Old World Style

The entire kitchen is “brand-spanking new,” Gabrielle says, except for an ornate marble fireplace—not original to the home, but added by a previous homeowner. Gleaming new Carrara marble countertops match existing marble details such as bathroom windowsills.

“Marble does etch, scratch, and stain, so you have to be ok with imperfection,” says Gabrielle. “I figure there are thousand-yearold monuments, stairs, and statues in Europe made from it that still hold so much beauty with years of patina—then surely, a kitchen countertop where a bit of red wine is spilled and citrus may cause a bit of etching would be just fine.”

She chose unlacquered brass for kitchen and bathroom faucets and hardware, “so they would show patina over time, as opposed to being bright and shiny,” Gabrielle explains. “I embrace imperfection—it’s character.”

The couple co-managed much of the work themselves, hiring tradesmen for specific projects. Married for 20 years, Gabrielle and Frank were both born and raised in York—into families within the restaurant industry. The couple owned and operated a family-style Italian restaurant for 10 years.

Today, Frank works in commercial real estate. Gabrielle became a stay-at-home mom with a flair for design. She currently consults on commercial and residential design projects nationwide. While her renovation of the Brockie Mansion is a monumental project, Gabrielle kept the color palette simple.

“I felt like if we stripped the color back, the architectural detail would speak for itself,” Gabrielle explains.

That’s why she repainted the foyer and kitchen with untinted Benjamin Moore paint “straight out of the can.” It sets a light, airy tone that carries through the three-story home, its stairways, and landings.

The library is the exception. Gabrielle “embraced the moodiness” of the wood-paneled room and added Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black to the walls.

By 2019, one year into renovations, the Messina family of five moved in.