You can't get any more industrial than an old lumber warehouse near the train tracks in downtown Atlanta. As the engines and boxcars clatter on the tracks just steps from his door, Alex Hunte feels right at home.

Hunte's home is a loft in the Castleberry Hill district purchased in 2004. The building was built in 1892 and converted to loft space in 2000. He started with 1,400 square feet and added a second story to bring it to about 3,000 square feet worth of space. It is now a three-bedroom, three-bath loft. Canadian-born Hunte also rents the space as a location shoot for commercial photography and video. (www.drameusa.com/loft.html)

Sean Drakes / AJC Special (ENLARGE)

The master suite in Alex Hunte's Castleberry Hill loft overlooks the aged train tracks that carry freight trains on the south side of Atlanta.

Sean Drakes / AJC Special (ENLARGE)

Homeowner Hunte created this bar in a nook between the kitchen and dining area in his modern Castleberry Hill loft.

RELATED LINKS • Photos: See more of Alex Hunte's loft • Private Quarters Classic archive • See our luxury homes channel • Home & Garden • ajchomefinder.com • Home Sales Report Step back in time Search our historic archives for stories on historic homes and more about the Atlanta environs from 1868 through 1939.

Why a condo? Hunte moved into the loft from a 4,000-square-foot traditional home in Duluth.

"I'm from Toronto, and I've always lived in the city. One day I woke up in Duluth and said what the hell am I doing here? I think you should get something you really like."

So Hunte found the West Lumber Lofts and wrote a letter to each of the homeowners asking if they were interested in selling. He was smitten with the city skyline view.

"A lot of times people are thinking of selling, but they don't want to go through the hassle."

The loft gives Hunte flexibility. "I'm an ideals person. Down here you can pretty well do what you want [design-wise.] If you want rawness and that industrial feel than go with that instead of trying to convert it into something it's not.

"I use all of my space right now to the max. A lot of people just go for sheer mass quantity and use 20 percent of the space 80 percent of the time."

Describe your decorating style: Hunte describes his style as natural and eclectic. "I'm all about natural art, handmade wood and African masks. I find them wherever I travel.

"It's a zen, minimalist kind of thing. I don't like a lot of clutter. I have specific functional pieces." he said. "I'm not into trends. I should be able to keep this (design) for 10 or 20 years. It doesn't look like I stepped out of the 80's."

When Hunte feels like a change, he sells or gives away his pieces.

Coolest feature: "I feel the coolest features in my home are the galvanized steel door and the Murphy bed. Both transform the space in very unique ways. The steel door pulls back to reveal a hidden feature of the home [built-in shelves], and the Murphy bed pulls out of the wall and transforms the living room into an industrial loft bedroom.

Heart of the home: "The heart is the patio upstairs. I can gaze out at the city and eat breakfast. The other place is that bar that keeps the heart pumping."

Past or future project: Hunte added a second story to his home and turned the former first floor master bedroom into his office. Hunte is a project management consultant who works full-time from home. He would eventually like to create a convertible space on the rooftop.

Tips for good living: Good living is finding a home "that appeals to you immediately. You are spending a large portion of your time in your home."

Hunte also makes sure to clean his home before leaving on a trip. "Then it's very welcoming, no dishes to clean up. It's inviting."

What makes your house a home? "This place can be transformed in minutes into a place for a party. You just move the chairs and the floors are concrete." Plus he has plenty of room for parking behind the building next to the train tracks.

"It's very inviting. I have some very stone cold suburbanites come in here and say this is a space they could live in. A lot of lofts are cold."

Describe your most cherished item: Hunte treasures a caricature of his niece and nephew in his office. They are older now, but they visit often.

NOMINATION? Do you have a tip or a nomination for Private Quarters? Email writer Chris Reinolds (creinolds@ajc.com) or call her at 770-326-8958.