Aside from major locations in Stars Hollow like the Gilmore girl's house, Luke's dinner, and the Dragonfly Inn, Richard and Emily's house is Gilmore Girls' most important location. Nearly every episode features the house in at least one scene, normally during Friday night dinners. It's also important to the plot, as it represents everything Lorelai ran away from that Rory actually seems to enjoy.
It's well-known that the Gilmores are quite wealthy, but there's more than one inconsistency when it comes to their lifestyles, and that includes their house. While none of these disparities is particularly terrible or completely illogical, they are noteworthy, especially for eagled-eyes fans who have watched the series more than once.
The Fountain At The Front
At times, there appears to be a small fountain in the Gilmore's house's entry. It is small and hidden behind some tall bushes, and it's hard to see if it's even working. It certainly must be, because it's Emily Gilmore's house, after all, but it isn't always clear.
It's also strange that the fountain seems to disappear every now and then. The entrance to the Gilmore House seems to shift constantly, unlike the interior. Perhaps the fountain is moved from place to place? It seems highly unlikely, but it could be a possible explanation.
It's Obviously A Set
On some occasions, particularly whenever the camera focuses on the entrance or the backyard, it's painfully obvious that it isn't a real house, but rather a television set. It mostly has to do with the plants, which look very artificial, but it's also clear because of the very vague background that seems to indicate no other houses are around.
Gilmore Girls was notorious for being filmed almost exclusively inside the Warner Bros. studio, and, to be fair, the inside of the house did seem like an actual property. The outside, however, didn't always come across in the same way.
They Only Use One Garden
The Gilmore House is said to have two garden areas. The smaller one is right next to the living room, and the larger one is surrounding the pool in the back of the house. However, Emily almost always uses the former despite the space limitations.
In fact, the rear yard is never actually shown, save for the times Rory and Richard lived in the pool house and the camera actually went to the back of the house. However, even then, only some patches of grass are shown instead of the actual garden.
They Never Use The Pool
Speaking of the pool, what's the point of having one if it's never used? Before Richard moved into the pool house, there's no clear indication that the Gilmores have a pool. They certainly never use it, and, if they do, it's never shown within the series.
Instead, it seems to be the kind of thing wealthy people consider necessary despite the apparent lack of practicality. Until Rory moves into the pool house, the Gilmores themselves never pay any attention to it and mainly see it as something that came with the house instead of a place of actual value.
12 Ways To Get Out Of The House
At some point in the series, Lorelai states there are twelve ways to escape her parents' house. She knows them all, of course, but they remain ignorant. Lorelai always tended to exaggerate things, so twelve maybe just a number that she uses to add a little flavor to her story.
If there are indeed twelve secret ways to get out of the house, and, considering the fact that none of them could be out the windows or doors, as there's a lot of outdoor space surrounding the property, then Lorelai's escape routes would have to be truly ingenious, like the attic or basement.
It's Bigger Than It Seems
Besides the previously-mentioned rear yard that's seldom seen, the Gilmore household also has a vast basement—it's famously the place where Emily keeps all of Trix's gifts—with areas for storing wine, wrapping presents, and potting plants.
The house also has at least three bedrooms, one of which, the master, has a very large walk-in-closet. It seemingly has three floors, not counting the basement, although the third can just be the attic. Still, the house is much bigger than the series shows.
Why Is There Always Only One Maid?
With so much space, it's hard to believe that the Gilmores would only employ one maid at a time. After all, taking care of such a house would require more than just two hands. An entire staff would be necessary, including a pool cleaner, a gardener, a cook, and a couple of maids to clean the rooms.
It's perhaps easy to assume that Emily likes only one person to take care of everything so that she can keep a better eye on the poor soul. Indeed, her maids almost always do the cooking, but the maintenance of all the outdoor areas is an entirely different story.
Location, Location, Location
The Gilmores live in Hartford, Connecticut, just minutes away from Chilton and about half an hour from Stars Hollow. While Hartford is indeed an affluent city, it isn't the most exclusive in Connecticut, making it a strange choice for the posh and extremely conservative Gilmores.
One possible explanation could be that the house was bought at some point during the real estate boom of the sixties when the city was much more prestigious. In one episode, Richard mentions the house was built in 1907 by a student of Stanford White, making it a valuable antique.
It's Always Static
Gilmore Girls is characterized by how fast-paced it is. From the dialogue to the camera movements, everything in the girls' life is quick and dynamic. Things are notably different in the elder Gilmores' household, though. The camera is always static to demonstrate how stiff and still Richard and Emily's lives are.
Indeed, throughout the show, hardly anything changes in the mansion's decoration. It isn't until A Year in the Life that Emily decides to change her house's decor, just as she's beginning to see life with new eyes. Before, however, she was rigidly set in her ways.
It Changes Mid-Series
It's common for the pilot episode of any series to look quite different than the rest of the show. Gilmore Girls is no exception, and there are many things that change from the first episode to the second, most obviously Luke's Dinner and parts of Stars Hollow.
The Gilmore mansion, however, is entirely different starting with season two. The Pilot episode was shot in a real house in Toronto, which was then recreated inside a studio for the remainder of the season. Starting with season two, and thanks to an increase in the show's budget, Richard and Emily's house underwent a drastic change. It became much bigger, better lit, and more luxurious looking.