By Marina Case
There isn’t one singular style associated with Cape Cod. You’ll find homes here that are laid back and beachy, and others that are refined without being stuffy – the same as you would anywhere. What ties them together isn’t a look, but rather a sense of place. After being immersed in Cape and Islands living for years, I’ve come to recognize the same elements showing up again and again – in the materials, the palette, the furniture, the details – regardless of which direction a client wants to go.
Style Elements You’ll Spot in Cape Cod Homes
These are the elements we come back to again and again.
A Color Palette Pulled from the Land and Sea
Take a stroll on the Cape and you’ll notice you’re enveloped in soft whites, sandy tans, watery blues, and the muted greens of beach grass and hydrangea leaves. These are the colors I gravitate toward in almost every project we take on. I find when a home’s interior mirrors its surroundings, it just feels right.
Shades of aqua blue and coral find their way in too as accents with personality – as I love to add pops of color in unexpected ways.
Natural Materials That Feel Worn-In
Cape Cod homes have an ease with natural materials. I tend to incorporate:
• Linen and cotton upholstery
• Cozy wood tones
• Wicker, rattan, and cane accents, like a side chair, a lamp base, a • Nantucket basket
• Wool or cotton throws, sisal rugs, and other things with texture and history
If it looks like it could have been there for twenty years, it probably belongs!
Timeless Furniture
When it comes to furniture, I love how Cape Cod homes prioritize how these pieces feel and hold up from use after long days spent at the beach and relaxing nights filled with family and friends. Step inside a home on the Cape and you’re likely to find:
• Slipcovered sofas
• Upholstered armchairs with simple lines
• Wood dining tables with Hitchcock or ladderback dining chairs and ladderback chairs
• Painted furniture
All of these furniture styles evoke charm without fuss.
Layering Over Time
Interiors in this corner of Massachusetts look like they’ve been decorated over the years with items that hold meaning or which have been passed through the generations. When decorating a home for clients who want the Cape Cod style, I like to bring in:
• A mix of old and new items such as books, ceramics, and personal objects
• Art that is chosen because it means something to the homeowner
• A shell collection quietly displayed in a basket
• Copper molds hanging in a kitchen
• Vintage finds that have their own stories
To me, it’s all about spaces that tell the story of the people who live there.
Restraint in Styling
Cape Cod homes tend to be minimally styled. You’ll see fewer accessories, but the ones that are there are more intentional – nautical pieces chosen with purpose rather than to create a theme, a maritime landscape on the wall because it’s beautiful, iron hardware on the doors and cabinets because it feels right here, baskets because they’re actually useful.
Quintessential Cape Cod Architectural Details
There are some architectural elements that are synonymous with Cape Cod style: clapboard siding, stone chimneys, onion lanterns flanking front doors, beadboard, and rustic beams. These aren’t decorative choices — they’re what makes a house feel like it truly belongs here.
Summing Up What Defines Cape Cod Style: A Feeling of Ease
If I had to simply describe what defines Cape Cod style in a single word, I would have to say ease. That’s what the Red Shutters team and I reach for in the homes we work on here. When a space has it, you just know.
Ready to Get Started Transforming Your Space?
There are so many ways in addition to pattern to breathe fresh life into a home. View my Portfolio to see more examples of my interior design projects and follow us on Instagram for more interior design inspiration.
