BOISE, Idaho — When you think of concrete, you probably picture a construction site or a sidewalk, but one Boise-based company is convincing the community concrete can be beautiful.
Sofia Cardoso is the maker behind Geoform Designs. She went to school for architecture and grew an appreciation for the construction material often overlooked by others.
"I just love how raw and flexible and strong the material is," Cardoso said.
Her other passion is plants. So naturally, about two and a half years ago, the two interests collided. With the support of her fiancé, Cardoso started experimenting with concrete to create homemade plant pots.
"I just went and bought a bag of concrete and started trying it," Cardoso said. "Then I made so many, and they were all over the place, and Dan was like, 'you know, maybe you should start selling these!'"
Before long, Geoform Designs was born.
I had so much fun shooting this week's #MadeInIdaho! I'll take you behind the scenes with Boise-based Geoform Designs Thursday on @IdahoNews6 pic.twitter.com/03GsQ2ebXf
— Karen Lehr (@KarenLehr) September 2, 2020
Cardoso has perfected her technique over the years, even creating her own silicone molds and personalized concrete mix.
She now makes hundreds of magnets, paperweights, ring holders, and plant pots in different sizes and shapes every month sold at stores around the Treasure Valley including The Merq in Garden City, Idahomade in downtown Boise, Idaho Journee in Emmett, Millie Grace in Meridian, and Chow Public Market in Boise.
Her self-proclaimed biggest flaw is that she can't stop trying new things. This summer, they started selling concrete jewelry.
"When we do shows we are getting a lot of weird looks like, ‘wait this is concrete?’" Cardoso said. "The biggest thing we get is, ‘is it heavy?’ and nope, it’s not, because it’s such a little amount of concrete that it would be just as heavy as any other rock."
Sofia and her fiancé, Dan, have been sharing parts of their process with followers on Instagram, growing a fan base from coast to coast. They've shipped products from their online store all over Idaho, and to customers from Florida to California.
To check out their Instagram page click here, and check out their online shop on their website here.
