Jennifer Hutton, the interior designer at Grau Design Studios in Durham, has been working in design since the age 18. Over the years, she’s paired formal education from a CIDA-accredited school with hands-on practice across construction and interiors. She spent a decade in Buffalo, NY, as the top kitchen designer at her firm, earning national recognition: NKBA Thirty Under 30 (2020), KBDN Innovator Award, Professional Remodeler’s Forty Under 40, and features in Forbes and KBB.
She also ran her own freelance design firm while teaching kitchen and bath design at Villa Maria College. Teaching sharpened her ability to explain complex decisions in plain language, a skill her clients appreciate when navigating finish selections or construction sequencing.
This combination is rare. When you work with Jennifer, you get a contractor’s mind paired with a designer’s eye.
From Project Manager to Full-Service Interior Design in Raleigh, Durham, & Chapel Hill
After relocating to Durham in 2021, Jennifer spent three years as an interior designer and project manager for Grau Building Company. She oversaw high-end residential projects from foundation to final walkthrough, learning construction sequencing, trade coordination, and how to solve problems before they become expensive mistakes.
That experience changed how she designs. For example, before Jennifer specifies a floor outlet, she thinks backward through the furniture layout, framing plan, electrical routing, and final finish height. One decision impacts a dozen others, and she knows exactly when each one needs to be made.
In 2023, Grau Design Studio launched, allowing Jennifer to bring her full spectrum of expertise to local homeowners as creative director and principal designer of the firm. Whether you’re working with your own contractor or are looking for a seamless design-build experience with Grau Building Company, she adapts to your process.
The Grau Approach to Full-Service Interior Design
Jennifer is an interior designer in the local Raleigh area deadset on marrying form and function in every project.
Grau spaces all begin with symmetry. Cabinetry layouts are balanced, wallpaper or artwork anchors the design, and color stories develop naturally around pieces you’ll connect with immediately.
A whole other layer of the work happens behind the walls. Electrical gets planned around how you’ll actually live in each room. Plumbing decisions are locked in early to avoid expensive changes later. Each choice considers your budget, how you’ll move through the space daily, and what will keep everything performing beautifully for years to come.
It’s this combination of beautiful design and construction logic that creates Grau Design Studio’s timeless, functional spaces built to last.
Why Homeowners Choose Jennifer
Let’s face it: renovation is inherently stressful. Budgets are tight, timelines matter, and unexpected problems can derail even the best-laid plans. You need a local interior designer who’s been on every side of the process, understanding your creative vision, the construction reality, and how strenuous it is to live in an area that’s under construction.
Lucky for you, Jennifer’s done it all.
As a full-service interior designer, project manager, contractor, and homeowner who’s lived through her own renovations, she knows what it takes to deliver a successful project. She guides all her clients with structured systems and clear communication, protecting your time and budget while creating beautiful spaces that work for how you actually live.
No drama. No surprises. Just design done right.
A Few Accolades (Since You Asked)
If you’re wondering if Jennifer is the right interior designer for your project, we thought we’d share some of her well-deserved accolades and professional membership associations to help you trust in her expertise.
- NKBA Thirty Under 30
- Triangle Business Journal 40 Under 40
- Professional Remodeler’s 40 Under 40
- KBDN Innovator Award
- Best of Houzz Service
- NKBA Cabinetry & Remodeling Specialist
- Former Professor, Villa Maria College (CIDA-accredited)
- SKS Design Council Member
- Modenus Media DesignHounds Member
Jennifer continues her education through the NKBA’s micro-accreditation program, most recently earning her cabinetry and remodeling specialist badges. She also renovates her own homes in her free time, an ongoing reminder of what it feels like to live through a project.
Street Cred
What our fave people had to say
We are so happy to have worked with Jennifer for our kitchen renovation. She helped turn our cramped, disconnected 1920’s kitchen and dining room into a bright, open, functional space. She expertly guided us through every single logistical and design detail and communicated everything so quickly and clearly during the whole process. We could not have made our dream kitchen possible without her! I highly recommend her work.
My kitchen and dining area, including the removal of a wall, were long overdue for a makeover. I knew this would be a big job. I had a very rough idea of what I liked, but no true designs in mind. Since my initial meeting with Jennifer Hutton, I have been so impressed and grateful for her ability to create my dream kitchen. She gave me options, patient explanations, and her process of helping me choose cabinets, countertops, colors, hardware, sink, etc was systematic and purposeful. The time she spent with me was always productive and the end result is beyond my wildest expectations! I highly recommended Jennifer!
WOW, we don’t even know where to start but let us just say that Jennifer was a savior during our kitchen renovation. Not only did she take us out of our comfort zone and design one amazingly gorgeous kitchen, that we love so much, she was there with us and for us every bump of the way. We had an A-typical renovation that saw so many major bumps along the project. Jennifer was right there and provided help at every step. Jennifer is so professional, knowledgeable, easy to talk with and overall a great person. You can tell Jennifer takes amazing pride in the work she does and it clearly shows. We HIGHLY recommend Jennifer and Artisan Kitchens and Bath for any design and kitchen needs you may have!!
