Portico Design Tips For Cape Cod Homes

Add charm to your Cape Cod home with a portico for your front entryway! Our New England landscape is dotted with history and beautiful architecture. The Cape Cod style house, known for its symmetrical simplicity, has been a treasured home design since its introduction in the late 17th century. Today’s designs often feature dormers, breezeways, or a covered entry, also known as a portico. The portico is the perfect way to add curb appeal and welcome visitors with protection from the weather. Here are three portico design elements that are popular on Cape Cod homes today:

Portico Featuring Painted Wood Brackets | Photo Credit: ProWoodMarket

Portico Roof Line: A portico on a Cape Cod home typically features a gabled roof that matches the roof pitch of the main house. However, porticos may also have a hip, shed, or flat style roof line. Flat roofs require rubber membrane roofing products but gable, hip, and shed roofs have more creative roofing options. They can feature traditional asphalt shingles, natural cedar shakes or more decorative roofing materials such as copper or colorful, standing seam metal roofing.

Columns or Corbels: Traditional porticos may feature support columns that are round or square. A smaller portico will usually feature single sets of columns; larger porticos may require additional sets of columns. Flying porticos, a portico without columns, looks beautiful with corbels or brackets. In addition to providing structural support, corbels and brackets add architectural interest and style.

Bead Board Ceiling: Beadboard, available in both panels or individual tongue and groove boards, is a decorative accent that is often installed on a portico ceiling. Beadboard ceilings can showcase the natural beauty of wood with a stain or can also be painted to add a pop of color. Beautiful shades of blue are a popular ceiling color that provide homeowners with a blue “sky” even on the grayest days.

When the time comes to design and build a portico or porch for your Cape Cod style home, trust your home to a professional contractor. Since 1978, our family has been providing quality construction and remodeling services to homeowners throughout Cape Cod, Southeastern Massachusetts, and Eastern Rhode Island. Qualified homeowners are invited to take advantage of our home improvement financing options. Get started on your project with a FREE quote! Text us, submit your information via our online web form, or give us a call at (508) 997-1111. Make your house a Care Free Home!

Thank you to Arturo Palombo Architecture for allowing us to share his classic Cape Cod home design. We would also like to thank ProWoodMarket for sharing a photo of their beautiful wood brackets. Explore portico styles in the video below!