Miramar's flats are larger than those in the city centre, and a long living-room wall can carry a big pattern or a mural that a small room could not. The catch is the salt. Buildings on the avenue and the beach road stand open to the wind at the river mouth, and a wall that faces the weather draws in moisture, which lifts wallpaper at the seams. Paper the inner walls and leave the outer ones painted, or panel them in PVC if they are damp-marked. Use vinyl-coated paper over an anti-fungal primer and check the plaster for salt bloom beforehand. Rooms kept air-conditioned hold their wallpaper far longer.
- Large living rooms: a mural or wide-repeat vinyl on the inner wall opposite the view, where it is seen and stays dry.
- Bedrooms in sea-facing flats: a textured vinyl on the partition wall at the head of the bed, never on the wall that takes the wind.
- Bungalows a short walk from the beach: check ground-floor plaster for salt before papering, and choose 3D or imported designs only for dry rooms.
Miramar is the beach suburb of Panjim, where the Mandovi meets the sea. The long avenue from the city ends at Miramar circle, and the area around it is one of the most sought-after residential addresses in Goa, with apartment buildings and bungalows a short walk from the beach.
Flats here are larger than in the city centre, many with a sea or river view and long balconies. Owners want the view kept, so sunscreen blinds and sheers are common, with blackout behind them in bedrooms.
Miramar faces the open water at the river mouth. Salt air and wind reach the buildings along the avenue and the beach road, and the evening sun shines straight in from the west.
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.
Apartments and town flats
In a flat, one papered wall behind the sofa or the bed changes the room for little cost. Shared walls with a neighbour's bathroom or kitchen should be checked for damp. Vinyl wallpaper wipes clean, which suits homes with children.
