Because the wind carries salt well back from Anjuna's cliffs, even a house some way up the lanes can have salt in its plaster, showing as a pale bloom after the rains. That decides where wallpaper can go. Choose inner walls, seal them with an anti-fungal primer, and use vinyl-coated paper. The natural, unfussy style favoured here points towards grasscloth-look and plaster-look vinyls, which give the texture of the real thing without soaking up moisture as true woven grass would. One caution: in the dry season laterite dust lodges in deep embossing, so a lightly textured surface is easier to live with than a heavy 3D one. Air-conditioned villa bedrooms hold paper longest.
- New villas: a grasscloth-look vinyl behind the bed in air-conditioned bedrooms, planned so the joins fall evenly across the wall.
- Old village houses on long lets: paper a dry later partition only, as the thick original walls hold salt and damp.
- Boutique stays and cafe rooms: a hard-wearing vinyl in a plain texture that will not date, with a spare roll put by.
Anjuna is a spread-out village on a rocky stretch of coast, known since the 1960s for its travellers, its Wednesday flea market and its music. Behind the cliffs and small beaches are lanes of old houses, guest houses, cafes and a growing number of villas.
Anjuna property is varied and individual: old village houses let long-term, boutique stays, cafes with rooms above, and new villas. Owners favour an informal, natural look over anything formal.
The coast here is open and rocky, and wind carries salt well inland. Laterite dust is heavy in the dry season.
Sea-facing homes
Sea-facing walls take in salt and moisture, and paper lifts at the seams if the wall is not sealed. Use vinyl-coated wallpaper on an anti-fungal primer, and keep it to inner walls or walls that do not face the weather. Check for salt bloom on the plaster first.
Villas and gated homes
Large walls suit large patterns and murals, which would be lost in a small room. Double-height walls need the pattern planned from the top so the repeat lands well at eye level. Air-conditioned rooms hold wallpaper very well.
We want a relaxed, natural look in Anjuna. What do you suggest?
Linen-look curtains, bamboo blinds for verandas and textured cotton-look upholstery, in synthetic blends that stand up to salt and dust.
Do you fit out cafes and guest houses?
Yes. Outdoor blinds, awnings, cushions and room curtains can all be measured in one visit.
