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We combine our love of sophisticated East Coast style with a passion for classic design to bring you a well-traveled mix of exceptional furnishings and accessories. The interior of traditional Cape Cod houses are constructed from durable materials like cedar, oak, and pine. Original Cape Cod homes also had hardwood floors, which remain popular today. Most of the kitchen, including an adjacent pantry and breakfast area, was gutted for maximum space-planning. Brad was able to reuse an existing wall of cabinetry—he appreciated its scalloped niches and Shaker-style doors—and adapted the wall's middle doors to conceal a refrigerator and pantry.
Floor Plans
If you’re lucky enough to live in a house with lake or ocean views, arranging the design elements will help you get the most out of it. The secret to designing a room that feels warm and inviting without taking away from the breathtaking views is to use an accent wall entirely made of glass or a wall mostly made of windows. But along came the Ranch-style house and many folks liked the open layout and casual vibe of the homes. Nowadays, folks might choose to combine several architectural styles into one home, sometimes called the Neo-Eclectic approach.
Classic Furniture
By incorporating these design elements and paying attention to the details, you can transform any space into a coastal-inspired retreat reminiscent of a classic Cape Cod home. These exterior features collectively contribute to the timeless and picturesque charm of Cape Cod houses. Whether located by the sea or in a suburban neighborhood, these architectural elements continue to captivate homeowners with their classic and enduring design. Today, the Cape Cod house style continues to be a beloved and sought-after choice for homeowners looking for a blend of traditional elegance and practicality. Its rich history and enduring design elements are a testament to the enduring appeal of this architectural gem. Named after the Cape Cod peninsula in Massachusetts, this architectural style originated in the 17th century and has since become synonymous with coziness, charm, and a sense of history.
Use Nautical Style Decor
“The style is so warm and comfortable, and it just says summer,” Wright says. “It just screams summer.” Seen in movies and TV shows, the style is further embedded into pop culture as emblematic of warm weather and easy living. Though the style gets its name from the region where it’s most popular, a home doesn’t need to be in Cape Cod to be considered within the architectural vernacular.
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Upstairs, the master bath co-opted space from a large closet for a double vanity and an enlarged shower, and gained two more windows. Built in 1974, the house held 2,800 square feet, with three bedrooms and two and a half baths, and was in surprisingly good shape. With a full-width front porch, a new two-story garage, and a fresh color palette, architect Jeff Troyer gives a 1953 Cape the upgraded look and function it deserves. Julia is a part of the content marketing team and enjoys writing about real estate and design trends. A centered, space-saving pocket door now connects the kitchen and dining room. Atlanta couple Wendy and Cleve Meredith drew on their New England roots to reinvent a 1930s Cape Cod house that already contained a lot of character.
Highly identical to the American Vision of a home, these houses master efficiency and aesthetics. This style of home has continuously succeeded in charming us with its frivolous elements and an old-movie look. Meanwhile, its rich history enriches the design of this style and commemorates its century-long existence. Cape Cod-style houses can come in many shapes and sizes—the charming, modest dimensions of a half Cape make ideal starter homes for many people, while others may aspire to the grander proportions of a full Cape. A half Cape has its front door on one side of the facade, with two windows on the other side (this is also known as a “single Cape”). A full Cape, on the other hand, has a door in the center with two windows flanking it on each side.
Embrace the outdoor space
Designed for efficient construction and easy heating in mind, this historical home decor style is still the top choice of many design enthusiasts in the country thanks to its enduring appeal. Shingle shakes and wood clapboards are additional distinguishing features of Cape Cod-style homes. Wood was a plentiful local material for those just settling on the East Coast.
Using natural wood roof shingles and siding on the facade can enhance the look while catching the eye. Also, using a lighter-hued covering can make it look more bigger and brighter. Nowadays, original Capes like those have sometimes been added onto so often that they have a kind of “Russian doll” look, Seifter says. The structure of a Cape Cod makes it easy to add to another section of the house or connect to a garage or carriage house without losing the home’s iconic style.
These craftsmen built simple, one-story homes designed to withstand the harsh, windy climate, using easy-to-find building materials like oak, pine, and cedar. The original rectangular footprint had low ceilings and a large central fireplace and chimney to provide warmth for the whole structure over the long, cold winters. Closely related to the Colonial-style home, the Cape Cod house was designed to be as practical and functional as possible. For the exterior, you can paint your shutters with some timeless colors as they won’t limit your design but they will enhance the look. No matter where you live, a white picket fence should be considered a must for your Cape Cod home as they are a definitive signature of the architectural design style. And be sure to give your landscaping a stylish edge that will be sure to inspire your guests as they take in the view from your lawn.
The Most Perfectly Designed Cape Cod Vacation Home - Martha Stewart
The Most Perfectly Designed Cape Cod Vacation Home.
Posted: Fri, 20 Sep 2019 07:00:00 GMT [source]
To keep the vibe friendly, Wendy chose a round table and antique chairs covered in simple linen and checked fabrics. A dainty scalloped edge on the chairs and table topper adds a decorative touch. A distinctive 13-arm meeting-house chandelier has been in her family for years. A small but efficient island holds refrigerator drawers and a bookcase for cookbooks. Painted deep gray to contrast with the lighter color of the cabinets and topped with marble, it feels vintage and perhaps even original to the house. It was, in fact, the puritan carpenters who initially brought the Cape Cod home style to America.
Historical Capes were clad in long-lasting cedar shingles, sometimes with clapboards on the facade. The earliest Cape Cod-style houses were built by Puritans in New England; the snug, one-story homes were designed to withstand the harsh environment. The windows on a Cape Cod play a critical role in creating the charm and curb appeal of this home style. Originally, Cape Cod homes were often built to maximize available sunlight, with the largest and tallest windows facing south. This positioning helped minimize heating costs while taking advantage of natural light. You’ll typically see double-hung windows with shutters on the main floor, and dormers on the second to increase light and air circulation.
Elegant natural materials and nautical touches are used lavishly throughout these rooms. The soft homage to traditional style in the furnishings and decor makes them feel especially warm and welcoming. Revival houses, neat and nostalgic behind their white picket fences, are most often symmetrical full Capes, often clapboarded and shuttered, painted white, with more formal and flexible floor plans." Why not try some blacks in doors, window frames, and trims to give your home a modern touch? All Cape Cod homes have shutters to protect the interiors, so you could let your creative juices flow in specifying a particular shade for these coverings.
