Best Of 69+ Charming Traditional Cape Cod House Designs With Many New Styles

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Are you looking to bring a classic and timeless charm to your home? Look no further than traditional Cape Cod house designs! These house designs are renowned for their distinct whitewashed façade, steep gabled rooflines, and quaint charm. In this toplist article, we have compiled some of the best Cape Cod house designs to help inspire your own home design. From classic to contemporary, you'll find the perfect style to suit your needs.

Cape Cod Cottage Styles

Art Deco house designs are abundant with cape cod cottage styles. Plus, the Cape Cod style is traditional and extremely popular in the northeastern United States. Characterized by the steeply pitched roof, the multiple windows, and the overall cozy, inviting cottage-like look, the cape cod cottage style look is popular in beach towns and other waterfront or rural community neighborhoods. The gable roof is usually the most noticeable design aspect of the Cape Cod cottage which makes it a undistinguishable art deco house style.

Cape Cod Cottage Styles

Saltbox House Designs

An evergreen favorite, the saltbox style of art deco house design has been an inspiration to many builders and home owners. Characterized by the two-story steep side roof, the saltbox style usually had the kitchen and the living room in the lower part of the house with the bedrooms located on the upper floor. This design is common in rural and farming communities. The steeply pitched roof captures more of the sun’s rays and keeps the upper floor warmer in the winter.

Saltbox House Designs

Traditional Colonial Home Layouts

Traditional Colonial layout is by far one of the most popular art deco house designs. This style dominates the Northeast and is the predominant style when an area is switching from mostly farmland to large urban development. This style is admired for its integration of modern and old architecture with the added bonus of making a house look good in almost any setting. Characterized by the two-story shingled or clapboard sides, the symmetrical three-window front facade, and the various wooden accents, the traditional colonial art deco house style permeates northeastern urban neighborhood.

Traditional Colonial Home Layouts

Traditional New England Beach Houses

Many traditional New England beach houses use an art deco style as well. These homes often feature a gable roof and usually have shingles or clapboard siding, which will often be painted with a light colored accent color. The porch and decking are usually made with the same style of wood, and generally wrap around most of the homes exterior. Windows on these homes are often glass, although some may use shutters. The design of the windows, and their location on the house, can determine its overall look.

Traditional New England Beach Houses

Traditional Cape Cod House Designs

Typically featuring a distinctive gable roof, the traditional Cape Cod house design is a classic in American architecture. The one-and-a-half-story to two-story homes have few windows, although for a beach house, large windows can be added to take advantage of the view. Interior details such as beams, paneling, and wood plank floors make it inviting. Other architectural features include broad overhanging eaves, gingerbread detailing, and simple patterns such as a single half-story dormer.

Traditional Cape Cod House Designs

Early American-Style Home Designs

The early American-style home combines different architectural styles including Dutch, German, Swiss, and English. These designs feature a variety of materials such as wood, stone, brick, and siding. Roofs for these homes vary from gambrel, gable, and hip. Windows are often an impressive six-over-six double-hung style, and the front door is usually an impressive entrance to the house. Decorative touches, such as mature greenery, archways, delicately painted porches, and traditional gingerbread style dentals make it an unmistakable art deco house design.

Early American-Style Home Designs

Timber Frame Home Design Ideas

Timber framed houses have been around since the 1500s, but this style is looking more modern and up-to-date as time passes. Timber Frame houses come in many different styles and sizes, but the most popular designs tend to feature a post and beam style frame. The posts contain the load bearing capacity of the frame, while the beams connect them and provide support for the roof. The exterior of the home usually features clapboard, shingle, or brick siding. Windows are usually large, and there may be an overhanging porch.

Timber Frame Home Design Ideas

Gambrel Roof House Styles

The gambrel roof house style is characterized by its two sloping sides, much like the shape of a barn. This style is quite popular in rural or suburban neighborhoods, and is one of the earliest versions of the Modern architecture. It has an asymmetrical look with a steeply pitched gable roof and usually has two large, rectangular windows in the front of the house. It is an eye-catching style and is often found in country-style art deco house designs.

Gambrel Roof House Styles

Tudor Style Home Layouts

The Tudor style home is an exemplar of English country estate architecture. Characterized by the storied medieval-looking architecture, it typically features half-timbering and ornate stonework. The steeply pitched gable roof, the second story and attic dormers, and the symmetrical placement of windows are other features of the Tudor style home layout. This is one art deco house style that adds a regal appearance and an Old World sophistication to residential neighborhoods.

Tudor Style Home Layouts

Georgian Style House Designs

Inspired by the golden age of Georgian art, the Georgian style house is perfect for a homeowner with an eye for the classic and sophisticated. Characterized by the two to three stories with a symmetrical facade, the traditional Georgian style house features a hipped roof, double hung windows, stone cladding, wide overhangs, and an entrance on the central axis of the house. The elegance and sophistication of this classic art deco house design have endured for centuries.

Georgian Style House Designs

Victorian Home Layouts

The Victorian style home has been around for centuries, and is still a favorite of many homeowners today. Characterized by asymmetrical shapes with panels of glass and wooden ornamentation, the Victorian style home usually features steeply pitched roofs, porches, balconies, gilded trim, and the intricate detailing throughout. Classical points of interest like the ornamental peak, the towering columns, and the intricate wood carvings make this art deco house design a timeless classic.

Victorian Home Layouts

Cape Cod House Design Aesthetic

Traditional Cape Cod House Designs

The Cape Cod house style is defined by a simple, boxy form typically with a symmetrical facade. Its gable roof and clapboard siding introduce texture to the homes exterior, giving it a classic, New England charm. The modest overhangs characteristic of these homes also add to its New England aesthetic; intended to protect its inhabitants from the region’s persistent rain and snow.

Cape Cod House Design Foundations

Traditional Cape Cod House Designs

The Cape Cod house style was originally designed to maximize efficiency and durability for New England’s harsh winters. Its signature features are designed to protect against the climate. Features like large, overhangs provide a strong foundation for walls and doors while still maintaining a classic countryside aesthetic

Material Choices for Cape Cod House Design

Traditional Cape Cod House Designs

Clapboard or shingle siding are the classic materials at play in a Cape Cod style home. These materials are excellent at protecting the home from the elements and require little maintenance. While modern Cape Cod homes bring a soft color palette for its siding, original Cape Cod designs bring a white or gray hue.


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