On paper Socorro is an easy place for rugs: inland, no salt, and wool, cotton and jute all at home. The catch is the lie of the land. Houses on the lower ground near the fields and springs have floors that turn damp in the monsoon, and a heavy rug left down from June to September will smell. Choose pieces that one person can roll up and carry into the sun. Higher up, near Porvorim, floors stay dry and a large rug can stay put. In the old houses, patterned tiles and stone are part of the character, so rugs are the choice and fitted carpet is not. Big villa rooms need big rugs.
- Old houses in the village: a dhurrie or Persian-style rug on underlay, small enough to leave the old tiles on view around it.
- Villa living rooms: one rug wide enough for the front legs of every seat, sized to the room as built and not to a drawing.
- Low-lying homes: cotton or synthetic flat-weaves without rubber backing, rolled up and sunned on dry days in the monsoon.
Socorro is a large village next to Porvorim, running down from the plateau to fields and springs. It keeps a village character, with a church, old houses and narrow lanes, while new villas and housing colonies have grown along the side nearest Porvorim.
Socorro has old houses with gardens, and many new independent houses and villas built by families who wanted space near Porvorim. Homes are lived in all year.
The village is inland, green and well shaded. Low-lying parts are damp in the monsoon; the higher ground near Porvorim is breezier.
Villas and gated homes
Large rooms need large rugs: the front legs of all the seating should rest on one. Stair runners and bedroom rugs are measured on site, because villa rooms are rarely standard sizes.
Old Goan houses
Old tiled and stone floors are part of the house, so use rugs, not fitted carpet. A dhurrie or a Persian-style rug suits the furniture, with an underlay so it does not slip on polished tiles.
What do you suggest for a shaded house in Socorro that feels damp in the monsoon?
Light, washable curtains and blinds that do not hold moisture, rugs that can be lifted and dried, and no wallpaper on outside walls.
Do you fit mosquito nets on large windows?
Yes. Sliding and pleated nets are made to the size of each window, including wide ones.
