10 Modern Garage Door Examples That Are On-Trend in 2021
By: Sarah
These on-trend modern garage door examples are here to inspire you not to overlook this important design element. It’s easy to forget about your garage when considering how to update your home’s exterior design. So many of us think of our garages as merely a place to keep our car and/or store stuff. It’s common for homeowners to have a blind spot when it comes to how their garages come across when viewed from the street.
Note: Front-load garages in particular have a major impact on curb appeal. Sometimes, they can cover a good half of the front of your home. There are two ways of dealing with front-load garages: either make it blend in with the rest of your home by painting it the same color, or make it beautiful with gorgeous materials, design elements, and windows. In this article, we’re focused on the latter.
From garage doors to gutters to mailboxes, our expert designers pay attention to the details in creating a custom exterior home design that you’ll love. Learn more about our virtual design services.
Here are some before-and-after images that prove what a difference a modern garage door can make for your home’s overall look.
#1 // Modern Plank Garage Door with Windows
In the before photo above, this transitional modern home has interesting architectural lines and a nice mix of materials – but your eye is immediately drawn to that bright white front-loading three-stall garage. Our designer chose a Clopay modern garage door with long windows down the side to give this home a refreshed feel. The dark color keeps your eye from getting stuck there, and the whole look has been brought up to this decade.
The same garage door with window panels on the other side makes a statement in this second example. Notice how our designers like to select the orientation of the garage door’s glass panels so that they are on the opposite side of the door from the entry. In this way, the garage windows act as a visual frame, leading the eye toward the home’s front door.
#2 // Modern Light-Wood Carriage House Garage Door with Windows
This home has that classic 1990s traditional style. The front-loading garage doesn’t take up too much of the curb-facing real estate, and it was painted the same color as the home to blend in. For this virtual design, our designer bridged the gap between traditional and modern, including with the garage door. We brought in natural wood-tone accents to get this home’s exterior on-trend. The garage door is part of that earthy, natural design statement.
This carriage-house style garage door looks like wood but is actually “a full overlay of composite material on top of a steel door,” as our recommended vendor describes it. This gives you the benefit of the look of wood without the maintenance.
Learn how to choose the correct garage door for your home’s style and environment, as well as your needs.
#3 // Dark Garage Door with Top Section Windows
Zhuzh up a transitional or traditional home with these dark garage door options, including top section windows. In the first example above, the garage is a focal point of the home. Using a contrasting color for the doors and carrying it through shutters, light fixtures, and on the wood beneath the porch makes the garage feel intentionally designed and attractive.
This second example illustrates another common garage layout: on the front of the home, but with a side entry. This layout doesn’t mean you should make your garage doors an afterthought. After all, the homeowner often approaches their own home from the driveway. Make that entrance inviting and intentional, too. The design chosen for these garage doors is a modern touch on a traditional-style home.
One benefit of using windows on the top section only is it offers more privacy… even if you choose to use regular ol’ transparent glass.
The door options above are both from Clopay.
#4 // Modern Barn Garage Door
We love how the barn door style looks on rustic homes that have a modern flair, like this mountain-style example. Using a black or charcoal paint or finish keeps the design modern and, in the design pictured, provides visual balance.
This garage door option comes from Clopay.
#5 // Wood Spanish Carriage House Garage Door
This deep wood finish carriage house garage door is a beautiful option for a modern Spanish ranch style home, like the one above. The vertical paneling and the round handles complete the look on this front-loading garage. The wood finish – consider either steel with a wood composite or go for the wood, but keep in mind the maintenance – celebrates true ranch roots, but this style still feels fresh and modern. We also can’t get over the beautiful pergola above the garage door. Imagine grapes growing from it!
This garage door option comes from Clopay.
Sectional, swing out, or sliding… Not sure what those words mean? This article helps you figure out what type of garage door you’re looking for, in addition to five other tips that will help you choose the right garage door for your home.
#6 // Garage Door with Glass Paneling and Wood Finish
This is a beautiful modern-style home but, as you can see in the before photo, the garage door was taking up a lot of visual real estate and felt forgotten as part of the home’s overall look. Our designers turned the garage into a beautiful design element, complete with its own roof overhang and with functional and tasteful accent lighting. The steel garage door they selected has window panels to keep the house from feeling too closed off. Its wood finish warms up the look and ties in with other wood accents on the front porch and second-level deck.
Steel doors may cost a bit more, but they are fairly easy to maintain and are known for their durability. Clopay offers WindCode garage doors that are made specifically for hurricane or high-wind areas.
#7 // Rustic Modern Carriage House Garage Door with Windows
This modern carriage house garage door style works well for the three separate stalls on this home. Our designers chose to highlight the garages in this front-loading layout. The wood finish pairs with warm-toned copper gutters and complements the black accents used throughout the home. A statement light fixture above each garage stall enhances curb appeal and provides additional safety at night.
This garage door option comes from Clopay.
#8 // Wooden Cladding Garage Door
We love this simple wooden cladding style garage door (note for the link: look for the horizontal cladding design with no space to get this exact look). It feels modern and clean in so many uses. The garage door is a major design element on this mid-century modern ranch. All of the straight lines give the home a satisfying geometrical presence.
#9 // Arched Wooden Carriage House Garage Door
The wooden accents on this home are a nod to Italy, with the Italian-style front door and the arched garage doors. The feel is similar to the Spanish ranch style in #5 above, but the lines and wood finish are quite different. Plus, the black accent at the top of each of these doors draws attention to the arches and makes for a cohesive façade.
This garage door option comes from Clopay.
#10 // Glass Paneling Garage Door
Finally, it doesn’t get more modern than this glass paneling garage door with a black finish. It works perfectly with this home’s beachy vibes. Frosted glass paneling make this front-load garage beautiful but doesn’t require you to keep your garage perfectly tidy. Furthermore, the mirrored finish on the glass provides security so passersby don’t know what you have inside.
Clopay offers a dozen different finishes in addition to clear glass on this style of garage door.
The Takeaway
Garage doors don’t need to be expensive, but they do need to serve their purpose — safety, convenience, and shelter for storage — and fit in with your home’s style. It’s easy to forget about your garage door as part of your overall home style, but it’s actually a fairly straightforward upgrade to make. And updating your garage door can make a major difference in your home’s value.
This is why it’s so important to be deliberate about the style and materials used for your garage door. Even if you’re considering painting your garage door vs. replacing it, your paint color decision will have an impact on your curb appeal. Our designers always keep the garage in mind when looking at a home’s overall exterior look. Learn more about our virtual design services, and get started on a new design for your home by answering a few simple questions.
Bonus tip for reading to the end: The three-stall garage doors in the virtual exterior rendering at the beginning of the post are the Shoreline Series from Vidor Doors.
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