If bold nautical colors like bright yellow, red and navy blue doesn't really agree with your taste palette, you can go on the other end of the spectrum and choose light pastel colors and prints. Close your eyes and try to envision what you see when you think of a beach. What colors first pop into your mind? Light sandy browns, aqua blues, turquoises? Keeping a neutral color palette on furniture will give you the freedom to give those extra punches of color in your accessories.

Before you pick your furniture, decide on a wall color. Choosing a pale sea blue color can really help your walls pop. Adding one focal wall of white painted clapboard that has been distressed is a great way to add depth and character to your room. Adding white millwork to your existing walls will make a crisp contrast to the pale blue color. When choosing your artwork that will go on your wall, think simply. Add paintings of the ocean side in coordinating colors, or perhaps an anchor or lantern will also add plenty of character.

Choosing seating in a neutral color such as white, sand or pale blue will let you use your creativity when it comes to throw pillows, rugs and accessories. Try choosing pale colored prints in cool tones of blues and greens. Throw pillows with a "beach" look will make you feel as though you're sitting on a warm, sandy beach. Adding additional tables in a white washed finish will give your room a relaxed look while still seeming well polished.

When decorating in the Cape Cod style, accessories can make your room fantastic and it will cost you pennies or less. Go to a second hand store and purchase different apothecary jars in random shapes and sizes. Fill them up with things that remind you of the beach and ocean. Go to your local craft store and picking up soft edged pieces of sea glass in cool tones of blues and greens and placing them in one of the jars. You can also fill smaller ones up with sand or sea shells. Stuffing a larger apothecary jar with long sea grass is a great way to fill up a space. Using any of these interior design ideas will make you feel as though you are vacationing in gorgeous Cape Cod while in the comforts of your own home.

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  When considering a particular type of furnishings for your home, you need to consider style. Cape Cod furnishings are universally a popular choice.

Introduction to Cape Cod Furnishings

Cape Cod furnishings are more than just the furnishings themselves; it is a way of life. It is about the feeling of the ocean breezes, the open air, and the clean natural emotion of relaxation that is evoked from the furnishings.

Cape Cod furnishings really came about in the 1930’s to the 1950’s. People were looking for a way to slow down and enjoy life. The Cape was very popular at the time, a vacation spot that people would travel days to get to. It was a haven of serene tranquility but very creative with artists, poets, performers, and those with a passion for art. When arriving it was like stepping into a different era. The houses and furnishings had clean lines, neutral colors, simple curves, and other markings that we would now consider “shabby chic”.

Easy colors such as pale yellows, seaside blues, sandy creams, and plums replaced the previous use of dark cherry or oak. Furnishings were still elegant and modern but not imposing. Less is more was the Cape Cod motto. Pieces were painted and sanded down to give a worn and comfortable look. Light woods were used if the pieces weren’t painted, usually made to look like the color of the sand. Everything was fresh and lively, just like Cape Cod itself. Artisans starting using nature as their inspiration by taking the colors and lines from the sailboats, the water, the rocks, and even the seagulls.

The furnishings are basic with just a hint of French country styling. It is traditional yet elegant and modern. White washing pieces became hugely popular for this style at this time. The secret to the Cape Cod look is to have light or neutral pieces and accent them with bright colors in your drapes, rugs, pictures, or nautical items placed naturally on the furnishings. This is why the Cape Cod styles include pale or white pieces as to not take away from the beauty of the accessories or the beauty of the ocean.

When you think of Cape Cod furnishings, you think of a rustic calm cottage feel. It shows the soothing way of life. Everything made in the Cape Cod style has a relaxed feel to it. It is a refreshing style of that leaves you feeling like you are on a permanent vacation. If this is the theme you want for your home, Cape Cod is the look you are after.

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Cape Cod Style

By Cheryll Gillespie  

If you have never visited the Cape you should put it on your must travel to 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 sea side 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 light, 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.

The Cape is about color: seaside blues, sunny yellows, sunset corals and plums and sandy creams- easy living colors. This is unarguably a relaxing and identifiable Cape Cod palette. A palette that can easily be brought home to any home in North 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. Pull out the photos of your last seaside vacation or surf the net to find inspiration for a color 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. It generally takes 5-7 colors to complete a palette so you have opportunity to bring a lot of color into your rooms. Walls, upholstery, flooring, trim, and accessories are all opportunities to add color.

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.

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. Dark wooden or plastic curtain rodding can also be painted. Painted furniture is a staple in seaside retreats. Looking to update a tired kitchen- paint the cabinetry. Block sections with several different Cape Cod colors or adhere to the   white wash formula throughout. 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.

On your floors, the best options for this look are light colored hardwoods, with a natural and distressed look to them, lots of area rugs and patterned Saxony’s in the bedrooms.

Toss is a few nautical accessories such as framed antique maps and seascape paintings. On your table tops add lots of candles and seashells. Not too much so that the rooms appears contrived but rather just a few to bring the Cape home.

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