Wallpaper in Panjim comes down to which wall you choose. The city sits between the Mandovi and the sea, the air is humid all year, and ground floors on the low streets by the St Inez creek take in water when it floods; those walls stay damp and should never be papered. PVC wall panels are the answer for them. In the Portuguese-era houses of Fontainhas the thick lime-plastered walls need to breathe, so vinyl is better kept to a later partition. Upper-floor flats in Tonca and Taleigao are the easy case: a dry inner wall, primed, takes vinyl designer paper well and wipes clean of road dust.
- Upper-floor flats from the 1970s onwards: one vinyl-papered wall behind the bed or sofa, after checking any wall shared with a neighbour's bathroom.
- Restored Fontainhas houses: paper only a newer partition wall, and leave the original lime plaster painted so that it can dry out.
- Clinic and office receptions in the centre: a smooth wipeable vinyl in a quiet pattern, on an inner wall away from the entrance.
Panjim, or Panaji, is the capital of Goa, built along the south bank of the Mandovi. The old quarters of Fontainhas and São Tomé keep their narrow streets of painted Portuguese-era houses, the centre has government offices and shops around the church square, and newer apartment blocks spread towards St Inez, Tonca and Taleigao.
Panjim homes range from restored houses in Fontainhas, with wooden balconies and windows opening straight onto the street, to flats in buildings from the 1970s onwards. Street-level windows need privacy without losing light, which makes sheers and zebra blinds popular. Offices and clinics are a large part of the work here.
The river and the nearby sea keep the city humid. Low-lying streets near the creek at St Inez flood in heavy rain, and ground-floor walls there hold damp. Traffic dust settles on fabrics in rooms facing the main roads.
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.
Old Goan houses
Old walls are lime-plastered and need to breathe. Sealing them under vinyl can trap moisture, so a wall is tested first, and loose or powdery plaster is made good. Often the answer is to paper a later partition wall and leave the old lime walls painted.
Visiting Panjim
Panjim is about forty-five minutes from our Margao showroom, over the Zuari bridge. We measure free of charge and plan Panjim, Miramar, Altinho and Dona Paula visits for the same day.
