Meet the Designers
The house was bought and renovated by Krystal and Robert Rivani in 2019. Robert Rivani is a real estate investor, and both Krystal and Robert are huge fantasy fans.
Back then, it was $13.7 million but didn’t have the fantastical appeal it has now! The two took their passions and put them to use, including Robert’s deep love for the Harry Potter series and Krystal’s equal love for Game of Thrones — although both love each piece of media.
Where They Started
As mentioned, when the house was purchased, it looked a lot more like what you’d expect a mansion to look like before it became a fantasy haven.
In total, the mansion gave them plenty of space to work and decorate — 15,000 square feet, to be exact. The home is situated on 1.7 acres of land as well, leaving plenty of room for the Rivanis’ Alice in Wonderland backyard. It would take three years and a cost of a whopping four million dollars until renovations were complete.
A Little History
The Rivanis actually weren’t the first owners of this mansion. That honor went to Carlton Gebbia who was on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The home was actually built specifically for Gebbia by David Gebbia.
The home was meant to capture both of their favorite styles. For David, this meant architecture inspired by the Italian Renaissance. For Carlton, it was gothic architecture and design that caught her eye.
Offering a Good Foundation
With that backstory in mind, it seems like destiny that the Rivanis purchased the home for their own fantasy haven.
After all, a house that already boasted gothic architecture and styles seems to be set up to entertain such fantasy themes in a house. Of course, the Rivanis made their own renovations to the mansion once they acquired it. After all, the previous owners already relied on decor items like gargoyles and even a confessional.
On the Outside
When you walk up to the mansion, you’ll naturally see the house’s exterior first. It’s rather striking even before you open the door.
The neutral-toned exterior features plenty of dramatic focal points such as arched windows, a fountain, and perfectly manicured hedges. The landscaping helps to express some of the Alice in Wonderland inspiration as well. All in all, it’s a fitting first view and gives you an idea of what you’ll find inside.
Covering Some of the Themes
As mentioned, there are a few different themes floating around this fantasy house. We’ve already mentioned Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Alice in Wonderland.
That’s not all going on in this mansion, though. You can also spend some time in a jungle-inspired room with greenery-covered walls or the Gothic-style master bedroom — which takes on a more classic, vampire-inspired theme. The couple hasn’t wasted any time in making each room a fantastical surprise.
The Great Hall
When you first walk into the mansion, you walk into a part that the Rivanis refer to as the Great Hall. It’s a major update on the average entryway.
The ceiling is a soaring 35 feet and you can continue forward or take an elegant staircase upward. Naturally, the room is filled with eye-catching décor pieces as well — including statues, lit sconces, and even an Iron Throne on an elevated platform.
Going Up the Balcony
If you head up the stairs in the great hall, you can get another view of the room from a balcony. The high ceilings allow for this great view.
The Rivanis have decorated the view well, too. A pair of mirrors across from each other complement the open space. You also get a glimpse of the chandelier and Iron Throne below. There’s even a large painting depicting the homeowners — like any good gothic manor.
Sitting on the Iron Throne
With a renovation like this and such a passion for the fantasy materials that inspired them, it makes sense that the Rivanis would have some meaningful memorabilia in their home.
One of the first additions the couple bought was a replica of the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones. In total, the replica cost about $50,000 and could easily be mistaken for one you might find on the show’s set!
A Little Harry Potter
Not far from the Iron Throne, you can step into another fantasy world. This room with a gilded ceiling and dragon-scale walls, keeping with the Game of Thrones theme.
If you step over to the apothecary cabinet, you’ll find yourself in a more Harry Potter-inspired section of the room. The wall features an apothecary cabinet that, of course, Krystal and Robert took the time to stock with potion bottles you might find at Hogwarts.
A Bony Seat
Right next to this Harry Potter apothecary, there’s a chair made out of bone. In fact, mirrored on the other half of the room, you’ll find a matching chair.
Believe it or not, they found the chair in an antique shop. Given their aesthetic, it’s clear to see why they couldn’t leave it behind. The bone arms are even completed with bone spikes, making for a chair that looks super cool — though you might not want to sit in it!
A Place to Eat
No mansion would really be complete without a place to entertain. In this home, you can head over to the equally thematic formal dining room. Immediately, you’re greeted with a long dining table with high-backed, wood chairs.
On one wall, a striking touch is added with antique panels. Built into the wall, the panels are actually 200 years old and feature hand-painted artwork. Like any good gothic home, there are crown chandeliers and candelabras to close out the design.
Not Just Memorabilia
Of course, the mansion has more than just replicas and memorabilia inside. The two have also made room for some rather unique pieces to help the home stand out.
One particularly eye-catching piece is a chandelier that totals 25 feet long and is made up of 250 pieces of glass made to look like butterflies. The fixture was crafted in Dubai and cost another $150,000. This went into the Jungle Room alongside a $20,000 couch to relax and enjoy the foliage.
On the Foliage
Speaking of the foliage, it deserves a note of its own. The walls of the Jungle Room have a total floral covering, making them seem almost alive.
The effect was achieved by adding a special backing to the wall before adding the floral arrangements by hand. There are a few handy shelves built in here as well. With large, arched windows, plenty of natural light floods into the room, complementing the natural appeal of the room.
A Vampire’s Bedroom
The main bedroom in the mansion features a more classic gothic theme. Steeped in black, red, and rich wood, it delivers the classic vampire aesthetic.
Yet, paired with white walls and ceilings, it gives a slightly modern take on the design. This room also features fascinating decor pieces including a fireplace and a 250-year-old Austrian chandelier. Oh, and the bedroom is behind a vault door for extra security.
A Place to Relax
Sometimes, at the end of the day, you want to relax in your room but aren’t quite ready for bed. This room has a small living area in it. Off to the side, there’s a large TV mounted on the wall with a wall of massive windows adjacent to it.
Don’t worry — if there’s a glare or you just want to sleep an extra few hours, there are massive red and gold drapes. The drapes were custom-made for the house, making them truly one-of-a-kind.
A Bedroom Balcony
If you’re in the main bedroom and need a little fresh air, there’s a balcony positioned just outside of the bedroom with a breathtaking view.
To keep with the Game of Thrones inspiration, the railing of the balcony is guarded by dragons rather, harkening back to the gothic theme but swapping out the gargoyles. Standing at the railing, you can get a bird’s eye view of the Alice in Wonderland landscaping.
A Massive Primary Bedroom Bathroom
If you don’t have to trek downstairs for fresh air, why should you make the same trek just to get ready for bed? A massive bathroom in the primary bedroom suite solves this problem easily.
In the Rivani house, the bathroom features an open design with a huge overflow tub, a walk-in shower stall, and “his” and “hers” mats to designate the space. Once again, this room is touched by gothic elements like high, arched windows and columns.
Another Balcony
There’s actually another balcony in this room but it doesn’t lead outside this time. It’s also rather small – only big enough to step out on. This balcony is actually another that overlooks the Great Hall.
If you look directly across from it, there’s a matching one connected to another room in the house. This is another place to get a good view of the Great Hall’s design.
You’ll Need a Closet
When you’re getting ready for the day in the bedroom, you probably want easy access to items like clothes, jewelry, shoes, and any other accessories you might wear.
The Rivanis solved this with a massive walk-in closet that offers plenty of space. This is another room with a small balcony overlooking the Great Hall, meaning the bathroom and closet are connected by a curved hall but remain right across from one another from their respective balconies.
And Another One
Robert Ravini described the walk-in closet designs in a “his and hers” fashion. This way, both occupants of the primary room have their own space.
The walk-in closet we just looked at was the “hers” half of that equation while this walk-in closet is “his.” This time, the room is darker, made up of mostly richly-colored wood. It features plenty of storage space too from shelves to drawers and even glass-front doors to keep things shut away.
And a Guest Bedroom
Of course, the vampire-themed primary bedroom isn’t the only one in the house. There is a guest bedroom to help out if there are any guests around.
One bedroom seems to break from the theme and features a lot of softer colors including blues, pinks, and even tan curtains. When sharing information about the room, Robert said that Krystal had a stronger hand in the design of this room.
Attached to the Guest Bath
The guest bedroom has its own bathroom which Robert expressed a personal preference for the design. Plus, it offers plenty of space.
The first draw to this room is the huge walk-in shower but there’s a vanity to the side as well, giving someone anything they need to get ready for the day. The shower features a seat and custom tile work. The entire guest suite, Robert explained, was designed as a potential future children’s room and given a more princess-esque theme.
A Steam Shower
In yet another bathroom, this one closer to the primary bedroom, there’s a large shower that’s bigger and more eye-catching than most.
For one, the entrance to the shower is a decorated archway with a glass door. Once you’re inside, an overhead shower head rains water down. Again, there’s an arched window if you need a view and ample seating with arched cutouts on either end of the shower.
Take a Swim
Once you’ve made your way through the house, you can start to enjoy some of the more outdoor features it has to offer. One such area is the pool which is massive in its own right.
Right before you walk into it, there’s an open stretch of flooring, once again marked by crown motifs on the floor. This area, Robert explains, wasn’t there when they moved in and gave them some more space to entertain.
An Alice in Wonderland Theme
The outdoor part of the estate is where the Alice in Wonderland theme is in the backyard. For instance, the area around the pool is broken up into a pattern of paved and grassy spots.
The result is a chessboard pattern. In fact, if you walk a few steps away from the pool, you can test out your intellectual might with some massive chess pieces, although the chessboard may not fit all the rules.
A Modern Touch
A lot of what we’ve seen so far could fit into just about any HBO set or even a gothic castle. Yet, that doesn’t mean there aren’t modern amenities.
For example, if you want to work out a bit, you can walk past the Alice in Wonderland chessboard lawn to get to the private basketball court. This gives you plenty of options of things to do when you’re hanging out outside.
Another Modern Amenity
While it’s jumping location back inside the house, there’s another modern amenity of note in this gothic mansion, and it’s the gym inside.
The gym is about as you would expect it and it offers a lot of options. From a stair stepper to an elliptical, a set of free weights, mats, and more, it has just about anything you might need. There’s even a mirrored wall to check your form.
Stopping by the Gardens
Like any well-landscaped mansion, the home boasts a garden as part of the outdoor features as well. This isn’t of the Alice in Wonderland variety.
Rather than a chessboard pattern with flowers, this garden is dedicated to more edible growth. Off to the side, behind a gate, the home has a few beds to grow vegetables to fix up in the kitchen back inside. While not the fanciest feature in the home, it’s definitely a handy one!
Heading Into the Kitchen
Once you have your vegetables, you can head back into the themed main house to cook them up in the kitchen. This room is strikingly modern.
However, it still matches the theme with deep-colored wood cabinets, massive chandeliers, and arched windows. On top of all that, the kitchen is absolutely massive, making it easy to work in. It has an attached dining room as well connected by an open archway.
A Little Recreation
The fun in the house isn’t limited to the outdoor features. If you like cards, you can head to the poker room to enjoy a game.
As you’d expect, the main feature of the room is a table to play cards at. Fitting the décor, the table is black and red and finished off with a crest reading “Rivani Castle” in the center. This is another room with a large fireplace as well.
How Did They Find All of This?
When the YouTube channel ProducerMichael toured the mansion with Robert Rivani, they had a question that many probably have.
Where do you find pieces like the ones found around the house here? Rivani agreed that it wasn’t a home full of pieces from IKEA. He shared that online forums, antiquing, and even Etsy were helpful. However, they noted it wasn’t always easy to find genuine pieces and get them shipped to the home.
Final Opinions
Since finishing the project, the mansion has garnered a lot of attention. People flocked to Instagram and even the Castle Rivani website to see glimpses of the house.
For their part, the two Rivanis have been rather open about the renovations and happy to show off the end results. Krystal Rivani once explained to the Wall Street Journal that the two loved the house, saying that “Being ‘extra’ is everything to us.”
Saying Goodbye
While the mansion dubbed Rivani Castle has served Krystal and Robert well, there comes a time when it’s time to move on to new things.
With the couple moving on their next project in Miami, Florida, the Beverly Hills, California home is left up for rent. If any fantasy lovers fell in love with the house, though, the two are putting it up for rent. It only costs a monthly $150,000 for rent!
We all want our house to not only look great but to reflect our personalities as well. Two homeowners in Beverly Hills managed to turn their California home into a home that would blow any fantasy fan’s mind. Taking inspiration from Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and Alice and Wonderland, they definitely achieved the aesthetic they were aiming for!