History Main / BigFancyHouse

* PBS "Secrets Of" explores such residences, including Highclere Castle (mentioned below as the setting for Series/DowntonAbbey), Chatsworth, and the Home of Henry VIII. The kitchens alone have to be seen to be believed. Bonus points for the couple who live in the Tower of London and take care of the crown jewels.

* While many celebrity homes certainly fit this trope, Creator/StephenKing owns a [[http://www.cjnews.com/travel/touring-famous-stephen-king-landmarks-bangor-maine distinctive one]], complete with a custom wrought-iron spiked fence, asymmetrical towers, indoor pool and special writing studio.

* The Bosses' mansions in ''Literature/ClocksThatDontTickk'', which are made even more impressive by the fact they're built inside mountains. The one shown was said to include everything from the mercenary's quarters to swimming pools to indoor gold courses. The main level where the Bosses reside is made to resemble a luxury hotel with a courtyard. Said courtyard includes multiple hot tubs and golden fountains portraying Hope, her dress embedded with dozens of jewels. Above it all is a ceiling perfectly made to look like a starry sky. The mansion is also the only place shown that features futuristic technology appropriate for the novel's setting of five-hundred years in the future. For example, there are holographic control panels that can be summoned by the Bosses making a certain gesture.

* The Grosvenor Square mansion of the outrageously wealthy financier Augustus Melmotte in ''TheWayWeLiveNow''.

* Speaking of Britain, Checquers, the [[TheMenOfDowningStreet Prime Minister's]] country estate. Furthermore, 10 Downing Street is [[BiggerOnTheInside deceptively large]].

** Mason Verger's mansion in ''{{Hannibal}}'', set in Virginia and shot at Biltmore.

* Subverted with the new Federal Chancellery building in Berlin: while it is the largest government headquarters in the world and contains a “Chancellor's Apartment” of 200 m
, only 28 m
are reserved as private living space for the sitting chancellor, the rest being occupied by rooms intended for public entertaining. Naturally, both chancellors who have been in office since the building was finished have preferred to continue inhabiting their private homes.

* Canadian Governors-General are lodged at [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rideau_Hall Rideau Hall]], a superb manor in Ottawa where the GG holds receptions and diplomatic events, though the vast majority of it is working offices for various Crown functions. In contrast, the Prime Minister and provincial Primiers lived in smaller houses or condos. Except for one, the Prime Minister of Newfoundland, who lived in a beautiful house. Newfoundland is one of the poorest provinces in Canada, if not ''the'' poorest.

* In ''Series/{{Angel}}'', the mansion of CorruptCorporateExecutive and vampire Russell Winters.
* And Angel himself had a mansion in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', though not in the typical rich guy sense. He shared it with Drusilla and Spike.

* And Angel himself had a mansion in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', though not in the typical rich guy sense.

* TexAvery's ''LonesomeLenny'' is a big dumb dog whose home is a huge mansion - his room is the size of an opera house - and he lives in a standard-issue wooden doghouse in the corner.

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Imperial_Palace The residence of the Emperor of Japan]]. A palace, ''several'' Big Fancy Houses and ''several square kilometres of open parkland''. In '''central Tokyo'''. One estimate of its "market value" (if a market for it existed) is that the palace and grounds is worth, roughly, California[[note]]Although that estimate was made during the '90s Japanese real estate bubble. Probably less now. But still really expensive.[[/note]]. There are bigger, fancier palaces out there for heads of state, but no real estate in the world more expensive than this one.

*** However, about half of this--including the London palaces--is owned by the Crown rather than the Queen herself, and is thus managed by the government. On the other hand, a substantial portion of Crown land is actually part of the Crown Estate, which while managed by the government is in theory voluntarily surrendered to Parliament in exchange for a share of the (lucrative) proceeds and the right to succeed to the Throne, and it is quite possible that should the British monarchy ever end, the Royal Family would keep the Crown Estate. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhyYgnhhKFw C.G.P. Grey explains]]. Finally, certain major properties--including the ''very'' big and fancy Sandringham House and Balmoral Castle--are directly owned by the monarch personally.

** As an example of Americans' schizophrenic attitude regarding things of this kind, ThomasJefferson thought that the White House was ''too big'' when he moved in in 1801, calling it "big enough for two emperors, one pope, and the grand lama in the bargain." And then he conducted the first expansion of the White House, building the colonnades that now connect the Residence to the East and West Wings. (They were originally designed to disguise the laundry and stables).

* Baskerville Hall is probably the most well-known example in the SherlockHolmes canon, but there are several instances of him visiting the sprawling country homes of the rich and powerful (and, occasionally, criminal).

Brown Manor in The Molly and Pippin Show is a large mansion which is basically a cross between Neuschwanstein, the Taj Mahal and The Biltmore Estate.

* ITV's smash hit, ''Series/DowntonAbbey'', concerns the Abbey itself (exterior shots are of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highclere_Castle Highclere Castle]] in Hampshire). Downton is so [[UpToEleven so fantastically big and fancythat requires a full time staff of almost twenty people to clean and maintain]].Much of the plot frames the Abbey as an obligation and a money drain, creating tension for everyone.