When interior designer, developer, and TV personality Anthony Carrino set out to gut renovate a 1960s stone farmhouse on 3.9 acres in the Catskills, it was essential that the home was just as comfortable in the dead of winter as the heat of summer. Carrino and his wife wanted it to be a true four-season home—so thermal comfort and air quality were paramount.

For the Stone House Project (as Carrino calls it) to become the perfect, year-round mountain retreat, it needed to be able to accommodate plenty of family and friends in a cozy space that blurs the boundary between indoor and outdoor living. “So, the thinking behind the design was to bring nature in as much as possible,” says Carrino.

Carrino purchased the space completely gutted, and it took his expert vision to create a practical floor plan that reimagined the 3,100-square-foot home and accompanying 350-square-foot barn. In keeping with its woodsy location, the home is entered through the firewood room followed by the mudroom. This then leads to an open kitchen and dining space that has open sight lines to the living room and its massive vaulted ceilings.

The house features wood stoves and two-foot-thick stone walls—one of the couple’s favorite architectural elements—which insulate. To keep the home comfortable seasonally, Carrino installed the Trane XV20i TruComfort™ Variable Speed system, an impressively efficient heating and cooling system that can be controlled remotely with the Trane ComfortLink™ ll XL1050 Smart Thermostat. Not only does it adjust to temperature levels with precision, but the 22 SEER rating (compared to the U.S. minimum standard of 13) means a higher level of comfort with lower monthly energy costs.

Carrino’s other favorite feature of the Trane system is the geofencing in the Trane Home app. Once he leaves a certain radius, the system switches to a preset schedule—meaning he never has to actively think about adjusting temperatures and energy use is kept at a minimum.

Indoor air quality was another consideration for Carrino—and is a growing priority for many homeowners as more advanced building envelopes become less permeable, resulting in less air flow. In response, Carrino installed the Trane CleanEffects Whole Home Air Cleaner to reduce potential allergy attack triggers in the home (like dust mites or mildew) and create a healthier breathing environment.

“I’ve known Trane as a leader in the HVAC and indoor air quality space for as long as I’ve been in this business, so it was an obvious choice for my home,” explains Carrino, who is a Trane Residential partner. “I’m someone who has spent my career seeking out quality, and, with Trane, I know I am getting just that.”

Learn more about Trane's residential products at trane.com.

Related Reading:

Q&A: HGTV Star Anthony Carrino on Converting an 1890s Firehouse Into His New Home

Should We Be Talking More About Indoor Air Quality Right Now?

4 Ways to Keep Your Home Cool and Save Energy This Summer

Also Appears In

A Home Improvement Expert Creates a Rustic Four-Season Home in the Catskills