There is no default design when it comes to garage doors for contemporary architecture. Advances in styles and materials give you a range of options to give your modern home a consistent look all the way to the garage. Don’t gloss over it — garage doors take up a large amount of visual real estate and have the impact to match.
Whether you want a Mid-Century door with sleek, narrow windows or a glass garage door, Clopay has you covered.
Low-Maintenance Modern Garage Door Ideas
Below, you'll learn more about modern garage door designs when upgrading your home.
1. Aluminum and Glass Garage Doors
Glass garage doors are made of aluminum frames with tempered glass or acrylic panels that let natural light into the garage, making it a more inviting space. The doors come in a variety of frame colors and glazing options to match or complement the exterior. You can also choose the shape of the window panels to coordinate with the size and shape of the other windows and doors on the home.
Clopay’s best-selling Avante® AX has a traditional grid pattern. The new Avante Sleek model has long horizontal glass or acrylic panels with minimal vertical stiles (or none at all depending on the size) for an unobstructed panoramic view.
Glass garage doors aren’t just for the garage. Builders are getting creative and customizing them in many sizes and finishes to use as patio doors, pool house doors, and even as small pass through windows that can be opened up for outdoor entertaining when the weather is nice.
They are also a popular choice for hobby barns to easily move equipment in and out or to increase square footage of hospitality venues during large gatherings.
When closed, the Avante becomes a large window wall so strength and thermal protection are important. Polyurethane insulated models have a 3.8 R-value when paired with tempered insulated glass.
An integrated bulb seal between the tongue and groove section joints keeps out air and water. The doors meet ASHRAE 90.1 and IECC air infiltration (AI) requirements and insulated models comply with HFC-free mandates.
2. Modern Steel Garage Doors
Low-maintenance Modern Steel™ garage doors have Mid-Century appeal with a simple flush or grooved panel design.
Choose from standard garage door colors like black, brown or tan to make the door blend into the façade or go bold with bright orange or aquamarine for a true 1950s vibe. Clopay’s Color Blast custom factory finish option gives you the option to match any exterior with over 1,500 Sherwin Williams paint colors.
Modern Steel customization doesn’t stop with color. There are a variety of window styles and sizes, including slim contemporary windows, that can be arranged in several unique patterns. Windows can be stacked vertically down one or both sides of the door, staggered diagonally, or placed in every section for a full-view door that lets in plenty of natural light.
The Modern Steel is an insulated door with R-values ranging from 6.3 to 18.4. Garage door insulation offers several benefits besides improved energy efficiency. The doors will keep the temperature inside the garage and rooms above it more comfortable year-round as well as improve dent resistance and dampen the sound of the door opening and closing.
3. Faux Wood Modern Doors
If you want a contemporary wood door, but don’t want the upkeep, the Canyon Ridge Modern faux wood garage door is a durable, weather-resistant option that looks and feels like the real thing.
Statement-making and sophisticated, Canyon Ridge Modern garage doors combine wood textures with key elements of contemporary architecture: clean, horizontal lines with mid-century appeal, sleek windows and even metallic accents.
Perfect for humid environments, the doors are constructed in moisture-resistant composite that won’t rot, warp, or crack. The material is molded from real wood pieces to replicate the natural texture and grain pattern of the species it emulates.
An energy-efficient, 2”-thick polyurethane foam-insulated steel core provides R-values up to 18.4, depending on the design. Cladding choices include Clear Cypress or Mahogany, primed, painted or stained. Like all Clopay modern door models, built-in WindCodereinforcement for hurricane regions is also available.
4. Natural Wood: Custom to the Maximum
All garage doors have a degree of customization with design, color and window choices, but the ultimate material for design flexibility is natural wood. Our wood door team works with you to source the best species for the intended location and handcrafts each door to your specifications based on an approved drawing.
You can mix materials, tones and shapes to create a durable, insulated garage door that perfectly complements the home and other exterior wood accents. The result is a one-of-a-kind door that is truly a work of art.
While wood doors do require upkeep, our precise construction method and factory finishing process ensures your door is built to exacting standards and will endure the elements with proper care.
Choose Clopay and CornellCookson for Architectural Support
With such a variety to choose from, there is sure to be a Clopay garage door to match your home’s unique style.
Clopay and CornellCookson offer architectural support at any stage of your design process, including drawing up plans and engineering a solution that fits your vision. For more modern garage door ideas browse our modern garage designs or call us at 883-707-0082 to speak with a consultant.
