A New Look for the Overlooked Garage Door

By Natalie Myers, Houzz

Sheepishly, we admit the garage door is one of the last things we think about when it comes to home updating projects. If it’s not broken, why fix it? Which leaves us with standard inexpensive doors that look exactly like the one the neighbors have. But there is a world of modern garage doors that not only increase your curb appeal, but may inspire you to use your garage as another living space.

The first image of the modern garage door that comes to mind is the frosted-glass-and-aluminum type. It fits into standard garage openings, so it’s an easy way to make your home stand out and look more modern without requiring much else be done to the landscaping or driveway.

This style garage door is not only for the suburbs. It can looks thoroughly urban in a small and narrow city dwelling. The rows and columns of glass panels will have to be adjusted for the atypically tall and narrow opening. When there is a will there is way, and this designer made it work.

The nighttime glow inside this garage is obscured by frosted glass and a layer of wood slats, creating a nice interplay of hide and reveal.

Glass and aluminum garage doors not for you? This gorgeous wood garage door camouflages with the rest of house’s wood facade and feels luxurious. Also, the horizontal wood application on this garage door gets the royal treatment with a wood trellis overhang. The shade provided by the trellis would allow the driveway to serve double duty as an outdoor social space.

More wood garage doors, this time the wood is applied vertically to integrate with the home’s wood columns.

Of course, garage doors need not only be used on garages. In this modular prefab home, a garage door serves as a floor-to-ceiling window that can be raised to create an al fresco dining experience.

Big or small, new construction or remodel, there are multiple ways to dress up your garage doors and make an architectural statement. Do you have an unusual garage door? Tell us about it in the comments!

Related links:
Exterior Materials Mix It Up
Hire a Siding Professional to Boost Your Curb Appeal
Wood Slats in Design: Repetition, Scale and Light