“I’m a maker. It’s something I was born with,” Patchi Cancado says.
At a young age, she remembers gazing out car windows on trips she’d take with her family and friends, fascinated, in particular, by buildings, intrigued by their shape, their structure, what they were made of. A passion was ignited during those rides, inspiring her to embrace design and, one day, integrate it into her life.
Cancado moved from Brazil to Virginia to study at Old Dominion University in the early 2000s. She focused on architecture with additional immersion in graphic design and homegoods creation. Now, she’s a Norfolk-based interior designer.
Last fall, Cancado felt that urge to expand her repertoire by creating more. Ironically, a near-disaster turned into a catalyst. She was working with a contractor on a project where plaster was used on the walls. “He did the first coat, and I remember walking to the bathroom, and it just looked awful. I thought, my gosh, what’s going to happen?”
But after three coats, Cancado says it looked like a different place. The texture, tone variation, and shine intrigued her, and soon plaster became her muse. She would use it to build her next collection.
From that experience, she launched her “Plaster on Wood Fusion” collection,” which she describes as a delicate expression of textures with an appreciation for simple forms and minimal aesthetics. Cancado cuts wood into desired shapes and then moves on to the plastering.
Working with plaster allows for different finishes, depending on drying time and the number of coats. She says this is the fun part. “It’s playtime,” she laughs, adding, “It’s like therapy.”
Despite their simplicity, these are truly bold pieces—statements that can anchor a room. The largest—at four feet high—appears to be covered in crushed velvet, making it look multidimensional. But that’s Cancado’s secret. It’s the plaster talking.
“It’s a translation from my interior design work,” she explains. She wants her work to emanate a sense of calm and quiet—all grounded in what’s beautiful.
Cancado dreams of releasing a new collection every year. For this artist, the urge to create will always live on. MadeByPatchi.com
This article originally appeared in the December 2024 issue.
