Ordinary: The property, above, looks unassuming from the outside (Picture: Masons)

From the outside, it looks like any other modest, former council house in a quiet cul-de-sac.

But stepping through the door of John Trevillian’s three-bedroom home is like walking into a different era – or eras.

Because behind the unassuming property lies a ‘wonderland’ where each room reflects a different time and place in history.

Through the keyhole: The Cambodian treehouse loft (Picture: Masons)

So instead of the usual white walls and neutral decor, the 49-year-old has a 1950s New Orleans kitchen, Victorian dining room, Cambodian treehouse loft and Edwardian hall and bedroom.


More than 1,650 objects have been brought back from 27 countries to decorate the house in Dunmow, Essex, at a cost of £500,000.



But the bad news is that since Mr Trevillian lost his job on a magazine earlier this year he has struggled to pay the bills and is being forced to sell the house – which is just 18 months from being finished.

A New York-style office (Picture: Masons)

‘It’s every penny I’ve had for the last 24 years – and every weekend too,’ said the author.

‘Some people think it’s totally mad but others say it’s like being in one of those novels where a secret door opens up to a different world and fall in love with it.

‘I’m looking to sell it to someone who’s interested in the package – including the inventory of items.’

The ‘room of dreams’ also lies behind the front door (Picture: Masons)