Very nice -- now show us the moat

There is a Sherwood Forest in Northridge, and in it, there is a castle.

It wasn’t always a castle. Until 1992, it was a nondescript house like most of the others in its tract of at least 200 homes built in the 1940s.

After more than two years of construction, the house became a castle. It’s the only one on its block, although it is now surrounded by other upscale residences.

The inspiration behind the castle is Don Brownstein and his wife, Renee, who decided to expand their 2,600-square-foot living quarters and make it into something more. Why a castle? He had a childhood fascination with medieval themes, and she didn’t discourage him.

It became a hobby. The Brownsteins pored over design magazines and picture books, choosing ideas from England, Germany and California’s Central Coast. Hearst Castle in San Simeon prompted them to build spiral staircases leading to lofts in their children’s rooms. Other places inspired the couple to add gargoyles, dumbwaiters, turrets and secret passages. They installed a 300-pound wooden front door and a torture chamber, also known as a gym. The castle is filled with medieval-themed murals, paintings and other art. A huge bronze dragon sits in a koi pond in the front yard.

About this castle: It’s on the market because the couple’s two children are grown. “It’s just the two of us now,� said Don Brownstein. “It’s time to downscale.� After living with castle decor for more than a dozen years, even he is ready for a change.

Asking price: About $2.6 million. This does not include the suits of armor, custom-made rugs decorated with knights and dragons, art pieces and other furnishings, available at extra cost.

Size: There are 23 rooms, including five bedrooms and seven bathrooms in 8,000 square feet. The Brownsteins’ daughter held a slumber party there for her sorority. “So we can say we can sleep 150,� her father said. The lot size is 29,300 square feet.

Features: The home, behind gates, also has two family rooms, a breakfast room, a pool, a tennis court, a guest house, an office/library and a 3,000-square-foot attic, which could be a ballroom. It is entered through a doorway that looks like a bookcase.

Where: Northridge

Listing agent: Robert Carey, Sotheby’s, Pasadena, (213) 247-1265, and Katrina Webb, Sotheby’s, Los Feliz, (323) 387-8011.

To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, please send color interior and exterior photos (copies only, please; we cannot return the pictures) and a brief description of the house, including what makes the property unusual, to Ruth Ryon, Real Estate Section, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012; or e-mail [email protected].