Firm
History

Andy Dohmen and Peter Fertig first met when they had worked together at one of the region’s leading firms where they specialized in designing residential homes for the builders’ market. While the experience was valuable, they knew that clients wanted something more than just a production home. It was then, in 1998, that Design Styles, Inc. (DSI) was born.

Initially, Andy and Pete worked out of studios in their own homes – Andy in his home studio on Clearwater Beach and Pete in his home studio in Tampa. When necessary, they would work together in their cramped home studio spaces. They soon realized that they needed more space and opened up their first studio space in Clearwater in January 2002 that consisted of 880 sq. ft. As their workload continued to grow, they gradually hired on staff and had to expand the studio space, yet again. In December 2003, they expanded the studio space to 1,760 sq. ft. to give the then seven member team the necessary space to work more efficiently, in an open setting. This expansion allowed for a larger reception area, an additional conference room for client meetings and more room for team members to be added. These changes also allowed DSI to expand upon their architectural designs and quality process. Today, the firm is going strong with 16 team members and has expanded their space yet again to a total of 2,600 sq. ft. This growth accommodates the recent addition of new team members and allows for the addition of even more employees in the near future.

Here at DSI, there are only unique designs based on a unique approach. The most important thing we do is, first, listen to our clients describe their needs and then draw on our experience and architectural talents to exceed those expectations. A homeowner no longer has to fit their lifestyle into the preconceived design of an architect. We lead our clients through a carefully considered process to learn everything possible about the homeowners’ lifestyle. Only then does pencil touch paper. The results are outstanding.
DSI offers quality architecture from people who are committed to innovative design and superior service.