In 1979, four years after moving to Florida from New York, Donna Overly, ASID, CAPS, opened Vogue Interiors in Fort Myers. There were less than ten interior design firms in the area and Southwest Florida’s fledgling luxury home industry was just beginning to spread its wings. Donna saw an opportunity and set out to build a firm that would become known as the trendsetter in residential and commercial interior design.
“It was a matter of circumstance,” said Donna. “I was working as a designer for a homebuilder. They wanted to concentrate on home building and not be in the interior design business. That led me to the idea of taking care of their clients’ interior design needs myself. It worked out very well.”
By 1987, Vogue was established as a master at model merchandising for builders and developers and at creating interiors for individual homeowners. Vogue’s Interior Design Studio displayed the latest fabrics, finishes, and colors and cemented the firm’s reputation as a trend setter rather than a trend follower. Donna’s stature within the industry continued to grow. In 1992, she was elected to the Board of Directors of ASID and served through 1995 when she was elected Vice President. In 1996, she invited a designer with Norris Furniture named Debbie DeMaria to ride with her to an ASID event in Miami.
The synergy between Donna and Debbie was immediately apparent. Donna was looking for a way to redirect her energies from running a business to refocusing on her passion for design. Debbie was seeking an opportunity to operate a business of her own. With the backing of her entrepreneur father, Debbie purchased Vogue Interiors from Donna. Donna continued her role as a valued interior designer and worked with Debbie to develop Vogue into one of Southwest Florida’s pre-eminent interior design firms.
In 1998, Vogue Interiors moved into a 7,000-square foot interior design studio and showroom at 24520 Production Circle in Bonita Springs and increased its staff to 15 talented designers and support personnel. Today, forty years after the business was founded by Donna, Vogue is one of the area’s most sought after interior design firms by developers and homebuilders and by private clients.
“Vogue has been here since the beginning as far as interior design in Lee and Collier counties is concerned,” said Debbie. “We’ve been a trend setter when it comes to interior design and architecture. We’re very detail orientated. This organization is really like a big family. Everyone here is deeply focused on what they do, and they enjoy what they do. We work as a team and not individually. We treat our clients like we would want to be treated ourselves. Customer service is of the utmost importance. When you’ve got good communication with your clientele, that makes for a good working relationship and that communication is the basis for the repeat business we continue to generate. We’re all committed to setting the stage for Vogue’s next 40 years.”
Visit Vogue Interiors at our Design Center and Showroom at 24520 Production Circle in Bonita Springs, online at vogueinteriors.com, or call 239-498-7500.