By Mary-Justine Lanyon
When Arsine and Ben Shirvanian purchased what is known as The Castle in the Forest in 2015, it was largely unfinished.
Renowned local designer and builder Ron Dolman had started construction on the large home in 1999. Due to the 2008 global financial meltdown, the original owner was unable to finish construction. The Shirvanians bought the looted, unfinished house through foreclosure. What they found was exposed interior framing and major missing items such as copper piping, electrical copper wiring, flooring and tiles. Construction debris surrounded the villa.
While the villa sat empty, doors were nailed shut to keep trespassers out.
In addition, there were no Southern California Edison power poles on their side of the street to provide electricity to the estate. Doors had been nailed shut in an effort to keep partiers, transients and looters out of the structure. The neighbors felt unsafe living next to the abandoned castle.
The living room features replicas of the Yale University chapel windows, which afford views to the forest.
Over the course of two years, Arsine and Ben worked on creating their vision of a place for friends to gather, for weddings to take place, for them to relax with their family. The Shirvanians put their heart and soul into bringing the Castle to life. Today visitors will see gorgeous woodwork throughout the estate composed of poplar, oak, pine and walnut, The kitchen floor features 300-year-old tiles from France. The house has seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms. The previously unfinished lower level is now a pub, theater and game room; upstairs there is a library. Fireplaces abound throughout.
This bedroom, which features French doors, large windows and high ceilings, was designed for former Governor Brown by the original owner.
The Castle has been in operation as a short-term rental since 2017, renting on average 12 times a year. In 2022, the couple applied to the county for a conditional use permit to operate it as an event and lodging venue in lieu of the short-term rental permit. To that end, they have had traffic and noise studies done as well as light, photometric, environmental, biological, cultural, tribal and drainage studies.
The Shirvanians hired consultants who figured out what Arsine said is the “least intrusive way to construct parking spaces by the removal of only 35 trees out of hundreds of existing trees and minimal contour changes.”
The parking area would be done in a tandem manner to convert the least amount of surface area to parking space; it will have a packed sand finish, not concrete. The parking area would not be visible from the street.
Reducing or avoiding environmental impact and damage has been their priority and focus throughout this process.
“We have put a lot of care into keeping peace in the neighborhood,” Arsine said. When the villa has been rented for weekends to short-term renters, Ben has personally met the guests at the house, checking them in and sharing with them not only the Castle’s history but reiterating all the house rules so their presence would have minimal impact on the neighborhood.
The couple makes sure all seven air-conditioning systems are always in good working condition so renters will keep the windows closed and noise inside.
The estate is continuously monitored through exterior cameras and noise sensors to keep noise levels and traffic under control while ensuring the safety of the neighborhood.
The property, a total of about six acres, has hundreds of trees on it including majestic dogwood trees. Arsine and Ben have purchased and planted more than 100 additional trees and hedges since purchasing the property in an effort to further beautify the estate.
The Shirvanians feel that, by operating this microbusiness, they are contributing to the economic vitality of Lake Arrowhead. In the eight years of operation under their short-term rental permit, they have provided jobs to local chefs, masseuses, drivers, contractors, makeup artists, housekeeping service providers, transportation companies and more. They promote many of the local attractions and businesses – such as SkyPark at Santa’s Village, shops in Lake Arrowhead Village and local restaurants – to their guests.
The couple knows how real it is for a town to die and fade away due to a weak economy. They love Lake Arrowhead and hope to see it continue to propser for decades to come.
The Castle in Skyforest is a large villa with seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms.
0 Comments