Custom Blinds in Agonda

Verandas are half the living space of an Agonda cottage, and a bamboo blind is what suits them: it filters the low western sun, lets the breeze through and looks at home beside cane chairs. Under a roof, bamboo does well enough, though it weathers and will want replacing in time. Indoors the sea air is harder on blinds than on almost anything. Steel brackets and chains rust, and real wood slats warp, so ask for aluminium head rails, plastic or stainless chains and a coated polyester roller in a matt, linen-like weave. Whatever is fitted should roll up tight and come down for storage once the monsoon shuts the beach-front.

• Cottage verandas facing the sea: bamboo blinds on stainless hooks, rolled up or taken down before the monsoon winds arrive.
• Guest bedrooms: blackout rollers with chain control and rust-proof brackets, quick to change if a guest damages one.
• Small resorts that stay open into the rains: clear PVC monsoon blinds around the veranda, keeping rain and spray off the seating.