Sofía Vergara’s Los Angeles mansion is an elegant escape that brings her peace and comfort — but it didn’t always feel that way.
While giving Architectural Digest a tour of the space for the March cover story, the Griselda star opens up about leaning on her designer Ohara Davies-Gaetano to bring her “homey and comfortable” vision to life during a difficult time for her personally.
“I loved working with Ohara. She kind of saved my life because I was at a little of a crossroads,” Vergara explains. “It was either, ‘I’m going to hate this house or I’m going to love this house. What am I going to do? I don’t want to move in here because I don’t think things are coming out the way I wanted.’”
The actress first purchased the $26 million abode in 2020 while she was still married to her then-husband Joe Manganiello. After seven years of marriage, the pair announced their split in July 2023 and Manganiello filed for divorce two days later.
Vergara shared an update on how she’s been doing nearly four months after the split during an exclusive interview with PEOPLE in Nov. 2023. “I went through a divorce this year,” she said, adding that it was a very “interesting” time. ”I don’t want to say ‘bad’ or anything like that, but it’s been very interesting and very difficult.”
Despite experiencing a period of uncertainty, she said she believed there are good things coming her way: “I think all the things are resolving, everything is going to be okay and I’m very excited for next year.”
In the spirit of looking towards a brighter future, Vergara decided to continue her home renovation project and make the house her own, filling it with things she loves, including her collections of crystal birds and fine china.
She worked with Davies-Gaetano to curate an array of antiques from Sweden, Spain, France and Italy in order to create “a house with history and texture.” The space started to resemble “a well-lived house” just like Vergara wanted, despite the actual structure being built in the 1990s.
One of her favorite parts of the home is her lush backyard filled with tropical plants that remind her of her native Colombia.
“When I found this house, it was horrific. It was like a castle in Transylvania,” she explains. “But when I walked outside and saw this garden, I knew this was where I wanted to live. This outdoor area is like an extension of the house. The most special area in the house.”
A few of her other favorite spaces include her cozy bedroom that makes her feel “comfortable and sexy.” Her fireplace mantel — which was originally in the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City — is one of the most special additions to the room.
However, nothing could compare to her massive closet where all her clothes and accessories are in rainbow order. She also has a nude portrait of herself from when she was “young and fresh” adorning the space.
“This is where I actually really live, in my closet,” she says. “This is where I spend most of my time – this is like a girl’s dream.” The Modern Family alum reveals one design detail in the formal living room and family room that always takes her breath away.
“I love it because they open to the backyard which is my favorite thing about the house,” she says. “Every room opens to the pool and the backyard — even when you’re upstairs in the guest rooms.”
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In Dec. 2023, Vergara was hit with a lawsuit from Reside Custom Homes (the contractors who worked on her home renovation), for allegedly failing to pay two invoices dating back to March and July 2023 that amount to $1.7 million. In the filing obtained by PEOPLE, they accused the actress of breach of contract, promissory fraud and intentional interference with contractual relations, among other claims.