A new bedroom in Bainguinim gives the chance to plan the bed wall properly, once, before the electrician finishes. Decide the headboard's width and height first, then have the lamps, switch plates and plug points set out around it; moving them afterwards means chasing into fresh plaster. Big bedrooms in the plot houses can take a headboard that runs the full wall, with bedside units in front. Flats do better with a wall-fixed panel that adds no depth to the bed. The air on the high ground is on the dry side, so linen blends, velvet and other woven fabrics are all sound. Pick something that vacuums well, because a new development is dusty while building goes on around it.
- Main bedrooms of plot houses: panelling from wall to wall behind the bed, with openings for switches and plug points marked before the electrician leaves.
- Second bedrooms in flats: a wall-mounted headboard that overshoots the bed on both sides and carries a small ledge there, replacing bedside tables.
- Children's rooms: a wipe-clean leatherette panel in a simple shape, re-covered without fuss when tastes change.
Bainguinim is a village next to Old Goa, on the higher ground above the Mandovi. It has seen new housing projects and plotted developments in recent years, as families look for homes within reach of Panjim.
Most homes are new: flats in recent complexes and independent houses on plots. They are handed over bare, so owners start from curtain tracks and nets.
The higher ground is open to sun and wind and drier than the riverside. Monsoon rain is heavy, as everywhere in Tiswadi.
Inland homes
Drier inland bedrooms suit fabric headboards in linen blends and velvets. Choose a fabric that can be vacuumed, as it gathers dust like any upholstery.
Apartments and town flats
In a small bedroom, a wall-mounted headboard takes less depth than a bed with its own. It can be made the width of the bed or run wider, with bedside shelves built in.