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Loft Living
Inside the Jersey City residence of
HGTV star Anthony Carrino
WRITTEN BY BROOKE PERRY PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREG PALLANTE
W
hen the Jersey City
Redevelopment
Agency sought proposals to repurpose
the city’s old NY-NJ
Bell switching
station-turned-Jersey City Police headquarters, it didn’t take long for Anthony
Carrino, star of HGTV’s Kitchen Cousins
franchise, to put together a winning bid.
“We pride ourselves on restorations,”
he says of Brunelleschi Construction, the
construction company he owns and operates with his father, Alfonso Carrino, and
cousin, fellow Kitchen Cousins star, John
Colaneri. An “Excellence in Preservation”
award from the Jersey City Landmarks
Conservancy for their work in transforming a 1896 fire station in Jersey City
Heights into commercial office space
confirms their thoughtful approach to
urban renewal.
At 8 Erie St., Carrino fell in love with
the historic building’s brick walls, industrial steel beams and arched windows.
He quickly turned out a 60-page proposal
seeking to renovate the decaying property. Renamed the TelCo Lofts, the building
was completed in January 2015 and
features 16 residential units and two
restaurants.
“I’ve been in Jersey City for a decade
and I’m very proud to have a hand in
shaping the city’s renaissance,” Carrino
says. “This is one of the most diverse,
supportive and inclusive communities
anywhere, and to be based here –
personally and professionally – is great.”
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FALL 2015 (201) GOLD COAST
At Home on the Hudson
Although his latest HGTV show, America’s
Most Desperate Kitchens, takes him to “the worst
of the worst kitchens across the country,” Carrino
still finds time to travel, cook and enjoy his new
1,200-square-foot loft.
“For me, traveling is everything. Seeing things
you’ve never seen before is the basis for creativity, allowing you to let go of the every day, reset
and come back refreshed. Travel is everything
good about life,” he says, sharing plans for an
upcoming two-week motorcycle trip through
Argentina.
Not surprisingly, Carrino’s other passions are
cooking and designing. “The kitchen is the most
complicated room in the house but it’s the heart
of the home and it should reflect its owner’s
lifestyle,” he says. “I don’t believe there is one
‘must-have’ feature. It all depends on how you
interact with your kitchen. If you tell us how
you use it, we will design a kitchen to suit your
needs.”
He credits his mother, Francine, with nurturing
his gift for design. “I remember being in fourth
grade and coming home from school to help my
mom rearrange the furniture,” he says. “She has
a great eye for design and, unbeknownst to me,
I was getting my early education in it.”
Carrino’s interests in cooking and design merge
on the rooftop of his building, where he created
an unexpectedly restful retreat out of an old
20-foot shipping container.
“I’m up there at least once a day,” he says.
“It’s great on a rainy afternoon, just a very relaxing space to get together with family and friends.”
The WiFi-equipped rooftop space also features an
outdoor kitchen, where Carrino grills “some pretty
mean burgers” when the weather is nice.
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