Anthony Carrino's Dream Loft

As soon as Cousins Undercover star Anthony Carrino saw the brick building in Jersey City, NJ, he knew he had to have it. Constructed in 1892 as a telephone switching station, it “was a huge blank canvas,” says Anthony, who owns Brunelleschi Construction with his dad and his cousin, fellow HGTV star John Colaneri. Enamored of the structure’s arched windows and historic location, Anthony wrote the city a 60-page proposal on why he should get to renovate it. “I’ve lived in Jersey City for almost a decade and really respect the area’s history,” he says. “I told them I didn’t want to change the building but would make it an anchor for the neighborhood.”

Anthony won the bid. He gutted the dilapidated interior, then designed two restaurants for the ground floor and 16 apartments above. All the units showcase the original brick walls and steel beams. At 1,200 square feet, the apartment he chose for himself isn’t the biggest, but it has 19-foot ceilings and gets incredible light. To take full advantage, Anthony kept the space open, walling in just two bathrooms and an office. “Even before my boxes were unpacked, this felt like home.”

Although he didn’t want a formal dining room, Anthony did need a designated spot for nice dinners. A Restoration Hardware farm table teamed with Timothy Oulton seats fit the bill. A layered pair of overdyed rugs from Wayfair define the space. “Most people put color on their walls, but here I wanted the energy to come from the ground,” he says.

With its soaring ceiling and concrete floor, the loft could have felt chilly. To warm it up—literally—Anthony installed a hanging Fire Orb fireplace. He then added honey-toned woods and a mix of textures: another overdyed rug from Wayfair, a leather Timothy Oulton sofa, floor-to-ceiling curtains made from Sunbrella fabric, and tweedy mid-century-modern armchairs from Dot & Bo. The Restoration Hardware TV stand looks like an easel.

With 160-plus kitchen renos under his belt, Anthony knew exactly what kind of cooking space he wanted. “I love mixing metal and wood, but I’ve yet to do it for a client,” he says. “This was my chance.” Veneers sliced from old gondola posts cover the cabinets and fridge door. The other appliances, including the Gaggenau oven, are stainless steel. The island has a black steel base, and the countertops are Dekton, a durable engineered quartz that Anthony champions on his show. For a breakfast bar, he notched a piece of burl wood onto one corner of the island. The finishing touch: a backsplash of pool blue tiles by Heath Ceramics. For Anthony's kitchen design tips, click here.

While the raw steel staircase leading up to the sleeping loft was designed to be a focal point, it left an awkward area at the back of the apartment. Unwilling to live with the dead space, Anthony filled it with Timothy Oulton armchairs and a bank of salvaged lockers. Simple wood shelves hold a watercolor Anthony’s mom painted as well as knickknacks from two of his favorite local vintage stores, Kanibal Home and E. Tittlemouse & Co.

So as not to compete with the views from the bedroom, Anthony decorated simply with a vintage sign, a neutral Wayfair rug, and a steel-rod Restoration Hardware chandelier. The wood bed and the metal storage bench are from Italy. Well-worn salvaged hemlock floors also serve as the kitchen’s drop ceiling.

In the bathroom, he chose porcelain tiles that look like natural stone for the shower. Over the sinks: mismatched bronze pendants by Tom Dixon. Modern Kohler sinks and a frameless mirror give the master bath a sleek look.

On rainy days, Anthony holes up in what he calls his “indoor/outdoor cabana,” a shipping container he bought at a shipyard and had painted blue at an auto body shop. Installing it on the roof was an ordeal: “Because it weighs 4,850 pounds, a structural engineer had to verify that the roof could support it,” Anthony says. “I also had to get permission from the zoning commissioner, who laughed at me when I told him my plans.”

Inside the container is a Cassina sofa, a wall-mounted desk, and a blown-up photo Anthony took while traveling. The rest of the furniture, including the teak patio set and the planters, are from Wayfair. Anthony enjoys spending time outside with his dad Alfonso, mom Francine, and younger sister Olivia.