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What makes a house a Cape Cod house?
Generally, Cape Cod homes have a steep roof, shingled exterior, symmetrical façade, and large chimney in the middle. While Cape Cod houses can have multiple floors, most residences are single-storied. Nowadays, Cape Cod house style falls into one of three categories: a full Cape, three-quarter Cape, and half Cape.
What style is Cape Cod?
Cape Cod architecture is one of the most instantly recognizable home styles in the U.S. At its core, an original Cape Cod house is a small, rectangular, unadorned one to one-and-a-half-story cottage with a steep pitched roof to keep snow from piling up and side gables.
What is Cape Cod style decor?
Inspired by traditional English cottages, Cape Cod homes feature steep gabled roofs with dormer windows. Other common features include symmetrical designs with clapboard or wood-shingle siding and multi-pane, double-hung windows accented with wood shutters.
What is the difference between a Cape Cod and Cape Ann style home?
A rectangular house, commonly one or one and a half stories high, that is similar to a Cape Cod house, but has a shingled mansard roof rather than a shingled gable roof.
What is the difference between a bungalow and a Cape Cod house?
These two architectural styles sometimes get confused with each other, since they often share some overlapping features, including gabled roofs, a single story design, and a symmetrical exterior. However bungalows lack some of the other key features of a Cape, such as prominent central chimneys.
What is the difference between a Cape Cod and a colonial?
Colonial-style homes are similar to Cape Cod homes (which can be considered a sub-type of colonial architecture) with their symmetry, side-gabled roofs and centered chimneys, though colonials typically feature multiple stories and a larger number of windows.
What do Cape Cod houses look like?
A Cape Cod house is a low, broad, single-story frame building with a moderately-steep-pitched gabled roof, a large central chimney, and very little ornamentation. The space above the first floor was often left unfinished, with or without windows on the gable ends.
Are Cape Cods good houses?
If someone asked you to envision a classic American cottage, the picture of a Cape Cod house surely comes to mind. The charming yet simple homes are so closely tied into our American vision of home—and for good reason. Cape Cods are a manageable size, efficient to heat, and conducive to additions.
What is a half Cape Cod house?
There are three types of Cape Cod houses: a half-Cape, ¾-Cape and a full-Cape. The half-Cape has two front-facing windows and a door off to the side. Three-quarter-Capes have two windows, a door and a single window on a smaller end of the house.
How do you style a Cape Cod house?
Defining features of a Cape Cod Symmetrical appearance with a centered front entry. Steep roofs with side gables and an overhang. Shingle siding. Gabled dormers. Double-hung windows with shutters. Centralized chimneys. Simple exterior ornamentation.
How do you modernize a Cape Cod exterior?
What’s unique about Cape Cod-style homes? Add or replace the fence. Put in bigger windows. Add planter boxes to windows. Upgrade to new exterior shutters or repaint existing ones. Simplify outdoor decor. Throw in a pop of color to your landscaping. Reveal the original siding.
Where did the Cape Cod style house originated?
Colonial Cape Cod Home Though the style is quintessentially American, the first Cape Cods were developed by early settlers from England in the 1600s. Partially inspired by the simple, thatched cottages common in Britain, the settlers adapted the style to keep out the harsh New England winter.
What is the most common house style in America?
Ranch house styles are the most searched style in the US today and are common in cities and suburbs across the country. There are various ranch house styles, including California and split-level ranch homes. The main distinguishing features between these styles are living space and home layout.
How do you open a Cape Cod home?
Open Up Walls One of the best ways to create the illusion of more space is by opening up your space and removing walls. The Cape Cod home traditionally consists of enclosed spaces. By opening walls, you’re not actually adding square footage, but you improve flow and brighten the space by letting in more light.
How high is a Cape Cod house?
Cape Cod Interiors Are Nostalgic and Modern The interior of a Cape Cod house strives for intimacy. The homes are typically 1 or 1 1/2 stories, usually featuring low ceilings, although modern Capes have increased the ceiling height.
Why do Cape Cod houses have shingles?
How to make it your own: Originally designed to prevent the buildup of snow and ice, these steeply pitched roofs are very practical in cold climates, regardless of the style of home. Element: Double dormers. They punctuate the steep rooflines of many Cape Cod homes.
Do all Cape Cods have dormers?
Unlike the American Foursquare or other Colonial Revival house styles with one centered dormer on the roof, a Cape Cod style will often have two or more dormers. Dormers come in all shapes and sizes, however.
What does Colonial home look like?
Colonial-style homes normally have a square or rectangle shape, with the door located in the exact center and the same number of windows reflected perfectly on either side. They traditionally have two to three stories with similar, traditional room layouts.
