Garages make up to 40% of a home's exterior. For occupying that much real estate, garage doors frankly aren't getting enough attention. Understandably, a garage door is pretty utilitarian in nature. Because of this, it's often a missed design opportunity.
This guide will cover eight overhead door design ideas to help you complete the look of each home you're working on and further its curb appeal.
1. | Amp Up Curb Appeal
First, focus on function. The way a door operates and how it will be used will be a major determining factor in the type of door that you choose for your project. Next, you'll design the door to coordinate with the home's architecture. The residence may have a modern look, with sharp edges, metallic elements and a monochrome color scheme. Or, the house may have a rustic style that emphasizes stone, warm wood, and earthy tones. Selecting a garage door that complements the design of the home helps create a cohesive design.
For a more modern house, you could choose an aluminum garage door design with reflective, clear or cloudy square glass panels. A rustic style would benefit from a wooden carriage house door.
RELATED: An Architect's Garage Door Selection Guide
2. | Add a Pop of Color
A brightly colored garage door adds design contrast and personality. This technique works great when the overall home design is more neutral. It's an easy way to draw attention to the garage and add energy to a homeowner's property. To ensure the final look is cohesive, you can incorporate the garage door's color in other elements, like the front door or window shutters.
If you are considering this style, remember that the garage door will have a big impact. This tactic might not appeal to all home buyers. So, before you take the plunge, make sure to think carefully about the overall aesthetic and potential buyers preferences.
3. | Choose a Contrasting Texture
Add a unique element to a home by choosing a garage door with a different texture than the rest of the house. For example, you can select a door with vertical lines if your client's residence has horizontal siding. This design choice adds some visual variety to the home's appearance.
For a more subtle effect, consider making the garage door the same color as the rest of the house. With this approach, you'll bring more attention to the differing textures. You can also make the door a different color for more contrast with the exterior.
4. | Create a Monochromatic Look
To achieve this garage door design, you can make the entry the same color as the rest of the house. This creates a clean, cohesive look and brings more attention to the home's roof or the surrounding property. Many architectural garage designs feature pure white color schemes, but you can also achieve this look with options like forest green or dark blue. The color you choose depends on your client's preference and style.
5. | Remember the Hardware
Decorative and practical, garage door hardware adds character. Hardware accents like ring pulls, decorative hinges and studs (clavos), brackets and plates, and window grilles and latches compliment a variety of architectural styles. A popular practice is to add black steel elements to white doors. However, you can incorporate hardware with any color or finish, depending on the style that you're aiming for.
Swing-out garage doors are gaining popularity with homeowners. While this design is a coveted aesthetic, it's not overly practical. The right hardware can help you achieve the look without sacrificing motor-operated functionality. To get the swing-out door look, use a combination of strap hinges, latches, pull handles and rings, and clavos.
Or, to make things even easier, you can opt for carriage house garage doors. Carriage-style or barn-style garage doors have the look and feel that you're going for, including the rustic wood-look and natural finishes. Plus, you get all of the functionality and easy maintenance an overhead door.
6. | Accent your garage door with lighting.
In addition to making it easier to see at night, garage door accent lighting boosts curb appeal. Some typical methods include adding lights that shine up at the doors or sconces that are above or at the upper corners of the doors.
One innovative way to incorporate lights is to install them around the door frame. This technique lets you add a warm glow to the door's edges while providing sufficient light to see. It's also a unique take on garage door lighting, which will highlight the entrance.
Depending on the style you hope to achieve, you can use lights with warm or cold temperatures. One example of an effective pairing is to add warm surrounding lights to a wooden garage door. This technique will complement the warm tones of the wood and provide a cheerful and inviting glow.
7. | Choose Where You Want Emphasis
One of the best things about garage doors is how much influence they have over the rest of a house. You can direct viewers' gazes to various parts of a house depending on the garage door design you choose. If your client has a detached garage and wants passersby to pay more attention to their home's front door, you can make the garage door the same color as its siding and choose a noticeable color for the main entrance.
Introducing a fun pattern or color can also draw more attention to the garage. Or, to facilitate a more even assessment of the house, make all the windows and doors the same color.
8. | Find Inspiration in Surrounding Features
The most effective way to complement a house is to choose a garage door design with similar features. For example, you may add paned windows to the door to resemble the home's paned windows. Another way to design a garage door using surrounding features is to use elements outside your client's home.
Let's say the home you're designing has a vibrant orange table and chairs that stay outdoors year-round. You can unite this feature with the rest of the house by incorporating other orange elements, like painting the garage door this cheerful color. You can also use the environment in the area for creative inspiration. If your client lives in the woods, you can paint the garage door a beautiful green to complement the trees, or if they live in a rocky area, you can paint it a slate gray.
Keeping a home's surroundings in mind when designing its garage door is a great way to create a harmonious style that improves curb appeal.
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