Floors are among the things restorers in Moira work hardest to save, and covering them wall to wall would undo the effort. A rug is the right scale of intervention: it warms a sitting area and leaves the old tiles or stone in view around it. Flat weaves suit these houses, cotton dhurries and kilim-style rugs especially, and with no salt in the air they keep well. The difficulty is the wet season. The village lies low, the fields fill with water, and ground-level floors sweat. Roll rugs up or hang them over a rail to air every so often in those months, and never use a rubber-backed one, which seals damp beneath it.
- Sitting rooms with old patterned tiles: a dhurrie on a breathable non-slip underlay, sized to leave the tile border showing.
- Bedrooms in single-storey houses: a pair of small bedside rugs in place of one big one, since they are simple to lift and dry.
- The entrance behind the balcão: a hard-wearing synthetic rug that takes wet, muddy shoes in the monsoon and washes clean.
Moira is a village east of Mapusa, set on a river inlet among fields. It is known for its church with its unusual facade, its bananas, and its many old houses, a good number of which have been bought and restored by writers, artists and families from outside Goa.
The typical Moira house is a single-storey Indo-Portuguese home with a balcão, thick walls, tall windows and a tiled roof. Restoration is done with care for the original features, so furnishing has to respect old woodwork and uneven walls.
Moira is inland and low-lying. The fields flood in the monsoon and humidity is high; lime walls show damp at the base. There is no salt to speak of.
Old Goan houses
Old tiled and stone floors are part of the house, so use rugs, not fitted carpet. A dhurrie or a Persian-style rug suits the furniture, with an underlay so it does not slip on polished tiles.
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.
