Proportion is the thing to watch in an Altinho bedroom. Under a ceiling as high as these, a headboard of ordinary height looks stunted, and a taller one, panelled or with a gentle wingback, sets the bed properly against the wall. If the house has an old carved bed, keep it, and have a padded panel made to sit inside the frame without a screw in the woodwork. Mind which wall the bed stands on. Walls on the tree-shaded side can be damp, and thick padding pressed against one traps it, so hang the headboard with a small air gap. On the bright, breezy side of the hill, choose a cloth that does not fade.
- High-ceilinged bungalow bedrooms: a tall panelled or wingback headboard, wall-hung with space behind for air on the shaded walls.
- Old carved beds: an upholstered insert made to the existing frame and removable later, so the carving is left as it is.
- Government quarters and newer flats: a slim headboard in leatherette, fixed to the bed where drilling the wall is not allowed.
Altinho is the wooded hill that rises behind the centre of Panjim. It holds the Bishop's Palace, official residences, government quarters and old bungalows, with views over the city and the Mandovi. It is quiet, green and close to everything.
Altinho has large old bungalows with verandas, high ceilings and many tall windows, alongside government quarters and a few newer apartment buildings. The bungalows need long curtains and a lot of fabric; many are official residences furnished to a set standard.
The hill catches the breeze and is cooler than the city below, but exposed windows take wind and driving rain in the monsoon. Trees keep rooms shaded and can make them damp.