Bring the Cape feel to your home with these simple decorating tips.

If you have never visited the Cape, especially during the summer months, you should put it on your destination list. I just returned from my first visit to the historic Cape Cod area and not only did I bring home a better understanding of North American history but I also filled my suitcase with fabulous treasures and my notebook with a plethora of decorating ideas.

Salty seaside villages, beautiful beaches, creative folks, and fabulous shopping. The Cape has traditionally been a haven for all things creative. Artists, poets, performers, writers, and those with a passion for the arts have always been drawn to this area. Perhaps it's the freedom of expression this area has always been infamous for, or simply the appreciation that the community shows for artistic endeavors. If you are looking for inspiration, great art and unique pieces then you will love this part of America.

Coastal dreams don't have to end at the airport. You can live with seaside elegance and style all year long. Cape Cod style isn't necessarily casual it can also be modern and elegant.

The Cape is About Easy Living Colours

• Seaside blues
• Sunny yellows,
• Sunset corals
• Plums
• Sandy creams

This is unarguably a relaxing and identifiable Cape Cod palette. A palette that can easily be brought to any home in North America. It generally takes 5-7 colours to complete a palette, so you have an opportunity to bring a lot of colour into your rooms. Walls, upholstery, flooring, trim, and accessories are all opportunities to add colour.

Pull out the photos of your last seaside vacation or surf the net to find inspiration for a colour palette. The sand, the water, the rocks, the sky, and even the seagulls are all sources of inspiration when it comes to selecting your palette.

White Trim

• The secret to Cape Cod styling is in the white trim. If you are aspiring to design your home with a touch of the Cape, then the interior and exterior of your home should be trimmed with white.
• This is the element that keeps the space crisp and fresh.
• Fall is the perfect season to give your rooms and the exterior of your home a fresh coat of paint. The temperature is perfectly suited to properly curing paint- not too hot or too cold and it's comfortable to work in. Inside the home we can open the windows to avoid fumes.

White Washed Furniture

• Inside you can also consider painting or white washing your furniture.
• If you are tired of dark heavy woods, consider painting the wooden pieces with white or ivory paint.
• Painted furniture is a staple in seaside retreats.
• Looking to update a tired kitchen? Paint the cabinetry. Block sections with several different Cape Cod colours or adhere to the white wash formula throughout.

Window Coverings

• White wash dark wooden or plastic curtain rodding.
• Replace standard pulls with metal seashell or nautical pulls to really pull the look together.
• Windows are framed with drapery panels to direct the eye towards a brilliant vista.
• Louvered shutters also work well in this style of room.

Floors

• Light coloured hardwoods with a natural and distressed look.
• Lots of area rugs and patterned Saxony's in the bedrooms.

Nautical Accessories

• Framed antique maps
• Seascape paintings
• Candles
• Seashells

Don't add too many nautical accessories. You don't want your rooms to appear "contrived." Just display a few to bring the Cape home.

Need a local, pre-screened decorating expert to add a little seaside elegance to your home? Find them on casaGURU.

Emer Schlosser
		About the author:
		Always a fan of words in various glorious forms – novels, dialogue, lyrics, etc – Emer translated her passion into a writing career in 2005. She has since supplied gossip on celebrities to Canadian Press, interviewed individuals from the arts for Inside Entertainment, expressed her fondness for food for Cheese Boutique’s blog, & co-founded, edited and contributed to iheartthemusic.com. At the moment she’s taking the mystery out of Green Living and providing some great tips on Home Renovation, Decorating & Design and Curb Appeal to the members of casaGURU.com. casaGURU, “the homeowner’s home online”, is a free web community that connects homeowners and local house experts.
	Read More >>