The artist and owner of the high-end brand Michael Aram, known for its tableware, furniture, home decor and jewelry, paid $5.2 million for a house in Palm Beach.
Michael A. Wolohojian and Aret Tikiryan bought the home at 135 Seminole Avenue from Leslie R. and Esther Evans, according to records.
Wolohojian, who also goes by the name Michael Aram, started the Michael Aram company in 1988 and currently operates stores in New York, Los Angeles and Bal Harbour. His products are also found at department stores like Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s. Tikiryan, his husband, is executive vice president of Michael Aram.
The Evans family bought the 6,218-square-foot home in 2005 for $3 million, and have been trying to sell it since 2010, according to Realtor.com. The initial asking price was $4.75 million, and after many price changes, its most recent asking price was $5.75 million in June.
Lawrence Moens with Lawrence A. Moens Associates represented the Evans family, while Christian Angle of Christian Angle Real Estate represented Aram.
Built in 1921, the two-story home features four bedrooms, four-and-a-half bathrooms, a guest house and pool. According to records, the Evans family made some minor renovations to the property, including a new roof and driveway.
Leslie R. Evans is a managing partner at Leslie Robert Evans and Associates, P.A., which he founded in 1996. He most notably negotiated the Miami Heat and Florida Panthers leases with the Miami Arena, according to his website.
In 2018, Evans was indicted on federal charges of fraud and money laundering tied to his alleged role in the failed Palm House condo-hotel project in Palm Beach. He pleaded not guilty.
Evans posted a $250,000 bond the day of his arrest and is awaiting trial. In April, the jury selection process for the trial was delayed because of the pandemic, the Palm Beach Post reported.
Evans sold his former law office building for $8 million in January 2019.
The high-end Palm Beach market is showing no signs of slowing down. This month, an heir to the Goya Foods fortune closed on a home in Palm Beach for $11.3 million, the founder of a Texas real estate lending firm spent $5.8 million on a house, and a former MagicJack chairman sold his estate for $28 million.