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A half-story on a second floor was a way for Cape Cod homeowners to gain square footage but save on building costs. Although there are some usage limitations, the half-story is well worth it for the extra space. Though Cape Cod houses had humble beginnings, they’ve evolved into coveted, beloved structures. According to Wright, it’s the “cultural knowledge” of what the homes represent that keep them so popular. “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.
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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.
Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know About Cape Cod Houses
According to McDonald, when in their native setting, there are little disadvantages to living in a Cape Cod house. “These houses would be at home in nearly any seasonal resort type area in Southern New England.” However, the small footprint of this type of house—in its most traditional sense—can be disadvantageous for some. Many 20th century Cape cod homes opt for a different exterior paint color palette than those built earlier. Nowadays, Cape cod homes use exterior paint colors that lean conservative in style. To maintain a traditional Cape Cod Style trim colors are often kept a light color or white. However, you can easily personalize this home style by adding window boxes for flowers, painting your chimney a bold color, putting up a picket fence in color other than white, or adding colored shutters.
Cape Cod-style floor plans and layouts
Capes also showcase symmetry, with large, peaked windows — known as dormers — coming out of its staple sloped roof. A chimney is also often right in the middle, dividing the two, and centering the angled attic. The rest of the windows on the house's exterior also mirror one another, adding to the general curb appeal of Cape Cod style. Multi-paned wooden shutter-clad windows flank a central door with simple surrounds. In reality, the history of what we call the Cape Cod style is not a pure and simple revival story, but more of a survival story. European immigrants to the New World brought building skills with them, but their first dwellings were more Primitive Hut than bold, new architectural style.
As such, people want houses connected to the outdoors, to porches and decks and to views,” McDonald explains, noting that you’ll often find these indoor-outdoor living spaces in this style of home design. Modern Cape Cod homes also feature beadboard or board-and-batten elements, along with functional built-ins to add storage. Because many Cape Cods are only 1,200-1,800 square feet, it’s essential to make good use of every square inch. These homes often include built-in bookshelves, china cabinets, beds, reading nooks, and decorative shelves, with beadboard paneling commonly found on kitchen cabinets and ceilings.
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The Cape Cod Houses are designed around a large, open living plan with a symmetrical patterned design. You don’t need a complicated color palette when decorating a Cape Cod – staying simple is the best compliment to this home. Neutrals like white, grey, and black create a blank canvas on the exterior; if you’re looking to stand out, consider a nod to nature with light blues, light yellows, and seafoam greens. To give your exterior new life, add pops of color with decorative shutters.
Cape Cod interiors have furniture with clean, traditional lines, simple, minimalist shapes, and a timeless cottage charm. They often feature plush sofas and accent chairs with deep-buttoned cushions. Pine or oak solid wood also gives the home a rustic feel while looking clean and refined.
According to ThoughtCo, modern-day Cape Cod spaces are often mixed with other architectural styles like Tudor, Ranch, Arts and Crafts, or Craftsman. Unzipping through the interiors, hardwood flooring is a must specification in the Cape Cod homes. While choosing a color palette, it is always a smart move to go for a chic, subtle design shade that lets the light bounce away while making enough room for you to relax. Due to lower ceilings, it is essential to use neutrals and brighter shades. Why not try some blacks in doors, window frames, and trims to give your home a modern touch?
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A Cape house may start to feel closed off with harsh lights or grandiose fixtures because of its smaller, boxed rooms and low ceilings, so lighting is key to complimenting the space. Given the fact that they're called Cape Cods, it's no secret that these homes have a breezy, beachy feel through and through. Even if one is further inland in a suburban town, you can expect a nautical vibe with touches of traditional, rustic elements peppered throughout the interior and exterior.
From lantern pendants, to handsome wooden accents, to a stately grandfather clock, antiques and traditional décor will fit nicely with this beloved architecture. When looking for a Cape Cod house, the façade is usually the first that will come to mind. Though most residences often feature unpainted side shingles and a clapboard or cedar shake roof, its symmetry will likely catch your eye. If you would like to have a builder construct your own Cape Cod style home one of the ways to do this is by purchasing a house plan. Opening into the living room is an eye-catchy fireplace with a large chimney design located as a focal point. These warm and cozy living rooms open out to a pilastered porch overlooking the lush English garden.
Cape Cod architecture is one of American architecture's most popular and easily recognizable styles. Named after the Massachusetts coastal region where it is the signature style, Cape Cod houses are ubiquitous in New England and can be found across the United States. The owners of this traditional 20th century Cape Cod house gave it a brand new look by adding mock stone facing. Its application (or misapplication) can drastically affect the curb appeal and charm of any home.
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