Many bedrooms in Saligao already have a bed worth more than any new one: a carved wooden frame that has been in the house for generations. The sensible work there is gentle. An upholstered panel can be shaped to sit within the old headboard, adding comfort for reading without a single cut in the timber. Linen blends and velvets are safe in this inland village, though a bedroom on the field side stays humid in the rains, and a little space between padding and an outer wall helps. New villas are another brief altogether: big rooms that suit a full-width headboard with reading lights and sockets built in, whose positions should be agreed with the electrician first.
- Old carved beds: a padded panel made to fit inside the existing frame, leaving the carving and joints exactly as they are.
- Master bedrooms in new villas: a wall-wide panelled headboard with built-in lights, wired before the panels go up.
- Guest rooms under wooden ceilings: a wooden-framed headboard with an upholstered centre, stained to echo the beams above.
Saligao is a village between Porvorim and Calangute, known for the Gothic-style church of Mãe de Deus standing among the fields. It has many well-kept old houses, a strong village community, and restaurants and villas that have come up in recent years.
Saligao houses are classic Goan village homes, often large, with balcões, wooden ceilings and tall windows. Several have been restored, and new villas have been built in a similar style.
The village is inland and green, sheltered from sea wind. Fields around it are wet in the monsoon, so humidity is high for several months.