How to select the perfect garage door

Even if you didn’t go to architecture or interior design school, you can still learn simple artistic principles to select the most beautiful garage door for your new or remodeled house. Surveys have shown that 70% of homeowners use their garage door as the primary entry point multiple times every day. The following are suggestions to help you select the garage doors that will best enhance your home’s appeal.

Look to the accents of your home to select the right details for the garage door.
Before you chose a garage door, take a look at your home and door as a whole package. Assess the size and color of the garage door compared to the rest of the house.
Select glass windows for esthetic design to complement the details of your windows. Choose a graceful arch to mimic the curves of dormer windows, for example. Or if you simply need more natural light in your garage for projects, storage, etc
With the concern for security, you can have opaque glass or position the glass window in the top section to make it less noticeable to look inside.
Garage doors are key elements in creating an enviable curb appeal, especially if you are considering selling your house. Note: Real estate surveys have shown that new garage doors can add 1% to 4% to your sales price.
A lighter or darker color for the inset panels can offer a visual grounding element that actually highlights the door trim.

Adding traditionally inspired hinges, handles, or ring pulls will make your doors appear more like functional carriage style doors.
Trim boards, tongue and groove face boards, and glass windows play a distinctive role in your garage door design selection to highlight the characteristic façade of your house.
Consider repeating the rectangular pattern on the door inset panels to have the same shape as your home’s windows.
Think about how much of panels to have the same shape as your home’s windows.
Think about how much of the exterior of your home is visible when guests come to your home. Bringing together cohesive visual accents on the garage door and the house can
Pick a color for the garage doors to complement and not compete with the rest of the home’s exterior.
Pattern window panes on the door may prevent a large door’s proportions from being overwhelming for the overall design. Double car garages are generally 16 to 18 feet wide.

Many homes have many elements in their overall design. Pick just one or two to add to the garage doors, so you don’t bury this new enhancement with color and details.
A very dark color hue can be too much for a large garage door. If the garage door is large relative to the rest of your home, a bold dominant color (or stain) can actually detract from other appealing features of your house. Aim for a balance of color and design giving welcome focus to your exterior front entrance or garage door.
Keep the garage door design simple enough to create an overall blend of curb appeal that’s cohesive and stylistic on target for your home.
For a home that’s very specific in style, like contemporary or mountain retreat, use the garage doors to complement, not compete with other esthetic appeal.
Request a free garage door consultant visit to your home to recommend a design and color combination to the exterior that you can enjoy for years to come with a quality build door

Reference source: Door & Access Systems trade magazine, contributed writer Kelly Robertson