The team at George Davis, Inc. transforms a dark, cramped house into a vibrant home for a storybook ending.

There’s something about rivers, even here on the beach-biased Cape. They’ve fascinated artists, philosophers, and writers ever since people began recording their observations of Earth. Human civilization birthed itself along riverbanks, so dreamers have had ample time to contemplate the lessons of flowing water, the various meanings attributable to the strange paradox of these bodies that offer apparent permanence and yet symbolize the ever-changing nature of the universe. Heady stuff. As the acclaimed Western photographer and poet Laura Gilpin put it, “A river seems a magic thing. A magic, moving, living part of the Earth itself.” And yet, if you turn through your proverbial FM dial, you’ll discover most songs about rivers dwell on melancholy or wistful themes of lost loves, broken dreams, the passage of youth. Even Al Green’s “Take Me To the River,” a song that feels like it should be upbeat, focuses on regret and a plea for a cleansing of the soul. 

Just as rivers—and life—brim with complexities, so does one riverside house in West Dennis for which George Davis, Inc. received the 2023 Gold BRICC Award for Excellence in Remodeling of a Whole House ($250,000 to $500,000). The homeowners tasked the builder and designer with a challenge: to transform a ranch on the banks of the Bass River from a summer home to a year-round residence, and to preserve enough of the old space so that memories could remain while creating a dwelling with a more contemporary feel that would take better advantage of its geographic spot. The...