Sophia Bush | House Tour | $1.4 Million Hollywood Hills Mansion & More

Sophia Bush is a woman who goes by many labels, actress, activist, philanthropist, and lately interior designer as well. Yes, the woman who once made a name for herself on popular TV series like One Tree Hill and Chicago PD has recently partnered with Chicago-based designer Lauren McGrady to found their very own consulting firm. Don't worry, I'll get a bit more into how this career change came about as our story goes on but first we're gonna kick this brand new house tour off by starting with Sophia's home base. A snazzy 1,600 square foot late 1950s contemporary house built on the side of a steep slope in the Nichols Canyon area of the Hollywood Hills which she bought in the early 2010s for a reported 1.4 million dollars. In these videos we don't reveal any addresses and of my own place. Please do not show up at any private residences because it's not safe for anyone. When Sophia Bush first moved into her home back then a 90 year old woman named Annette lived right next door to her in a cottage that she had built with her husband in the late 50s. Over the next few years Annette and Sophia grew close over a few cocktails and that's when Sophia came up with a plan. She explained her thought process to Us Magazine telling them, I made a vow that someday when she was ready to sell I would try to buy it from her, reconnect the land and make a little urban farm out of it. She loved that idea. Shortly after Annette passed Sophia held up her end of the bargain and she bought the property next to her own to prevent others from simply tearing it down. But to say that her idea needed a whole lot of work done to be brought to life was an understatement. Initially Sophia thought that she'd only have to decorate and lightly renovate her new home but the foundation turned out to be uneven and the plumbing was in major need of updating. In other words she had her work cut out for her. So Sophia set out about totally restoring and reconstructing both homes to turn everything into one giant property. Working in collaboration with an interior designer and contractor Sophia began what became a year-long renovation that totally reimagined her longtime home. She explained, once I knew that we were looking at a teardown we were able to begin envisioning a new flow for the space. For the most part they kept the original footprint of the house intact. I love the guest rooms as well as the guest bath in the original locations but everything else she totally rearranged. A key part of this new design was an open central core that encompasses an airy living room with a gorgeous dining space. The kitchen was shifted from the opposite end of the house and was newly fitted with a dramatic 13 foot long island the color of adobe brick while also being topped with caesar stone and a custom sink and terrazzo tiles to cover the floor. Sophia also added on a powder room and created a master suite out of what was formerly a small bedroom in a back den. Once all of the construction and renovation work had finally been completed, next she called on the folks over at One Kings Lane Interior Design to help her decorate. Looking to stay true to certain mid-century aspects of her home's original style, Sophia worked with interior designer Alexander Reed to transform her new sunlit post and beam home into the perfect spot for visiting family and friends. While speaking with the One Kings Lane website she said, I wanted this space to have that mid-mod vibe but also to feel contemporary romantic and a little eclectic. This was a look and feel that Sophia managed to bring to life by layering comfy pieces and welcoming textures with modern finishes and a few understated patterns. For instance, over in the living area a cozy hand knotted rug inspired by Moroccan patterns anchors a marble top cocktail table as well as a vintage chair sofa and a pair of hardwood armchairs. Sophia also put together an unexpectedly unique sitting area in a corner of this living space by pairing an antique bench with linen upholstery and a round bronze mirror. The dining area has become the center of Sophia's family gatherings on the weekends especially now that the laid-back combo of chrome chairs and a rustic farmhouse table instantly puts everyone in her social circle at ease. About four years later Sophia would update the look of her home yet again. This time giving the overall aesthetic a much warmer feel especially in the living room. Here the previously monochrome tones took on a brighter color palette with Italian leather and a rug. And when it came time to redecorate her bedroom Sophia chose a mid-century walnut look with a specially designed modern closet system. If you think that look is something just wait until you see her bathroom with this unique circular tub. Last but not least Sophia turned one of her former guest rooms into an office that features an executive desk, a vintage desk chair, and cork walls. Here you can also find all of Sophia's books, scripts, supplies, and of course a healthy dose of memorabilia from her many hit films and shows. But as much of a hand as she had in redesigning this home from top to bottom it wasn't the experience here that inspired Sophia to enter the world of interior design for herself. Instead she found herself considering a career change after rolling up her sleeves and getting to work redesigning another one of her homes. This one over in Chicago. In 2015 Sophia Bush paid right around 1.6 million dollars for a penthouse apartment in Chicago, Illinois. Probably so she could shack up there while filming episodes of Spanning the entire 3,500 square foot top floor of a former historic warehouse building, Sophia's Chicago home utilizes secure key lock elevator that open directly into the sprawling house sized unit that comes complete with three bedrooms as well as two and a half baths. Boasting a variety of classic loft like details including exposed brick walls, wide plank wood floors, and 12 foot timber ceilings woven into a maze of ductwork, this place makes an impression on anyone who steps foot inside. Over in the sky lit living area, a huge tv sits on top of a minimalist fireplace that's only steps away from the dining room table. Not far from there is an expertly crafted open plan kitchen that acts as the central hub of the loft with milk white marble counters as well as denim blue cabinets. Two of the three bedrooms are decent sized guest rooms located discreetly behind the kitchen with a shared jack and jill style bathroom sandwiched in between. Then there's the massive primary suite that stretches almost 28 feet long with a sitting area all its own plus two walk-in closets and an accompanying marble accented bath. As for some of the home's more eccentric features, there's a powder room with a secret shower hidden behind a wallpapered panel as well as a vibrant geometric staircase that climbs up to a private rooftop deck with wraparound skyline views of the city. During the course of living here over five years, Sophia enlisted the help of Chicago-based designer Lauren McGrady to renovate her penthouse apartment. The two ended up getting along so famously that inspired Sophia to partner with Lauren to officially found their own design consulting firm. After selling her former Chicago home for just under two million dollars in 2020, Sophia returned to the west coast and her new firm's first gig was revamping her Hollywood Hills home to give it its updated look. In many ways, Sophia's career as an interior designer is still just getting started, but she's using her own house as proof of concept for her new business and she is hopeful that it will lead to promising possibilities. She told Elle Decor, everyone who's come to visit says that they've never seen anything like it and being here makes me feel incredibly grounded and creative, so it's working. Alright everyone, that'll bring this latest house tour to a close. Thanks so much for watching today's episode and before you leave, consider answering the following question. Would you have the patience to totally reconstruct your home from the ground up, or would you rather simply just move into a new place? Let me know if you find the idea of renovating your family home as exciting as Sophia does in the comments down below. Otherwise, like, subscribe, and turn on your notifications to never miss a video. My name's Cara and follow me on Instagram if you want to chat. I'll see you all in another video. Bye!