Custom Sofas in Old Goa: Bespoke Designs & Local Expertise

Two kinds of sofa turn up in Old Goa. In the older houses of the wards there may be carved hardwood settees whose frames have outlasted several sets of cushions; these deserve new webbing, foam and fabric, not replacement. In the colonies and highway flats, where families with jobs in Panjim have moved for extra room, sofas are new and built to the size of the living room. Either way the river sets the terms. Humid rooms make foam and fabric smell, so ask for legs that lift the seat off the floor, covers that zip off for washing, and a position slightly away from outside walls. Tightly woven synthetics cope better than thick cotton here.

• Old family houses: carved wooden sofas and settees re-webbed and reupholstered in a washable weave, keeping the original frame.
• Spacious colony living rooms: a made-to-measure sofa on raised legs with removable covers, so air can pass underneath.
• Ground-floor sitting rooms near the river: leatherette or a synthetic weave that does not hold moisture, set clear of the outer wall.