Is the Chicken Coop Hollywood’s Must-Have Home Trend?

Of course, we’d be remiss not to mention the fact that two of the most famous young parents in the entire world—Prince Harry and Meghan Markle—showed off their very own chicken coop at their Montecito, California, home during their groundbreaking interview with Oprah Winfrey last year. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex no doubt had their son Archie, now two, in mind when constructing it, as evidenced by the sign they added: “Archie’s Chick Inn.” (They have since welcomed a second child, 10-month-old Lilibet—no word on if the sign has been changed.)

Chickens, we can only assume, don’t have too much of an opinion about the design of their houses. But you can bet that people with multimillion-dollar homes decorated by top talent don’t want an eyesore in their yard. At her 1920s Tudor-style home in Purchase, New York, The View cohost Sunny Hostin started with a hen house from Horizon Structures that resembled a cute, small cottage, but recently upgraded by renovating her carriage house to turn the entire thing into a large home for her hens and other animals.

“I wanted more room to expand my flock—and add ducks,” Hostin tells AD. “We added a pen for ducks with a tub, a rabbit hutch, a heating system, new windows, a hatchery, additional nesting boxes, and natural roosting bars.” The result is a stone structure with dark green barn doors and trim that Joanna Gaines (who, obviously, also has a chicken coop) would approve of.

Like many chicken owners, Hostin can name plenty of reasons why adding them to your family is worth the start-up cost. “The fresh eggs [are the best part] of course,” she says. “But also the companionship. Chickens can recognize human faces and have unique personalities.”