Half the reason for restoring an Assagao house is its floor: polished stone and old tiles laid in patterns. Fitted carpet would hide such a floor and trap the damp that gathers under the trees in the monsoon, so the answer in these houses is always a loose rug. What sits well beside old furniture is a dhurrie, or something Persian in design, with a gripping underlay beneath so it cannot skate on polished tile. In the wet months, lift ground-floor rugs now and then to let the floor breathe. The villas need size above all. A double-height living room swallows a small rug, and the right one is big enough for the whole seating group to stand on.
- Halls of restored houses: a rug of Persian design or a dhurrie, underlaid against slipping, small enough that the tiled border stays in view.
- Double-height villa living rooms: one very large rug under the whole seating group, made to the measured room.
- Villa staircases and bedrooms: a stair runner and bedside rugs measured on site, since few steps or rooms match.
Assagao is a village on the wooded slopes between Mapusa and Anjuna. Once known for its flowers and its old family houses, it has become the most fashionable address in North Goa, with restored mansions, designer villas, restaurants and boutiques along its lanes.
Assagao has two kinds of house: large Indo-Portuguese homes that have been carefully restored, and new villas built with pools, double-height living rooms and glass walls. Both are furnished to a high standard, often with an interior designer involved, and many are let as luxury stays.
The village is a few kilometres from the sea, so salt is mild. It is heavily wooded, which keeps houses cool but damp in the monsoon, and old walls hold moisture.
Villas and gated homes
Large rooms need large rugs: the front legs of all the seating should rest on one. Stair runners and bedroom rugs are measured on site, because villa rooms are rarely standard sizes.
Old Goan houses
Old tiled and stone floors are part of the house, so use rugs, not fitted carpet. A dhurrie or a Persian-style rug suits the furniture, with an underlay so it does not slip on polished tiles.
