While running his custom building company, Grau Building Company, owner Jeff Grau noticed clients wanted more. Rather than tacking full-service interior design onto their build as an afterthought, they wanted a comprehensive design experience integrated into the construction process.
In 2023, Jeff and Principal Designer Jennifer Hutton launched Grau Design Studio as a standalone interior design firm to give clients the ease they desire.
Today, Grau Design Studio serves clients whether they’re working with their own contractor or looking for a seamless design-build experience through the studio’s partnership with Grau Building Company.
Have a project on the horizon?
Meet Jennifer Hutton
Jennifer has worked in design since age 18, specializing in kitchen and bath for over a decade before spending three years managing million-dollar construction projects for Grau Building Company. She’s also a former design professor, a homeowner who renovates her own homes, and the recipient of numerous national design awards.
Her rare, dual expertise in design and construction means every decision is made with both style and substance in mind.
Our Durham Interior Design Showroom
We opened our interior design showroom in October 2024 to solve a problem most designers can’t: helping clients make confident decisions before committing to a project. Unlike most design firms operating from home offices or relying solely on samples and catalogs, our brick-and-mortar showroom sets Grau Design Studio apart as one of the only interior designers in the Raleigh, Durham & Chappell Hill area with a fully realized physical space—where clients experience full installations, test products in real-world settings, and see exactly how materials, finishes, and appliances work together before making a single purchasing decision.
When you visit, you’re walking into a live, working kitchen, bathroom, lounge, and office spaces where you can open cabinets, test hardware mechanisms, touch tiles, compare countertop materials side by side, and see lighting fixtures in action. Each room showcases a different design aesthetic with real products installed in context, giving you a clear sense of how materials work together in an actual space.
This is where uncertainty becomes clarity. You’ll know exactly how your cabinetry will function, how your tile will feel underfoot, and whether that countertop you’ve been considering actually works for your lifestyle.
At our Durham interior design showroom, we’re removing the guesswork. We’re helping you make informed decisions that lead to spaces built to last.
Full-Service Interior Design Rooted in Construction
What makes Grau Design Studio different is our foundation. Our knowledge base is technical, process-oriented, and backed by years of construction-focused training. Jennifer speaks the language of contractors, understands project sequencing, and references extensive hands-on experience in budget building and schedule organization to guide projects from concept to completion.
We at Grau Design Studio are really proud of our bespoke, functional designs and the way we cater to our clients’ aesthetic preferences.
To see what Grau can do for you, explore our past projects or visit our design-build Durham showroom.
