Decorating For the Cape Cod Home

Decorating your home based on it's architectural styledefinitely a Cape Cod tradition. Paint your outside
is the first step in creating balance and harmony.trim, your porch, and perhaps even the shutters
Learn how to use color and fabric to complimentwhite. Paint your inside trim, your mantel, and
your Cape Cod home.perhaps even the doors and cabinets white. This
The Cape Cod style home is known for it's simplecreates a clean, crisp look that will compliment most
design, and architecture. Originating in the late 17thany color of walls and floors. Use a good quality
century in New England, and becoming very populargloss, or semi-gloss paint, to make cleaning your trim
between the 1930's - 1950's the Cape Cod stylea breeze. If you want to go even further with your
home represents America in it's simpler times. It isCape Cod decor, then wood flooring is also a
usually a one to one-and-a-half story home with atraditional Cape Cod feature. Wood flooring anchors a
chimney in the center, steep roof, symmetricalhome by adding warmth and natural beauty, and
appearance with the door in the center, andmodern technology, gives you many pricing and
multi-paned windows with shutters. When designingdesign options.
for a Cape Cod home, or giving your present home aWhen it comes to furniture and accessories for your
Cape Cod feel just keep in mind where and whenhome, keep the more expensive furnishings, such as
the design originated and this will make it simpler tocouches and other big ticket items neutral and
design a theme for your home.accessorize with color. One of the simplest, ways to
You have a lot of freedom with a Cape Cod home; itadd color, balance and texture to your home is to
can be casual or elegant, and does not necessarilyexperiment with different colored accent fabrics, in
need to be nautical. You can use the periods fromyour curtains, decorative pillows, throws, runners, and
the 17th century all the way through to the 1950's,rugs. Try to mix solids, prints, stripes, paisleys,
and decorate according to the styles used for thosechecks, and floral fabrics throughout your home. This
periods. From a casual rustic decor, from vintageadds balance, and draws the eye around the room.
1920's with all it's elegance and style, to the primaryDon't get carried away with this, or it could cause a
colors used in the 1950's. You can also, think of thechaotic feel. When deciding how to mix and match
natural surroundings of the home's area. Imagine allyour decorative pillows and other accent fabrics, get
the colors of the seaside, with it's peaceful blueideas from manufactures at fabric stores. See how
water and sky, the subtle shades of the sand, thethey incorporate large prints with small patterns, and
shells on the beach, seagulls in the air, watching thegeometrics with solids and do the same with your
sunset at the end of a peaceful day. Carry this imagethrow pillows, and other accent pieces. You can
with you, and pick five to seven colors withchange the entire look of a room by simply changing
inspirations from these natural surroundings and yourthe decorative pillows, runners, throws, curtains, or
on your way to a balanced, peaceful, harmoniousrugs.
theme for your home. Perhaps robin egg blue, sunriseBe proud of your Cape Cod style home; be creative
yellow, sunset red, cobalt grey, and creamy sand.and experiment with different colors, fabrics and
Add splashes of these colors throughout your homestyles. Take inspiration from your home's design and
with paint, accessories, and accent fabrics. The eye isnatural surroundings and you will be well on your way
drawn to color and texture. Adding splashes of color,to creating an inviting, comfortable atmosphere
and texture throughout a room creates balance andthroughout your entire home.
draws your eye around the room.Copyright © Valorie Mendiola, 2006. All Rights
The key to creating a Cape Cod feel is in the colorReserved.
of the trim. White trim both inside and out is