Fixing anything to the wall of an old Moira house is a decision, and a headboard is no exception. The lime plaster is soft, the wall behind it uneven, and near the floor it is often damp from the wet ground this low village sits on. A headboard fixed to the bed, standing just clear of the wall, avoids all three problems and leaves the plaster unmarked. Where an old carved bed survives, the kindest treatment is a padded panel shaped to rest within its frame, or fresh caning, with the timber untouched. For a new bed, a wooden-framed headboard with an upholstered centre echoes the old furniture. Linen and cotton covers are fine without salt in the air.
- Bedrooms with original lime walls: a bed-fixed headboard standing a little off the plaster, so the wall breathes and stays unmarked.
- Old carved beds: a slim upholstered panel resting within the existing headboard, or the cane renewed, with no change to the wood.
- Guest rooms in restored houses: a wooden-framed headboard with a padded linen centre, in keeping with the old joinery.
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 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.
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.