Tiled floors in a Porvorim flat are hard, loud and cold-looking, and a rug fixes all three, with a side benefit for the family downstairs, who hear less of the children. Two local conditions guide the choice. Sun pours through the big sliding doors and bleaches a strip along the balcony edge of any rug laid there, so prefer mottled or mid-toned designs on which fading will not show as a line. And red laterite dust blows across the plateau in the dry months, which makes cream a brave colour; rust, brown and grey patterns disguise it. The breezy rooms dry well, so wool and cotton are both practical.
- Living rooms in upper-floor flats: a mid-toned patterned rug under the seating, leaving a border of tile, to quieten footsteps for neighbours.
- Bungalow staircases and bedrooms in Alto Porvorim: runners and bedside rugs made to the actual stair and room dimensions.
- Home offices: wall-to-wall carpet in an air-conditioned room, where it takes the echo out of a tiled space during calls.
Porvorim sits on the plateau across the Mandovi from Panjim, along the highway to Mapusa. It has the state legislative assembly and secretariat, and has grown into the largest residential suburb in North Goa, with apartment complexes, bungalow colonies such as Defence Colony and Alto Porvorim, shops and schools.
Porvorim offers every kind of modern home: flats in large complexes, row houses and independent bungalows. Most are owner-occupied by working families. Large windows and sliding doors are standard, and many homes have a balcony that needs shade or rain protection.
The plateau is open and breezy. Upper floors get strong wind and driving rain in the monsoon, and laterite dust in the dry months. Homes along the highway have traffic noise.
Hilltop and plateau homes
Airy rooms on high ground dry quickly, which is good for natural-fibre rugs. Large open windows mean more sun on the floor, so choose colours that will not show fading along one edge.
Apartments and town flats
In a flat, a rug under the seating softens noise for the neighbours below. Leave a border of floor showing around it. Carpet tiles suit a home office because one stained tile can be changed.
Visiting Porvorim
Porvorim is about fifty minutes from the showroom, just across the Mandovi bridge. We measure free of charge and visit with Socorro, Sangolda and Penha de Franca.
