Let’s face it — as a homeowner, your garage is probably the last design feature on your list of areas to renovate. But what most homeowners don’t realize is that the right garage door can do wonders for your curb appeal and the overall value of your home.
In fact, replacing what you already have with modern garage doors is one of the best value-for-money renovations you can do to your home. On the market today, you have a huge range of styles and materials to choose from, so this can make your decision seem overwhelming. But overall, you want your garage door tie in with the rest of your home.
Here are a few contemporary garage door options that you might want to consider:
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1. A Glass Garage Door
This is a great option to complement a home that has its own modern and contemporary design. If you’re looking for that sleek and elegant finish to your home, a glass garage door could be your go-to.
Not only are they visually appealing, but glass garage doors are also practical, low-maintenance, and easy to clean. And they can provide adequate insulation for your home if you choose the right type of insulation.
If you want your garage to be a space filled with natural light a glass garage door is a brilliant option. Perhaps you use your garage as a studio, additional office space, or exercise space? Natural lighting is perfect for this.
If privacy is on your mind, you can choose from frosted, opaque, and mirrored glass. This way, you can keep your home and garage contents secure from prying eyes.
2. A Garage Door With Custom Windows
Looking for something a little more warm and homey, but still want the benefit of natural light in your garage? Then the best option is a standard wood or vinyl garage door with custom windows.
Today, the options are endless when it comes to custom garage door windows. From the shape, the placement, the type of glass the opacity of the window itself, your garage windows can be a beautiful, unique feature on the exterior of your home.
But when choosing your garage door windows, you want to keep the overall style and aesthetic of your home in mind. Make sure to choose a window design that closely matches your home’s windows so that everything ties in together perfectly.
These types of doors are generally quite simple to replace on your own if you want to save money on labor costs. Check out this guide on torsion springs for garage door replacement for DIY tips.
3. A Mixed Material Wood and Steel Finish
Most people probably wouldn’t think about mixing materials such as wood and steel. But this adds a brilliant contemporary finish to any style of garage door. Wooden garage doors are still as popular as ever, if not even more so. This is because of the warm, inviting, and natural charm that they add to your home, especially those that have a worn, handcrafted look.
The only downside with wooden garage doors is the upkeep and maintenance. However, by combining a mixture of materials such as wood and steel, you can keep your garage door maintenance to a minimum. You could opt for a steel body or outer shell of the door, mixed with authentic wood panels.
4. Garage Doors With Decorative Hardware
One of the best things about this garage door trend is that it’s timeless. Decorative hardware will always look good, so long as you know how to maintain it — but even then, maintenance is simple.
You can choose from a wooden garage door fitted with ornate knockers, handles, or studs to introduce a sense of old-world charm to your home exterior. These decorative elements suit most types of garage doors. But some of the best materials include authentic wood or mock-wood vinyl.
To tie everything together, make sure to choose decorative elements in the same style and type of metal as the other elements of your home exterior. I.e. your front door hardware, outdoor lighting, fencing, etc.
5. Sleek, Modern Materials
While aluminum, steel, and wooden garage doors have all had their time to shine, there are modern, synthetic materials on the market today that you might want to consider. Just some of these include vinyl and fiberglass.
What’s so great about these modern materials, anyway? For starters, they are extremely lightweight and low-maintenance. They are the perfect fit for modern, contemporary homes and can even imitate the look of other materials, such as wood or steel.
These types of materials are highly customizable to suit your home and budget. If you really love the look of authentic wood, you even combine a fiberglass garage door with crafted wood panels.
6. The Carriage House Garage Door
If there was one trend that’s super popular right now in terms of modern garage doors, it has to be the carriage house door design. If you have quite a large garage that directly faces the curb, this is a great option for a traditional yet modern touch to your curbside appeal.
The carriage garage door comes as two separate doors that slide open, away from each other. You can find this style garage door crafted from wood, fitted with top custom-sized windows.
Otherwise, there’s also the option of a full overlay of composite wood material over a steel sliding door. This way you get the benefit of wood, without all the maintenance.
7. The Modern Barn Garage Door
Second in popularity to the carriage house garage door is the modern barn garage door. This is the perfect option if you’re looking for a more contemporary meets rustic feel for your home exterior. Today, there are plenty of design options that also allow for a touch of modern flair with metal accents.
If you want a more modern feel, opt for a barn garage door in a black charcoal paint finish, rather than the typical wood finish.
Choosing Modern Garage Doors Doesn’t Have To Be Complicated
These are just a few of the modern garage doors to choose from on the market today. If you feel daunted by the task of choosing the right door for your home, don’t overcomplicate it. Stick to the basics, something that’s low maintenance, and something you can afford.
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