Feature: A Singular Vision
January 1, 2008
The space that became the library and kitchen was extensively renovated. The area had previously been a warren of cramped, service-oriented rooms, including a butler’s pantry that Corrigan adapted to modern use. The updated kitchen is now bright and efficient, a welcoming room for casual family meals. For the library, Corrigan found an 18th-century French side table at Christie’s in London. It is a beautiful companion to a pair of 16th-century Baroque angels from the clients’ collection, which echo the pair of angels in the fountain of the porte cochere—"One of my favorite areas of the house," says the wife.
The dining room is both grand and gracious, covered in 18th-century Italian panels Corrigan found at a small auction house in Lyon, France; French doors open onto a terrace that can also be used for dining. He designed the landscaping beyond, creating an English garden right in the middle of L.A.
Upstairs, the master bedroom is a soaring space: "It has 22-foot cathedral ceilings," says Corrigan. "When I bought the house, it had 30-foot ceilings! I brought them down eight feet to give it a sense of intimacy." Since the wife didn’t want strong colors in the room, Corrigan created a soothing palette of cream and celadon, referencing it in the wool carpet from Stark and the Rogers & Goffigan silk draperies. The antique fireplace was imported from London; the trumeau above it was found in France. The room’s centerpiece, a baronial mahogany bed, is from Therien Studios in Los Angeles. "Antique beds are problematic," Corrigan explains. "They are difficult sizes, and usually have to be rebuilt. Therien’s artisans do beautiful work; they know how to craft new pieces to blend with genuine antiques. Pieces such as this one allow an old house to function like a new house."
Corrigan is immensely proud of this project. "I had a lot of emotional energy invested in it," he confesses. "I liked these clients very much, so I brought the same level of emotional commitment to the project that I would have if I was going to live there myself. It’s one of the warmest, most livable houses I’ve been in in years. It could only have come about because the people who live there are so lovely. It’s the essence of a well-lived-in house."
Timothy Corrigan, 323.525.1802, www.timothy-corrigan.com
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