The inner vision of Leonardo Balli
How moving your Ibiza radically altered the Italian designer's outlook on design and life.
Leonardo Balli made waves in his native Italy in 2012, with the launch of his company, Balli Interiors. Drawn by Ibiza’s cosmopolitan environment, he left his hometown of Verona and set up a new base on the island in 2019. Balli is now one of Ibiza’s foremost designers, renowned for cutting-edge interiors that fuse natural Mediterranean materials with global influences.
L’OFFICIEL IBIZA: How would you describe your connection with Ibiza?
LEONARDO BALLI: It’s an intimate, deeply magnetic bond. Wherever I go on the island, everything becomes an inspiration and there are places where I feel at home. Since day one, Ibiza has been home to me.
LOI: How did moving to Ibiza influence your design aesthetic?
LB: Coming to live in Ibiza was a radical change for me. I did it against any commercial sense. Before moving to the island, my work mainly took me to Paris, where I had a lot of projects. In Ibiza I had no contacts, no plans, no friends. It was an exciting journey that led me to imagine new styles and new realities.
Moving to Ibiza was an exciting journey that led me to imagine new styles and new realities.
LOI: Have you always wanted to work in design?
LB: As a child, my aunts used to take me to museums, Sotheby’s and home auctions. I believe that my interest in art and design started right there. As a kid I used to paint, but I felt the need to use my creativity for something useful and tangible. I’ve always had clear ideas about my future life.
LOI: Define your style in three words.
LB: Personal, clean, comfortable.
LOI: What inspires you when you’re creating an interior space?
LB: I try to study the client, their needs and personality. I create each project by interpreting the needs of the people who will live in the spaces. My inspiration comes from there. My work and my style change and adapt to every project. I always try to enhance the existing architecture and the natural environment that surrounds it – for me, an invasive project is a project without a soul.
LOI: Who were your ‘masters’ and creative influences?
LB: My father taught me to recognise quality and to have respect for artisans. And his sisters and my mother also inspired me – I grew up surrounded by beauty.
LOI: How do you integrate your global design outlook with the aesthetic of Ibiza?
LB: I am curious and interested in contemporary art and design. I’m always looking for novelty and I try to reconcile this with the architecture of Ibiza. While there are a lot of Balinese and Moroccan designs on the island, these don’t influence me stylistically. I prefer to draw on other international insights, with an innovative approach to using natural Mediterranean materials.
LOI: Can you tell us about any future projects that you have lined up?
LB: One is a new location in Ibiza of over 1,100 sq m, creating sensory experiences related to art and design. Although the project is already becoming a reality, I prefer not to anticipate more at this stage. I’m also not ruling out a new opening in Miami, and there are some other important international collaborations that we are already working on.
LOI: What is your dream?
LB: For me, it’s already a dream come true to live here in Ibiza, to do a job that I love and to have an amazing team. I’ve always believed that dreams have to be realised – that’s why I try to turn them into goals.
