History Main / BigFancyHouse

* "[[GratuitousSpanish La Cuesta Encantada]]" ("The Enchanted Hill"), a gigantic, highly-eclectic house built by William Randolph Hearst in San Simeon, California, often called the "Hearst Castle" because of its size and some of its architectural features. Hearst being the obvious basis for Kane in ''Citizen Kane'', it's pretty clear that Xanadu is based on this place.

** All these Big Fancy Houses, the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotroceni_Palace President's]], [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeta_Palace the Royal Family's]], [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Palace the PMs']], the Senate's and the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_the_Parliament Parliament's]] are all located in the historical center of the capital, occupying way too much space, judging by common sence. But at least it looks cool, right?
* Subverted with the new Federal Chancellery building in Berlin: while it is the largest government headquarters in the world and contains a 200 square meters “Chancellor's Apartment”, only 28 of those square meters 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.

* The Xavier mansion in the ''Film/XMen'' movies. In ''Film/XMenFirstClass'', when the team first arrives at Charles' residence, Erik, Sean, Alex, Moira and Hank have to tilt their head back a little to stare at the impressively large Xavier mansion, which practically looks like a small castle. It's even sarcastically lampshaded by Erik: "[[SarcasmMode Charles, I don't know how you survived, living in such hardship.]]"

* Romania basically has one huge castle for every leading figure. Its Parliament's Palace basically brings this ''[[https://www.google.ro/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftvtropes.org%2Fpmwiki%2Fpmwiki.php%2FMain%2FUpToEleven&ei=L6yVVL33GsnwUPHgg6AL&usg=AFQjCNGOiv1PXdKVCtlty34KZalwK8FNuQ&sig2=tFRpUGI56RjW_R7FbBorag&bvm=bv.82001339,d.d24 Up To Eleven]]'', being the ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_the_Parliament biggest civilian building. In the world.]]''. An American Billionaire tried to buy it, offering ''4 billion $''. The Romanians were unimpressed.

* Romania basically has one huge castle for every leading figure. Its Parliament's Palace basically brings this ''[[https://www.google.ro/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftvtropes.org%2Fpmwiki%2Fpmwiki.php%2FMain%2FUpToEleven&ei=L6yVVL33GsnwUPHgg6AL&usg=AFQjCNGOiv1PXdKVCtlty34KZalwK8FNuQ&sig2=tFRpUGI56RjW_R7FbBorag&bvm=bv.82001339,d.d24 Up To Eleven]]'', being the ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_the_Parliament biggest civilian building. In the world.]]''. An American Billionaire tried to buy it, offering 3 billion $. The Romanians were unimpressed.

* Yai's house in the MegaManBattleNetwork games -- though it appears [[HammerSpace roughly the same size as her neighbors' houses from the outside]].

* The Ottoman Empire's Topkapi Palace, which functioned as a seat of government as well as the personal residence of rulers, and as a result was a huge complex of buildings.

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/spider_osbornmansion_5884.jpg]]

* Dennis Howl's house in Literature/WhaleMusic, although it's gone to seed and Dennis has become a hermit. TheFilmOfTheBook is set in a gorgeous area of BC, so lots of SceneryPorn in addition to the BigFancyHouse.

* In ''FanFic/OriginStory, the house that Alex and Louise buy in Chapter 25: “She's Good People", is a mansion overlooking the Gulf of Mexico on Big Pine Key. And its on stilts.

* Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram's titular mansion in ''MansfieldPark'', by Jane Austen.

* In ''VideoGame/TheMatrixPathOfNeo'' you get to check out the Merovingian's dungeons, and find out that the house is '''even''' bigger due to having it's own AnotherDimension with a whole maze inside it.
* In ''VideoGame/EnterTheMatrix'' you get to explore a different part of the Merovingian's dungeons and depending on who you play as either the library as Niobe or the roof as Ghost, along with a lot of other rooms.

* Mutterwald in the WhateleyUniverse, the massive mansion on the huge estate where the Goodkinds live. It used to be Phase's home, right up until chapter 2 of "Ayla and the Late Trevor James Goodkind."

* The Xavier mansion in the ''Film/XMen'' movies, particularly ''Film/XMenFirstClass''. It's even sarcastically lampshaded by Erik: "Charles, I don't know how you survived, living in such hardship."

* Wario's Castle in ''VideoGame/WarioWorld''. It's a solid gold castle people, complete with fancy throne and lots and lots of treasure lying around just about everywhere.
** The ''VideoGame/WarioLand 2'' version is just ridiculous though, it has tons of rooms, is probably the size of a small town when mapped out, and has TEN LEVELS set in the building. Getting to his alarm clock requires going through about twenty rooms for goodness sake!

--->'''Mrs. Lucas''': ...And whose house is that, Franky?
--->'''Frank Lucas''': That is ''your'' house Mama!
--->'''Mrs. Lucas''': ''My house!'' ...and who else's?!

* The mansion in ''EyesWideShut'' that Bill bluffs his way into once he gets the password from a friend. Of course, the fact that it's gigantic isn't as impressive as the Black Mass-esque ceremony culminating with an orgy ''in every single room''.

* Jodie Foster's character in ''PanicRoom'' buys a big, brownstone rowhome in Manhattan for her daughter and herself while she goes to study at Columbia. It's a bit of a spooky place, large for two people, and featuring the title safe room. The real estate agent seems curious about how she expects to afford it and it's revealed that she was formerly married to the chairman of a pharmaceutical company.
* In ''AGoodYear'', the aggressive London stockbroker Max Skinner inherits a beautiful vineyard-estate in Provence from his uncle. Acting on his normal instincts, he prepares to sell the place and make a pretty penny [[spoiler:but eventually falls in love and gives up his old lifestyle in favor of a quieter life in France]].
* The title country estate of Sir William [=McCordle=] in ''GosfordPark''.

* Tony Montana's Florida mansion in ''{{Scarface}}''.
* Tara Plantation in ''GoneWithTheWind''.

* MrBrooks has one, complete with his own pottery studio/hidden serial killer equipment closets.

* The Pottsdorf palace in ''TheGreatRace''.
* The Seton mansion in ''{{Film/Holiday}}''.

* Gu Jun Pyo's house in the KoreanSeries ''BoysBeforeFlowers'' comes complete with many many housemaids.

* Niles Crane, in ''{{Frasier}}'', is shown living in two Big Fancy Houses: Maris's mansion and his later apartment at The Montana. Various jokes are made about the ridiculous size of his place at The Montana, especially for one single man, with Martin once getting lost on his way to the bathroom. It has at least three floors, a study ''and'' a library, and a gift-wrapping room.

* The Banks' mansion in ''TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'' - which in addition to the mansion, features both a swimming pool and a poolhouse that characters use as an apartment in later years.

* The comedic tension in ''ToTheManorBorn'' focuses on Grantleigh Manor, which the LandPoor Audrey Fforbes-Hamilton sells to the wealthy SelfMadeMan Richard [=DeVere=].

* Drummond's Manhattan penthouse in ''DiffrentStrokes''.
* Jed Clampett's mansion in ''TheBeverlyHillbillies''.
* The beachfront Robin's Nest estate in Hawaii in ''MagnumPI''.

* The eponymous ''{{Sanctuary}}''.

* The Grayson Manor from ''{{Series/Revenge}}''.

* Croft Manor in the [[Film/LaraCroftTombRaider film adaptations]] of the [[Franchise/TombRaider video game franchise]]. 87 rooms. Eighty. Seven. And a trailer out front for Bryce.

* [[Film/IronMan Tony Stark's pad]]. If '''''[[http://www.forbes.com/2008/12/18/expensive-fictional-homes-forbeslife-fictional1508-cx_mn_de_expensivehomes_slide_11.html?thisspeed=20000 this]]''''' doesn't count, this whole page is a lie.

* The Grayson Manor from {{Series/Revenge}}

* The Xavier mansion in the ''Film/XMen'' movies, particularly ''Film/XMenFirstClass''. It's even lampshaded by Erik: "Charles, I don't know how you survived such hardship."

* The Xavier mansion in the X-men movies, particularly Film/XMenFirstClass. It's even lampshaded by Erik: "Charles, I don't know how you survived such hardship."