Dry inland walls, of which Parra's new villas have plenty, take almost any wallpaper: textured, 3D or fabric-backed as well as plain vinyl. Two cautions come from the land itself. Open fields give monsoon rain a clear run at the weather side of a house, so that wall should be looked over for seepage before papering. And the low ground floods, which raises humidity in ground-floor rooms through the wet months; vinyl is the safer choice there. Big villa walls carry big patterns well. Lime-plastered walls in the old houses round the church should stay painted, with paper kept to a later partition wall, if any.
- Double-height villa walls: a mural or large repeat planned from the top, so the pattern sits well at eye level.
- Upstairs bedrooms in new homes: textured or fabric-backed paper behind the bed, on a dry inner wall.
- Old houses round the church: lime walls left to breathe, and wallpaper only on a newer dividing wall.
Parra is a village between Mapusa and Calangute, best known for the straight road through its fields, lined with coconut palms. It is an agricultural village, known for its watermelons, with old houses around the church and new villas and apartments along the edges.
Parra has traditional family homes and, increasingly, gated villas and small apartment complexes built for buyers who want to be near the beaches without living on them. New homes have modern windows and sliding doors.
Parra is inland and open. The fields give a clear run to sun and wind, rooms are bright, and monsoon rain floods the low ground, raising humidity.
Inland homes
Dry inland walls are the kindest to wallpaper. Almost any type can be used, including textured and fabric-backed papers. The risk here is a wall that takes the full monsoon rain from outside, which should be checked for seepage before papering.
Villas and gated homes
Large walls suit large patterns and murals, which would be lost in a small room. Double-height walls need the pattern planned from the top so the repeat lands well at eye level. Air-conditioned rooms hold wallpaper very well.
What keeps a west-facing room in Parra cool?
A blackout or thermal-lined curtain, or a blackout roller blind, drawn in the afternoon. It keeps direct sun off the glass and the room noticeably cooler.
Do you furnish new villas in Parra?
Yes. Curtain tracks, blinds, mosquito nets and upholstery can be measured in one visit and quoted together.
