12 Cape Cod-Style Homes With Curb Appeal Ideas to Steal

Cape Cod homes may be most commonly found in their native New England, but this quaint architectural style with built-in cottage charm is springing up everywhere. If you're looking for ways to enhance the curb appeal of your home, the HGTV Magazine editors are here with their favorite Cape Cod-style houses from across the country that are filled with unique design details. Read on for tons of inspiration.

Location: Provincetown, MA

Built in: 1890

Size: 2,400 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (house) Good Morning Sunshine and (trim) White Dove, Benjamin Moore

"Our house has been several colors under previous owners, including pink and white. But we’ve always kept it a bright, cheerful yellow," say homeowners Bobby Kelley and Christos Jay. To keep the wood picket fence looking crisp and clean, they scrape and repaint it every few years. "We love how the house sits back from the sidewalk because it gives us more room to grow things in our garden," they say. A mix of knock out roses, hameln fountain grass, limelight hydrangeas and sunflowers gives the yard a lush but natural feel.

Location: Omaha, NE

Built in: 1941

Size: 3,000 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (house) Ultra White, Valspar; (shutters and door) Gale Force, Sherwin-Williams

"We moved from an apartment in New York City and love that the house looks so quaint," say homeowners Megan and Phillip Durham. The weathered gray shingles and steep roof are hallmarks of this architectural style. For more curb appeal, a local carpenter built the planter boxes by the front door to match the house. "People always comment on how beautiful the flowers in the planters are. We change them seasonally."

Location: Kalamazoo, MI

Built in: 1938

Size: 1,500 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (house) Kingsport Gray and (door) Buttered Yam, Benjamin Moore

The house had a flat front, so homeowners Mark and Therese Winnard installed the portico and corbels over the front door for some architectural detail. They're favorite ugrade: the stone paver patio with seating. "We love that it’s welcoming to neighbors, and it was more cost-effective than building a porch," they say. The pillows, which tie in with the front door, are made with Sunbrella fabric. They consider their front door the perfect shade of orange — not too Halloween-y and not too salmon. For low-maintenance landscaping, Therese started planting more perennials, like ligularia, lantana and guaras. She sculpts the boxwoods herself.

Location: Seattle, WA

Built in: 1930

Size: 2,900 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (house and fence) Brilliant White and (shutters) Black Forest Green, Benjamin Moore; (door) Red Tomato, Sherwin-Williams

It doesn’t get much more picturesque than this classic Cape, with its trio of second-floor dormers and sharply pitched roof covered in cedar shakes. The house was originally built without a portico — it was put on to make entrances and exits more pleasant in the wet Seattle weather. “This Cape Cod-style home is one of a kind in the neighborhood, and it couldn’t be more charming. It feels like you’re being welcomed right in when you walk by,” say homeowners Alexis and Donald Gill. One of the their favorite details is the barn-style Dutch door with a divided window on top and a Z-brace on the bottom. They inherited this deep red color and still love it.

Location: Minneapolis

Built in: 1940

Size: 3,900 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (house) Sutton Place Grey and (trim) Crisp Linen White, Glidden

“When we bought the home, it had steel siding and a flat front. We changed the steel to stone veneer, added siding that mimics the look of cedar shakes and put on a charming portico," say homeowners Amy and Mike Kolar. Dormer windows, like the ones here, are a classic detail of Cape Cod–style homes. They help carve more interior space under the steeply pitched roof. This roll-up garage door mimics two separate carriage doors with iron handles; it’s stained to match the front door. Amy and Mike chose plants that are substantial even when they’re not in bloom. The shrubs in front of the house include early summer-blooming sundrop spirea, Hughes juniper and springblooming My Monet weigela.

Location: Richmond, VA

Built in: 1946

Size: 1,450 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (house) Historical Gray and (trim) Ultra Pure White, Behr; (door) Pink Shadow and (window trim) Iron Ore, Sherwin-Williams

“Our street is known as the ‘Williamsburg block’ because many homes were modeled after those in Colonial Williamsburg," say homeowners Courtney O’Hara and Andy Daniel. "We made ours stand out with a new black roof and shingles on the peaks of the dormers.” The asphalt shingles are designed to resemble cedar shakes, lending a hint of history. “It’s one of my favorite details,” says Andy. The soft blush color on the front door (and the storm door) plays up the delicate dentil molding on the doorway and above.

In the beds along the front of the house, Courtney and Andy planted August moon hosta and Sasanqua camellia. Both tolerate the shade from the surrounding trees. “When they’re not in bloom, the annuals in the planters add color,” says Andy.

Location: Salt Lake City

Built in: 1936

Size: 3,400 Ssq. ft.

Paint colors: Try (house) Charcoal Slate, (door) Heritage Red, (door surround) Black Iron and (trim) Super White by Benjamin Moore for a similar look.

“Our Cape Cod was originally light gray, including the chimneys, and it looked washed out. We had the brick restored, then replaced the wood siding with dark gray composite shingles for more contrast. It’s totally fresh yet still classic," say homeowners Susan and Tom Smith.

The glorious door color — already in place when the Smiths moved in — is handy for giving friends directions. “There are a few similar homes on our block, but we can always say we’re the one with the red door,” says Susan. In hallmark Cape Cod style, there’s no portico over the entry — instead the facade is flat. A dentil-molding trimmed crosshead above the door makes the perfect spot for house numbers.

Location: Duxbury, MA

Bought in: 1991

Paint color: Try Gray Cloud by Benjamin Moore for a similar look.

This quaint Cape is the perfect mix of tradition and whimsy. It doesn't get more classic than the weathered cedar shake siding, slate roof and center chimney, while the lush landscaping gives enchanted cottage vibes.

Location: Decatur, GA

Built in: 2015

Size: 4,900 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (house) Classical White, (trim) Snowbound and (door) Leisure Blue, Sherwin-Williams

“Although our place is fairly new, it has the character of an older home," say Ila and Donnie Wade, homeowners. "The white color is classic, while the deep porch with columns and grid-pane windows have timeless style — and they’ll never get old to us.” The front door is a tribute to “Carolina blue.” (Donnie is a University of North Carolina Tar Heels fan.) The diamond transom adds a hint of storybook charm.

Location: Madison, WI

Built in: 1923

Size: 2,400 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (house) Superwhite, (trim) Coastal Plain and (door) Basil, Sherwin-Williams

“When we found our place, we immediately saw its potential, despite the old white paint and boring cement stoop," say homeowners Linda and John Bergh. "New pavers on the steps and a fresh coat of paint highlight its character.” Original to the home, the door has trim with rosettes carved in. Painting it lily pad green showed off its paneling and overall charm. Copper roofs top the bay windows with frames painted minty green for more inviting vibes. Leaning into cottage style, they planted perennials of different colors, textures and heights: guacamole hosta, hydrangea paniculata, clematis and Stella De Oro daylily.

Location: Richmond, VA

Built in: 1946

Size: 3,000 sq. ft.

Paint colors: (front door) Billowy Breeze and (house) Regatta, Sherwin-Williams; (trim) Super White, Benjamin Moore

“We wanted an inviting front porch, so we added one that spans the width of the house," say Lisa and Ed Slattery, homeowners. "The new roofline and columns also gave our Cape Cod major impact.” Instead of installing railings on the porch, they went with giant planters filled with colorful zinnia to keep the look breezy. Painting the original door a shade of blue that contrasts with the house gave it a winning update.