A Margao bedroom is either small or very tall. In the apartments it is small, and a headboard fixed to the wall saves the depth that a bed with its own would take; it can run wider than the mattress and carry a shelf on each side in place of bedside tables. In the Indo-Portuguese houses the room is tall and the bed is often an old carved one worth keeping, so an upholstered panel is made to sit inside the existing frame without touching the woodwork. The dry inland air lets you choose velvet or a linen blend freely. Whatever the cover, it should be one that can be vacuumed, because dust settles on it.
- Flats near the railway station: a wall-mounted panelled headboard, wider than the bed, with slim shelves that replace separate bedside tables.
- Old carved beds in the houses near Borda: a padded insert shaped to the old frame, so the original timber is left uncut and unmarked.
- High-ceilinged bedrooms: a taller wingback or button-tufted design, which fills the wall better than a low board under a three-metre ceiling.
Margao is the commercial centre of South Goa and the main town of Salcete. Its old quarter around the Holy Spirit Church and Borda keeps long rows of Indo-Portuguese houses, while the newer town spreads east towards the railway station and south towards Navelim in apartment blocks and shops. Most of South Goa comes here to buy for the home.
Two kinds of home dominate. The old houses have tall shuttered windows, thick laterite walls and ceilings well above three metres, so curtains need long drops and rods fixed above the frame. The apartments have standard windows, a balcony with a sliding door, and often a split air conditioner sitting just above the window, which decides where a track can go.
Margao sits about six kilometres inland, so salt is less of a problem than on the coast. Heat, traffic dust on the main roads and four months of heavy rain matter more. West-facing rooms get hot in the afternoon and benefit most from lined curtains or blackout blinds.
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.
Old Goan houses
Old carved beds are worth keeping. An upholstered panel can be made to sit within the existing frame, or the cane and padding renewed, without altering the woodwork.
Visiting Margao
Our showroom is in Vidya Nagar, within Margao, so a measuring visit anywhere in town is a few minutes away. You can also bring your window sizes to the showroom and see fabrics, blinds and wallpaper books there.
Where is your showroom in Margao?
In Vidya Nagar, Madgaon. You can see curtain fabrics, blind samples, wallpaper books, carpets and sofas there, or ask us to bring samples to your home in Margao.
Can you fit curtains in an old Margao house with very high ceilings?
Yes. We measure the full drop, fix the rod or track above the window frame so the shutters still open, and make the curtains to that length. Tall, wide windows can also be fitted with a motorised track.