Interior designer Dwayne Bergmann sprang into action after Hurricane Ian devastated Southwest Florida last September. The founder and principal of Dwayne Bergmann Interiors specializes in high-end residential, commercial and hospitality projects, with showrooms in Naples and Fort Myers. He teamed up with the Southwest Florida design community to create Designers + Builders Unite, a relief fund to assist those affected by the storm. Below, Bergmann talks with Luxe about the group’s work.
What inspired you to get involved with this important initiative? The program was simply about doing whatever we could to help our community. Initially, having gone through Hurricanes Charlie and Irma, I knew basic supplies were going to be needed immediately since it takes the larger organizations a few days to mobilize. So we established a community-wide relief fund to provide daily essentials and hygiene products to Southwest Florida residents impacted by Ian as quickly as possible.
How will Designers + Builders Unite continue their efforts? Unfortunately, our community is going to take a while to rebuild, so we have our work carved out for us. We plan on creating a team of designers and builders who will assist each family with furnishings, decor and construction to help put their homes back together.
