For Alessio Battistini and Davide Bernardini, design is the tool through which we achieve balance and beauty by eliminating the superfluous
by Chiara Risolo – photo by Andrea Muscatello
Bernardini-Battistini design studio. Black smoke. No. Too long, verbose. Blatantly assonant. Better IdeaeItalia, to be pronounced in Latin. The exegesis is unequivocal: IdeaeItalia, in its ups and downs of consonants and vowels, expresses everything the world needs to know, namely, a strong sense of belonging to a country that has forged a blood pact with beauty and a passion for talent. With the branding affair out of the way, what follows is the story of two men and a craft. A craft that is among the most fascinating because, like few others, it gives shape and, if done well, even function to very ambitious projects.
Bernardini and Battistini, it was said. Davide & Alessio, where the “ampersand”, copied and pasted directly from the firm’s official website, actually has a meaning that goes far beyond business. Since 2013, they have been at the helm of IdeaeItalia and, without interruption, lifelong friends, a bond that dates back to 1977, the year of their birth.
Davide & Alessio, united from their first cry, but different. Breaking with clichés, one could say ‘as different as two drops of water’. The first resembles those that fall neatly, perpendicular to the earth in autumn; the second resembles those that cut through the air, sharp and impetuous, like a summer storm. Drops, however, from the same sky, the one above the Gulf of Poet, in La Spezia.
IdeaeItalia’s strength lies in accompanying the project from concept to completion, following all stages of production in close contact with the shipyard, combining skills and sensibilities
from different worlds.
Was yours already clear? Did you know what you wanted to do when you grew up and, above all, that one day you would also become partners?
Alessio: No. Absolutely not. Boating was… ‘this unknown’. The passion came later, after I turned 20. Davide was enrolled in the Faculty of Architecture in Florence. He chose to do a synthesis workshop on yacht design. One day, I sneaked into his classroom to see what he was working on. I liked it. A lot. So much so that I decided to enrol in Nautical Engineering.
Davide: I chose architecture because I loved the subject in general; my interest in boating grew gradually. It was also fuelled by La Spezia’s increasingly central role in shipbuilding. We’re talking about the early 2000s. Alessio and I tried to take advantage of the favourable moment to play our cards right, exploiting the potential of our territory.
2016 marks IdeaeItalia’s baptism of fire. The presentation
of the Wider 150 at the Monaco Boat Show, for which they designed the interior, offers Alessio Battistini and Davide Bernardini,
the studio’s founders, the opportunity to make their debut
as protagonists in the world of mega-yachts.
However, IdeaeItalia was founded in 2013. What happened before then?
Davide: After graduating, I cut my teeth at Fulvio De Simoni, a brief but intense experience (smiles, ed.), a great training ground. Then I opened a small office. In the meantime, Alessio had made some crucial contacts thanks to the Faculty of Engineering, so we joined forces. We began our first collaborations with several shipyards, including Rodriguez, Baglietto and Sanlorenzo…
Alessio: The real turning point, however, came when the studio was founded in 2013. The time was ripe to invest in a dedicated space and a network of collaborators. An official space, designed to formalise and consolidate our professional identity and grow the IdeaeItalia brand, of which we have always been proud and of which we are now, even more so, very proud. 2013 was also the year when our boldness and confidence in our work led us to take a chance and capture Tilli Antonelli’s attention, a crucial encounter in our journey.
«The experience with Nerea was enriching, and also a completely new experience for us, because until then we had never worked
with small boats, which, as we know, require a thousand compromises due to their limited space». Alessio Battistini
Born in 1977, they come from different academic backgrounds: Car Design for Alessio and Architecture for Davide, but they share a passion for boating and design.
«From a man like Tilli Antonelli, we have learnt to look beyond things. And never at the hands of a clock. To question everything.
To seek out new solutions to dispel banality. He calls them ‘Cool’. Antonelli is someone who approaches things with his head,
his heart and his hands». Davide Bernardini
It’s clear: a giant.
Alessio: We had heard that Wider was looking for an interior designer for a 50-meter-long motoryacht and that Antonelli would be at the upcoming Seatec exhibition. The problem was that there were only four days between the hint about the 50-metre aluminium boat and the exhibition’s opening. We looked at each other and said, ‘Let’s give it a go!’ We designed day and night, without ever sleeping, and set off for Carrara with the sketches still warm under our arms. We approached Antonelli and tentatively asked if he had the time and inclination to take a look at our work.
And him?
He certainly gave that look. I don’t know if he was being irresponsible or far-sighted! It must be said that we already had some experience with large aluminium yachts, which was undoubtedly a point in our favour and a source of reassurance for him.
IdeaeItalia was founded in 2013 to capitalise on the experience gained over years of working closely with production in renowned shipyards and collaborating with leading international design firms.
What one learn from a man like Tilli Antonelli?
Davide: To look beyond things. And never at the hands of a clock. To question everything. To seek out new solutions to dispel banality. He calls them ‘Cool’. Antonelli is someone who approaches things with his head, his heart and his hands.
Alessio: We learnt so much from working with Wider, and those two projects were the start of how we do things now. It’s funny to think about how immature and reckless we were when we started, and how much we’ve evolved since then.
Work ennobles man.
Alessio: If it is done with passion. Considering all our efforts and sacrifices, I would say it was worth it.
So, the turning point was the hint to Seatec. And then?
Davide: We established a partnership with Sanlorenzo. It was a significant professional experience. Then came the meeting with Ferretti Group. At that time, there was a need to give the Ferretti Yachts brand a new style, while maintaining a consistent, recognisable visual and stylistic identity across all product lines. Ferretti gave us the assignment and, from that moment on, their trust.
Alessio: Ferretti Group has given us an excellent opportunity by allowing us to design the interiors of the first Ferretti 1000, a 30-metre-long yacht. It went very well, and the collaboration intensified.
CHIARA MIGNANI
With a solid artistic foundation and technical skills gained in Naval Design in La Spezia, Chiara began her career in Interior Yacht Design collaborating with various Italian studios before joining IdeaeItalia in 2023. She immediately embraced the studio’s philosophy, finding a natural affinity for Davide and Alessio’s design approach and becoming an integral part of a harmonious, stimulating team.
«Hand drawing is my creative language: I develop initial concepts with sketches and compositional studies, then translate them into 3D models, combining spontaneity and precision to ensure consistency and quality throughout the design process».
RICCARDO CAMURRI
Riccardo graduated in Interior Design at the Politecnico in Milan and obtained a master’s degree in Naval and Nautical Design in La Spezia. In 2021, immediately after graduating, he joined the IdeaeItalia studio. Riccardo works on 3D modelling, materials and rendering. «Working with Davide and Alessio is a great way to learn new skills, methods and ideas. Every project has been a chance to learn new tools and tricks, and to train my eye for the finest details. One of the best things about their approach is that you can test and grow through experience: they let you try, then correct the shot straight away and clearly».
Filippo Salvetti designed the exteriors of that boat. In general, what kind of relationship is established between interior and exterior designers?
Alessio: Each case, of course, is unique. We always welcome collaborations with enthusiasm.
Davide: The most important thing is to avoid the sort of people who like to take centre stage, and Salvetti is undoubtedly not one; it is necessary to aim for maximum cooperation and transparent and fair discussions.
Alessio: Working with Filippo is great. He’s a serious professional, very cooperative, always open to discussion. The truth is that if we all focus on the end goal, without getting lost in silly personal issues and jealousies, things will go in the right direction.
Ferretti Yachts 1000.
Even when it comes to disruptive, revolutionary projects, like Infynito?
Davide: In this case, Filippo had an intuition and was able to demonstrate its effectiveness with full knowledge of the facts. After careful consideration, the shipyard absorbed the concept and approved it. In general, an idea, even one that seems “absurd,” if it comes from a competent mind and is strongly motivated, should always be pursued and defended.
And what idea did you “defend” and assert regarding the interiors of Infynito?
Alessio: We wholeheartedly embraced Filippo’s intuition and applied it to the interiors; the vast open space with views both fore and aft. At first, it seemed like a gamble, but then it turned out to be a winning solution. The secret, as Davide pointed out, is to accompany the shipyard and the customer on a journey with grace and intelligence. The effort involved is entirely relative.
With smaller shipyards, there’s usually less to do, right? I guess it’s just because there are fewer players in the field, like there are no style committees, product committees, fixed budgets, stock market quotations… To name one at random, Nerea.
Alessio: The experience with Nerea was enriching, and also a completely new experience for us, because until then we had never worked with small boats, which, as we know, require a thousand compromises due to their limited space.
The studio’s activities also extend to areas far from the sea, from luxury residential properties to the Hospitality Sector. The goal remains experimentation and the search for new forms and materials, combining cutting-edge technologies with the traditional craftsmanship typical of Italian manufacturing.
What is on the table right now? What projects are you working on? For whom?
Davide: We are focused on large boats. Right now, in particular, on the design of an 80-metre yacht. For a private client, a foreign client. For now, we cannot add anything else.
Alessio: We are also looking into refits, which is a fascinating world. We believe there is great potential for good things in the future. We are watching and studying the market. We’ll see.
What does Alessio have that Davide doesn’t, and vice versa?
Davide: Alessio is more creative and instinctive. He has a more passionate approach. Metaphorically speaking, he’s the first to jump in when the challenge is becoming tough, and there are ‘walls to break down’.
Alessio: Davide is a very rational, thoughtful person with excellent overview skills and good taste. Together, we ‘work’.
(IdeaeItalia – The power of ideas – Barchemagazine.com – Excerpted from Barche, February 2026)
