Colonial Charm in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

The historic town of Portsmouth, New Hampshire is a treasure trove for lovers of history and architecture. Its abundance of colonial homes set in quaint neighborhoods near the harbor makes for a fun day of exploring. We hope the houses featured below will give you plenty of inspiration for adding colonial charm to your home, wherever you live.

Charming Capes

Cape Cod architecture is iconic in New England and has been adopted in many other places as well.

Seen above and below, there are many variations of the Cape. Dormers, shutters, and pediments over the front entry can be added to individualize these homes.

Colonial Color

Colonial homeowners weren’t as drab in their tastes as we might imagine. Although the range of colors available to them wasn’t what it is now, they often painted their homes in bold, rich hues.

The cheerful orange house above is symmetrical, right down to the plantings in the garden. The homeowner chose to leave the wooden door with is hinges intact to emphasize the antique look of the house. A simple willow basket is the perfect adornment.

Rich, creamy yellow has always been popular. Many homeowners leave their exteriors unadorned to emphasize the symmetry of the architecture.

Note how the flowering quince above reflects the orange color of the front door and mullions in the windows.

The deep blue house above suits its harbor side location. The straightforward entry opens directly to the street with a granite step.

Many colonial era homes are stained deep brown, like the above house. The original builders may have left the siding unpainted because pigments were expensive, and current owners, in a nod to history, have maintained the look. Pops of red create a cheerful contrast to the sober exterior.

White birch logs in terra cotta containers draw the eye to the center of this house and provide the only adornment.

Colonial Color

Although many people think of white houses when they think of New England architecture, we have plenty of color too. If you’re tempted to paint your house an historic color, there are many choices available to you.