Vidya Nagar is about as kind to wallpaper as a Goan neighbourhood gets: inland, sheltered by trees, with next to no salt in the air. On the dry upper floors nearly any type will hold, including textured and 3D designs. The exception is at ground level. Ground-floor flats here can feel damp in the monsoon, and a wall that is cold and clammy in July should not be papered; PVC wall panels are the right covering for it. In any flat, check a wall that backs on to a neighbour's bathroom before work starts. With schools and colleges all around and children in many homes, wipeable vinyl is the practical finish.
- Upper-floor living rooms: one papered wall behind the sofa, where textured or imported designs are safe on dry plaster.
- Ground-floor flats: paper only walls that stay dry through the monsoon, and use PVC wall panels on any that do not.
- Children's bedrooms and study rooms: wipe-clean vinyl beside the desk and bed, where pencils and hands reach the wall.
Vidya Nagar is a residential part of Margao, on its eastern side, known for its schools and colleges. It is a quiet area of apartment buildings, housing societies and independent bungalows on tree-lined internal roads. Our showroom is here.
Most homes are two and three-bedroom flats from the last thirty years, with standard-height windows and one or two balconies. Bungalows on the internal roads have larger living-room windows and sit-outs. In flats, curtains and blinds are usually fitted within the window recess to keep clear of wardrobes and study tables placed against the wall.
Being inland and sheltered by trees, Vidya Nagar has little salt in the air. Rooms on the upper floors of west-facing blocks take strong afternoon sun, and ground-floor flats can feel damp in the monsoon, which matters for wallpaper and rugs.
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.
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.
