When actors Dichen Lachman and Maximilian Osinski first stumbled upon a property listing for a three-bedroom Victorian house in west London’s leafy Chiswick neighborhood, they were in the middle of a routine gym workout. The husband and wife, widely recognized for their respective standout roles in Apple TV+’s critically acclaimed thrillers and comedies—Lachman in the mind-bending workplace drama Severance and Osinski in the hit sports comedy Ted Lasso—were at a fitness center just a four-minute walk away when Lachman spotted the real estate offering on her phone. Deciding to investigate on the fly, Lachman recalls telling her husband, "Oh, I will just go have a quick look—I will be right back."
It was not love at first sight in the conventional sense of real estate hunting. The three-bedroom period property had barely been touched since the 1970s, and Osinski notes that its condition back then was "the complete opposite" of the colorful, joyful, and vibrant home it has since become. However, Lachman, who stars in the horror film Other Mommy, possessed the vision to see past the dated interiors and structural wear. As chance would have it, the couple were already acquainted with architect and designer Charlotte Lilford, a parent at their daughter Mathilda’s school, who had previously executed a stunning renovation on another house further down the same street.
Keen to demonstrate the potential of the neighborhood’s Victorian architecture, Lachman took Osinski to tour Lilford’s completed project for inspiration. The visit proved decisive; Osinski liked what he saw enough to greenlight the purchase of their own unrenovated property without even viewing its interior beforehand. Explaining his swift leap of faith, Osinski says, "I thought, If we could have something like this, I would be so happy. I trusted the end result, and the footprint is the footprint."
The resulting endeavor turned out to be part major renovation and part creative reimagining. Lilford, a French mother of five who divides her working life between London and Paris, extended both the loft space and the ground floor, entirely reworking the 1,779-square-foot layout. Her mandate was to breathe new life into the historic architecture, carefully retaining surviving Victorian details wherever possible and reinstating classic features that previous owners had stripped away over the decades. Lilford’s design philosophy is rooted firmly in architecture first—prioritizing an understanding of how a modern family actually functions within a space before addressing aesthetic choices. "I like designing spaces that are practical," she explains. "I cannot design a space if it makes no sense in terms of the usage."
For Lachman and Osinski, who live in the Chiswick residence with their daughter Mathilda and their dog, Whisky, the interiors needed to accommodate a dynamic lifestyle that is rarely static. Their eventual relocation across the Atlantic was initially planned as a temporary arrangement after Osinski landed the role of the flamboyant, larger-than-life footballer Zava in Ted Lasso, which required months of filming in Richmond. Simultaneously, Lachman was filming Severance, portraying the complex characters of Gemma Scout and the enigmatic Ms. Casey. What started as a short-term trans-Atlantic move from Los Angeles gradually morphed into a permanent fixture as the family fell deeply in love with the tight-knit, community-oriented feel of west London.
The interior design of the house reflects this cross-continental transition and blending of lives. Pieces of furniture brought over from their former home in Los Angeles sit comfortably alongside objects bearing profound family history and heritage. Demonstrating a deep connection to her roots, Lachman brought a 19th-century tapestry that once belonged to her Tibetan grandmother. Born in Kathmandu, Lachman lived in Nepal until the age of seven before her family immigrated to Adelaide, Australia, and those formative early years continue to inform her strong sense of personal identity and heritage.
Similarly, Osinski’s curated collection of vintage Polish circus posters weaves another layer of personal history into the home’s visual narrative, while rugs crafted by Lachman’s grandfather, along with various family mirrors and sentimental objects, were deliberately retained. "We have this funny little ritual," Lachman smiles, reflecting on the curation process. "When we go to a new city or country, we always buy a Christmas decoration. I know it is very cheesy and touristy, but our tree is really eclectic now and carries beautiful memories. I think that is what makes a home." Osinski adds, "Our style is not very cookie-cutter, and neither is Charlotte’s."
The journey through the home begins at the striking entrance hall, where terracotta-toned walls introduce a welcoming warmth to the durable terrazzo flooring. Here, a bespoke mustard banquette doubles as a clever storage solution, positioned beneath a vintage Danish brass Kastor pendant light designed by Jo Hammerborg for Fog & Mørup that adds a sharp, sculptural note to the greeting space.
As visitors move further in, they encounter the meticulously redesigned stairwell. "The first thing you see when you step into the house is the stairwell," explains Lilford, detailing the structural interventions. "So it had to make a statement. We took the old staircase out and played with the shape to create more space around it."
The main living areas emphasize tactile luxury, comfort, and bold color blocking. A white curved sofa from Six The Residence forms the conversational core of the formal living room, topped with Margeaux cushions from Soho Home and wrapped gracefully around the brand’s low Barrel coffee table. Pure White Lines served as the primary source for statement lighting and accessories, providing pieces such as a Pfeiffer marble bowl, Inka side tables, and a glittering Amber Sorrento chandelier. Additional seating options include a blush-pink Pierre Frey Litho armchair, a velvet daybed, and Soho Home’s Vivienne armchair, while an intimate seating nook nearby is cocooned in Matières Végétales jungle wallpaper by French design house Élis, complemented by a John Lewis Pleat sofa, a Wendy Morrison Plumage carpet, and warm ambient lighting from RH.
The kitchen, custom-built by bespoke joinery specialists Julien Austin Giles, acts as the beating heart of the household. It features a striking marble counter that embraces the natural signs of aging. "I have clients that sometimes do not want a marble worktop because they are worried about staining, but it is also part of the aging process," Lilford notes. "Those natural materials give real character to your space." Osinski reflects on the social gravity of the kitchen, noting how it naturally draws guests together. "When we have friends over, everyone goes to the kitchen. I have started to feel like if I suggest heading to the living room it is almost an insult," he laughs.
Lilford designed the kitchen to function as a hardworking family workspace without sacrificing elegance, successfully accommodating a formidable list of oversized American appliances that the couple brought over from Los Angeles within the more restrictive confines of a British home layout.
Color, wallpaper, marble, mosaic, and Zellige tiling are deployed generously throughout the residence, often concentrated into high-impact moments. In a cozy dining corner beneath a Raphia Rosace wall covering from CMO Paris, a curved banquette upholstered in Pierre Frey fabric sits opposite a round table from Pottery Barn, illuminated by a 1990s vintage Murano glass light fixture overhead, with a zebra-print footstool sourced from Pure White Lines completing the eclectic vignette.
Even the compact outdoor courtyard is treated with the ambition of an interior room. "The smaller the garden, the more money you need to put in it," Lilford advises. "You need to make a real splash." That splash materializes as an intricate marble wave mosaic tile pattern in green from Starel, which visually flows from the exterior hardscaping right into the home. Outdoors, a travertine coffee table from Pure White Lines pairs with an outdoor brass L-shaped sofa from CB2, flanked by mirrors from local business Wheelers of Chiswick. "In the spring, the courtyard gets so much sun. If you have jet lag, lying down there is amazing," Lachman remarks.
Upstairs, the open-plan dining area is grounded by a Brazilian green Murcell oval dining table from Soho Home, surrounded by the brand’s sculptural Georgina chairs. The upper levels also house private family sanctuaries, including daughter Mathilda’s bedroom, which features a bold green Gucci Heron print wall covering. Mathilda’s bathroom showcases a bespoke peach basin set against Starry Night navy blue tiles by Otto Tiles that wrap seamlessly across the ceiling. "The dark tiles create a cosy, magical nighttime feeling. It was a small space, so we could go full on," Lilford says.
The primary bathroom pairs a warm-toned wall light from Monologue with a Wet System wall covering by Wall&Décò sourced from West One Bathrooms, centered around a custom sink and a fluted stone Bijou bath from Aquaroc. Meanwhile, a secret door tucked inside the upstairs movie theater opens directly into a guest bedroom, where a Rialto Venetian-style saffron wall light from Pooky contrasts against rich green walls and a vintage Union Jack cushion. Another bedroom is anchored by Arte’s Révélerie Tropicale wall covering, setting a deep green palette accented by Kiniko wall lights from La Redoute and Soho Home cushions.
If anything, the couple—who first crossed paths while residing in West Hollywood and have been married for more than ten years—had to be reined in rather than pushed when it came to making bold design statements. "Charlotte is really good at toning us down," Lachman admits. "We are good at pushing back in terms of going a bit darker or wilder."
That creative tension is evident in every corner of the house, where professional international schedules continually pull the family across the globe. Lachman spent time on location in New Zealand earlier this year filming The Legend of Zelda, while Osinski has worked closer to home on the hit BBC comedy Ann Droid. Yet, despite the transient nature of their profession, Chiswick has grounded their daily lives.
Reflecting on the cultural shift from California to the British capital, Osinski observes, "LA is built for cars. London is very human scale." While their Chiswick Victorian terrace may possess a smaller footprint than the modern new-build they left behind in the United States, it has fostered a much more connected, community-driven way of living. Supported by neighbors who routinely check in on their dog Whisky and a local network where their daughter plays freely, Lachman and Osinski have built a home that is practical enough for everyday family routines, playful enough to reflect their vibrant personalities, and deeply rooted in personal history.