Turning something old into something new! Sophia Bush renovated her mid-century house in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles to return the property to its original old Hollywood splendor — with a modern twist.
The One Tree Hill alum, 37, revamped the 1,600-square-foot 1950s bungalow, which is featured in the March issue of Elle Decor magazine, with the help of interior designer Jake Alexander Arnold and landscaper John Alden Sharp. Bush told Elle Decor magazine in June 2019 that she had her eye on the property for a while because she lived next door to the house for years.
“Whenever I was at my kitchen sink in the morning, I’d wave to my neighbor who was at hers,” she said at the time. “Our houses sat side by side in this little nook in the canyon. I made a vow that someday, when she was ready to sell, I’d try to buy it from her, reconnect the land and make a little urban farm out of it. She loved that idea. And now it’s happening.”
The home was a fixer-upper that needed a lot of care with an uneven foundation, outdated plumbing, overgrown tree roots and a structurally unsound framework.
“Once I knew that we were looking at a teardown, we were able to begin envisioning a new flow for the space,” Bush, who launched her own design firm, Filles Des Rincón, with her friend Lauren McGrady in 2019, recalled.
The renovation became a yearlong project that included an upgrade of the bungalow’s foundation and plumbing system, restructuring the house’s layout and restoration of the kitchen. Bush also added a powder room and combined a bedroom and back den in the house into a master suite.
However, the revamp was worth the challenge and has given Bush a sense of accomplishment.
“Everyone who’s come to visit says they’ve never seen anything like it,” the upcoming Love, Simon star said. “And being here makes me feel incredibly grounded and creative. So it’s working.”
She added, “Restoring this house and bringing it back to its midcentury splendor has been such a joy.”
The house also has a fan in Bush’s friend Chelsea Handler who praised the property’s redesign.
“What I love most about Sophia’s home is that it is a reflection of her vibe,” the Hello, Privilege. It’s Me, Chelsea star, 44, told Elle Decor. “And being here makes me feel incredibly grounded and creative. So it’s working.”
Scroll down to see pictures of Bush’s renovated mid-century bungalow.