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A look inside the eco-friendly farmhouse Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis built in Los Angeles, designed by Howard Backen and Vicky Charles
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis Los Angeles modern farmhouse exterior
There’s a bit of Beverly Hillbillies irony in the home Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis built on a hilltop in Los Angeles. Like the Clampetts, they dug their own well, planted a cornfield during lockdown, and even nicknamed the property KuKu Farms. But while the TV family leaned into Beverly Hills grandeur, a sprawling French Neoclassical mansion that screamed excess—Kutcher and Kunis wanted the opposite.
“We wanted a home, not an estate,” Kunis says of their six-acre property. Today, that land holds a main house, a guesthouse-turned-entertainment barn, and a separate barbecue pavilion, all carefully aligned to frame sweeping views. “We wanted it to look like an old barn that had been converted into a house, but still feel modern and relevant,” Kutcher adds.
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The journey started the way so many modern projects do: with Pinterest boards. Each created one, half-expecting their tastes to clash. Instead, they found themselves in sync. “Ninety percent of the images we pinned were the same, and almost all were designed by Howard,” Kutcher recalls, referencing architect Howard Backen of Backen & Gillam.
Backen is known for rethinking the farmhouse, distilling rustic forms into something simple, soulful, and fresh. At KuKu Farms, he used reclaimed wood, board-formed concrete, and plenty of glass. Kutcher, who has a background in tech startups, compares Backen’s approach to software design. “A good software designer gets you where you want to be with the fewest clicks. Howard does that with houses, fewest doors, fewest obstacles. But he also knows when you need a barrier, a bit of friction.”
The respect runs both ways. “Ashton and Mila are among the most curious, involved clients we’ve had,” Backen says. “We talked beam sizes, cross bracing, how wood meets concrete, conversations we don’t have with everyone.” Backen’s associate Stephanie Gerwin adds, “They were there for every stage, not just signing off. They wanted to create something sustainable and nurturing for their family.”
Designing with Purpose and Personality
Sustainability is central. The home runs entirely on solar power, with panels hidden above a long porch. The system produces more electricity than the family uses, though outdated local codes mean they can’t share the surplus just yet. “They’re deeply interested in soil health, clean water, and regenerative farming,” Backen explains. “It’s not theory for them, it’s how they live.”
To handle interiors, Kutcher and Kunis brought in AD100 designer Vicky Charles, formerly head of design at Soho House. “We were obsessed with Soho Farmhouse,” Kunis says. “We loved how Vicky layered fabrics and textures, it felt right for us.”
Charles remembers the project starting during a big moment. “Mila was pregnant with their first child,” she says. “Our talks weren’t just about architecture. They were about family and the future. The look shifted from a traditional farmhouse feel to something more contemporary. Wrought-iron chandeliers and giant chesterfields would’ve felt wrong.”
Still, the couple wanted to include pieces from past homes, like two oversized silver throne chairs Kutcher picked up in India, and a massive crystal chandelier. “I told them I could make a home for those pieces, and that’s probably why I got the job,” Charles jokes. Her solution: put the thrones in the primary bath (literally thrones for the throne room) and hang the chandelier in the barn-like entertainment pavilion. Kunis laughs: “It’s this crazy, glamorous thing in a barn. It makes us laugh every time we see it.”
A Home That Makes Sense
Beneath the humor is a core of order and calm. Every material and detail was considered. “To feel peace, things need to be in order,” Kutcher says. “If the space around you is chaotic, your mind will be too. When we’re here, the world just makes sense.”
The result is a house that’s not a Hollywood showpiece and not a rustic fantasy either. It’s something in between: a thoughtful, modern farmhouse that reflects who they are curious, grounded, and just a little playful. As Kunis puts it, “We didn’t build an estate. We built a home.”
About the Author
Swati Chaturvedi, a seasoned media and journalism aficionado with over 10 years of expertise, is not just a storyteller; she’s a weaver of wit and wisdom in the digital landscape. As a key figure in News18 Engl…Read More
Swati Chaturvedi, a seasoned media and journalism aficionado with over 10 years of expertise, is not just a storyteller; she’s a weaver of wit and wisdom in the digital landscape. As a key figure in News18 Engl… Read More
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