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by Rachel Lyon, Editorial Director for The House Designers
With their long history that spans continents, it’s no wonder you’ll find carriage house garage doors still used on so many homes. They’re versatile enough to match both simple and elaborate architecture and offer tons of finishing options, so if you’re looking for a beautiful garage door to suit your traditional home, be sure to explore all the possibilities!
Diverse Designs
Unlike panel or grid style doors that may only give you a couple of basic designs to work with, carriage house garage doors offer plenty. That’s because they feature two main components—the base and overlays. The base is kept plain in the majority of styles, allowing different overlay patterns to set the tone for the door. Overlays may simply frame the outside border or fill the door with vertical, horizontal, and/or diagonal elements. As you can imagine, this yields a variety of designs suitable for all kinds of homes. If you don’t want to rely on overlays to create unique curb appeal, you may like to add a chevron motif to the base. In any case, the door design is just the beginning—there are so many ways to further set your doors apart from this point.
Hardware Options
Carriage house garage doors offer more hardware options than other types by far. Between lift handles, step plates, and strap hinges, you can add a touch of wrought iron interest or go all-in on rustic appeal. Those aiming for a very clean look to complement a chic home may not specify any hardware at all, but most farmhouse garage doors have handles and step plates, and strap hinges are often added on cottages and old-fashioned European homes. Just make sure to match the level of decoration to the rest of the house so the garage door doesn’t fall flat or stand out too much.
Stylish Windows
Solid garage doors can look fantastic, of course, but adding windows to the top section is a great way to further define your curb appeal. Want to keep it clean? Opt for fewer larger windows. Does your home call for a more old-fashioned or dressier complement? More smaller panes will suit it well. Most garage doors have rectangular window openings, but there are also arched openings available. You may prefer this for Mediterranean architecture or to match arched windows elsewhere on the house. In any case, adding windows to the garage door will bring natural light inside during the day and create a welcoming glow when the lights are turned on at night!
Colors & Finishes
Whether you want a wood or painted look, you won’t be lost for lack of options with carriage house garage doors. Many homeowners love the look of wood for an exterior design that features other natural elements. Paint provides a sharper, cleaner appearance. You can choose between factory finishes or a primed surface for custom stain or paint to complement your home perfectly. The unique two-part construction of carriage house garage doors also means you can select two colors—one for the base and another for the overlays. You’ll see this employed to match trim and help the garage pop, and it’s a favorite for more decorative traditional styles. Believe it or not, you can do this with painted and wood-look doors—your final product can be as understated or eclectic as you want!
Clopay® offers carriage house garage doors in beautiful steel, real wood, and faux wood, so you can find a suitable solution for your home no matter your material preferences! If you need help figuring out the right design, you can use the Door Imagination System™ to test different builds on a photo of your own or a similar home. Feel free to reach out to a local dealer for personal assistance, too!