Winchester Mystery House, USA

Photo © Naotake Murayama

You know what it’s like with DIY – as soon as once you finish one task, you’re looking for the next.

Well, spare a thought for Sarah Winchester from San Jose in California. From 1884 to 1922, she added room upon room to her Victorian mansion, the Winchester Mystery House - with a whopping 160 built at the time of her death.

But with only so much you can do to one house, there are some inevitably quirky details – like staircases leading to ceilings, a window built into the floor and doors that open onto blank walls.

It’s unlikely to have bothered the wealthy widow though, as she believed that her mission would lead to eternal life.

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