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Celebrities are generally not associated with small homes. However, some of them do appreciate cozier abodes and actively seek to lessen their carbon footprint. StorageCafe, a nationwide self storage marketplace, looked into celebrity real estate recently to find out which of our favorite stars appreciate tiny, or at least tinier, living. Here’s what they found out about the housing preferences of the rich and famous.
Jimmy Kimmel tops the list of celebrities with the smallest homes
Jimmy Kimmel, the beloved late-night-show host, seems to appreciate the coziness and comfort of a compact residence. His West Hollywood residence is just under 2,000 square feet but located in a very upscale area, close to the famous Chateau Marmont hotel.
Brad Pitt, who’s famously into architecture, definitely appreciates more than size when it comes to living space. His midcentury home in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, built in 1960, comes with an exquisite design, while rounding up at a neat 2,000 square feet.
Dave Matthews rejects the stereotypes usually associated with rock stars and their mansions and opts for a very average 2,180-square-foot home located in Seattle. Besides a penchant for human-sized homes, Dave Matthews also has a keen eye for real estate investing. His Wallingford area home, which he bought in 2001 for $360K, is now worth over a million dollars.
Born and raised in New York City, this Hollywood icon stays true to his origins and prefers living either in the city or pretty close to it. About three decades ago, Robert de Niro decided to buy a farmhouse in the picturesque town of Gardiner, New York. Since then, this has been his primary residence, consisting of a main house of around 2,200 square feet, on a very generous 78 acres of land. However, besides the main house, the compound also features a massive recreation center, understandable as Robert de Niro has a big family.
Another huge movie star with a career spanning decades who still prefers living in a relatively modest home is Clint Eastwood. His 2,780-square-foot historic farmhouse dates back to the 1850s — and its best feature is its gorgeous location on the Monterey Peninsula, overseeing the spectacular Northern California coast.
Of course, many, if not all, of these celebrities own more than just one home — however, it’s still relatable that they choose as their primary residences relatively compact homes instead of huge mansions.
Movies stars have the smallest homes among celebrities — but still four times bigger than the average American home
Different categories of celebrities have their unique preferences when it comes to home sizes. Movie stars tend to have smaller homes than athletes, musicians, TV stars and Internet influencers. The average size of top movie stars’ homes hovers around 8,600 square feet — that’s four times bigger compared to the average size of a U.S. single family home. Homes of movie stars, huge as they are, pale in comparison to top athletes’ homes, which average a whopping 12,370 square feet. Seeing as professional athletes probably need well-equipped gyms at home, it makes some sense that they end up owning the largest homes, on average, among the various categories of celebrities.
Musicians have an appetence for expansive living spaces as well, with the average size of top musicians’ homes reaching almost 11,200 square feet. Just like the athletes, they have a potential justification — we can safely assume that most musicians have recording studios at home, hence the need for extra space.
Celebrities who fit the stereotype and live in huge mansions
If some of the rich and famous are happy living in homes that, at least size-wise, are accessible to us mere mortals as well, there are those who truly indulge in a stardom lifestyle. Actor and singer Jennifer Lopez enjoys a sprawling 38,000-square-foot residence, while producer and director Tyler Perry is not far behind in terms of space at home, with 35,000 square feet. Big screen megastar Denzel Washington gets to delight in an almost 29,000-square-foot home — while Tom Hanks is pretty happy with half that size.
Are American homes too big — and what should we do about it?
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Discussing the size of celebrities’ homes offers a fun insight into the more serious issue of home sizes across the country. Americans tend to live in relatively large homes, on average, especially when compared with home sizes in other parts of the world. Things are slowly changing — the size of newly built homes and new apartments is on a slight descending path, and people are starting to appreciate more and more the coziness of smaller homes. Smaller living also comes with significant savings.
However, a lot of people are still not ready to let go of the idea that the ideal home needs a respectable square footage in order to allow a comfortable lifestyle. Storage space is oftentimes the main concern people have when thinking about moving to a smaller home. Fortunately, there are many ways to include smart and efficient storage solutions in small homes to make the most of the existing space. There’s also an alternative solution to the lack of sufficient storage space at home — and that’s self storage.
Here’s how self storage can help you transition toward smaller living
Self storage comes in handy in many situations. Even some celebrities are known for renting self storage units, despite having ample closet space at their disposal. Jessica Alba has acknowledged she uses a self storage unit in Manhattan for her holiday decorations — seeing as she owns a 9,000-square-foot home, she must have a lot of them!
On a more serious note, a self storage unit can be just the thing that allows you to live comfortably in a small home. There are many belongings that can be kept in storage — and some that are actually better off in a unit than in your own home. Check out some of the categories of belongings that can be kept in self storage while you dedicate your space at home to more important purposes:
- Out-of-season clothing: Heavy parkas and winter boots will eat up a lot of precious closet space, so why not keep them in a storage unit until the cold season starts?
- Collectibles, antiques and other delicate and expensive belongings: Very few homes have the kind of space that allows homeowners to keep these types of specialty items in proper conditions. Usually, it means sacrificing a significant chunk of your living space, as these are not the kind of belongings that can simply be put in your attic or garage. On the other hand, a climate-controlled storage unit provides the right environment (constant temperature and humidity) to safely store long-term even the most fragile items.
- Sport equipment: Obviously, if it’s a sport that you’re practicing daily, you’ll be keeping the necessary gear at home. However, there are sports and activities that we do maybe a couple of times each year, like skiing or camping, so the equipment related to these activities can easily be kept in a storage unit.
- Baby items: Furniture, clothing, accessories and toys — we all know that good-quality baby items can be quite expensive, so it makes total sense to hold on to them if you’re planning to expand your family soon.
Celebrities may boast homes that seem to rival palaces — but even they could benefit from a touch of the humble self storage. In the end, whether you’re a Hollywood icon or just a simple homeowner, a little extra storage can go a long way in keeping your space as glamorous as your lifestyle.
