Q&A with Timothy Corrigan on chateau style

Timothy Corrigan is a native Angeleno and highly regarded interior designer who has just published An Invitation to Chateau du Grand-Lucé: Decorating a Great French Country House, which details his efforts to restore and decorate Chateau du Grand-Lucé, an eighteenth century chateau located in the northern part of the Loire Valley.

Last month, I attended a book release party at Mr. Corrign's beautifully appointed home in Hancock Park. There were so many well-wishers that I didn't get a chance to speak with the author in detail but he kindly gave me the following email interview.

Did you grow up in the house you now live in?
I lived in my current house in Los Angeles from the ages of 7-11 years old.

You have chosen to restore a French Chateau in the Loire Valley; every Angeleno's dream. Why do you think so many Chateau-style apartment buildings were built in LA during the late 20s and early 30s? 
Throughout the 20's and 30s there were a number of different revival styles being built in LA...Mediterranean, Tudor and French Chateau. Typically, the French chateau buildings were the most grand because of the highly pitched slate roofs, turrets and French doors, which communicated a sense of elegance and grandeur that reflects that period.

What is it about Los Angeles that lends itself to the "Chateau-esque" style of living?
It is the quintessential indoor-outdoor lifestyle of Southern California that is very much akin to chateau life, which is totally geared around gardens.