Diane Keaton was best known for her legendary acting career, which spanned six decades across film, television and theater, but the late Hollywood icon also had a successful sideline as a house flipper.
Over the last 40 years, Keaton, who died on Oct. 11 at the age of 79, bought, renovated and sold a variety of houses and cultivated a reputation as a respected restorer of historic homes, some of which had notable architectural pedigrees.
“I follow my impulses just like I did with acting,” Keaton said of her approach to house design in a 2017 interview with Architectural Digest.
Keaton earned praise for her restorations and home design skills from the real estate community and her work was profiled in top industry outlets including Architectural Digest, which have highlighted her aesthetic sensibilities, her instincts as a renovator and restorer and her dedication to preserving the authenticity of historic homes.
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In March, Realtor wrote that the Oscar winner “has developed a keen talent for home flipping, particularly when it came to the restoration of neglected or abandoned properties.”
Here’s a look at some of Keaton’s most prominent renovation projects.
Samuel-Novarro House in Los Feliz (L.A.), California
In 1988, Keaton purchased the historic Samuel-Novarro House in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Los Feliz. Built in 1928 by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s son Lloyd Wright, the house is an example of Mayan Revival style — combining decorative concrete blocks, dramatic geometry, and an indoor/outdoor aesthetic.
The landmark residence was in deteriorating condition by the time Keaton purchased it, with issues that needed significant repair and restoration.
When she acquired the home, Keaton undertook significant renovations/restorations to update it while retaining its architectural character. She sold the home five years later.
Years later, renovation contractor Justin Krzyston of Stonehurst Construction undertook a further restoration, addressing aging finishes, structural issues, and repairing original details.
“I was able to meet with Diane Keaton — who lived here in the early ’90s and did one of the first renovations — and she gave me some great advice on how to approach the restoration 20 years later,” Krzyston told Architectural Digest in 2016. “She told me to go slow, don’t treat it like any other renovation, and don’t change any more than you have to; keep the integrity of the house and the way Wright intended it to be.”
The property is often cited as one of her first “design-driven” flips and is frequently referenced in articles as emblematic of her aesthetic sensibility. Keaton’s restoration of the home established her reputation as a serious preservationist.
In addition, Keaton is also known to have been involved in the preservation of the Ennis House, also designed by Lloyd Wright. She served on the board of the Ennis House Foundation, was active in fundraising, and advocated for its restoration.
Spanish Colonial Revival in Beverly Hills, California
In 2007, Keaton bought an 8,434-square-foot, seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom Spanish Colonial Revival house for $8.1 million.
While living there, she undertook a restoration with designer Stephen Shadley. Her work was covered in 2008 by Architectural Digest, and revisited by the outlet in a profile, published on Oct. 13 following her death. According to the outlet, she initially bought the property at the beginning of the 2000s but later backed out due to her concerns over the renovation required.
“My feeling is that you find an authentic house and, authentically, try to restore it,” Keaton said during a 1999 tour of the home.
“I wanted a Spanish Colonial because I’m in love with California and our history. My fantasy would be to continue to buy homes that are representative of the architecture of California and restore them,” she said.
In 2009, she listed the home for $12.995 million, and it was purchased by “American Horror Story” producer Ryan Murphy for $10 million.
Shaw’s Cove House in Laguna Beach, California
Keaton bought a historic Spanish Mediterranean oceanfront house known as Shaw’s Cove in 2004 for $7.5 million, listed by Andy Stavros of Douglas Elliman Real Estate.
Over two years, the actress restored the home while preserving its original decorative Spanish tile, ironwork, wood beams, carved doors, stucco and terraces, per Ocean magazine. The outlet also noted that she altered fenestration to maximize views and indoor-outdoor openness.
The primary bedroom was “updated with a nod to the heritage, but re-imagined and outfitted for today,” according to Starts at 60.
In 2006, she sold the home for $12.75 million, marking one of her most profitable flips.
Newman Residence in Pacific Palisades (L.A.), California
In 2007, Keaton bought the Newman Residence in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles for $9.1 million.
The house was designed by Lloyd Wright (son of Frank Lloyd Wright) for composer Alfred Newman in 1950.
Her restoration included modernizing the kitchen, restoring original woodwork and built-in furniture, and converting part of the second floor into a glass-walled loft/master suite to bring in light and canyon views.
The Newman Residence was later sold in 2010 for $10.75 million.
Barrio Viejo House in Tucson, Arizona
Keaton’s best known project outside of California was her house in the Barrio Viego neighborhood of Tucson, Arizona.
The “Godfather” star purchased a 1880s Sonoran-style adobe row house in 2018 for $1.5 million.
Keaton completed a high-touch refresh emphasizing historic materials and sold the home for approximately $2.6 million in 2020.
During a 2018 appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Keaton discussed her project in Tucson, telling Kimmel she felt that the city was “underappreciated.”
“I’m going to redo and fix the adobe,” she said at the time. “I just love Tucson.”
“House That Pinterest Built” in Brentwood (L.A), California
Keaton’s “Pinterest House” is her most well-known renovation. The actress documented her efforts in her best-selling book “House That Pinterest Built.”
The home was the result of a multi-year, full-scale gut renovation she undertook beginning around 2011. She described it as her “dream home,” drawing on decades of collected visual inspiration including tear sheets, magazines, and later Pinterest to design the residence.
Built largely of reclaimed brick, steel, and industrial windows, the home blends an industrial sensibility with a warm, tactile aesthetic. Keaton prioritized light, openness, and material authenticity by using raw textures, exposed structure, and glazing. She also famously observed that she doesn’t use curtains.
“I always had an interest in homes and the concept of home, but the problem is I never really land and stay. Something’s wrong … But something’s right, because I love it,” she told Wine Spectator.
“I started to really love the brick and the textures of it … how they weren’t perfect,” she continued.
“My favorite room in my home is that damn kitchen,” Keaton added.
The home became her primary residence for about eight years until her death.
People reported that Keaton surprised many when she listed the house, which hit the market for $25 million in March.
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