Garage Doors for Farmhouse-Style Homes

Known for its simplistic charm and functional design, the farmhouse has been an important part of American architecture since the Colonial Era.  Originally characterized by a vintage, carriage-house look, today's takes on the farmhouse-style garage can range from classic painted-white doors to sleek, modern glass doors. 

Popular Elements of Farmhouse-Style Garage Doors

When it comes to curb appeal, your home's exterior can be as unique as your personality. There is no set style for today's farmhouse garage door. Some homeowners have found modern styles complement their home's lines best, as seen in Clopay's Avante above. While some stick to the tried-and-true carriage house styles as seen below with Clopay's Coachman or Canyon Ridge.

Based on the examples provided, some popular choices for farmhouse garage doors are:

• Natural light, provided by windows. Farmhouse style lends itself to rustic warmth, which is easily achieved by adding windows to your garage door.
• Painted finishes. Whether you're looking to create continuity or contrast, a painted finish allows you to choose just the right color for your door. If you are aiming for continuity, but want an element of visual interest, consider a complementary base color with an accent overlay color.
• The comfort of insulation. With a farmhouse style garage door, it's possible to get vintage farmhouse charm using new materials. You don't have to sacrifice energy efficiency or durability to match the era of the house. The inclusion of insulation is a perfect example of this, as it increases energy efficiency, comfort while inside the garage, and makes the door more durable.

Clean, Classic Carriage House Style

Coachman®
This beautiful garage features cedar shake shingles and crisp, white accent colors on the window frames and gable roof braces. Surrounding trees on either side of the garage complement the natural themes and give the garage the feel of a backyard barn.

The smooth, white lines of the garage door stand out against the tones of the stained shingles and paver driveway stones, creating continuity between the doors, windows, and roof lines. Simple black decorative hardware creates visual contrast and a clean, simple elegance. Windows create two-way warmth, allowing natural light inside, and a welcome glow when approaching the garage.

From a functional standpoint, the homeowner opted for the best of both worlds by choosing a low-maintenance steel and composite door from the Clopay Coachman. These doors provide a carriage-house look with energy-efficient Intellicore® insulation between layers of durable steel and an outer woodgrain-textured composite overlay.

The Rustic Beauty of Natural Wood

Reserve® Wood Limited Edition
Renewable, timeless, warm, and custom designs are characteristics that make natural wood an appealing material for farmhouse style. This detached three-story barn-style garage was built entirely with recycled wind fence from old farmhouses and features a guest suite above the garage. Variations in the wood color gives the appearance that it was collected over time.

This space relies less on a defined color palette than a collection of natural tones that work together to create a rustic look. The reclaimed wood will continue to weather with age, increasing the variations in its appearance, while the aging of the steel roof will be less noticeable.

The garage door, with an understated gray color, offers a more consistent finish that is crisp and distinct. By choosing a painted finish, the homeowner has the flexibility of repainting the door in the future as the color of the surrounding reclaimed wood continues to evolve.

Beyond color, the owner further complements their rustic curb appeal by choosing handcrafted Reserve^® Wood garage doors with square windows and crossbuck panels.  

Within the door, an added layer of insulation increases the R-value of the doors to help improve the energy efficiency and comfort of the living spaces above. Overall, this door provides modern conveniences and efficiency without sacrificing the rustic look.

Old and New: Curb Appeal and Contrast

Clopay Canyon Ridge® Carriage House (5-Layer)
Though this home is new, the homeowner wanted to make the garage feel old-fashioned while still complementing the rest of the home. They started by choosing a light-color stone veneer that evokes the look of rural stone farmhouses from centuries past. With the present-day look of the roof shingles, the garage door became an important piece of the process in creating a vintage-look curb appeal.

The garage door chosen for the home is the Canyon Ridge® Carriage House (5-Layer), which features composite overlays and cladding molded from real wood boards to replicate the natural texture and grain pattern of the chosen wood species. This gives the warm look of natural wood with a durable construction that won't rot, warp or crack.

To create a rustic, handcrafted feel, the homeowner selected Clear Cypress cladding and overlays, as it has a larger, slightly rough grain pattern. These doors were then custom painted charcoal gray to match the dark roof, windows and overhead lights and window cladding. This creates a sense of continuity throughout the garage and home while also creating an interesting visual contrast.

Additional details that contribute to old-fashioned curb appeal include the addition of windows, which help to add architectural interest to the side of the home, as well as simple black decorative hardware.

Bring Your Vision to Life with Your Local Clopay® Dealer

When you reimagine your home's exterior, which garage door do you see? Whether it is a vintage look carriage house style, or a sleek modern take on the classic farmhouse archetype, Clopay® can help. Learn about the collections featured here by clicking the buttons beneath each of the homes or use our Door Imagination System™ to upload a photo of your home and try different garage door styles before you buy.

When you're ready, our network of Clopay Dealers can provide expert sales advice, installation, and maintenance for your door. Simply visit our Dealer Locator, enter your location, and find a list of dealers near you. From historic rural farmhouses to urban adaptations, you'll love your home with America's Favorite Doors®.