I've been having a lot of conversations about chateaux in relationship to my upcoming trip. Seems I'm not the only one who dreams of buying a fixer upper in France.  When that time comes (after I win the lottery) the first person I will call for advice is designer Timothy Corrigan. He purchased his 18th-century estate in the Loire Valley, Chateau du Grand-Lucé, from the government and thus dealt with the bureaucracy that accompanied it.  Although, I've heard many stories of the difficulties of getting anything done in France, I am impressed by the French resolve to protect their historic sites. You can read more here and the entire story in Timothy's book An Invitation to Chateau du Grand-Lucé: Decorating a Great French Country House Even if your home is on a more modest scale, you can still be inspired by the beautiful colors and fabrics chosen for each room including the 14 bedrooms, including the ground floor master suite. And if owning a chateau if out of your budget, it can be rented out for stays and events here including weddings. Now wouldn't that be chic?