Custom Sofas in Panjim: L-Shaped, Recliners & Sofa Beds

Getting a sofa into a Panjim home is half the job. The stairs in the older apartment buildings are tight, lifts are small or absent, and the doorways of the painted houses in Fontainhas open off streets too narrow to turn a long piece. A sofa made in sections, or with arms and legs that come off, solves that. Many of the old houses still hold carved wooden settees, and giving one fresh webbing, foam and fabric usually makes more sense than replacing it. Because the river keeps rooms humid, choose raised legs and covers that unzip for washing, and stand the sofa slightly away from an outside wall.

• Front rooms in São Tomé and Fontainhas: a compact two-seater or a restored carved settee, sized to leave the way to the street door clear.
• Flats in St Inez and Taleigao: an L-shaped sofa built in two parts, ordered for the correct hand after the stairwell has been measured.
• Waiting areas in clinics and offices: firm bench seating in wipeable leatherette, which copes with constant use and can be re-covered later.