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  3. Home Decorating Styles
  4. Cape Cod Houses

Cape Cod Houses

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  • How to Choose Colors for a Front Porch on a Cape Cod House

    The traditional Cape Cod-style house has its origin in the early English settlers of Cape Cod, who based their designs on the half-timbered houses of England. The result was a one-and-a-half story cottage with steep roofs, a symmetrical front wall with central door and minimal exterior decoration. This lack of ornamentation makes choosing the right color for a front porch an important choice in customizing your home.

  • Traditional Landscaping for a Cape Cod House

    Traditional Cape Cod homes were built to withstand the harsh weather that residents often experience. Houses have steeply pitched roofs, frequently with gables. Unpainted shingles or clapboard siding create a natural, weathered look. To complement these features, a traditional yard uses a variety of landscaping techniques.

  • Typical Peak Time Periods for Fall Foliage

    Northerners may wonder why they have chosen to live in the north in December as a nor'easter pummels their home. But when skies turn to bright blue and the hillsides come alive in a blaze of color in the fall, their uncertainly quickly subsides. Brightly colored foliage begins in early fall and reaches its peak before the threat of a hard frost arrives.

  • Ideas for Gables & Dormers for the Front of Homes

    The front of a house can be changed dramatically by installing different types of dormers and gables. A dormer is a vertical extension installed on the slope of a house. A gable is the top point of the roof where both sides of the roof meet. Gables can also be the top point above the front windows on the dormers. The dormers and gables can make a house look completely different, greatly increasing the home's curb appeal.

  • What Is a Gable Style Roof?

    One important part of home design that some people might overlook is the style of the roof. Roofs serve a practical function, of course, since they protect the interior from the elements. But they also have a design function, and having a roof style that complements the rest of the house gives your home a unified and harmonious look.

  • How to Update an Existing Cape Cod House

    Timothy Dwight of Yale University is responsible for giving Cape Cod-style houses their names. In 1800, Dwight traveled through New England, pronouncing houses with a high, steep roof, dormers, shutters, a height of one or one and a half stories and a massive chimney to be of the Cape Cod style. This type of house is distinctive and simple and strongly evocative of the houses that the first settlers built. If you long to modernize the exterior of your Cape Cod house, strategic changes can help you do so.

  • How to Landscape for Brick Houses

    With uniform lines, brick houses tend to feature traditional, conservative architecture. The choices you make when landscaping a brick home should be influenced by the colors, textures and style of the house. The natural earth tones of red brick complement rich green foliage and large white or pale blossoms. There are a number of landscape design elements you can use to accentuate the rustic charm of brick.

  • Gable Roof Home Styles

    One of the simplest and most economical styles of roof is the gable roof, which is the typical triangular shaped roof containing two flat surfaces that join in a peak at the top. The triangle that is formed by a gable might face forward, or it can also be seen facing to the side with the roof shingles facing toward the front of the house. A home can be adorned with a simple gable roof or a more complex series of gables in different sizes and locations.

  • DIY Porch on a Cape Cod House

    A porch addition on your Cape Cod-style house can be a wonderful investment. Whether screened or fully open, it is a great place for enjoying the outside, spending summer days and entertaining friends. A porch adds usable additional square footage to your existing home. Your aim is to make the porch look as if it has been around as long as the home. Using a ready-to-assemble porch kit can be one of the easiest and best ways to add a new porch to your Cape Cod house.

  • How to Decorate a Cape Cod-Style House

    Cape Cod-style houses, or "Capes" as they are commonly known, originated in New England in the 17th century. Designed to withstand harsh New England winters, Capes were traditionally one- or 1 1/2-story homes, with a chimney in the center. Many modern Capes have grown to two stories, but still retain the signature pitched roof and traditional design elements. Cape Cod houses lend themselves best to a simple, casual decorating style. With their generally smaller rooms and rustic design features, Capes are not well-suited to formal furniture and ornate window treatments.

  • How to Remodel a Cape Cod House

    Originating from New England in the late 17th century, Cape Cod homes are known for their charming design and nautical roots. The authentic Cape Cod style reflects a history of life by the sea, which makes them a perfect candidate for a remodeling that incorporates nature-inspired, ocean elements of decor. By including an ocean-influenced color palette, white trims and moldings, light-colored wood floors, simple window treatments, furniture pieces in oak, pine or painted varieties, seaside artwork and accessories, a quaint Cape Cod home remodel results in a seaside-inspired home with maximum style.

  • Cape Cod Style House Plans

    The Cape Cod style of homes that many people associate with the New England area can be traced back to the 17th century. According to Pilgrim Hall Museum, these homes got their name in 1800 when Timothy Dwight, president of Yale, described them in a book about his visit to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Cape Cod style of home became popular again the 1930s because their small, economical features made them appealing to Depression Era home builders. Following World War II, Cape Cod style homes were built throughout the United States, though there were variations on the style that distinguished…

  • What Is the Definition of a Cape Cod Home?

    In the early days of what would become the United States, British emigrants colonized the rocky shores of Massachusetts. They built what they knew, which was the traditional English half-timbered cottage. Before long, they realized that they would have to adapt that design to better withstand the harsh New England winters. The resulting architectural style became known as a Cape Cod house, which has several distinctive features that make it simple to recognize.

  • The History of Cape Cod Homes

    The Cape Cod style is a design of housing dating back to 17th century New England and found throughout much of the United States. Despite its historic roots, the Cape Cod style remains popular today.

  • What Is a Cape Cod House?

    The Cape Cod house is an enduring American architectural tradition. This quintessential New England style is known for its steep rooflines, dormers, cottage charm, and symmetry. The traditional yet modest style originated in Colonial America in the early 1700s. Small, economical, and practical, this residential style remains popular today.

  • How to Install French Doors Opening to a Patio in a Cape Cod House

    Cape Cod homes are usually one to one and one half story houses that can have a side door leading to a patio. Adding French doors to your Cape Cod home can add a new design element or change the look of your home. You can install French doors opening to a patio on a house by replacing the existing door to the patio. The new French doors will use the existing door frame which will make the job easier to complete.

  • How to Extinguish a Cape Cod Fire Starter

    Recalling the days when fire was the only source of heat, Cape Cod fire starters remain an effective and efficient way of starting a fire in the fireplace. Cape Cod fire starters consist of an iron rod with a pumice stone that you soak in lamp oil, light and set under firewood to start a fire. Fire starters will burn out naturally in about ten minutes, but there may come a time when you need to extinguish the flaming pumice stone more quickly.

  • The Remodel Options for a Cape Cod Style House

    The Cape Cod style has its roots in the early 18th century and originated from the repurposing of English-style homes to withstand the brutalizing, stormy weather of the Cape and its surrounding areas. Cape Cod-style houses are well known for their steep, sloping roofs, their symmetrical exterior designs and their lack of exterior decorations. Some of the best remodel options for a Cape Cod-style house include adding dormers, wood shingles or siding, shutters and porches or stoops.

  • How to Maximize Space in a Cape Cod Style House

    Homes built in the Cape Cod style of architecture have a distinct look. They are very basic structures with usually one and a half stories, shingles, a steep roof and a large central chimney. One drawback to this style of home is that they are traditionally not very large, only around 1,000 to 2,000 square feet. Small homes can often mean inadequate space. When the closets, basement and attic are full, you may think you've exhausted all the square footage. But this just means that it's time to get creative and maximize the space in your Cape Cod house.

  • How to Landscape a Cape Cod House

    The cozy Cape Cod house, with its familiar, simplistic block shape, steep roof and center chimney, has been an enduring American house style for centuries. In a 1955 "Life" magazine article the house design is attributed to its resistance against “hard winters and Atlantic storms.” The small, snug size of the house means the landscape design should be proportional in size and style. There are a multitude of design aspects and features that lend themselves quite nicely to creating the quintessential Cape Cod house landscape.

  • How to Decorate a Cape Cod Beach House

    Cape Cod is a long peninsula that forms the eastern coastline of Massachusetts. Visitors flock to the Cape to enjoy water-related activities such as swimming, sailing, snorkeling and fishing. A house in one of the many small towns that dot the landscape of Cape Cod can be the perfect getaway from the stresses of city life. Decorate the house to remind occupants of the area's proximity to the sea and many historical cultural traditions.

  • What Color to Paint a 1950s Cape Cod House

    Cape Cod-style houses originated in New England during the 1600s, and were designed to withstand the tough winters along the North Atlantic coastline. They generally have a simple, one-and-a-half story frame, a steep roof with end gables and a chimney at the center of the roof. The 1950s Cape Cod has these typical design elements but often includes dormers and shutters. Cape Cod houses look best in neutral shades.

  • Tips on Designing a Cape Cod Style House

    Cape Cod style homes are prevalent across the United States, but they were first built in colonial New England. They featured a simple, rectangular style that met the needs of the environment. Cape Cod style houses gained renewed popularity in the middle of the 20th century when mass production made the homes easy and economical to build. Much of the details of Cape Cod style houses--the central plan, the materials used and the steep, gabled roofs--remain today in modern Cape Cods.

  • Cape Cod House Interior Design Ideas

    Cape Cod is a popular summer destination for many Americans. Homeowners who are planning to renovate their Cape Cod style house or to decorate a newly acquired beach property have a variety of design styles to emulate. Those who favor a traditional style can find inspiration from the classic Cape Cod interior. This look is characterized by a quaint cottage charm combined with nautical and beach-themed elements.

  • What Does a Bayberry Candle Signify?

    Steeped in American history, bayberry candles have been given as gifts of prosperity and friendship for centuries. Their gentle aroma and sage green appearance make for a festive look on any table that is set for Christmas dinner. While the main significance of the bayberry candle is its historical tie to good wishes for the new year, bayberry candles have religious and cultural significance as well.

  • Definition of a Cape Cod House

    The Cape Cod style house was developed by the colonists based on the English half-timbered cottages, but designed to withstand the harsh weather conditions of New England. They were often referred to as a "ship upon the land," as the earliest versions were built by shipbuilders along the Massachusetts coast.

  • What is a Dormer Gable Roof?

    Webster's Dictionary defines the word "gable" as the triangular part of a wall that ends at the roof. When a dormer is inserted into a gabled roof, it takes on the shape of a small house with a window inserted into the front of it. It has its own roof that juts from the main roofline. It enhances a home as well as making the interior space brighter and more spacious.

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