REWARDING RESPONSE: Although it takes a lot of energy to deliver his inspirational designs, Dwayne Bergmann says the reaction he and his team gets makes it all worth it.
With a new showroom at Third Street South in Naples, an out-of-state client base and expansion into furniture design, you’d think Dwayne Bergmann Interiors has decades of business behind it. But the company is just eight years in, with plenty in store for the future.
“We’re very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish, and we have so much more to do,” says Dwayne Bergmann, the namesake of the Fort Myers-based business that launched in 2013. Those plans include a formal vanity line with 15 options and a 20-piece furniture line, both due out in 2022, and none of which would have existed had Bergmann not given into his artistic talents.
Dwayne Bergmann
Bergmann’s family was involved in the construction industry, but he focused on equestrian sports and academics growing up, receiving a bachelor’s degree and MBA before joining the corporate world. However, he kept busy with creative side projects, such as designing handbags or remodeling and flipping houses. “There was always something creative going on, and ultimately that side of my brain took over, which is fantastic,” he says. “It wasn’t initial. It was something that took a little bit of an evolution.”
Bergmann worked on high-end residential and commercial projects as a senior executive at Home Depot and HD Supply before starting his firm. His design approach—while very different from his own moody, minimalist tastes—set him apart from the start.
“My whole drive from a style perspective is to get into the psyches of my clients,” Bergmann says. “The style for me doesn’t matter. What matters to me is that there’s an emotional response from my clients to the environment they’re living in.”
Bergmann said it takes a lot of energy to deliver such designs, but the reactions he and his team of 12 get make it all worth it. “I always say it feels like I’ve given them a little piece of my soul with each of the projects we work on,” he says. “The reward is the responses from our clients.”
Bergmann likes to travel, listen to music and follow fashion to stay in a creative space, he said.
STYLE PERSPECTIVE: The design approach of Dwayne Bergmann Interiors sets the Naples firm apart from the start.
But he doesn’t always need to go far to feel inspired. “Being in business in Southwest Florida is certainly amazing. I love being involved in this community. Everybody thinks you have to be in New York or L.A. to be a creative, and I don’t think that’s true,” he says. “This is a fantastic place to be and see different creations in various stylistic environments. So many unique people live here from all over the world, and it’s so cool to interact with them.”
Nesting in Naples
Dwayne Bergmann Interiors opened its second showroom in April at 1391 Third St. S. in Naples—after taking over the space just before the pandemic, which delayed the launch. However, the postponed plans turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
“The extra time allowed me to redesign a few components and pieces, and now the entire showroom is filled with Dwayne Bergmann-designed and manufactured cabinetry and furniture pieces. I’m very proud of that,” Bergmann says. “We’ve got really unique designs, shapes and forms that are not available in the marketplace today, and that’s cool to have been able to put together over the last year.”
While his heaviest demand comes from the Lee County luxury market and out
of state, Bergmann opened the Naples showroom to deepen connections in the Collier County community. “We are looking to establish and form some very strong relationships with builders and developers in the Naples market and the residential homeowners,” he says. “We think it’s the perfect market for the very unique and personalized custom pieces I’ve designed.”
