Diane Keaton, the iconic Oscar-winning actress, left a legacy that extends far beyond the big screen. Her life was a fascinating one-two punch: that of a Hollywood star and that of a shrewd real estate investor and architectural preservationist.Far from the image of a celebrity who simply buys mansions, Keaton dedicated herself for decades to meticulously acquiring, restoring, and strategically flipping historic homes,amassing a personal fortune that rivals her film earnings.

The recent news of her passing has once again highlighted this lesser-known, but highly profitable, aspect of her career.

Diane Keaton: A Deep-Rooted Passion

Diane Keaton's love affair with structures began early, influenced by her father, a real estate agent in Los Angeles. However, her true practice was cemented upon returning to the West Coast in the 1980s. Keaton wasn't looking for pristine new homes; her expert eye rested on properties steeped in history, often in styles like Spanish Colonial, Mediterranean, or Mid-Century Modern,that cried out for respectful restoration.

She summed it up with characteristic eloquence: "I've always been interested in houses and the concept of home, but the problem is I never land and stay. Something's wrong. But something's right, because I love it." This "addiction" to architecture led her to:

• Restoration with Integrity: Her focus was not on modernizing, but on preserving authenticity.A notable example was the Samuel-Novarro House, designed by Lloyd Wright (son of Frank Lloyd Wright), which she painstakingly restored, maintaining the original Art Deco elements and the architect's vision.
• Strategic Sales: The key to her financial success was timing and the demand generated by her taste. Properties restored by Keaton sold at significant profits and often to other celebrities, such as a 1920s Spanish Colonial mansion she purchased, restored, and sold to Madonna.

From Restoration to Creation

The culmination of her passion manifested itself in her most ambitious personal project: a house she designed from scratch in Sullivan Canyon, Los Angeles, and documented in her acclaimed book, "The House That Pinterest Built" (2017).

In this work, Keaton revealed how she used the digital platform Pinterest as a "dream board" to conceptualize her home. The result was an imposing 8,000-square-foot structure that fused an industrial-rustic style with a farmhouse aesthetic, built with 75,000 reclaimed bricks . It wasn't just a home, but a manifesto on how design can be personal, comfortable, and sustainable, prioritizing reclaimed materials and open spaces.

The house, which the actress called "my dream house," was listed for sale in March 2025 for $29 million, months before her death. This sale, with a potential return of six times his initial investment of $4.7 million in 2009, demonstrated, once again, that his eye for architecture was also a formidable economic driver.

Legacy as a Preservationist

Beyond her investments, Keaton was an activist for architectural preservation in Los Angeles, an active member of the L.A. Conservancy for more than two decades. Her involvement extended beyond her own properties, fighting for the protection of historically important buildings like the former Ambassador Hotel.

Diane Keaton proved that aesthetics are not at odds with financial pragmatism. Her legacy will live on not only in her iconic films, but also in the valuable architectural heritage she rescued, redefined, and preserved for future generations, turning her fascination with bricks and design into one of Hollywood's most successful and admired real estate careers.