Interior Designer Timothy Corrigan
Hailed in Architectural Digest as “Today’s Tastemaker” (and a fan of Ultrasuede®), Timothy Corrigan’s work is showcased in some of the world’s most extraordinary properties with clients including European and Middle Eastern royalty, Hollywood celebrities, and corporate leaders. With offices in both Los Angeles and Paris, his distinctive design philosophy of comfortable elegance in architecture, restoration and interiors has been featured on television and in such prestigious publications as: Elle Decor, The New York Times, Town & Country, Veranda, House Beautiful, Vanity Fair, and Vogue and The Wall Street Journal.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT THUS FAR?
My purchase and total renovation of an 18th century Historical Landmark chateau from the French government. I was tested on every level: technically, artistically, financially and not to mention the fact that it required every ounce of patience dealing with incredible bureaucracy. But at the end of my career, even with all of the amazing projects I have been fortunate enough to work on, I will probably be most proud of having rescued one of the finest examples of neo-classical architecture in France.
THE INTERVIEW: Timothy Corrigan
MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT MY COMPANY IS…
Whether we are working on a small beach house or a 35 room villa, the most enjoyable part of my job is figuring out how the space in each room can be designed for maximum comfort and livability. I hate walking into a room in which people look as if they are stiff and uncomfortable. There are so many critical aspects that you have to get right for a room to really work: furniture placement and scale, lighting, color, surfaces and colors. It’s the sum of all of the parts that combine to create a space that people want to be in.
ONE THING I LOVE ABOUT ULTRASUEDE IS …
We use a lot of Ultrasuede on our projects because I love the soft texture and rich depth that it gives to any room or piece of furniture. We’ve used it to upholster walls of screening rooms, bars, and bedrooms. I have it on a pair of sofas at my home and everyone loves snuggling up on them. The wonderful thing about Ultrasuede is that you can use it in a fancy formal setting or a totally casual one and it always seems right; there are not that many fabrics that you can say that about.
THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS …
BOOKS, BOOKS AND MORE BOOKS! I am totally obsessed with them… There are piles of them all over my houses! In my bedroom in LA they practically create mini-side tables all around the room because I have so many piles of them. I should probably figure out a way to make them a part of my approach to design.
MY TRADEMARK PERSONAL STYLE IS …
A magazine once described my style as “European elegance infused with California casual” and I really think that is a great summation of what I try to achieve. I spend half of my time in Europe and the other half in California, so it really does fit my life, as well as my design style. While I love so much of the European design aesthetic, there is something very special about the ease of life in California – so if you can have a blend of the two, you have the best of both worlds!
MY IDEAL DAY OF LEISURE WOULD INCLUDE …
…a morning spent in a great museum, lunch outside under the trees with good friends, an afternoon in the garden or woods, an early dinner and going to bed early with a pile of auction catalogs to devour before a good night’s sleep…pure bliss!
MY FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATION IS …
Even after living there on and off since the late 1980’s, I am still fully and totally in love with La Belle France. I am continually struck by its natural beauty, the most amazing architecture of anywhere on the planet, and a reverence for culture and the arts that is a very part of the DNA of the French people. While I am intensely proud to be an American I feel that my second home will always be France.
A LITTLE KNOWN FACT ABOUT ME…
Despite spending so much time in France, I am not a gourmand of any kind. My nieces and nephews call me “Junkfood Man.”
all images used with permission courtesy of Timothy Corrigan.