Cape Cod Home Style

The Cape Cod Home

Although it has English roots, the Cape Cod style home is distinctly American. It evolved in New England from Colonial style houses in the early 1700s, primarily in response to the availability of materials and the area's harsh, stormy climate. Our Cape Cod continues this early tradition of being simple and modest.

Essential design elements

Cape Cod homes feature steeply pitched roofs with side gables, and occasionally a bowed or gambrel roof. Shed or gable dormers are often aligned with windows on main floor, and large chimneys are lined on center with front door and linked to fireplaces in each room. Multi-paned double-hung windows are common, often with shutters, as well as small 'prayer' windows in gable corners.

Craftsman Bungalow Doors

Quintessential doors

Craftsman Bungalow homes typically have one main entry door, although there can be numerous auxiliary doors leading to patios, decks, the backyard or a side yard. Craftsman Bungalow doors typically feature stained wood and are rarely painted, which helps accentuate any use of art glass, which is common to doors of this style.

Craftsman Bungalow Quintessential Doors

Quintessential windows

While Craftsman Bungalow homes utilize a variety of window types, some themes remain consistent within the style. Double-hung windows with stained wood interiors are predominant, but casement windows are also common. The windows are typically vertical in proportion, although single-opening accent windows do not always follow this rule.
Grilles are used in the upper windows and are vertically proportioned or square. Grilles are never horizontal, even in accent windows.

Style options

More on this home style

Pattern books from the Andersen Style Library present quintessential details of the most popular American architectural styles, with an emphasis on window and door design. The result of years of research, they exist to make it easier to create homes with architectural authenticity.