The Yellow Houses of Cape Cod

I love a yellow house! I used to live in this yellow Federal era home when I lived in Newburyport, MA and I was just in love with it! On Monday I posted images of the White Houses of Cape Cod and as promised, our next group of classic antique New England homes are all yellow!

The house above is a classic center entrance colonial home in Sandwich, MA. This home is attached to the Dunbar Tea Room - a great spot to pick up custom teas or stay a while for a classic afternoon tea party!

The house below is a "Salt Box" colonial, which is an architectural style that originated in New England in the 17th Century. It's distinctive flat front and steep pitched rear roof line resembles the lidded box that salt was once stored in. The "salt box" style was a response to the high taxation the British government levied on two story homes . These homes had two stories in the front, but only one in the rear, thus exempting them from tax. Hah!

This gorgeous Federal home below is nestled in a behind some very old growth trees - so it was hard to get a good shot! But I love the prospect looking up the front walk. The planters and topiary are an elegant welcome to this gracious home, which is dated to 1797 according to the sign on the side of the house.

Of particular note are the round rooms along the right side of the building. I'd so love to get inside!

The Greek Revival house below showcases one of my favorite design styles. The elegant proportions and luxurious trim are just to die! And I love to deeper mustard color of this house.

A quiet little house behind a fence...

This final yellow house is actually a restaurant called The Lyric. Through the magic of megapixels and photo software, I'm able to determine that the little black plaque on the right dates the house to 1755.

The most notable feature is the ancient tree that grows at the foundation. The owners are clearly trying to preserve what they can by training it up the side of the building. Pretty spectacular! The house color is a classic Colonial ochre color - made from yellow ochre, white lead and calcium carbonate. This mixture resulted in an orange/yellow color that ranged from light yellow to this medium hue. Colonial colors were often very vibrant, but faded quickly.

I hope you enjoyed our little tour of Cape Cod Yellow houses. I still have more to come - including some beautiful repurposed churches, shingle homes, and more!