Humidity off the Zuari settles lowest, so the ground floors of Chicalim's older houses and villas are the rooms to be careful with. Use rugs there that can be picked up and dried, never fitted carpet, and avoid rubber backing, which holds moisture against the floor. Upper-floor flats are drier and breezier, and a rug under the seating softens footfall for the people below. Wall-to-wall carpet belongs only in a bedroom that is kept air-conditioned. Because so much light pours in from the bay side, pick colours that will not show a faded strip along the edge nearest the glass.
- Upper-floor flats on the slopes: a synthetic rug under the sofa, softening noise for the flat below and airing easily on the balcony.
- Ground floors near the bay road: loose, quick-drying rugs without rubber backing, lifted and aired during the monsoon.
- Air-conditioned villa bedrooms: wall-to-wall carpet or a large bedside rug, measured to the room as built.
Chicalim is a village on the southern shore of the Zuari bay, between Dabolim and Vasco. The road along the bay looks across the water, and the slopes above it have seen many new apartment complexes and villa projects, alongside the older village houses near the church.
New Chicalim homes are built for the view: wide windows and balconies facing the bay. Sheer curtains and sunscreen blinds that keep the view while cutting glare are the usual choice, with blackout in bedrooms.
The bay brings humidity and a steady breeze, with some salt though less than on the open coast. Rooms facing the water get reflected glare for much of the day.
Riverside and backwater homes
Ground floors near water are damp underfoot in the monsoon. Use rugs that can be lifted and dried, not fitted carpet, and avoid rubber-backed rugs that trap moisture against the floor.
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.
