The Lavish Design History Behind the World's Largest Estates
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There's a reason we love walking through open houses even when we're not planning to move and quickly peeking in other people's windows as we walk by their homes—from a noncreepy distance, of course. Humans are nosy creatures. We can't resist getting to see things we don't normally have access to—that's why home tours are so popular! And you know what they say: the bigger, the better. Castles and mansions exist in a category all their own. From Chip and Joanna Gaines's iconic Cottonland castle to a remote fortress in Scotland, big houses pique our curiosity like nothing else. So when you want to glimpse inside the biggest houses in the world, we're more than happy to give you a tour.
These types of houses—if you can even call them that—put your run-of-the-mill McMansions to shame. Do they all seem a bit like overkill for a single family? Sure. Are a lot of them owned by royalty? Obviously. Are they the perfect backdrops for your fantasy of running down a lavish hall in slow motion like in every period piece you've ever seen? Oh, yes. Or if you've recently watched Saltburn, maybe you have a different idea of what to do in a gigantic estate. To each their own, we say.
Whatever reason you're wanting to learn more about the world's biggest homes—to make yourself jealous or to daydream—we've got you covered. We found palaces and castles all over the globe in a range of design styles. Read on to learn about the design history of the biggest houses in the world (in ascending order, naturally), and find out just how grand they really are.
Witanhurst
Location: London, England
Built: 1913 to 1920
Architect: George Hubbard
Square footage: 90,000 square feet
The Georgian Revival–style Witanhurst mansion in Highgate is London's largest residential home, with 25 bedrooms, a 70-foot-long swimming pool, two basements, a sauna, a gym, and many more amenities. It sold for 50 million pounds in late 2008, a transaction that inspired much speculation about its new owners. The late Queen Elizabeth is said to have attended parties here in the 1950s.
The One
Location: Los Angeles
Built: 2014 to 2021
Architect: Paul McClean
Square footage: 105,000 square feet
Floating above the city, this Bel-Air mansion—which took its original owner, movie producer slash real-estate developer Nile Niami, 10 years to build—gives panoramic views of the skyline and glistening Pacific Ocean. It's reminiscent of the kind of home Tony Stark from The Avengers would live in, equipped with every amenity imaginable: its own nightclub, a full-service salon and spa, a sky deck, an outdoor running track, and a 40-seat theater, to name a few. It sold for $126 million in 2022 to the founder and CEO of the fast-fashion company Fashion Nova, Richard Saghian.
Oheka Castle
Location: Huntington, New York
Built: 1914 to 1919
Architect: William Adams Delano
Square footage: 109,000 square feet
The second-largest private residence in the United States, this French-style chateau in upstate New York is now a hotel and event space decorated with beautiful plaster moldings, ornate chandeliers, and luxurious furnishings. It was constructed more than a century ago for the financier and philanthropist Otto Hermann Kahn. After he died in 1934, it served as a military school for 50 years before being restored to its former glory. Many notable TV and movie productions have filmed here, including Succession.
Safra Mansion
Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Built: 1990s
Architect: Unknown
Square footage: 117,000 square feet
The South American private residence of the Safra family, a fairly private bunch who made their billions in the banking industry, has 130 rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, a tennis court, and a helipad. Little is publicly known about the interiors, but we can assume they're ultra luxurious.
Biltmore Estate
Location: Asheville, North Carolina
Built: 1888 to 1895
Architect: Richard Morris Hunt
Square footage: 175,000 square feet
Built by railroad baron George Vanderbilt, Biltmore House is the biggest home in the United States, with 35 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, and a two-story library. In 1930, George Vanderbilt's daughter Cornelia opened the home to the public for tours, and in 2001, The Inn on Biltmore Estate debuted, allowing design buffs to stay on the grounds.
Want to learn more? Check out our virtual tour of this American architectural landmark.
Antilia
Location: Mumbai, India
Built: 2006 to 2011
Architect: Perkins & Will (Chicago) and Hirsch Bedner Associates (Los Angeles)
Square footage: 400,000 square feet
Only six people live in this 27-story skyscraper: Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani and his family. It cost $2 billion to construct, has nine high-speed elevators, and can hold 168 cars. There's a helipad, a ballroom, multiple swimming pools, and even an "ice room" filled with man-made snow. It may be one of the world's biggest private homes, but it's despised by many in the Indian capital, particularly because it looms over an overcrowded slum.
Buckingham Palace
Location: London, England
Built: Begun in 1705, with significant modifications and additions in the mid-1800s and late 1800s to early 1900s
Architects: William Winde, John Nash, Edward Blore, Aston Webb
Square footage: 828,820 square feet
Since 1837, when George III bought it for his wife, Queen Charlotte (yes, just like in Bridgerton!), this enormous estate has been one of the British royal family's official residences, the King's official London residence, and the headquarters for many official events and administrative offices. There are 775 rooms in total in the palace, and more than 50,000 people visit the property every year. The palace's interiors are filled with ornate decorations, priceless works of art (including Vermeers, Rembrandts, and more), and so much history. The state rooms are open to visitors each summer.
Umaid Bhawan Palace
Location: Jodhpur, India
Built: 1928 to 1943
Architect: Henry Lanchester
Square footage: 1 million square feet
This residential palace slash luxury hotel in Rajasthan is built entirely of golden-hued sandstone. The bills on the estate simply became too much for the original owner, Maharaja Umaid Singh, who built it in part to provide much-needed jobs in the region. Luckily, his grandson struck a deal with the Taj Palace hotel group to allow the Jodhpur royal family to continue living in part of the palace and turn another part into a hotel. The luxury lodgings are outfitted with original Art Deco furniture, murals, intricate wall and ceiling carvings, and gorgeously decorated rooms. There's also a museum on site that you can visit.
Quirinal Palace
Location: Rome, Italy
Built: Mid-to-late 1500s to mid-1700s
Architect: Many, including Ottaviano Mascarino, Flaminio Ponzio, Carlo Maderno, Alessandro Specchi, Ferdinando Fuga, Raffaele Stern
Square footage: 1.2 million square feet
Home to the President of the Republic of Italy and built over several centuries, this Renaissance and Baroque palace is full of history, art, and culture that you can take in when you visit Rome and the surrounding area. Although it has evolved through many additions and changes to become what we see today, the interior and exterior have essentially remained untouched since 1946.
Apostolic Palace
Location: Vatican City
Built: Began in the late 1400s
Architect: Many
Square footage: 1,743,753 square feet
Also known as the Papal Palace or Vatican Palace, this official residence of the reigning pope is also home to the famous Sistene Chapel with its frescoes by Michelangelo. Similar to Buckingham Palace or the White House, it also houses several administrative offices as well as the Vatican Library, other papal apartments, and public and private chapels. You can visit the palace, chapel, and several museums and gardens.
Istana Nurul Iman
Location: Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
Built: Early 1980s
Architect: Leandro Locsin
Square footage: 2,152,782 square feet
The tiny island nation of Brunei, set between Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, is where you'll find the third biggest house in the world. The home belongs to the Sultan of Brunei, and its name translates as "Palace of the Light of Faith." It apparently has 1,788 bedrooms, five swimming pools, and an air-conditioned stable that can hold as many as 200 horses.
Ak Saray
Location: Ankara, Turkey
Built: 2011 to 2014
Architect: Unknown
Square footage: 3.1 million square feet
Nicknamed the White Palace, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan's home is four times the size of Versailles. The residence is said to be a mishmash of architectural styles, borrowing some elements from other Ottoman palaces. It has more than 1,000 rooms decorated in marble, green granite, and silk wallpapers and is said to have cost at least $615 million to build.
Lakshmi Vilas Palace
Location: Vadodara, India
Built: 1890
Architect: Major Charles Mant
Square footage: Roughly 30,492,000 square feet
This residential palace is a gorgeous example of Indo-Saracenic architecture, which incorporates Mughal and Hindu motifs. Still home to the Vadodara’s royal family, it's lavishly decorated with beautiful mosaics and art pieces. The estate is four times larger than that of Buckingham Palace and sits on park-like grounds with a golf course, museum, cricket stadium, and indoor tennis and badminton courts.
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