The first garage doors date back to Roman times when they were used to house chariots and, later, carriages. Garage door styles have come a long way since these utilitarian beginnings and now play a major role in your home’s design aesthetic.
Whether inspired by nature or nostalgia, these garage door design ideas are suited to both traditional and modern architectural styles. They’re guaranteed to up your curb appeal – because, when it comes to garage doors, it’s what’s on the outside that counts.
Design inspiration for your garage door
While garage door designs can be customized to suit all sorts of design trends, it’s essential to choose a versatile style that you’ll love for decades to come.
Let’s look at some popular design styles and how to apply their principles to garage door designs.
Biophilic design
Biophilic design has roots in biology, and is all about finding ways of bringing nature and the outdoors in. Although our ‘natural habitat’ looks somewhat different from what it did years ago, we still have an innate desire to connect with nature.
Here are some principles of biophilic design to consider for your garage door:
An abundance of light
Maximizing exposure to natural light is core to this style, and garage doors with window inserts allow you to do just that.
Garage doors with lots of glass work particularly well in modern homes because of the indoor-outdoor flow they create. They also tend to be great for garage conversions.
Full-view aluminum glass garage doors are the clear choice for this design style. They flood your garage with natural light and offer a streamlined and modern aesthetic.
Natural materials
Wood is a favored material in biophilic design. It’s celebrated for its organic patterns, such as knots and grain.
You can achieve a compelling wood-look effect with faux-wood garage doors. They offer all of the aesthetic appeal of wood with none of the warping, rotting, and swelling that real wooden doors are prone to. Wood also tends to be more expensive upfront than modern alternatives such as steel and aluminum.
We recommend planks garage doors. Characterized by recessed grooves, they add a beautiful sense of texture and depth, mimicking the look of wooden garage doors.
Old-world charm
Old-world charm is inspired by nostalgia. It creates a sense of history and a lived-in atmosphere, even if the house itself is new.
Here’s how this era-agnostic style can inspire your garage door design:
Paneling
Paneling is making a comeback – both for interiors and exteriors. It suits both modern styles and more traditional ones. Plus, it showcases craftsmanship and adds depth and warmth to door designs.
Recessed panel garage doors fit well with this design style as they’re embossed with a natural grain finish that creates a classic look.
Decorative hardware
Decorative elements are key to this design style as they bring character to a space or building.
For garage doors, decorative hardware is an ideal way to tap into the trend. Think strap hinges and pulls. Even if they’re not functional, these elements add a beautiful sense of history, because old-world charm is all in the details.
Mid-century Modern
Mid-century Modern design is all about functionality, simple lines, and reinterpreting past design concepts for modern needs.
Here are some key design features of this period:
Clean lines
Mid-century Modern favors the simplicity of clean lines. Garage doors with straight horizontal or vertical lines tie in well with this design trend. You can achieve this look through paneling.
Sterling garage doors use steel panels to create clean vertical lines that complement Mid-century Modern architecture.
Geometric shapes
This design trend plays on basic shapes such as rectangles, circles, triangles, and squares.
Windows on garage doors are the perfect way to speak this design language. Skyline flush garage doors incorporate stylish rectangle windows that produce a striking visual contrast with the natural environment and work well with modern architecture.
How to choose the right garage door for your home
With so many stylish options, deciding which garage door is right for you can be tricky.
These key considerations can help narrow down your choice:
1. Architectural style
From Ranch to Mediterranean, take a moment to think about your home's unique characteristics and architectural style. This will help you choose between a timeless and country-chic garage door or a modern marvel.
2. Location
You know the old adage – location, location, location. Where you live greatly impacts what type of garage door design you should go for. If you’re somewhere that’s very hot or cold, it’s best to opt for insulation to help maintain a stable temperature in your garage. If you live in a busy city, you might want to consider tinted garage windows or windowless options.
3. Material
What your garage door is made from will impact its durability, maintenance requirements, and performance. Steel and aluminum are both excellent options. Steel is known for its strength and durability, while aluminum is lighter, and less prone to rust.
4. Color
Color has a huge impact on the look and practicality of your garage door. Modern darker colors create contrast and are good at concealing imperfections and dirt, while lighter colors have a more classic appeal.
Designing your garage door
If all these design trends and principles have shown us one thing, it’s that garage doors are the perfect extension of your home and its personality. Our DoorVisions tool makes designing your dream door simple by enabling you to visualize how your door will look and apply different designs to a photograph of your house.
Whether you’re excited about bringing the outside in or inspired by clean lines, there are so many options to choose from.
