There are homes with beautiful views, and then there are homes whose daily rhythms are dictated by the landscape beyond their windows. Perched high above Cape Cod Bay in Dennis, this gracious gambrel belongs firmly in the latter category, where every tide, passing squall, sailboat and sunset becomes part of the family’s everyday experience.

The bay is never simply a backdrop here. It is a living canvas, shifting in color, texture and temperament from one hour to the next. On some mornings, the water appears soft and silvery beneath an equally pale sky. By afternoon, it may be animated by sailboats, fishing vessels and the bright white wakes of powerboats. When the tide retreats, the exposed flats extend the landscape dramatically outward. At high tide, the water seems to press closer to the house. Dolphins have been spotted moving through the bay, and, on some memorable days, whales have been known to appear offshore.

“You have to sit and look, and be patient,” the homeowner says. “And then when you do that, you see something that’s so magical.”

It is easy to understand the impulse to document the view. Throughout the summer and into the fall, the family frequently takes photographs of the bay—not necessarily in search of a flawless image, but to capture the particular personality of that day. No two are precisely alike.

Yet the property did not always offer this panoramic relationship with the water. Effectively buried behind a raised bank, the house barely revealed the ocean it sat beside. That first year, the family simply lived with it as it was —gathering for clambakes and beach days—before eventually razing and replacing the house entirely. Those experiences confirmed the property’s extraordinary potential, but also exposed its central flaw: despite its prime location, the house could barely see the water. 

Retired architect Bob Cicchetti immediately recognized that elevation would be essential. He has always considered a building’s relationship to the sun and the surrounding land fundamental to good design. Here, raising the house and opening it toward the bay, transformed the site.

The new home follows the sun across the day. Morning light begins the household’s natural cadence, filtering into the gathering spaces and drawing everyone toward the rear of the house. As the hours pass, the light moves through the rooms and across the porches. Sunset often becomes its own occasion—an invitation to pause, gather and acknowledge the close of another Cape Cod day. The homeowner describes it simply: “Every day commences with the sun and ends with the sun.”

Although Cicchetti’s first design did not include a gambrel roof, the family felt strongly about introducing the form. Inspired by architecture they had admired during time spent on Martha’s Vineyard, they wanted the unmistakable sweep and character that a gambrel silhouette brings to a coastal home. Cicchetti readily revised the design, creating a house that feels timeless and deeply suited to its Cape Cod setting.

His son, Rob Cicchetti, of Cicchetti Builders brought the plans to life. He grew up immersed in a family legacy where architecture, building and development were never separate disciplines, but part of a single craft. His grandfather was an architect; his father followed in his footsteps and Rob has inherited their acumen and vision in his own way. His core expertise is in construction and development, but he also brings enough architectural fluency to think on his feet on-site, solving problems as they arise without ever straying from the orginal design intent. 

That combination of inherited knowledge and practical instinct is evident throughout the property. Rob does not view architectural drawings as detached instructions, but as the beginning of an evolving process. The realities of a site, the movement through a room and the way materials meet often require thoughtful adjustments during construction. His ability to sketch, adapt and make decisions on site proved particularly valuable on a complex waterfront property.

The experience was also unusually collaborative. Since this project was a home for a family member it introduced a level of familiarity and trust that allowed the project to unfold with creativity rather than hesitation. Rob recalls that the homeowners encouraged everyone involved to approach the house with care, fairness and pride. That attitude extended to the craftspeople, many of whom remain deeply attached to the project. Even years later, Rob says his framing crew at Cicchetti Builders still considers the Dennis property a favorite—high praise from tradespeople who have worked on countless exceptional homes.

For Rob, the reason for favorite status is immediate. “The view,” he says. “It’s a spectacular site. You could have pitched a tent over there and been happy waking up.”

The completed house is approximately 5,000 square feet with five bedrooms, five full baths, and one half bath and a lower level featuribng a gym, sauna and family room. Its scale supports a large and active extended family, but the home never feels cavernous. Instead, the open living space has been organized into a series of intimate gathering areas—what the homeowner calls “chat centers.”

A generous sofa defines one conversational zone, while four chairs gathered around a coffee table create another. The kitchen island offers additional seating and a natural place for people to linger, talk or help with meal preparation. The arrangement allows many people to inhabit the same open room without requiring everyone to participate in a single conversation. A special focal point in the kitchen is found in the custom backsplash above the Wolf range, where the entire family sourced shells and elements that were incorporated into a special mosaic.

This flexibility is particularly valuable during the summer, when the family’s three children—two in college and one nearing the end of high school—move in and out of the house with friends and cousins. With extended family summering nearby, the house operates as a cheerful revolving door. Someone may arrive for morning coffee, return for lunch, disappear to the beach and reappear for dinner with several additional guests.

The kitchen was designed to support exactly that kind of life. Its massive island is higher than standard, a custom decision made for a notably tall and active family. Rather than forcing the homeowners to conform to conventional dimensions, the architecture was tailored to them. The raised surface feels natural in the room and gives the island a commanding presence without compromising comfort.

Nearby, a long dining table accommodates expansive family meals. It is easy to imagine platters moving from hand to hand, cousins squeezing in together and conversations continuing long after dinner has ended. The table and island serve different functions, yet both reinforce the central purpose of the house: creating places where people naturally gather.

One of the kitchen’s most memorable features is a folding pass-through window that opens directly to the covered terrace. The idea was inspired by a property the family visited in Mexico, where a similar opening dissolved the boundary between kitchen and outdoor entertaining space. They initially considered installing another in the living room, but Rob wisely cautioned against introducing too many large openings exposed to coastal weather and summer insects.

Restricting the feature to the kitchen allowed it to become more useful and distinctive. When open, it connects food preparation and serving areas directly to the outdoor bar seating. Family members can pass dishes, drinks and snacks through the window without interrupting the flow of the house. It is playful, practical and perfectly suited to summer living.

The interconnected porches and terraces stretch across the rear of the home, functioning less like exterior appendages and more like a sequence of outdoor rooms. Deep overhangs provide shelter from strong sun and passing rain, while substantial columns give the spaces a sense of enclosure. The family can enjoy morning coffee on the porch, breakfast outside with the children or an afternoon overlooking the water even when the weather is less than perfect.

“We’re out there most of the time,” the homeowner says. “Whether the sun is out or if it’s raining, we can still sit out there and enjoy the day.”

Around the corner from the main living space, another conversation area offers a more intimate retreat. A nautically inspired bar is tucked into a corner of the living room, connected to the larger gathering spaces but partially concealed from them. Guests can mix drinks, open a bottle of wine or recount the day’s adventures while remaining connected to the energy emanating from the rest of the house.

The space reflects the family’s appreciation for the sea without becoming themed or theatrical. Rich woods, thoughtful detailing and carefully chosen finishes evoke maritime craftsmanship rather than imitation, creating a room that invites storytelling almost as much as it serves refreshments.

The bar’s richly finished woodwork reflects Bob Cicchetti’s lifelong affection for boats and traditional varnished surfaces. An avid boater and meticulous varnisher, he completed the finish work himself. The result brings a subtle maritime quality into the interior without relying on predictable nautical motifs. It feels personal rather than themed—an expression of craftsmanship, memory and the family’s connection to the water.

Outside, the property is equally thoughtful. Rob designed the masonry at the front of the house, allowing the approach to evolve in response to the land rather than forcing the entrance of the home to guests or passersby.

The setting demanded an architecture that would never compete with the view. Instead, it would quietly frame it. For Bob Cicchetti, that philosophy guided every decision. After a lifetime designing homes throughout the New England area, he approached this project with the confidence that comes from decades of experience and the freedom that comes from designing for family. There was no need for grand gestures or fashionable flourishes. The site had already supplied the drama.

The choice of a classic gambrel—timeless, unmistakably New England and perfectly suited to its perch above Cape Cod Bay, allows its familiar silhouette to feel as though it has always belonged here, rooted comfortably in the landscape rather than imposed upon it. Like the best Cape homes, it respects tradition while quietly accommodating the way families actually live today. The enduring popularity of the Cape Cod vernacular lies in precisely that balance: simple forms that weather beautifully while remaining remarkably adaptable to contemporary living. 

For Rob Cicchetti, transforming his father’s drawings into reality carried a significance that extended well beyond another construction project. Working together was familiar territory. Father and son had collaborated before, but this home held a different kind of meaning. It wasn’t being built for a client they might never see again after the final walk-through. It was being created for a loved one—and as a result, both the architect and the builder would be spending time in the finished product for years to come. That intimacy would weave them into every beam, every window, and carefully considered detail, changoing the very nature of the craftsmanship.

There is little temptation to cut corners when every decision will be revisited over holidays, birthdays and quiet Sunday afternoons. Every trim joint, every built-in cabinet and every carefully aligned sightline becomes part of a family’s daily experience. Excellence becomes personal. That spirit reveals itself almost immediately upon entering the home.

Although generously sized, the house never feels overwhelming. Instead, it unfolds naturally, each space encouraging movement toward another gathering place, another conversation, another view of the bay. The arrangement recognizes something important about how people actually spend time together. Large families rarely occupy one piece of furniture. They naturally separate into smaller conversations before drifting together again. The architecture quietly supports those rhythms without ever forcing them.

Meals become communal productions rather than isolated kitchen work. Children move easily between indoors and out. Someone tends the grill, while another pours drinks inside, all while remaining part of the same conversation. Because theses spaces connect seamlessly, family and friends migrate naturally from one space to another as the day unfolds, always finding the perfect combination of breeze, sunlight and view. The home offers outdoor living not as an afterthought but as an extension of the architecture itself.

The home’s sense of discovery appears throughout. Views are intentionally revealed rather than immediately exposed. Rooms gently unfold instead of announcing themselves all at once. The experience feels remarkably similar to exploring the Cape itself, where winding roads suddenly reveal sweeping marshes, hidden beaches or unexpected glimpses of the bay.

Throughout, architectural restraint becomes increasingly apparent, which is something Rob was passionate about. Nothing competes for attention because everything serves a larger purpose. The coffered ceilings never overwhelm the human scale. Windows frame the landscape rather than simply enlarging it. Materials feel authentic, chosen less to impress than to endure family life. The result is a home that grows quieter the longer one spends inside.

Instead of continually announcing its luxury, it gradually shifts attention toward the reasons it was built in the first place: shared meals around the expansive dining table, children running between porches, friends lingering long after dessert, and the ever-changing theater of Cape Cod Bay just beyond the glass.

Ultimately, that may be the greatest success of both architect and builder. They created a house that understands its purpose. The true masterpiece was never the gambrel itself. It has always been the water. The tides. The sky. The home simply knows exactly how to let them tell the story. 

Julie Craven Wagner is the publisher at Cape Cod Life Publications and the editor of Cape Cod HOME. 

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For many residents, a home in Scraggy Neck is more than a place to live; it’s a generational commitment, a shared slice of heaven passed down and cherished over decades. Perhaps this is why the young couple who purchased two lots in the late 1960s chose the peninsula to put down roots. All those years earlier, maybe they already dreamed of sharing summers with their grandchildren. 

Sure enough, when their son started a family of his own, Scraggy Neck had been his “most favorite place in the world,” as he has exclaimed from the time when he was a child, it was a natural assumption that his children would be the next chapter in this generational legacy. Just over 20 years ago, he and his wife built their own home on the additional lot and filled it with a hodgepodge of hand-me-down furniture. Their plan had always been to one day renovate the house, and fully realize a place their family could gather for years to come—but the commitments of work and raising children afforded them neither the time nor the finances to put that plan into action just yet. 

In 2024, the time was finally right. Architect J.B Clancy from Boston’s ART Architects had successfully helped the couple with the home where they had raised their family outside of Boston, so the call to consider the project was a natural first move. To execute the unique renovation and addition Clancy designed, Paul Pacella of Post and Beam of Cape Cod was chosen. To bring their vision to life, the homeowners knew there was only one person: Jocelyn Chiappone, owner and head designer of Digs Design Company, based in Newport, Rhode Island. For years, the homeowners had admired Chiappone’s work through social media. Their enthusiasm and trust combined with Chiappone’s vision and execution resulted in a project for the ages—a home filled with the character and charm they hoped would draw their family back for generations. 

“These were simply dream clients,” recalled Chiappone. “They were trusting and let us guide them to new ideas. We had a lot of creative freedom and inspiring architecture to work with.” 

For Chiappone, who believes that a home’s location and history are important to honor in its design choices, finding a balance between the family’s past and the future they envisioned proved challenging. “As much as we honored the past, we knew the transformation would be significant,” she recalls. The result is a house that feels undeniably modern and fresh, yet rooted in classic Old Cape Cod style. Clancy’s program created an open layout to immediately introduce light and airyness to the space, while the new addition created a perfect transitional space to the dynamic landscape Scraggy Neck is known for. 

The feeling of walking into a coastal retreat is apparent as soon as one steps into the entryway, where pickwick paneling covers both the walls and ceiling. Chiappone selected a pickwick paneling, reminiscent of the pine paneling frequently found in old Cape-style houses, to anchor the design in local history. Much like everything in the home, this was a purposeful choice: “I always suggest to clients that their summer home has a completely different feel than their main house,” says Chiappone. “We want clients to walk in and feel like they are on vacation.” A vintage chinoiserie cabinet in baby blue adds a splash of color to the crisp white entry, a hint of the vibrant spaces to come. 

The pickwick paneling extends into the open-concept kitchen and living area just beyond. In these rooms, texture is king. A fully white kitchen, though classic, can easily feel one-dimensional without intentional design. Here, the white cabinets come alive with painted fretwork that matches the tiled backsplash. Brass hardware used throughout the room has a brightening effect while also serving a functional purpose. “The brass corners on the island have a luxe appeal, while protecting the corners from scuffing,” says Chiappone. “We also incorporated the brass into our hood design. I love designing a custom hood and I never repeat the same thing twice!” Above the sink, the nods to old Cape Cod continue with double-hung windows and ceramic sconces that provide a warm, natural glow.

In the vibrant living room opposite the kitchen, no two textures are the same. The pickwick paneled walls and ceiling frame a painted brick fireplace around which the furniture is arranged. Atop the plush couch lie floral sofa pillows—a small but impactful design choice that inspired the room’s color story and concept. Their denim and berry hues are even replicated in the seascape painting above the mantel, hung to visually expand the room. These bold colors and patterns are balanced by natural elements like wicker, rattan, and sisal in the chairs, lighting, and carpet. “These elements ground the design while the bright backdrop gives the mix of pattern space to breathe,” Chiappone says.

Digs Design is renowned for layering casual silhouettes, texture, and color, and the homeowners trusted Chiappone to deliver on all three elements. “When it came to color and pattern, they said yes to everything!” she recalls. Nowhere is the Digs Design footprint more evident than the pantry. With its raspberry hue, glass uppers, and patterned wallpaper, the space is awash with layers of color and texture. Chiappone has a soft spot for this particular space: “I love anything in high gloss,” she says. “It’s also a very durable finish. The Quadrille wallpaper has always been a favorite, and this was the perfect spot to showcase the print.”

Though the berry pink pantry is a personal favorite for Chiappone, these statement spaces are often unfeasible. The architecture of this home is uniquely suited for bold choices. “The design of our interiors always has a strong connection to the architecture of the home,” Chiappone explains. “Unlike open-concept houses, this layout has lots of separate rooms. These individual spaces gave us the opportunity to create color stories and celebrated designs with a greater wow factor than is often possible in open-concept homes.”

Tucked away behind the living room is another small space with outsized wow factor—a bright, cozy sunroom with sweeping views of Buzzards Bay. It’s easy to see why the space is a favorite spot for both the homeowners and their children. The custom sectional, triple-measured to ensure it fits like a glove beneath the picture windows, is the perfect perch for reading, relaxing, or simply watching boats meander past. Chiappone selected a small-scale print for the piece, which feels lighter than solid color in compact spaces. A wave pendant that hangs from the ceiling adds to the impression that this space is neither fully indoors nor outdoors. The fixture was custom painted in Farrow & Ball “Parma Grey,” a color that is repeated throughout the home. In the mudroom, the millwork is painted in that same shade, a playful departure from the rest of the home where the pickwick paneling is bright white. 

Next to the sunroom, a library that feels nothing short of regal plays triple duty as office, game room, and reading room. The grasscloth wallpaper, rope chair, and caning on the coffee table provide a masculine take on the coastal theme. Brass fixtures appear again here, shining against the navy blue millwork and matching the abaca rug. Amid so many stunning details, it’s hard to choose a centerpiece—but the custom game table has a strong claim. Handmade by the Digs Design workroom, this one-of-a-kind piece was crafted from a Bastideaux wallpaper.

The homeowner eagerly wanted an office space with views of a nearby lighthouse, but the library lacked windows offering an unobstructed view. The only window that did was tucked in the corner of a cramped alcove. Undeterred, Chiappone transformed the space from a moody corner into a private office retreat by installing a built-in desk that seamlessly transitions into a shelf, connecting the workspace to the rest of the room. The primary bedroom and hallway also incorporate secluded seating nooks, offering a moment of peace away from central gathering places. 

In the primary bedroom, Chiappone executed a quintessential blue and white coastal color palette with Digs’ signature pattern play and texture layering. At one set of windows, a built-in bench offers a chic seating area; at the other, drapes with a handmade blue scallop detail frame a charming vignette. Floral patterns on the walls and bedding add softness while alluding to the Cape Cod vernacular. “I love adding vintage items to a room to create a sense of place and collected quality,” Chiappone adds. “The wicker lamps were a great find, and I added custom shades in the fabric to match the wallpaper.”

Adjoining the bedroom, the spacious primary bathroom carries on the blue and white theme. The size of the room allowed Chiappone to use a Schumacher large scale Weeping Pine on the walls. Its many shades of blue are emphasized and repeated in the floor tiles and patterned window shades. 

Each of the home’s five bathrooms has a distinct personality. The primary bath is a sanctuary for relaxation. The guest bathroom is bold: the ceramics pictured in the vivid wallpaper are replicated in real life on floating shelves. In the sons’ bathroom, navy millwork, metal sconces, and a mirror shaped like a ship’s wheel provide a boyish playfulness. Both the powder room and the daughter’s bathroom feature blue floral wallpaper and mirrors flanked by sconces —but while the former embraces cool silver tones, the latter glows in warm, feminine gold. 

In a house designed with future generations in mind, the children’s bedrooms are particularly timeless. These rooms are tasteful at every age, and just as appropriate for a child born in 2010 as for one who will be born in 2040. In one boy’s room, pops of fire engine red offset the navy wainscotting and tan walls. A vintage wooden campaign chest and whale’s tail portrait provide a sense of place, rooting the room in its seaside locale. The second boy’s room leans more unconventional with its green grasscloth walls—a design choice that initially gave the homeowners pause. “The wife was a little worried about this room,” Chiappone says, “But we eventually decided to go forward with the material. She ended up loving the grass cloth even though she wouldn’t have known to pick it.” In the end, the subtly textured walls combined with mustard and denim-colored elements create a space with lasting appeal, reminiscent of summer days spent outside.

As classic as these rooms are, the house does have one unconventional bedroom. Tucked above the garage, the bunk room serves as a venue for epic slumber parties. With two sets of bunks, a queen bed, and a pullout couch, the room can fit countless people. Bringing this room to life wasn’t an easy feat—it was originally supposed to be unfinished, and lifting the furniture required the assistance of a forklift. But, in Chiappone’s words, “Our goal is creating joy,” and this is truly a room where joy prevails. From the painted stairs to the funky ottoman and the built-in shelves for trinkets and treats, this room is childhood bliss personified.

For decades, Scraggy Neck has been a constant for the family amid life’s sea of changes—and it will continue to be for decades more, thanks in part to the refresh provided by Digs Design. With its seamless integration of classic Cape Cod charm and bold, modern style, this beloved home overlooking the bay will be cherished for generations.  

Hannah Kunze is a freelance writer for Cape Cod Life Publications.

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