Design Manager & Principal Designer
Grau Building Company
Durham, N.C.
On starting a new endeavor: I wear two hats right now: I’m Grau’s in-house design manager and I’m spearheading the inception of Grau Design Studio. I still work on our current projects, but say there’s an architect who says, “Hey, I’ve got these clients who are using a different builder, but why don’t we bring you in to facilitate some selections.” So there are two independent companies that overlap in a lot of cases. In theory, we’re starting Grau Design Studio from scratch, but we already have a strong name in the community that’s backing us up and helping to get the word out.
Best business innovation: Silly it sounds, my best business innovation has been my Instagram page! It’s given me a platform to connect with clients, stay up to date on trends, and it’s a free advertising tool. I’m also able to show a little more of my personality and relate to followers on a level outside of kitchen/bath/interior design