Choosing new windows for your Cape Cod home can be an exciting process, and sometimes a bit daunting too. There are so many replacement windows to consider. How do you know which types will look best?
The good news is, once you understand what makes Cape Cod architecture stand out, it becomes much easier to select new windows that preserve your home’s beloved coastal cottage character, while also giving your house the strong protection it deserves against Chicago’s tough weather. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is Cape Cod Architecture?
Replacing the windows in a Cape Cod home begins with understanding what window styles will look appropriate. First, it helps to know that this cottage-style house is an offshoot of Colonial architecture, which explains its straightforward, symmetric appearance. While Cape Cods are quite common on the East Coast, they are also a popular style in the Chicago area.
Cape Cods have a minimalist, clean rectangular footprint, with design features that are cozy, soothing, and well balanced from every angle. They are usually one to one-and-a-half floors, with a steep roof, low ceilings, and shingle or clapboard siding. With this in mind, your replacement windows will need to usher in natural lighting and fresh breezes with a sense of classic style.
New Window Types That Look Great on a Cape Cod Home
When choosing replacement windows, stay true to your Cape Cod architecture by keeping the style classic, elegant, and balanced. Our favorite recommendations follow:
1. Remain Classic with Double-Hung Windows
As one of the most popular replacement windows across the country, the double-hung style makes a great fit for Cape Cod houses. These tall, rectangular windows feature two sashes that can be opened—one from the top down, and the other from the bottom up. Double-hung windows look traditional and practical, a good match for a Cape Cod’s easy, unassuming visual appearance. These windows come with a tilt-in feature for convenient cleaning on any floor of your home, and they create refreshing ventilation.
2. Add a Touch of Simplicity with Single-Hung Windows
Like double-hung windows, the single-hung frame is tall and rectangular, with a classic look that complements many architectural styles. Only their bottom sash can be opened, offering a bit more safety that can be handy on your ground floor.
3. Get Practical with Casement Windows
Similar to double-hung and single-hung styles in shape and appearance, casements operate with a crank handle that swings the glass pane outward (instead of being lifted with a sash). They are especially useful in places where it would be difficult to push a sash upward, such as behind the kitchen sink or high on the wall in a bathroom.
4. Achieve Space and Style with Bay or Bow Windows
Bay or bow windows (two styles that push outward from the exterior wall) invite in natural light and make space for a cozy reading nook or bench seating. Create the sense of symmetry Cape Cods need by installing identical style bays or bows on both sides of the front entrance.
5. Accent Your Entryway with Sidelites
The front entrance of a Cape Cod house is typically simple and streamlined. You can easily produce a bit more character and bring in more natural lighting by installing fixed sidelight windows along both sides of your entry door. Their glass can be plain, stained, or etched to fit your personal style preferences.
6. Create Unique Looks with Specialty Windows
Even though Cape Cods are traditional in design, it’s possible to get a little creative as long as you honor the house’s symmetrical look and don’t get overly intricate. For example, half round windows can add some visual oomph, as long as they are installed consistently above all other window systems. The key is to match the specialty windows with the Cape Cod’s overall unassuming, straightforward style.
Tips for Staying True to Cape Cod Style with Your Window Replacement
To create added visual appeal while honoring your Cape Cod home’s architecture, follow these suggestions for giving your windows a little more flair that will still look natural.
Add Grilles
Also known as window grids or muntins, grilles are the decorative bars that divide a large expanse of glass into small, symmetrical sections. Since grilles were once used to keep windowpanes in place, they are often seen on historical houses. If you want a classic look, grilles are a good choice. They can be fixed on the outside of the window, as is traditional, or you can opt for grilles between the glass to simplify upkeep.
Keep the Symmetry
Cape Cod houses are designed with a purposeful sense of symmetry and balance—with the same number of windows to the left and right of the front door. As you consider ways to add visually interesting features, keep in mind that matching those elements with even balance will help you stay true to your home’s architecture.
Choose Appropriate Color Schemes
While Cape Cods may be just about any shade you find attractive, they are most often painted in muted hues like soft greens and blues, earthy yellows, reddish-browns, beige, and sea-glass green. Consider white frames, since they easily complement this type of color palette.
Install Shutters
If your goal is to give your Cape Cod home a sense of eye-catching drama, consider using shutters. They create a polished look, and since they can be painted a bright or dark color, they add attractive contrast to light or soft neutral window frames.
Ready to Refresh Your Cape Cod Home with Beautiful New Windows?
Choosing the right windows for your Cape Cod-style home doesn’t have to be overwhelming, and you don’t have to go it alone. At Siding & Windows Group, we specialize in helping you find high-quality, energy-efficient replacements that perfectly suit your Cape Cod house and give you peace of mind. Explore our residential window replacements, and see how we can bring your vision for your home to life.
