Alexa Balbuena, the principal designer of PorteBella Design, has a passion for all things design, specifically in residential interiors, events, and floral design. Alexa was born and raised in South Florida and has been exposed to the design world from a young age, with both of her parents being in the construction industry. Alexa went to high school in downtown Miami right in the heart of the design district, where she later interned with Zyscovich Architecture and Design. There, Alexa discovered that she loved design. She decided to seek an internship with a small boutique design firm, that specialized in high-end residential design. She found Sandra Palmieri Design, where she confirmed her love for residential interiors. She quickly became assistant designer and stayed with the design firm for a little over 3 years while working towards her interior design degree at Palm Beach State college. She later worked her way to leading her own projects and ten years later still partners on large scope projects with Sandra.
In her teen years, Alexa had the opportunity to work for a florist where she discovered her love of flowers. While planning her own wedding, Alexa's budding interest in floral design blossomed into an entrepreneurial venture specializing in intimate weddings and social events. From there, she realized she had a desire to merge both the interior design and the event industry together and pursued a career in corporate event design. There she designed everything from stage sets, entertainment, lounge groupings, tablescapes, layouts etc. for large scale corporate events. There she also worked alongside an in-house floral team to design one-of-a-kind arrangements that were unique to each event. It was truly the best of both worlds.
Alexa believes her experience of events helped her to be an even better interior designer. The event industry has taught her that great design is more than just making things look pretty. Great design affects all the senses. It not only has to make a memorable impact, but it also must be functional and practical. Alexa believes that color, texture, flow, and even smell is very important to interior design. Alexa's designs ultimately make her clients’ residences into beautiful homes, that are to be lived in and enjoyed daily, not just a gallery that is to be admired from a distance.
