 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 going to 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. In these videos, we don't reveal any addresses and even though I've done a house tour 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 long-time home. She explained, once I knew that we were looking at a tear down, 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 and their 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 in 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 King's 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 Reid to transform her new sunlit post and beam home into the perfect spot for visiting family and friends. While speaking with the One King's 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 guestrooms 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 for a penthouse apartment in Chicago, Illinois, probably so she could shack up there while filming episodes of her popular TV series, Chicago PD. 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 opens 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 plankwood 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 Skylit living area, huge TV sits on top of a minimalist fireplace that 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 guestrooms located discreetly behind the kitchen with a shared Jack and Jill-style bathroom sandwich 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 wall-papered panel as well as a vibrant geometric staircase that climbs up to a private rooftop deck with wrap-around 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 $2 million 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 Kara and follow me on Instagram if you want to chat. I'll see you all in another video. Bye.