Key Elements of Cape Cod Architectural Style

If you are looking for a home that is stylish, practical, and packed with architectural interest, a Cape Cod style home like the 2015 HGTV Dream Home may be perfect for you. Designer Brian Patrick Flynn discusses the key elements in this HGTV video:

The central house is built first, with the left and right wings added as the family gets larger. Symmetry plays a major part in the central home with the central door flanked by windows. Typically pane windows are used on the first floor and dormer windows on second floor bedrooms or attics. Symmetry also makes its way over to the wings, with identical window placement on the left and on the right.

Some other key elements are cedar shakes and clapboard which are used on the roof and exteriors. Cedar shakes on top are grayer than those on the side, which is typically due to aging. The large number of shutters are not only aesthetic, offering a place to play with color, but also functional. In coastal towns that experience heavy rain or violent storms, closing the shutters will protect the windows from water leakage.