CONCRETE COASTAL

SASHYA THIND WARMS CONCRETE WITH WOOD, CREATING CONTEMPORARY INTERIORS THAT FEEL PERFECTLY AT HOME ON THE WATER.

-  MARNI ELYSE KATZ

Knowing that concrete floors were at the top of her clients' wish list, Sashya Thind kicked off the interior scheme for this 4,800-squarefoot home in Marblehead by diving into finishes. "We started with concrete from a materiality perspective, then decided how and where to bring in warmth," she says.

Coming from a more traditional home in another part of town, the new owners of this waterfront property hired Taproot Design to create a contemporary replacement for the existing shingled dwelling. That said, they didn't want the house to feel stark. "They wanted the interior to reflect the attitudes and personality of their young family," Thind says. "They said 'casual' a lot." Other descriptors included minimal, modest, welcoming, and warm.

Not wanting the concrete floor to be a one-off, Thind devised key moments to showcase the material; namely, the double-sided fireplace, stairwell, and entry.

To circumvent the challenges of building with concrete, Thind proposed facing such surfaces in large-format porcelain tiles that look and feel like concrete.

Wood planks line the ceiling in the living spaces, balancing the poured concrete floor that runs throughout the ground level. "We chose Douglas fir for its interesting grain and pink undertone," Thind explains. "The wood looks like weather-beaten boards, but the overall design still feels clean and contemporary." The combination also satisfied the couple's divergent tastes, as one spouse preferred a more minimal aesthetic than the other.