The bed in a bay-view bedroom is normally set to face the windows, which puts the headboard against a solid wall on the other side, and often that is an outside wall. In Chicalim's humid air, thick padding pressed hard to such a wall can turn musty. Hang the headboard from the wall with a small gap behind, seal the backing board on both faces, and pick a cover that wipes clean. In the flats, a wall-mounted board saves floor depth and can carry bedside shelves. Villa bedrooms on the slopes have room for a full-width panel with reading lights, if the socket positions are settled with the electrician first.
- Bedrooms of flats on the slopes: a slim wall-hung headboard with a gap behind, in a wipeable weave or leatherette.
- Master bedrooms in villas: a panel running the width of the wall, with switches and reading lamps set into it.
- Rooms with bright bay light: a fade-resistant fabric, since glare off the water reaches well into the room.
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
In a damp room, avoid thick padding pressed hard against an outside wall. A wall-hung headboard with a gap behind it, in a cover that can be wiped, stays fresh.
Villas and gated homes
Large bedrooms take wide or full-wall headboards with integrated lights and sockets. Agree the positions with the electrician before the panel is made.