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This Newton Interior Designer’s Home Is a Masterclass in Slow Decorating

For Vani Sayeed, home is a living gallery—layered with history, heritage, and an artist’s eye.

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A woman dressed in a beige traditional outfit sits on a cream-colored sofa adorned with patterned and colorful cushions and a red throw. The room features a wooden side table with floral inlay, a tall floor lamp with a white shade, and a wooden coffee table with books and a decorative bowl. Behind the sofa, a vibrant abstract painting with yellow, red, and blue hues hangs on the white wall. A gold metal shelving unit filled with books and decorative items stands in the corner. The room has wooden crown molding and a light-colored rug.

Vani Sayeed sits on her living room sofa, upholstered in fabric by Kravet. The antique Kashmiri coffee table with teak inlay is a family heirloom; the modern floor lamp is by Visual Comfort. The art on the wall is her own creation. / Photo by Jared Kuzia

This article is from the spring 2026 issue of Boston Home. Sign up here to receive a subscription.

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The entry foyer to Vani Sayeed’s Newton home is an example of her highly individualistic style. There’s a pair of handcarved Mexican chairs covered in a graphic Manuel Canovas fabric, a marble tabletop inlaid with lapis from India, a grand gold-leafed Spanish mirror, and a bow-front antique American dresser holding a marble-composite Venus de Milo that is most likely from Italy. All are grounded by a Turkish rug.

“Those Mexican chairs have been refinished three times,” says interior designer Sayeed. “Ten years ago, I bought the table on a whim; then it sat in storage for eight years. The mirror was a vintage find. The pieces are from all over the world, symbolic of a global sensibility.”

Sayeed embodies that global sensibility. Born in India, where she trained as an artist, she came to the United States as a young adult. After graduating from the University of Iowa, she launched her interior design career in San Francisco. Eighteen years ago, she, her husband, and two children moved to their Newton home, where she grew her business and brought personality to the 1,668-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath Dutch Colonial house built in the 1920s.

Ornate wooden armchair with light patterned cushions sits next to a small white and blue hexagonal table holding two books. Behind the chair is a dark wooden dresser with a clear vase of pink flowers, decorative shells, and small sculptures. Above the dresser hangs a large, intricately carved gold-framed mirror. The room features light walls, a window with white curtains, and a red patterned rug on a wooden floor.

The entry foyer is furnished with a happy mix of pieces collected over time and all over the world, including an antique American chest, a lapis-inlaid tabletop from India, a Spanish mirror, and a carved Mexican chair. / Photo by Jared Kuzia

A cozy bedroom corner featuring a beige upholstered bed with white and beige bedding, a two-drawer nightstand with a white frame and wooden drawer fronts, and a beige cushioned chair. The nightstand holds a black lamp with a blue floral lampshade, a small vase with a pink flower, a blue decorative item, and a stack of books. The wall behind is covered in blue and white wallpaper with a botanical pattern, and a patterned rug with earthy tones lies on the floor. The chair has a decorative pillow with a matching blue botanical design.

For the accent wall behind the bed in the primary bedroom, Sayeed chose a favorite landscape-inspired paper by Matthew Williamson for Osborne & Little. The pattern also covers throw pillows and lampshades. / Photo by Jared Kuzia

“When we purchased the house, it lacked character and style,” she says. “But it had good bones. There was no immediate rush to redo it; we had two small children, and we had to live in it to learn what the house needed.”

Living here soon taught her that the primary bedroom needed an en suite bath. Sayeed converted two closets into a bathroom, carving out a niche for a custom cherry vanity. Over time, she installed air conditioning, renovated the other bathrooms, and made upgrades to the kitchen with a new breakfast nook, counters, and backsplash.

“But we did not change the classic layout,” Sayeed says. “I like having separate rooms, with a dining room for formal entertaining and a living room where guests can gather.”

A cozy living room corner featuring a white marble fireplace filled with stacked firewood. On the mantel are decorative items including two brass candle holders, a wooden bowl, a black statue of a dancing figure inside a circular frame, and a tall glass vase with green leafy stems. Above the mantel hangs a framed colorful painting with a traditional theme. To the left of the fireplace is an upholstered armchair with floral cushions, a small side table with a cup and saucer, and a wooden piano with a vase of pink flowers on top. The floor has a light-colored rug, and a carved wooden elephant figurine sits on the hearth. The room has wooden beams on the ceiling and a framed floral artwork on the wall near the piano.

Above the living room fireplace, Sayeed displays a family heirloom, an Indian miniature painting. An antique fauteuil chair is upholstered with fabrics by Rubelli and Kravet. The paper on the fireplace wall is by Phillip Jeffries. / Photo by Jared Kuzia

A cozy breakfast nook features a round white marble table with a brass pedestal base, surrounded by a built-in blue cushioned bench and two brown leather chairs. The bench is adorned with a mix of blue, red, and patterned throw pillows. The nook is set against white walls with a window covered by a white Roman shade with a blue trim. Above the window, a shelf holds books and decorative items. Two decorative plates hang on the left wall, and two framed floral artworks are on the right wall. The floor is wooden with a colorful patterned rug partially visible.

The breakfast nook is colorful and personal, with a built-in settee designed by Sayeed, plates that were her mother’s, and art created by her daughters when they were in kindergarten. / Photo by Jared Kuzia

Today, each of the rooms is a colorful, eclectic mélange featuring graphic wallpapers in saturated colors; family heirlooms; paintings by Sayeed, her children, and her artist friends; and classic pieces of furniture. The dining room, for example, combines a simple table and chairs with grasscloth wallcovering, a carpet in a saturated shade of red, and a ceiling papered in gold.

“The light reflecting off that ceiling paper makes people look good; everyone just glows,” Sayeed says. “That’s a great thing at dinner parties.”

She notes that her design process is reflective of her experiences and stories and, as such, never ends. She calls it “slow decorating.”

Her travels have taught her to appreciate a range of styles. “It’s a testament to my love of family, travel, my immigrant story, and my passion for collecting and design.”

“I love New England’s old houses, but I also really enjoy modern architecture: there’s a lot of beauty in all of it. The one thing I do not want is to be a conformist. When I create an environment for people, I see the world through their eyes,” she adds. “Each person’s home should be as individual as their personality. You should never be afraid to express yourself. After all, where else can you experiment if not in your own home?”

Bedroom with a white wooden bed frame and headboard, adorned with multiple pillows in purple, green, and striped patterns. A purple throw blanket is draped across the bed. The wall behind the bed features vertical striped wallpaper and a pink neon sign spelling "Iman." Next to the bed is a white nightstand with books, a framed photo, a lamp, and decorative items. The adjacent wall is painted light purple and has two framed fish illustrations. A window with a colorful patterned Roman shade lets in natural light. Two woven baskets with lids are placed near the window.

In a daughter’s bedroom, a Cowtan & Tout fabric pays tribute to the history of women and girls who walked for miles carrying water in Rajasthan. / Photo by Jared Kuzia

First published in the print edition of Boston Home’s Spring 2026 issue, with the headline “Life on Display.”

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