50 Stylish Garage Door Ideas

When’s the last time you drove through your neighborhood and actually noticed someone’s garage door? Have you ever looked at your own garage door and been wowed? 

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably accepted that a garage door is … just a garage door and that you can’t do anything about it. But there are tons of great garage door ideas out there that are functional and will also transform the appearance of your home. 

Decorating or accenting your garage door can be as big or small of a project as you want it to be. Decorations can be permanent or temporary, and they don’t have to involve your garage door directly but instead focus on the area around it.

We’ve compiled 50 exciting ideas for improving the way your garage door looks. Whether you want to replace your door as a part of a garage renovation or add some style with our garage door printables, it’s easy to update your garage. Let’s get inspired.

1. Keep It Rustic With Wood

Wood garage doors are a great choice for homes built in more traditional styles or as accents for contemporary homes. As a natural material, wood offers lots of options, each with unique colors and grains.

Wood doors do require more upkeep and are more expensive than other garage doors, so make sure to keep that in mind when you’re shopping.

2. Make a Statement With Steel

Steel is one of the most common garage door materials for a reason: it’s strong, low-maintenance, available in a variety of sizes and colors, and one of the most cost-effective types of garage door available. 

With these benefits in mind, there are a few drawbacks. First, steel doors are heavy and require a stronger motor to lift them, and the added weight can make issues like loose garage door chains and burnt-out motors more likely. Steel isn’t a great insulator, and in salty environments, it can rust.

3. Add Some Flair With Aluminum

Aluminum garage doors are an ideal choice if you want the durability of steel without the added weight. Aluminum also doesn’t require a lot of maintenance. 

If you live on the coast, aluminum garage doors are susceptible to rust, and, unlike steel, aluminum is prone to denting. The material on its own isn’t a great insulator, but you can insulate your garage door if you need to.

4. Create a Vibe With Wood Composite

If you’re looking for a garage door material that has the look of wood but without all of the weight and added upkeep, wood composite is the way to go. 

This material is available in many colors and styles, has better insulation, and is more affordable than wood. Just remember to consider the type of composite material, as some of the lower-cost options might not last as long.

5. Grab Attention With Glass

Glass garage doors are one of the most stylish and eye-catching garage door materials, especially if you’re going for a sleek, modern look. There are several types of glass available, the most common being clear and frosted. Remember to consider where your garage is located and what you intend on using it for when deciding. Frosted glass might be best if you have a gym in your garage and for boosting security if your garage is accessible from the street.

There are some drawbacks to glass garage doors. Glass is not as strong as other materials, so the doors can take damage more easily. These doors can also be quite expensive and are less secure than metal or wood garage doors.

6. Find a Fresh Look With Fiberglass

If you are looking for the lightest possible garage door, fiberglass is the way to go. This material offers a good balance of strength and water resistance, and it won’t warp as other materials can.

However, fiberglass is not the best insulator, and if a panel is damaged, you can’t have it repaired. A replacement panel will almost always be more expensive than a garage door repair.

7. Keep It Affordable With Vinyl

Vinyl garage doors offer a lot of the benefits of other materials: They are aesthetically pleasing, light, and relatively affordable. They’re also one of the more durable types of garage doors. Vinyl doors also require very little maintenance. 

One downside to the material is that it gets brittle in below-freezing temperatures if it isn’t insulated. You also can’t paint vinyl as easily as other materials, so if you ever want to change up your exterior color scheme, you’ll need to set aside more time or money for door preparation before painting.

8. Select a Sectional Garage Door

Sectional garage doors are one of the most common types of garage doors. These doors are split into panels/sections (horizontal and vertical options are available). Sectional garage doors are very cost-effective, and because of their modular design, repairs and replacement sections are easy to handle.

9. Choose a Sliding Garage Door

A sliding garage door is an excellent option for smaller garages or those with shorter ceilings because they don’t take up any vertical space. Instead, they slide open to the side to allow you in and out. 

The horizontal track offers some other advantages over vertical garage doors, too. Their motors are quieter and require less power, they’re easier to open manually if the power goes out, and you don’t have to open them all the way to access the garage. 

10. Install a Side-Hinged or Carriage-Style Garage Door

Carriage-style or side-hinged garage doors open outward like regular doors. Not only do these doors look classically stylish, but they’re also great for smaller, shorter garages or garages that are heavily used for storage. They take up no space inside, so they’re also a stellar option if your garage organization isn’t what you’d like it to be. You can find these types of doors in just about any material.

These doors require a lot of room to open on the exterior, so it’s really important to make sure you aren’t going to open your garage into the street or other cars parked in the driveway. Also, keep in mind that making these doors automatic can be more expensive than other kinds of doors.

11. Try a Tilt-Up Garage Door

A tilt-up garage door is a single-piece design that tips up. They are available in a range of materials and with different features that other kinds of doors may not offer, including windows and built-in doors.

Because they are made from one piece of material, they are heavy and can be expensive. But if you have an older garage with a limited amount of room, a tilt-up door might be perfect.

12. Upgrade to a Roll-Up Garage Door

Roll-up garage doors are usually made from metal and are most commonly found on commercial buildings, though they are growing in popularity for residential properties as garage door alternatives. They are extremely secure and durable, and they allow you to save a lot of space compared to other types of doors because they roll up rather than taking up space along your garage ceiling.

Roll-up doors make hosting events like garage sales easy. If you’re planning on having a garage sale, we created printables that will make getting ready fast and simple, including signs, flyers, and price tags.

13. Get a Garage Door for Mid-Century Modern Homes

For a mid-century modern home, you have a lot of options for garage doors. Tilt-up or sectional doors made from metal or glass are a good way to stay consistent with the elegant, simple style of mid-century design. 

14. Choosing The Best Craftsman-Style Garage Doors 

When you’re choosing a garage door for a Craftsman home, it’s a good idea to match the door to an existing feature of the home. Look for doors that you can paint in the same way or find a door with windows that you can replace with windows similar to the home. Wood or metal doors in a carriage or tilt-up style can fit well, as can a sliding door. 

15. Find Garage Doors For a Ranch-Style Home

When choosing a garage door for a ranch-style house, the best options happen to be some of the most common: sectional doors made from metal, wood, or composite. If your home has a more contemporary edge, carriage doors can also work well.

16. Choose the Right Cape Cod-Style Garage Door

With an older style of home, you want to make sure your garage door looks as timeless as the home. For a Cape Cod home, choose wood or composite in a carriage style and select hardware, windows, and other parts of the garage door that match accents on the exterior of your home, like exterior lighting, gutter systems, or shutters.

17. Picking Victorian-Style Garage Door

Despite being an older style of home, Victorians can be quite dramatic. This means more options for your garage door. A carriage or sliding door in wood or metal is almost always a solid choice.

18. Deciding on a Colonial-Style Garage Door

The symmetry of colonial-style homes should carry through to the garage door. Carriage or sectional doors with similar characteristics to your home are a great place to start. Wood or composite are usually your best bet for materials for that classic look.

19. Selecting a Contemporary-Style Garage Door

Contemporary homes offer you the most options when you’re choosing a garage door. The adventurous and bold nature of these designs means that metal, glass, or wood doors can fit (depending on the other materials used on the exterior of your home). Tilt-up, sectional, and roll-up garage doors are all in play.

20. Choosing a Cottage-Style Garage Door

Wood or composite garage doors are an obvious choice for the cozy vibes of a cottage home. Carriage-style doors (with or without windows) look right at home in your garage. 

21. Picking a Great Tudor-Style Garage Door

These European-inspired homes are best to accent with composite or wood garage doors in a carriage style. If you have the room, sliding doors can also work well. 

22. Finding the Right Farmhouse Style Garage Door

Farmhouses are commonly painted completely white with some black or natural wood trim, so your garage doors should match that look. Carriage or sliding doors play into the farm image. You can also opt for wooden barn doors to highlight the rustic nature of your home.

23. Opting For Mediterranean-Style Garage Doors

Dark woods or wood composite sectional or carriage doors make for a near-perfect match for most Mediterranean-style homes. Painting or staining the doors a darker color can provide a wonderful contrast to light stucco exteriors.

24. Selecting a Southwest-Style Garage Doors

Much like Mediterranean-style homes, Southwest-style homes look great with wood or composites (though metal doors can work, too). Your style choices are a little wider with these kinds of homes, though: Sectional, sliding, or carriage doors can all work depending on the features of your home. 

25. Use Neutral Colors

If you don’t want your garage door to match the color of your home, a neutral color can look great as an accent color. 

Neutral colors include:

• Whites

• Grays

• Light browns

26. Liven It Up With Light Colors 

Color is one of the best ways to customize the way your garage door looks. Manufacturers offer different color options right from the factory, or you can use paint or stains to change the color after your door has been installed. Just be aware that some materials aren’t conducive to painting, like vinyl—which require a lot of preparation for good paint adhesion—and glass.

Light colors are great for homes that are painted in light colors. Choosing another variety of the main paint color of your home for your garage door is perfect for homes with a monochromatic paint scheme. Light colors also help reflect light and heat away from your garage, so they can help boost energy efficiency along with garage door insulation.

27. Create a Mood With Dark Colors

If your home is painted in a dark color, another shade of the same color will almost certainly look great. Monochromatic color schemes are calming and cohesive, no matter how dark the colors are. 

28. Stand Out With Two-Tone Garage Doors

Depending on the style of your garage door (as well as that of your home), a two-tone door might be an excellent option that will grab people’s attention and improve curb appeal.

If you have a garage door with trim or recessed sections, match their colors with the trim and main colors of your home for a cohesive style. If you have a monochromatic paint scheme, you can use an accent color that contrasts with the main color to make it pop. 

29. Protect and Show Off With Wood Stains

Changing the stain can transform wooden garage doors in exciting ways. 

Semi-transparent stains are great because they combine some of the benefits of a stain with the benefits of paint. You can still see the grain of the wood while introducing some color and added surface protection into the equation, but you will need to reapply it every few years to keep the door protected from the sun, moisture, and other elements.

Sanding and restaining can take a lot of time and be expensive but it protects your door while greatly enhancing the way your home looks.

30. Make It Shine With Metal Stains

If you think you’re stuck with the color of your garage door just because it’s made of metal, don’t worry. In addition to being able to use certain kinds of paints on your door, metal stains are another possibility. Metal stains, sometimes called gel stains, change the color of metal garage doors.

Use metal stains to change the color of the entire door or add multiple colors for the main section of the door and other colors as accents on the panels.

31. Illuminate It With New Lighting

New lighting around the exterior of the garage door improves safety and curb appeal. 

You can match fixtures to the style of your existing hardware or let new lighting inspire some new garage hardware. 

Recessed lighting above or below the garage door can provide a dramatic look that draws the eye.

32. Add Traditional Charm With Trellises

Trellises or pergolas add flair and give you a lot of flexibility and functionality. 

Paint a trellis or pergola for an interesting accent, or add plants like crawling vines to bring a piece of the natural world to the exterior of your home. You can match the columns and beams to those in your carport, if you have one, for a more pleasing and coherent appearance.

33. Say Something Bold With Stencils

Stencils are a quick and easy way to add attention-grabbing details to your garage, but they can also be a subtle nod to other parts of your home or your interests. 

You can use permanent paint or water-soluble paints if you want to change them fairly often. Using stencils to decorate your garage door lets you get your kids involved in beautifying the home, too.

Download Garage Door Stencils Here

Download Garage Sale Signs Here

Download Garage Sale Flier Here

Download Garage Sale Price Tags Here

34. Paint a Mural

Murals are truly one of a kind, so whether you want to unleash your inner creativity yourself or hire a painter you love to decorate your door, there aren’t many better ways to stand out from your neighbors.

35. Accent Your Garage Door With Trim

Adding trim to a garage door or the area around it is a relatively fast and affordable way to give your garage a facelift. Once you install it, paint the trim to make it stand out.

36. Add or Change Windows

Windows in your garage door quickly change the overall feel, look, and function of a garage. By allowing more light into the garage, windows make the interior space feel less dark and more functional. 

Changing or installing windows can help make your garage feel more unified with the design of your home, too. This is especially true of older homes where the garage was converted from a different type of outbuilding or built long after the house.

37. Paint Faux Windows

Here’s a fun and easy weekend project: Mask off the raised or recessed panels at the top of a garage door and paint them a deep dark color (blues are an excellent choice) for faux windows that look great. A bonus is that your garage remains as secure as ever.

38. Add Window Grilles

Window grilles are pretty easy to find at thrift or second-hand stores. Paint them so they work with your existing colors, then attach them with glue for an easy and affordable style upgrade.

39. Add or Change Garage Door Hardware

Replacing existing hardware with a new style or color will create a more drastic change than you might expect. 

There are hardware kits that magnetically attach to metal garage doors that can make your garage door look more like a carriage-style door, all without any installation work on your part.

40. Apply a Garage Door Skin

Garage door skins are basically giant stickers that either emulate another type of door or material or are of solid colors, other patterns, or even photos. Your options are almost limitless!

41. Add Potted Plants Near the Garage Door

Potted plants are always a game-changer. Not only do they let you choose a pot to add an extra element to the exterior of your home, but you also get to add a plant that further expands the look. Add some lighting from underneath to make your home pop at night and to add to the security of your property.

42. Install Columns Around the Garage Door

Certain styles of architecture lend themselves to columns—federal style, colonial revivals, and others—but nearly any home can benefit from columns if you use the right style and materials. Adding columns around your garage door is a unique choice that may help an otherwise bland feature become a focal point.

43. Highlight Features Near the Garage Door

If your garage door is nothing special, but your home is a unique style, or the garage is in a converted building, highlight those features to make the garage door stand out more. This method is a win-win; you highlight the garage door, and you get to show off what makes your house special.

44. Change or Add Stonework

Adding or changing the stonework around your garage creates depth and a new visual element. If your home doesn’t have stonework, even small areas of stone facade can make a big difference. New pavers or a stamped concrete driveway make the area more interesting to look at, as well.

45. Bring Cheer During the Winter Holidays

Add a giant bow to make your home look like it has been gift-wrapped. And if you happen to be gifting someone in your family with a new vehicle, “wrapping” the garage will make the reveal even more special.

Changing your lights to holiday-colored bulbs is another fast, fun, festive way to show off your holiday spirit.

46. Make It Spooky on Halloween

Garage door skins or stencils of pumpkins, scarecrows, bats, and other spooky stuff will get your neighborhood excited for trick or treating.

Trading out your normal garage door lights with orange or blacklight bulbs is quick and will set a great atmosphere for the end of October.

47. Show Off During Spring

Celebrate the thawing of winter by stenciling flowers or other designs on your garage door or paint accent panels in spring colors. 

Planting colorful flowers in planters next to your garage door will make coming home a real joy, too.

48. Start Summer Off Right

Show off your patriotic side by stenciling on a flag for the Fourth of July or keep it simple and paint your garage door a light color at the beginning of summer to start project season off right.

49. Make a Change For Fall

Painting accent panels with darker or autumnal colors helps the transition to the crisper months of the year feel more fun. For an extra bit of fall celebration, stencil on leaves in fall colors. 

50. Keep It Simple This Winter

Winter might not be the ideal time to paint or decorate your garage door if you live in an area that’s very cold or snowy, but you can still highlight your garage with some string lights or with plants that thrive in the winter.

Now that you’re armed with 50 great garage door design ideas, it’s time to start planning. Shopping for a new garage door is a great way to change how your home looks. And with help from this guide, think about all of the great things you can do once it is installed by an expert garage door company in your area.