It all started with COVID. As the world, gripped by fear, came to a standstill, Ibiza became a refuge. “We became friends with a very diverse group: people from different cultures, different generations, and very different lifestyles,” explains Emma Askari Roig (Valencia, 58), creator of Inside Ibiza, a coffee table book published by Vendome Press that showcases 22 spectacular homes on the Pitiusan island. “There were very few occupied homes in Ibiza, and as soon as we were allowed to gather, we started getting together. We were a completely disparate group who were lucky enough to be stranded on the island and came together by chance. It was an accident, a fantastic coincidence,” continues this enthusiastic woman, a Christie’s ambassador, art collector, and niece of Juan Roig.
A year and a half earlier, the U.S. edition of AD magazine had published photos of her home, a light-filled, peaceful house designed by Canadian-born architect Rolf Blakstad, an expert in traditional Ibizan architecture. “The owner of Vendome Press offered me the chance to do a project on Ibiza featuring different homes of people who love the island,” recalls Askari about the project, which includes homes of figures as diverse as a former soccer player, an architect, an interior designer, and even a duchess.
How did you choose the houses?
I chose homes with a very strong identity, ones that reflect the owner’s personality. I wanted them to be diverse enough to encompass the full spectrum of people who visit the island. Most are the result of the owner’s own vision and ideas. Very few were designed solely by interior designers.
What are your favorites, and why?
I love the one by the German-Mexican artist Stefan Brüggemann because it’s a work of art. It’s covered in gold panels on which he’s written poems, and it has one of the most original and spiritual gardens I’ve ever seen. I also like the one belonging to [the Belgian-German businessman and former soccer player] Bobby Dekeyser, a sort of Noah’s Ark with 40 alpacas, lots of dogs, cats… He shares the house with his children and grandchildren and has a soccer field where he practices with his old friends from his days playing for Bayern Munich. And I also really like Miranda Makaroff’s—she’s an absolutely fascinating character. She is one of the island’s gems. Established artists like Marina Abramović admire her art and her style, which is tremendously spontaneous yet provocative.
What was your collaboration with photographer Ricardo Labougle like?
Two decades ago, Ricardo and I moved in the same circles and had the same friends, but we had never actually met. This project brought us together as a team, along with his partner, Gustavo Peruyera, and the producer from Vendome Press, Guido Vincenzini. We were the four musketeers. Ricardo has exceptional sensitivity and takes spectacular photos using natural light. We had an incredible time. Especially because in moments of desperation—whether we got lost or had everything set up only for it to rain or for some other setback to occur—there was always a great sense of humor. We’ve become very close friends.
What are some of the craziest situations you’ve experienced while working on the book?
It was thrilling because we’d get lost in the mountains of Ibiza. People would give us directions to their homes: “We’ll put a red bag on a stick.” But when you got there, it was gone. “Take the path with the yellow stones.” But there were two paths with yellow stones. It was like *Treasure Island*. If you got lost, you were done for because neither GPS nor cell phones worked there. People think Ibiza is small—and it is—but it can feel huge because there are incredibly remote places where no one goes and there’s no cell service.
In 2013, he bought a plot of land to build a house on the island. Why did he choose Ibiza?
My husband told me that after 20 years, it was time to settle down and find a place to set up a summer home. Ibiza is the closest thing to Valencia, my hometown, because of the light, the countryside, the scent of the herbs… It has been inhabited by many civilizations, and even though everything is on a small scale, I look out at the sea and the Montgó [Natural Park] from the terrace and feel right at home. No light embraces me more than that of Valencia and Ibiza.
What was the process of building the house like?
Rolph Blakstad and I designed it. I would throw ideas at him, and he would transform them using his boundless knowledge of the island—he was born here, and his father, who arrived in Ibiza in 1953, was one of the leading experts on Ibizan architecture. We laughed a lot, though there were moments when I think he wanted to strangle me, which is a sure sign that a collaboration is going well.
Her sister took part as well.
She is an expert in restoring historic buildings in Valencia. She played a key role in bringing in the craftsmen and materials that were needed, which have turned my home into something truly special. It’s been a dream come true for me and my family.
Have you convinced anyone to buy a house there?
First, my husband, who’s impossible to convince of anything. And my kids, who didn’t want to at first. Now it’s our favorite place. Some friends, inspired by our enthusiasm, have decided to buy a house.
Do you like inviting people over?
It’s a family home, and that’s how we use it. Sometimes we invite friends to spend a week with us. My kids come too. But it’s not a party house. It’s more for our time to rest, unwind, and enjoy ourselves. When we go there, it’s all about dolce far niente. Very relaxed mornings, walks in the countryside, hiking, discovering coves…
How long have you been connected to Ibiza?
When I was a child, my parents would take us there from time to time, but it was during my teenage years that we would sail from Jávea to Ibiza and explore the island by sea. We were very sensible about our nights out at the clubs because we had to sail back the next morning. I realized it was a wonderful island, and ever since then I’ve been trying to convince people to set aside their preconceptions and discover the magical side of Ibiza.
