Funko toy executive Brian Mariotti wasn’t playing around when he customized his home in Coronado, CA.
Known as the Coronado Castle, the 1925-era home complete with a putting green and a “Star Wars”-themed home theater has landed on the market for $39 million.
Four years in the making, the restoration modernized and expanded the estate, which spans two lots. The makeover exceeded $20 million, including the cost of buying the property, according to the Wall Street Journal.
If the 15,000-square-foot castle sells for the royally expensive list price, it will set a record for Coronado, a beach town just off the coast of San Diego. But it won’t be the first time the home has made waves.
Noting the cost to construct the home in the 1920s was $57,000, Compass listing agent Chris Clements did the math for us.
“While in today’s market it’s hard to comprehend, in 1925 [$57,000] was more than 10 times the average cost of homes being built in Coronado,” he says. “For almost a century, this property has maintained being 10 times the value of the average home on the island.”
One of the largest homes on Coronado, it has a total of four bedrooms, six baths, and three half-baths. There’s a main house, a guesthouse, and a four-car garage. A garden sanctuary with fountains includes 100-year-old olive trees.
Other outdoor amenities include a pool and deck, a kitchen, a dog run, and an 18-hole chipping and putting green.
Historic home
Designed in the Mission Revivial style in the 1920s by Richard Requa, the home was originally built for Michigan furniture manufacturer W.A. Gunn. The landmark estate was given its historic home status in 2004.
The Funko chief creative officer and his wife, Shannon Mariotti, discovered the castle while exploring the island by bike. The couple persuaded the owner to sell them the place for $12.2 million in 2017. They picked up a neighboring property for an additional $6 million, according to the Journal.
“When we started [the restoration and expansion], I was optimistic, and I thought the work would take two years at most,” Mariotti told the Coronado Historical Association. “It turned into a four-year opus.”
Labor of love
Over the decades, the home had lost some of its old-world elegance. The floors upstairs were covered with carpeting and there were popcorn ceilings.
The design team, which included Kim Grant Design, Papen Hausen Construction, and interior designer Paul Schatz, restored, replaced, or replicated elements as needed.
The popcorn ceilings were replaced, and beams made from 100-year-old wood were added.
Excavation was required to build a 7,000-square-foot basement and fill it with amenities designed for fun. Around 6 million gallons of water were pumped out, and the space was shored up with a 4-foot-thick foundation.
The new lower level houses a golf simulator, a great room, a “Star Wars”-themed home theater, a gym, and a spa.
Lavish layout
The castle features a turret as an entrance hall, a curved staircase, hand-hewn ceiling beams, tile flooring, ornate ironwork, and stained glass throughout.
Hints of the Mariottis’ whimsy can be found throughout the castle, including a large collection of Funko Pop toys in the office.
In the gym, cartoon-covered surfboards adorn a wall.
The kitchen with top-line appliances is a huge highlight. The expansion added space for an adjacent family room as well as a dining room with glass doors.
The roof deck comes with a fireplace lounge, wet bar, and dining area.
Restored to its former glory, and then some, Chris Clements says of the iconic estate, “It’s an incredible historic landmark.”
Along with Clements, Jan Clements and Lennie Clements, all with Compass, hold the listing.