Architecture: Cape Cod Style Home

History

Cape Cod Style Homes have a history that dates further back than most styles. The Cape Cod style home dates back to the cottages that people built in the medieval times. They were adopted by America and were being constructed in the Northern Colonies. They remained popular in the early 20^th century. Cape Cod style homes were also popular during the post-war building boom in America. They were mainly popular in the suburban areas. Many Cape Cod style homes you see today were built after World War II. Thousands of American soldiers returned home. They needed an inexpensive home for their family. These homes were the most popular choice for these soldiers.

Features

There were three categories of Cape Cod style homes in earlier times. The categories were full Cape, three-quarter, and half. They were nearly identical when it comes to the layout. The only difference between the three was where the windows were located.

Inside the home, a staircase would lead to an upper level. The toplevel of the home would contain two bedrooms. These would generally be children’s bedrooms.

The bottom level contained more rooms. This is where the rooms for daily living would be located. The kitchen, dining, toilet, and master bedroom would be on the lower level of the house.

The exterior home is made of natural materials. After a period of time, the wood would change to a grey color from being exposed to the weather. The shingles and the wood would be unpainted.

It was uncommon for a Cape Cod style home to have a front porch. The newer homes are equipped with a front porch. The front porch will usually be small and screened-in.

There are shutters on the windows. The shutters generally match the door. Sometimes they are painted white.

Other features of the exterior would be the roof and sometimes a garage. The roof is steep. Depending on when the house was built some of them have a garage. The garage would be detached.

One of the most important features of the interior of a Cape Cod style home is the white paint. The cabinets, walls, and mantels are generally painted white. The rooms would have white crown molding or trim.

The white goes right with other features of the interior such as the floor. The entire house has hardwood floors except the kitchen. The kitchen will have ceramic tiles or linoleum. Other places that are painted go well with the white. People tend to use blue color throughout the house.

Cape Cod Style Homes of Today

There have been some changes made to Cape Cod style homes since their birth. However, they are still common. They are also an affordable house compared to other modern homes.

Some homeowners have added to the design. They added wings onto the back to make the house bigger. They have also added roof dormers. The roof dormers ventilation, light, and it increased the space of the home.

People restore these homes and add the modern features. However, there are people that build new homes using the design of a Cape Cod style home. These homes have stayed popular throughout the years because they are more affordable and much smaller than some of the older styles.

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