Tour a Massachusetts Home With a Tropical Modern Flair
Sashya Thind’s Weston residence has luminous picture windows, indoor plants, and sunny nods to her Goan roots.
By Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar | Photography by: Jared Kuzia | Original Article
All photography by Jared Kuzia
Some days, driving home from work, Sashya Thind still has to pinch herself at the sight of the little house on the hill. “I love seeing it up there, glowing in the evening light,” says the Massachusetts-based interior designer, who admits the Weston home almost wasn’t meant to be. “We had put in an offer on another recently renovated house, but something about it just didn’t feel like us. We walked away from that, and luckily, this gem came on the market a few weeks later. We all fell in love with it right away,” she says, referring to herself; her husband, Amit; their two sons, Yannick and Yohann; and their Goldendoodle, Saffron.
Designer Sashya Thind sits in her living room.
Built in 1968 by a prefab company called Techbuilt, the dwelling was undeniably charming—so much so that the family swiftly made an offer, purchased it, and moved in. “Unlike my projects, there was no set vision—it was more of an evolution of ideas as we lived in the space and embraced it,” AD PRO Directory designer Thind shares. The couple eventually imagined the home as a Tropical Modern oasis, inspired by the luminous garden houses of Geoffrey Bawa and Balkrishna Doshi while also paying homage to its New England setting.
Leaning into this vision was one thing, but achieving it in a space that had undergone multiple renovations and once served as a doctor’s clinic was another. “We didn’t exactly need a waiting room,” quips Thind. With help from Brite Builders, she repurposed the area into a guest bedroom and family room, warming both with walnut flooring. “We added sliding doors to connect this space to the yard and take in the views of the trees and firepit. It’s also the perfect spot to watch our boys play soccer.”
Elsewhere, she directed the eye inward—like in the living room, where she retained the 14-foot cathedral ceilings, with their exposed wood beams and cedar paneling, to create a cozy, moody vibe. “We were lucky to inherit a lot of beautiful elements from the previous owners,” she continues, citing the rich cherry floors, red cedar-lined walls, deck, and large windows looking into the woods.
“The indoor-outdoor experience here is incredible. Perched on a hill, the house offers views of the trees and treetops, with large windows seamlessly blending the indoors with nature. During a winter storm, you feel the power of the elements, while on sunny days, soft, filtered light washes over the space,” says Thind of the main level.
If she had it her way, Thind would probably live in warm weather year-round. “Growing up in sunny Goa, the winters here are still challenging for me,” says the designer, who decided that if she couldn’t move closer to the sun, she would bring the sun closer to her—at least in spirit. “The main level is like a reflection of the outdoors. We get to experience it all—the sunrise, the first buds of spring, the Japanese maple glowing amber in the fall, the rain, the trees swaying in a storm, or a snowy day turning everything into a winter wonderland. It’s like having a front-row seat to nature,” says Thind, who added personal touches indoors, including souvenirs from the family’s travels, weeping figs reminiscent of Goan foliage, and artwork that her grandmother Kavita Kapoor, a Mumbai-based artist and interior designer, created during visits to Thind’s family home.
For Thind and her husband, who have lived in India, Dubai, and England, this house holds meaning in more ways than one. “It finally feels like home,” she says. Over time, the family has developed little traditions—gathering in the kitchen before dinner, playing board games at the dining table afterward, and curling up on the serpentine sofa to read when the winter sun streams in. “Living here feels like being part of the outdoors without actually stepping outside. It’s a retreat, yet just minutes from the city,” she adds. And for her, the journey isn’t over. “I’m pretty sure the house will keep evolving every few years—it’s both an experimental space for me as a designer and a home that will grow old with us.” Evidently, it’s a place for every season.
The family room was created from what was once a doctor’s waiting area. Thind added sliding doors to open the space to the yard, maximizing views of the trees and firepit. “Our boys are avid soccer enthusiasts, and this makes it the perfect spot to watch them play,” she shares.
Framed by picture windows overlooking the woods, the living room features a soaring 14-foot ceiling with exposed wood beams and panels that echo the sylvan surroundings. Thind muted the walls in white to create a backdrop for artwork by Norman Shaw (left) and Suhas Shilker. “The serpentine sofa has a funny story—I originally bought it for a client, but they changed their mind, so it sat in our old basement. When we moved here, we tried it out and loved how it brought the long room together. Now, it feels like it was meant to be,” says Thind of the vintage Bernhardt sectional. The fern perched atop a West Elmcoffee table, the table to the right is a vintage find, while the credenza is from Knoll. The floor lamp is IKEA.
“As a family, we love spending time in the kitchen and dining area,” says Thind of the kitchen, outfitted by the previous owner in a custom anigre veneer.
Thind embraced a vintage-only approach for the dining room, keeping the home’s original Gaetano Sciolari light fixture and pairing a Danish-origin teak dining table with Johannes Andersen chairs. “The table extends to seat 10 when needed—perfect for entertaining,” says the designer. To add a personal touch, she enlivened the wall with an artwork by her grandmother Kavita Kapoor. The rug is a Mohr & McPherson weave.
A balcony on the upper floor grants a bird’s-eye view of the surroundings, inside and out. The autumnal painting, created by Thind’s grandmother, Kavita Kapoor, captures the fall views she observed on one of her trips to Thind’s family home. “I love terra-cotta and used branches to heighten the painting’s drama. The geometric light creates sculptural shadows on the cedar-lined staircase walls—it’s one of the first sights I wake up to,” says Thind.
For Thind, there’s nothing better than a space that shuts out the world. “We splurged on blackout curtains to create a cocoon-like feeling,” she says of the primary bedroom. The decor follows suit—1960s glass nightstands by Marco Zanuso, the elegant Ella bed by Room & Board, vintage lamps inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, and a Danish wood dresser. The artwork is by her grandmother Kavita Kapoor.
Thind expanded the powder room to fit a shower, washing machine, and dryer, wrapping the walls and vanity in wood paneling, and cladding the floor and walls with porcelain and limestone tile. An edgeless mirror adds a sleek contrast to the limestone vessel sink, while a Tolomeo lamp gracefully overarches the space.
For the exterior, Thind amped up the drama with a dark chocolate facade and a fire-engine red door.
A stone pathway connects the rear of the house to the backyard and firepit.
Thind designed the firepit during Covid as a way to socialize safely, but the wood-burning stove—now a beloved staple—remains a family favorite. “We still use it every summer for family dinners or beers with friends. The kids love making s’mores, and my husband grills the best burgers,” Thind says.