The large rooms of Dona Paula's villas can take what smaller homes cannot: a mural, a wide imported pattern, a textured paper across a whole wall. Where rooms are air-conditioned and kept closed, wallpaper holds very well. The risk lies in the walls that meet the weather. The headland is open on three sides, and rain driven by strong wind, with salt in it, soaks outer walls and brings salt bloom through the plaster. Keep paper to inner walls, over a primer that resists fungus, and have any wall with an old damp patch treated before it is covered. On a tall wall, plan the repeat from the top down so it lands well where the eye rests.
- Double-height living rooms: a large-scale pattern or mural on an inner wall, set out so the repeat falls at eye level.
- Bedrooms in penthouses: textured vinyl behind the bed on a partition wall, away from the sea-facing glazing.
- Outer walls on the windward side: no wallpaper until seepage and salt are dealt with; PVC wall panels if damp persists.
Dona Paula is the rocky headland west of Panjim where the Mandovi and Zuari estuaries meet the sea. It has a well-known viewpoint and jetty, research institutes, hotels, and some of the most expensive houses and apartments in Goa on the slopes above the water.
Homes here are large: villas and penthouses with wide glazing and terraces looking over the bay. Windows are often floor to ceiling, which means wide curtains on ceiling tracks, frequently motorised.
The headland is exposed on three sides. Wind is strong, salt spray reaches the terraces, and the sun is fierce on west-facing glass. Outdoor fabrics and fittings need to be marine grade.
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.
Hilltop and plateau homes
Exposed walls on high ground are driven with rain in the monsoon. Paper the sheltered inner walls, and treat any wall that has shown damp patches before covering it. Vinyl wallpaper is the safe choice.
Can floor-to-ceiling windows in Dona Paula be fitted with motorised curtains?
Yes. A motorised ceiling track suits wide, tall glazing. It needs a power point near one end of the track, which is best planned before the ceiling is finished.
What stands up to the wind on a Dona Paula terrace?
Awnings with wind sensors, guided outdoor blinds, and cushions with ties. Anything loose or unguided will not last a monsoon.
