Garage Doors Have a New Look
February 13, 2008 § 41 Comments
Garage doors rival the front door for attention these days as the look of the garage door becomes increasingly sophisticated and worthy of notice. This particular garage door even has lights trained on it to show off its beauty at night. Who could imagine that the old standard garage doors whose plain and often tennis-ball-dented faces needed camouflaging would be replaced by such distinctive architectural specimens.
Having said all that, please note that if you have one of these carriage doors or plan to get one or two or three, go ahead and show them off. But if your garage still has the garden variety garage door, you are best to paint it the house color with trim color around the outside and refrain from highlighting it. Continue to focus all eyes on your front door.
Your Home & Color Coach 
Hi,
we are replacing our garage doors–we have bone siding with white windows and trim. Our original doors were a light gray and we now have a choice of baked on finish in sandtone or gray or white. We did like the gray in combination with the bone siding, but wonder if the sandtone would be better–it is several shades darker than the bone of the siding.
Thanks, Betty
Ask your garage door company to provide “actual” color samples. The brochures are a lot different than the actual color. They should be able to show you a color wheel from the manufacture. Also, several manufactures have door designers on their websites these days. Amarr and Wayne-Dalton both have these great tools.
I believe Wayne-Dalton also allows you to upload a digital picture of your house and then put in a new door with your color choice.
Hope this helps
Shawn M. Black
Sales & Marketing Manager
Garage Doors Unlimited
(o) 858.751.2580 (f) 858.430.2478
http://www.gdusandiego.com
(e) shawn.black@gdusandiego.com
“We offer custom garage doors solutions, from our handcrafted carriage house doors to our commercial division GDU is committed to providing the service you deserve!”
Hello,
We recently bought a new home, and it needs a lot of updating. The home is of a contemporary style built in 1986. The exterior of the home is very monochromatic – gray on the blue side, not the tan/yellow side. The wood siding and the trim on the front (and the front door) of the home are the same gray color. The siding on the other 3 sides of the home is a slightly different shade of gray. The casement around the windows is gray.
The garage door is a very prominent feature on the front of the home.
We are in the process of replacing the roof and the garage door. I would like to introduce some more color to the home, but feel that painting the trim of the home a different color would make it look too choppy. My head is spinning a bit, and I would appreciate any advice you may offer. Thank you so much,
Jen Hope
Hi Jen,
Sounds like you have a classic contemporary. Since your garage is so prominent, I would make it even moreso by replacing what’s there now with a new solid wood. But in a contemporary style (no black hinge hardware for you). Then I would keep with the gray theme for the roof (unless you really want the roof to stand out). But don’t forget to update the front door, again with solid wood. The wood will instantly warm up your house and make it look less gray/(cold and contemporary).
If wood turns out to be cost-prohibitive, then choose a wonderful warm color. Match the garage and front doors. You have a unique situation in that your house is contemporary and monochromatic. Ignore my diatribes regarding garage door color matching the house color. They do not apply to your house.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Great site, kudos! Was wondering if you could help – trying to decide on color for new garage doors for my RI home, am thinking “bronze” (brownish-greenish). They’ll be carriage house-style steel with black accent hardware. I’ve read your other posts on garages / trim on brick houses, though my house has mixed siding – red clay brick (primary body), weathered shingle (“L” wing), painted wood (garage), black/gray/greenish asphalt roof – pics and color pallete at website provided. I like the bronze for a rustic / orchard look, although concerned a dark color door will chop up the house further and make house look smaller. Brick grout is more of a sandstone, but does have tinge of bronze. I do hope to tie things together more (and mute the ‘50’s look) with future painting of trim from white to olive / dark tan, and new front door stained honey / mahogany. Not the most color-savvy, so would appreciate the help. Thanks!
Hi Ben,
Sorry for the delay! I really like your ideas to create a rustic/orchard look. Very refreshing. Are you planning to paint the weathered shingles the same as the bronze garage or leave them the way they are? If you unify the two ends with color, the house will look bigger, not smaller, and quite grand. I also like your trim idea to blend with less contrast. Very nice.
Good luck. You’re good to paint!
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
We have a small ranch style house, brick (red brick with some accents of white, cream, grey blue and beige/tan grouting) with a large front porch and the double car garage on the left side of the house. The roof is standard black. We need to replace the siding and the garage door and are trying to match the garage door and the siding (on the ends of the house and below the two large front windows). The white trimmed windows have blue shutters and the blue front door has white shutters. Currently we have a beige garage door and beige painted wood siding. I’m a little over the top trying to decide the color of the siding, garage door, shutters on the windows and front door. We were thinking of making the siding and garage door and gutters a lighter color of beige and leaving the shutters blue with a little white trim around the windows and white front door shutters on the blue door. Or we could make the siding and garage door a little beige (kahki beige) with white trim and white gutters leaving the blue shutters on the windows trimed in white and the blue door with the white shutters. We want to make the house look less old fashioned and a little more up to date but am stuck as to which way to go. Any thoughts or suggestions?
Thanks.
Sue
Hi Sue (#5),
You’ve got lots going on there with shutters and trim and mixing and matching. I suggest a simplified approach which will update the house and make the choices easier.
Since you have white windows. I suggest white trim on the house overall. Beige (or a slightly richer khaki) siding is fine for house and garage. The shutters can stay a gray blue, but you might darken them to coordinate better with your black roof. So whatever they are now, just go to the bottom of the paint chip for the color.
As for the doors, again, you can use the dark gray blue if you wish but don’t bother with any shutters for the front door. That’s an outdated look and really easy to fix. If your garage door is not meant to be a focal point, then keep it the house color with white trim.
How does that sound? You were already started but just needed a couple of tweaks on your ideas.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
We have a 1970s colonial that is aluminum siding in yellow, a mustard (dijon)-like yellow. We have black shutters and a black front door, new gray/black shingled roof. The trim and garage are painted the same color as the house (as you seem to recommend). The garage door openers need to be replaced and the door either needs painting or replacement (they have faded and are a different shade than the house and there is peeling paint). I would repaint the same color as the house except (1) I don’t like the color so much, and (2) because of the landscaping around the house (fairly private), the garage is highly visible from the road, and next to the pretty landscaping, the main feature you see from the road. I am thinking that wooden garage doors would look very nice. Any guidance?
Hi Jodie,
I totally understand. You need garage doors with some presence. Yes, you can go with wooden garage doors in a mahogany or other medium-dark brown stain (in which case you might want to replace the front door with solid wood also) OR you can use white carriage doors with black wrought-iron hardware to match your black accents on the house already. The white doors with the black hardware give a very nice finished look that would not add another yellow-based color (the brown) to your color scheme. Not sure how the white holds up to tennis balls thrown against it, but if that’s not an issue, then go ahead.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Informative site, very useful.
Hello,
I am also in the process of updating garage doors. Our home is colonial with prominent dentil molding. We have a brick facade and cream/sand colored siding.
The shutters and front door are black and the trim is white. My question is should the garage door match the prominent cream colored siding or reflect the white trim work.
Thank you!
I recently purchased a 45 yr old split level home with a 2car attached garage. The house is tan (siding). The garage door is moss green as well as the front door. SO I painted the front door red, but I don’t want to paint the garage door red. I was thinking white and leaving the front door to stand on its on. Should I paint the trim around the windows and garage door red?
Hi Shona,
I suggest painting the garage door either the tan siding color or a shade or two darker to ground it. Then paint the trim everywhere either white or whatever it is now. But not red. The only red will be on the front door — a great way to indicate where guests should enter.
Hope that helps.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
One of the most overlooked area in improving curb appeal is the garage door. Front facing garage doors often take up 30% of the frontal view. Because the doors take up a large portion of what people see from the street, they will have an impact on a home’s curb appeal. Using plain vanilla garage doors can make an otherwise beautiful house boring even with other curb appeal upgrades. This is especially true In today’s housing downturn where buyers have the upper hand. First impression counts and buyers will typically bypass homes with little or no curb appeal.
The current trend in garage door is the carriage-house and barn-door styles. Doors are typically made of steel, composite material, and wood. Steel doors have come a long way. Current steel doors are imprinted with wood grains to look like natural wood. The “gold-standard” in garage door is still real wood door as it has the warmth and upscale look. However, wooden doors are not for everyone because of it can be expensive. Wooden doors are also difficult to maintain and install. Composite doors offer more realistic wood grain look but it is heavy.
We manufacture faux wood garage doors that address the need for doors to look like real wood (curb appeal) and affordability. Fatezzi’s faux wood garage doors are inexpensive relative to real wood door. It also eliminates the maintenance problems of natural wood when exposed to the elements. The material is light weight, will not crack, shrink or rot and can withstand hot and cold climate.
web site: http://www.ackue.com | http://www.fatezzi.com
Hi Steven,
Thanks for visiting and for your garage door description. The perfect solution for instant curb appeal.
-Barbara.
Your Home & Color Coach
I just found your site! What a wonderful service you provide! We have a 1950’s red brick home with white colonial windows. The soffits, doors and windows are trimmed white. I have just ordered white carriage style garage doors. We are preparing to frame in the adjoining breezeway (b/t the garage and my kitchen door). I like the look of cedar shake siding and intend to use that. I am stumped at what color to choose. I think if we use white siding it will scream…”I am an addition!” I have considered a muted green. If the siding is green, the color will need to be repeated elsewhere…i.e. the doors or shutters, right? Please tell me that my decision to order a white garage doors was not a mistake!
http://picasaweb.google.com/clcolley/20090328Breezeway#5320306386971373730
http://picasaweb.google.com/clcolley/20090328Breezeway#
Hi Barbara,
I was reading your website and was wondering if you could help us with choosing colours. Our roof color is light grey and current siding is white.
We are planning to replace the siding and changing the front doors to a single door with 2 side lights. We also want to remove the shutters and add a wide trim to the windows. We are unsure about what to do with the pillars on the porch but would like some suggestions there too.
For the siding color , we like forest green or dark grey with a black front door but we are unable to decide the trim color as well as a color for our garage door. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance for you expert advice.
Regards,
Angie
Hi Angie,
How about a gray-blue for your siding color instead of forest green. The gray-blues look really good with a gray roof like yours. Then you could do a darker shade for both the garage door and the front door (with white or light gray trim). The columns out front do seem a bit skimpy so beefing them up would be a good idea. Also your garage lights could be larger.
See what you think.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
http://picasaweb.google.ca/duane.clarke/UntitledAlbum?feat=email#5343278667643098418
I need help. We have light brown siding, maroon shatters and door. Windows are white. Roof light gray with red. Should I get white garage door or close to the siding colors. It is 2 car garage with garage in the front?
Hi Lana,
Stick with the siding color or a shade or two darker to anchor the garage door. Keeping it white will make it stand out as a focal point when it shouldn’t.
Hope that answers your question.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
We have a two storey home. It is a beige colour with darker brown shutters. The front has 3 windows above and are mirrored below with 2 windows and the front door. The front door is not used, due to lack of closet space, we use the garage enterance. Attached to this is a garage with another door to enter the garage (it faces front). All doors are presently white. Do I paint the doors a light beige? or darker like the trim? Or would i go with another colour all together. I have tried to attach a photo, but i seem to be at a loss there. If you have an alternate way to get a photo, I would be more than happy to send one to you! Thanks for your help!
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
Would love to see a photo. You can send to my email address at bmeglis@yahoo.com. Then I’ll get back to you.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara
I must say I’m very impressed with your knowledge of garage doors but when it comes to wood custom doors a wood door is not just a wood door , as you know there are many manufacturers out there , But not all build them the same , how the door is put together and the type of wood used is very important to how long the door will last
Thank You
Allied Garage Door
Hi Barbara,
Was reading your website and was hoping you could help. We have been looking for a new garage door for 3 years now! We have a split level house. Having difficulty with style and material. Wood is beautiful but has high maintenance though could stain it for an easy match to our front door which is mahogany. Steel would be good too, though I think the doors would have to be white to match the trim. What do you suggest? Thank you for your help.
Judy
Hi Judy,
Wooden doors are beautiful but maybe overkill for your split style. I suggest a metal door that you can then paint to match your house color, keeping the white for the trim. You can even go a couple of shades deeper for the doors — a great grounding look.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
Thank you for your suggestion. The house color is a stain, not a paint color and would difficult to match unless the door was wood. Thanks again, we will keep looking.
Judy
Hi – I am in the process of getting a new garage door. The color choices are white, sandstone and a yellowish cream. My house has yellow siding a red front door and white trim around the windows. The garage door I have has been painted a shade of taupe that matches the side door and the trim around the front door. I am not sure what color to get or if I should paint a new one because my garage is on the side of the house but the first thing you see when you drive up. Thanks,
Joanne
Hi Joanne,
How about painting the garage door the same color as your shutters. (You didn’t mention them, but if they’re black, you could paint the garage door the same shade.)
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Hi Barbara,
I am in the process of choosing exterior colours for our new two-story home and would love if you could provide me with some advice.
So far, we have decided that the front of the house will be part stacked cultured stone and part clay-colored siding, with the same colored (clay) shakes in the peaks. The attached garage has a stone facade, with clay shakes in the peak above. The front door and shutters are dark brown, and the windows and trim are almond. The stone is quite multi-toned and blends well with both the trim and the siding.
At the moment, I’m trying to decide on the garage door color (note that the garage doors will also have black carriage-style hardware). Should I go with almond, like the windows and trim, or clay like the siding, with almond trim (I’m a little nervous that this might make the shakes in the peak above the garage stand out instead of the stone, but wonder what you think). Another (cheaper) option would be to go with the company’s standard khaki color, which is similar to the clay, only a little darker.
Thank you so much!
Adele
Hi Adele,
Although I usually advise going with a darker garage door color, either the house color (in your case clay) or darker (maybe the khaki) to camouflage the door, I think your garage doors will look best with the most contrast against the black carriage-style hardware. So my vote is for almond doors even though they will match the trim color. The almond will provide the most contrast, highlighting both the hardware and the adjoining stonework and will also contrast with the clay shakes in the peak.
Sounds like you’ve made terrific choices for your new house. Congratulations. And thank you again.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Thanks Barbara! Just wondering — would your advice be different if we choose not to have the decorative hardware on the garage doors?
Adele
Hi Adele,
Yes, probably. I do like the doors to recede a bit from the rest of the house so they’re not a focal point (unless they’re really nice “designer” doors). If you go with plain doors, I would move to the Khaki that you mentioned as long as the color is in the stonework. Keep the almond trim around the doors though.
Hope that clarifies.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
Sounds great — thanks again for the help!
Hi Barbara,
We are in the process of buying new garage doors for our ranch home. I willl also send a photo. Unfortunately, it has red brick with white vinyl siding on the sides and back. It is on 10 acres and has a smaller barn down the driveway that has the same siding and brick. We would appreciate your comments / suggestions that might give this home a fresher look. New garage doors are a must for us! Thanks so much.
Barbara B.
Hi Barbara,
Look for a neutral like Copley Gray (Ben Moore HC-104), Kingsport Gray HC-86, or Mesa Verde Tan AC-33. Any of those colors should pick up on the tones in your roof and compliment the red siding just fine.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
we just had a Morton garage built. The colors are light gray and the lower part is dark gray. The trim is in the dark gray. My question is what color of garage door should we pick? I want a cottage look. I was thinking the dk. gray or how about a oak stain? I really don’t want the plain white color. Thank you
Hi Bet,
Yes, anything but white. If you want the door to stand out, then an oak stain would be wonderful or an accent color since the garage is gray. Yellow/gold would work,
Last resort: the dark gray.
Hope that helps.
Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach
I have a brick front of the house which is symmetrical except for the garage to the side, with white siding (siding is not visible from the street), black shutters, white trim, a deep yellow front door and ORB knocker and door handle. The garage is currently white, but I was thinking it would look sharper painted black. What do you think?
Definitely black, Ruthanne. Go for it.