Great House

A Gallifreyan chapterhouse (or, sometimes, just House) was the sentient home of a Great House. (PROSE: Lungbarrow, The Book of the War)

Appearance
Each house was alive and sentient. They were grown from seeds and could become extremely massive. The interior of a House looked like a forest in which tree trunks grew so close together as to be solid walls. The heart of a House was the Loom, which birthed the Family. Houses were grown out of proportion to Time Lords, purposefully being much larger than Time Lords. This was done because Time Lords were Loomed fully-grown, if not fully mature. The over-sized furniture would make them feel small by comparison. (PROSE: Lungbarrow)

Personality
Houses were aware of all that occurred within them. Although they could only speak within the mind of the Housekeeper, a House was fully capable of interacting with anyone who inside it. The House could interact by opening and closing doors, shifting interior walls, and moving on its foundation. More personal interaction with the Family was achieved though the actions of the furniture and servants known as Drudges.

A House was capable of emotions and could become sickly, which is why the Housekeeper was so important. Each Family took care who was picked to fill this role, as the mood of a House could have a great effect on the Family. It was the Housekeeper's responsibility to keep the House happy and healthy. In extreme cases, a House could take over a Housekeeper and use her voice to speak to others. (PROSE: Lungbarrow)

Furniture
The furniture and Drudges were part of the House, though they seemed to have some awareness of their own. As an example, when the Doctor was in the House of Lungbarrow, he hid from a Drudge by ducking into an alcove. A chair was already there, and the Doctor warned it not to creak or make noise which would give away their hiding spot. All the furniture, in addition to being oversized, was also wooden and carved in animal motifs, which perhaps gave them more mobility. (PROSE: Lungbarrow)