Brazilian roots inspiring Peninsula homes
Paulo Cardozo trained in Brazil through a five-year professional design program, and he spent the early part of his career on how buildings come together: where light lands, how people move through a space, what a wall is really doing. That architectural way of thinking is still the foundation of everything he designs.
After settling on the Monterey Peninsula, Paulo turned that thinking inward, toward interiors. Over a 15-year design career it shows up in quieter ways: a floor plan that finally makes sense, a kitchen that works before it's beautiful, millwork drawn to the eighth of an inch.
A Brazilian designer on the California coast
After settling on the Monterey Peninsula, Paulo turned that thinking inward, toward interiors. Over a 15-year design career it shows up in quieter ways: a floor plan that finally makes sense, a kitchen that works before it's beautiful, millwork drawn to the eighth of an inch.
Brazilian interior design is warm, natural and relaxed. It leans on real wood, stone, organic shapes and plenty of green, and it treats indoor and outdoor living as one thing. That sensibility translates naturally to the Monterey Peninsula, where the landscape is part of every room. You can see it in Paulo's work in São Paulo and in his coastal homes in Carmel-by-the-Sea.
How Paulo works
Since 2023, Paulo has designed homes and businesses in Monterey, Pebble Beach, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Carmel Valley and Pacific Grove. He takes on full-home renovations, new construction, single-room refreshes, kitchens and baths, and boutique commercial projects. Every one of them runs from the first sketch to the day the last piece is delivered and set in place.
He works closely with architects and contractors, and many of them bring him in for his photorealistic 3D renderings, which let a whole team see a home before it's built.
Begin Your Journey
FAQs
In Brazil, through a five-year professional design program with a strong architectural foundation. He has 15 years of design experience and has worked on the Monterey Peninsula since 2023.
Where did Paulo Cardozo train as a designer?
1
Is Paulo an architect?
2
Paulo's training in Brazil was architectural, and that background shapes how he plans space. In California he practices as an interior designer and works alongside licensed architects and contractors on every project that needs them.
What is Brazilian interior design?
3
It's a warm, natural style built on wood, stone, earthy color and organic shapes, with a strong link between indoors and outdoors. It grew out of Brazilian modernism, and it feels relaxed and tropical rather than formal.
What is Paulo's design style?
4
Warm, natural and livable. His projects range from light California coastal homes to moody modern interiors and old world Tuscan remodels, but they share natural materials, texture, and rooms that are comfortable to live in.
What does an architectural background add to interior design?
5
It means the design starts with the bones of the space: layout, light, circulation and proportion. Furniture and finishes come after the room works, which is why Paulo's interiors feel resolved rather than decorated.
Does Paulo take projects outside the Monterey Peninsula?
6
His practice is centered on Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Pebble Beach, Pacific Grove and Carmel Valley, and he's also designed projects farther away, including a full apartment in São Paulo. Get in touch about your location.