how you want to live in it and then customize the home to suit your needs. As a designer, that’s what I try to focus on with my clients,” he says, adding, “This room represents my entire design philosophy.”
If you missed this wonderful house tour in print, subscribe to the VERANDA magazine here.
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