Before the 1906 earthquake , the house had been seven stories high and carpenters may have been brought in initially to repair damages caused by the quake . Today it is only four stories . The house is predominantly made of redwood , as Mrs. Winchester preferred the wood ; however , she disliked the look of it . She , therefore , demanded that a faux grain and stain be applied . This is why almost all the wood in the home is covered . Approximately of paint were required to paint the house . The home itself is built using a floating foundation that is believed to have saved it from total collapse in the 1906 earthquake and the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake . This type of construction allows the home to shift freely , as it is not completely attached to its brick base . There are roughly 161 rooms , including 40 bedrooms , 2 ballrooms ( one completed and one unfinished ) as well as 47 fireplaces , over 10,000 panes of glass , 17 chimneys ( with evidence of two others ) , two basements and three elevators . Winchester 's property was about at one time , but the estate has since been reduced to – the minimum necessary to contain the house and nearby outbuildings . It has gold and silver chandeliers , hand-inlaid parquet floors and trim , and a vast array of colors and materials . Due to Mrs. Winchester 's debilitating arthritis , special " easy riser " stairways were installed as a replacement for her original steep construction . This allowed her to move about her home freely as she was only able to raise each foot a few inches . There was only one working toilet for Winchester , but all other restrooms were decoys to confuse spirits . This is also the reason why she slept in a different room each night . The home 's conveniences were rare at the time of its construction . These included steam and forced-air heating , modern indoor toilets and plumbing , push-button gas lights , and Mrs. Winchester 's personal ( and only ) hot shower from indoor plumbing . There are also three elevators , including an Otis electric and one of which was powered by a rare horizontal hydraulic elevator piston . ( Most elevator pistons are vertical to save space , but Winchester preferred the improved functionality of the horizontal configuration . ) Mrs. Winchester never skimped on the many adornments that she believed contributed to its architectural beauty . Many of the stained glass windows were created by the Tiffany Company . Some were designed specifically for her , and others by her , including a " spider web " window that featured her favorite web design and the repetition of the number thirteen , another of her preoccupations . This window was never installed but exists in the so-called " $ 25,000 storage room " – so named because its contents were originally appraised at a value of $ 25,000 . The value today is inestimable , but $ 25,000 would be . A second window was designed by Tiffany himself , so that when sunlight strikes the prismatic crystals a rainbow is cast across the room . The window was installed in an interior wall in a room with no light exposure , preventing the effect from being seen
1906 earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Winchester Mystery House