Julia Roberts planned a recycled-materials Malibu home in 2007; in 2025, it remained her family's primary residence

Julia Roberts described a Malibu home using reclaimed wood and solar power, and even in 2025, it remained her family's main residence. In a 2007 interview for Vanity Fair, Julia Roberts spoke about a house that she and her husband, Danny Moder, were having built in Malibu using recycled materials and solar energy.

By February 2025, Architectural Digest reported that they still consider Malibu their main residence.In 2007, Julia Roberts described plans to build a Malibu home using reclaimed wood and solar energy, while reducing household waste through gardening and composting. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)As Roberts revealed in her interview with Vanity Fair, the house was supposed to be finished several months after the interview was conducted. Roberts noted that it would be constructed using wood from the house that existed there before, and some additional wood from an airplane hangar in Canada.

She said that this construction would be "totally green" because of the use of recycled wood and solar energy.A house built of reuse and solar energyThe interview occurred while Roberts and Moder were still living in Venice, California. They had been living there since 2002, but Roberts said that they would soon relocate to Malibu and had already registered their children in a preschool there.For Roberts, the house became a product of their coming together from diverse backgrounds and different perceptions about what constitutes a family.

Moder is originally from Southern California, whereas Roberts came from Smyrna, Georgia, and relocated to New York at the age of 17. According to Roberts, Los Angeles has always been intimidating for her, although her first experience in Malibu was welcoming.

She referred to Malibu as a small town and stated that the house symbolized their meeting ground.Her attention to the materials used to build the house was tied to the bigger issue of household waste. Roberts said that she tried to create less trash and that she planned to grow food and compost household waste to use in the garden.

Being a mother and living in a household of five, she had become more aware of household waste. She also mentioned using Seventh Generation diapers and gDiapers for her children.Julia Roberts and Danny Moder’s Malibu home has remained their main residence since the couple began building it with recycled materials and solar energy. (Getty Images via AFP)Malibu is the main home of the familyThe February 2025 profile of Roberts' real estate portfolio in Architectural Digest identified Malibu as the main residence of the actress and her family.

The magazine reported that Roberts and Moder bought their first Malibu property in 2003, a year after their wedding. Their compound sits on a bluff overlooking the ocean and includes several buildings, a motor court, an inner courtyard, lawns, terraces, and shaded outdoor spaces.The profile also reported that the property had numerous solar panels that helped power the home, adding to the environmentally conscious features Roberts had described in her 2007 interview.

The magazine also detailed the family's property history. Roberts had bought and sold properties in New York, San Francisco, Taos, Maui, and Kauai, among others.

The family sold a Kauai property in 2016 after initially listing it at a higher price. They also sold a neighboring Malibu property acquired in 2016.

The family sold a San Francisco Victorian property in 2023 after acquiring it three years earlier.The portrayal of the home by the magazine indicated that the Malibu property is part of an evolving collection. Although other assets have been sold, the February 2025 report continues to classify the Malibu property as the main abode for the family.

This puts the 2007 interview into a broader perspective: the Malibu home Roberts described as a project involving reclaimed wood and solar energy remained the couple's primary residence in February 2025, 18 years after the interview.The Hindustan Times US Desk brings you the latest news and developments from across the United States. The team covers everything from breaking news and politics to sports, business, entertainment and stories that are trending across the country.

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