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kiwigem_gw

Which approach for garage door?

Kiwigem
9 years ago

Hi, all!
We are building a rustic contemporary home and are dancing between two distinctly different styles for the garage door. I don't know how to attach more than one photo at a time, so bear with me over a couple posts.

House has black windows, clear coated galvalume roof, cedar, hardie board, and stone siding. Color scheme will be like this:

Comments (16)

  • Kiwigem
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Shoot I meant to post this in the design forum. Oh well, might as well finish what I started!

    So would you vote for the carriage style:

  • Kiwigem
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Or the aluminum and glass?

  • Bridget19
    9 years ago

    I vote for the carriage style. I think it's all personal preference though.

  • musicgal
    9 years ago

    Kiwigem- I have fond memories of the glass garage in _Ferris Bueller's Day Off_ , so in the correct setting, I really like the glass and aluminum. If safety and privacy are issues, then the carriage style is the way to go.

    It looks gorgeous-

  • millworkman
    9 years ago

    Aluminum would be my choice, and if safety and privacy are a concern go with laminated glass frosted (acid etched). I think it lends itself more to the modern contemporary look.

  • Kiwigem
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you all for chiming in!
    LOL, Musicgal! "When Kiwi was in Egypt's land...Let my Kiwi go..."
    We will now refer to the carriage style as the "safe choice" and the aluminum as the "Save Ferris choice".

    Thankfully privacy is not a concern. We have no exposure to the front, and the rear and side are nice neighborhoods through the trees. We will definitely use etched glass if we go with the glass option. And I am FERVENT about nothing being in the garage other than our cars! We have a shed for all the other stuff.

    Millworkman- the contemporary is growing on me! I was completely sold on carriage doors until it came time to choose the color, and I couldn't come up with something that looked right with the cedar and blackish grey. So that's when I thought a black or clear anodized aluminum might be an easier choice.

    Of course I'm open to other suggestions if anyone has a better idea. I'm stymied!

    This post was edited by Kiwigem on Wed, Sep 17, 14 at 16:19

  • chispa
    9 years ago

    We bought our garage doors from the company linked below. We have custom wood doors in a Spanish style. They also have contemporary doors and have several photos in their gallery that might spark some other ideas for you.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Ranch House Doors

  • Oaktown
    9 years ago

    I can't tell from your elevations where you are using cedar and where you are using Hardie. Just to throw another idea out there, what about a garage door that mimics (or is the same as) your siding, with a wicket door, and a glass lite in the wicket door?

    I'm sure I'm the odd one out but I don't generally care for windows in garage doors. Our cars don't need a view and if I'm working in there the door will be open -- doesn't get cold here, though.

    Good luck, your house looks great!

  • Kiwigem
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Oaktown- LOL! My van loves the view of the woods.
    You're right the pic I included makes it hard to tell what's what. The front elevation is mostly cedar, although there is some board and batten by the front door, the corner boards, some panels on the garage wall and two story wall facing the front door, and the stairwell projection is board and batten as well.
    To your point, I've thought about painting the garage door the color of the board and batten, but I was worried the dark color would make the door look like a hole. Not sure if I could get it to match the cedar.

    What is a wicket door?

  • GreenDesigns
    9 years ago

    If the weather is such that you might need to have an insulated door to not get into a freezing cold auto, then nix the aluminum and glass. Go with a wood or a painted color, but not the carriage style. Do something sleek and modern, like a flat panel cabinet door. Maybe add a transom above if there is enough height, and you could do the frosted glass there to get in light.

    {{gwi:1496298}}


  • amberm145_gw
    9 years ago

    When I picture your modern colour scheme on that house, the carriage doors don't work. I would prefer the glass and metal. But, I also live in a cold climate, and nobody around here has glass and metal garage doors. (At least not on homes in the price range where heating costs might be a factor. :P) (Cameron's house in Chicago was one of those homes where looks would trump costs.)

    I like the first 2 options that Green Designs posted. The 3rd one is still too traditional (or transitional) with the inset panels. The 4th one works, but not my personal taste.

  • Oaktown
    9 years ago

    Kiwigem, if there are not large areas of board and batten, why not clad the garage doors in the vertical(?) cedar? A wicket is a man door in a larger door (gate, barn, garage, castle(!) etc.), as shown in the link. I would place the wicket offset rather than centered, though.

    I like the doors GreenDesigns posted -- my kind of doors!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Wicket

  • Kiwigem
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I like those! Funny, I did a mock up of one similar that I didn't include in the roundup. I'll toss it in for consideration as suddenly it's a leading contender- thanks, Green!

    Oaktown, you may yet convince me to ixnay the windows.

  • amberm145_gw
    9 years ago

    I like it.

    And now I understand the expression "sticky wicket".

  • chiefneil
    9 years ago

    I don't thing carriage doors really work with a modern design. Many of my neighbors have carriage doors and I get to see the maintenance they require, which is much, much more than my painted metal doors.

    I haven't had to repaint my doors in the past 10 years, meanwhile some of my neighbors have had to refinish their carriage doors 3 times already. So be aware that besides appearance there are also differences in the maintenance required.

  • Kiwigem
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    chiefneil, that is a good piece of information. I'm thinking of the Overhead Impression collection in the flush panel design. I'm hoping that will bridge the gaps between modern/rustic and wood-look/low maintenance.

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