The mansion used in the Empire series, which is shot in Chicago, is an actual home in Barrington Illinois. While some of the show is shot inside the house, most of the scenes take place at the studio sound stage. And, while some of the rooms are fantasy, some are actually staged to close replicas of rooms in the mansion. For example, the layout of the room, the desk, couch and curtains in the study on the show are very similar to the ones in the house. The living room on the show is slightly smaller, but it does have a grand piano – the same as the living room in the actual house. The grand staircase in the show is exact to the one in the home.
If you are an Empire fan, look for the little details too, like upholstery, curtains, carpets and bedspreads. Some of them are also base on the ones found in the original house.
