Private Quarters: Restaurateur and chef's transitional townhome

Home and Garden

Private Quarters: Restaurateur and chef's transitional townhome

Cararra marble, contemporary couches and velvet curtains aim to emulate the upscale look of hotels like the W in restaurateur Johnny Carino’s and Austin Williams Carino’s Sandy Springs townhome.

The living room of Johnny Carino and Austin Williams Carino's Sandy Springs townhome is awash in light and a mixture of patterns and textures. The leather couch and ottoman were custom made by a Texas company and designed by Austin, who also added vibrant pillows and a mirrored table from West Elm and photos in metal frames. -- Text by Lori Johnston

Accessories with a sculptural element add to the transitional style of Johnny Carino and Austin Williams Carino's Sandy Springs townhome, which came with built-in bookcases. Some of the pieces are from Stanton Home Furnishings.

Potted plants are found throughout Johnny Carino and Austin Williams Carino's Sandy Springs townhome, and they pop when set against white and gray backgrounds, such as the fireplace and white built-in bookcases in the living room.

Home decor magazines and books by designers serve as a source of inspiration for Austin Williams Carino in designing a new townhome with Johnny Carino. The custom-made leather ottoman (and matching couch) offers a contrast to the dark wood floors and gray upholstered couch in the living room.

An armless upholstered sofa from West Elm provides even more seating in the living room, and the colorful pillows, also from West Elm, and soothing rug with hues of blue and gray, add color to the room.

Favorite shots of Johnny Carino and Austin Williams Carino, their pets, cities they have visited and other memories create a photo gallery wall in the living room. The "massive" wall needed a piece of art, and the photos add a sentimental touch.

Austin Williams Carino designed the leather couch with stainless steel legs to bring a contemporary look into the traditional living room. Having the matching ottoman was a must for Johnny Carino, who typically has had large traditional furniture, so he can pull the ottoman up to the couch and stretch out.

Pieces with unique shapes, such as a vintage wooden chair with an upholstered seat and a metal table by West Elm, keep the living room from being too traditional. Austin Williams Carino follows this mantra: Always design for you, always keep it personal and do not follow trends.

It's easy for Johnny Carino, namesake of the Johnny Carino's Italian restaurants, to speak to guests and for them to watch him cook in the kitchen, he said. The kitchen, which is open to the living room, is more functional that he had in previous condos in Texas, he said.

The chrome barstools along the kitchen island have a dual purpose, providing seating and adding modern flair. Guests can sit there, socialize and watch the cooking process, said homeowner and restaurateur Johnny Carino.

Modern elements that Austin Williams Carino chose for the new Sandy Springs townhome, by Ashton Woods, include Moen faucets and countertops of natural stone that look like Carerra marble, but require less maintenance.

The Sandy Springs townhome was under construction, but there was still time for Johnny Carino and Austin Williams Carino to select some of the design elements, including the Carerra marble backsplash in a checkerboard pattern.

A walk-in pantry is a key element in having a functional and entertaining-friendly kitchen for restaurateur Johnny Carino, who moved into the Sandy Springs townhome in 2013. An open kitchen wall also had room for a large piece on canvas, which was purchased in Texas.

A painting on canvas, which was bought in Texas, brings color into the monochromatic kitchen, which has marble backsplash, white cabinets and Silestone countertops. The artwork is one of Johnny Carino and Austin Williams Carino's favorite pieces and is positioned in their often-used kitchen, which has Whirlpool Gold appliances.

Crown molding finishes off the Sandy Springs townhome by Ashton Woods in the Alderwood community, and the traditional details are mixed with modern pendant lights in the kitchen.

Traditional elements such as wainscoting are paired with modern touches such as a serving cart and a wooden dining room table bearing chrome legs, bench setting and a matching buffet (from The Dump).

Restaurateur and chef Johnny Carino and Austin Williams Carino are prepared to entertain at all times. A cart positioned in a corner of the dining room makes it easy to serve drinks to guests. The couple has entertained small groups of friends to gatherings of 30 or more guests in their Sandy Springs townhome.

Austin Williams Carino had his eye on this raw wooden table with chrome legs, and was shocked to find it at a discounted price at The Dump in Atlanta, along with the matching buffet.

Restaurateur and chef Johnny Carino and Austin Williams Carino, who were married in 2011, purchased their Sandy Springs townhome in 2013 from Ashton Woods. The three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath townhome is in the Alderwood community.

A conversation starter in restaurateur Johnny Carino's dining room is a painting of a woman's figure, which is one of his favorite - and largest - pieces of art in the new Sandy Springs townhome.

The dining room is separated from the kitchen in restaurateur Johnny Carino's Sandy Springs townhome, a layout he likes. Modern meets transitional in the room, where there's wainscoting, a raw wooden table and buffet from The Dump, and metal elements brought in through the light fixtures, lamps and legs of the table.

Austin Williams Carino said he prefers a monochromatic look (the walls have Sherwin-Williams' Mindful Gray), so color is brought into the home through artwork. Niches in the Sandy Springs townhome that he shares with restaurateur Johnny Carino allow them to display collected pieces and other items.

Dark wood floors contrast with the walls (Sherwin-Williams' Mindful Gray) in Johnny Carino and Austin Williams Carino's three-level townhome in Sandy Springs. They purchased it in 2013, after moving from Texas.

Bedding and pillows from West Elm and Restoration Hardware add texture and drama into a room, if you prefer less bold walls. Austin Williams Carino, however, is considering painting the master bedroom walls black in the Sandy Springs townhome he shares with restaurateur Johnny Carino.

A leather and chrome bench at the foot of the bed - from a store in Texas - isn't just functional, but serves as a display area in the master bedroom. A piece of sculpture from Neiman Marcus, for example, is positioned on the bench.

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The living room of Johnny Carino and Austin Williams Carino's Sandy Springs townhome is awash in light and a mixture of patterns and textures. The leather couch and ottoman were custom made by a Texas company and designed by Austin, who also added vibrant pillows and a mirrored table from West Elm and photos in metal frames. -- Text by Lori Johnston

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