Grey House apartments are at home with their stylish neighbors

When residents look out onto the tree-lined streets from their new apartments at River Oaks District, their views will be one of a kind in Houston: Tom Ford, Dolce & Gabbana and other European boutiques in the upper echelon of high fashion.

From their balconies, residents will also see diners eating French pastries and sipping espresso at sidewalk cafes and shoppers toting bags of designer wares from Cartier, Hermes or Stella McCartney.

"The design is meant to capture what buildings in New York, Paris or Rome would offer," said Colin Moussa, director of marketing for River Oaks District, the multiblock, mixed-use development modeled after an upscale neighborhood in a place like Manhattan or Milan.

The apartment component of the project - Grey House - opened for leasing last week.

One-bedrooms units, which range from 815 to 1,200 square feet, start at $2,250 per month. Two-bedrooms start at $3,340 and three-bedrooms, of which there are only three, start at $5,700.

In all, 279 units are split between two five-story buildings on the west side of the 15-acre River Oaks District development.

The high-end rentals are expected to attract young professionals, foreign nationals, transplants from big U.S. cities and baby boomers moving in from the suburbs.

But its opening is unfortunately timed, coinciding with a downturn in Houston's economy. Moreover, the city is being flooded with thousands of new upscale apartment complexes that broke ground when oil was trading for $100 a barrel.

One local economist recently compared the multifamily market with the office market of the 1980s-era oil bust, when empty towers littered the city.

Some landlords have started offering two months of free rent and are waiving security deposits. Grey House is offering a one-month concession.

"We're really focused on maintaining the integrity of what we've built," Moussa said. "This product is very unique. ... The customer really sees the value of living here."

Residents at Grey House, 4444 Westheimer, will have access to a concierge, two screening rooms and a 2,000-square-foot fitness center with a separate yoga room. The buildings will each have an outdoor deck with a lap pool, fireplace, hot tub and several grills. "Pool butlers" will serve sunbathers from the restaurants downstairs.

The common areas of Grey House were designed by Jules Wilson, an interior designer based in San Diego, which is the home of the developer of River Oaks District, OliverMcMillan. The architect of the apartments was Pappageorge Haymes Partners out of Chicago.

"It's reminiscent of a really cool hotel," Moussa said last week as he walked down a hallway lined with designer wallpaper under intentionally dim lights.

The units have solid oak doors, quartz counter tops, European cabinets and engineered wood and tile flooring.

"Not an ounce of carpet is found in any of these apartments," Moussa said.

The walls have plenty of space for art, a theme that runs throughout the property. Grey House takes its name from the gray bungalows and buildings surrounding the prominent Menil Collection a few miles to the east.

"When our entire executive team would come down, their gathering grounds would always be the Rothko Chapel and the Menil," Moussa said. "There was this great inspiration that came from the Menil when they were designing the space."