Inspiration

Kitchen Cousins Turn Keen Eye for Renovation to New Italian Market

If you’re a regular reader of our blog, you no doubt remember meeting John Colaneri, who, along with his cousin Anthony Carrino, star in several HGTV series including Cousins Undercover and Kitchen Cousins. John gave us a tour of his new home last August that he built from the ground up and outfitted with beautiful LED barn lights.

Hosting multiple TV shows and running the family business — Brunelleschi Construction — keeps John on his toes usually with a suitcase in hand, but a recent project gave John and Anthony the opportunity to focus their boundless energy and keen eye for renovations closer to home.

“We bought a building in Jersey City that was built in the late 1800’s and was New Jersey’s first telephone switching station in the state,” John says. “It was later converted into police headquarters but had fallen into disrepair.” The cousins had been dreaming for many years of creating a true Italian market and restaurant in their city, and together they transformed this building into a crisp new space while preserving its historical details.

“The design of Carrino Provisions is an industrial look to complement all of this building’s beautiful and unique architecture,” John explains. “We wanted the space to be crisp and clean with the white brick and allow the food to stand out with its beautiful color and texture. The lighting was chosen to complement the industrial look and to give it an Old World feel.”

The new space includes a coffee bar, an Italian market with meats, cheeses, pastas and desserts, and, in the rear, the Osteria serves lunch, brunch and dinner. In the coffee bar, John chose three 8″ Fire Chief Sign Lights to highlight the menu board and shelving behind the bar. These American-made sign lights were customized with a Black finish and G5 gooseneck arms which offer a 23″ projection from the wall.

“The decor takes you back to Old World Italy but with an industrial feel,” John notes. “We chose the sign lights because we wanted them to complement the industrial nature of the steel i-beams that make the coffee bar.”

Color played an important part in the overall design of the new space. The white brick throughout the space along with black fixtures offers a neutral palette so the food can take center stage.

“The black finish of the lights is the perfect color as it stands out with all the white brick,” John says. “The only color in the space comes from the food.” While some consider an industrial design to be cold, this space feels very warm thanks to the touches of reclaimed wood.

“The space is crisp-clean and you are focused on the food throughout the space,” John notes. “To be able to shop and eat high-end Italian food is something that has transformed Jersey City.” You can read more about the transformation of this building here and be sure to put Carrino Provisions on your must-see list next time you’re in New Jersey!

Photos courtesy of Brunelleschi Construction