Garage Door Color: Should It Be The Same As Your House?
It's crucial that you choose the right color for your garage door. After all, the garage door is the single biggest component of a home's exterior and is highly visible from the street. If the color is wrong the look of the entire house will be off and there goes your curb appeal. A question those of us in the garage door industry hear a lot is: "Should my garage door be the same color as my house?" It's a good question and in this post, we'll provide our two-cents on the issue.
Why You Should Match the Garage Door Color to the House
You likely paint your home every few years. When you do you have the option of matching the color of your garage door to the primary color of the home. (The siding color as opposed to the trim color.) Here are a few reasons why you should consider doing that.
It creates a homogenous look for the house
By matching the color of the garage door with the primary color of the house you create visual homogeneity. Matching the door to the house color is particularly useful if the door is a bit larger than average. Trying to pull off a more daring color scheme can become problematic with larger doors as the paint job might distract from the rest of the house.
It's a great idea for modern house styles
In some cases, modern, minimalist homes will be entirely white both outside and inside. But even if there is some variation in the color scheme it's typically minimal. If your home is a mid-century modern or something similar then matching the color of the overhead garage door to the primary color of the house is more or less a given.
It's also a good idea for small homes
If yours is a small-ish home how you paint it is of critical importance. Matching the color of the garage door to the primary color of the house can actually make the home appear larger than it is. But the opposite is also true: a busy color scheme can make a house feel, not just strange, but smaller than it is.
It's a safe choice
Better safe than sorry as they say. So if you're having trouble deciding exactly how to approach painting the garage door on your home there is no harm in defaulting to a color that matches the house, because it will work, regardless of the style of the house. Your home may not end up in Architectural Digest but it will hold its own aesthetically.
Why Contrasting Colors Might Be a Better Idea
Let's say you don't want to play it safe and match the garage door color to that of the house. Do you have options? And will they work? Yes, and, yes.
Contrasting colors bump up the visual interest
While matching colors may create a nice, homogenous experience contrasting colors - when done right - can ramp up the visual interest and cause people to do a double take. By employing contrasting colors you're saying "Yes I know it's a garage door but that doesn't mean I can't have some fun with it."
It can complement and inform other elements of the exterior
If you have contrasting colors elsewhere on the house there is no reason to stop when you get to the garage door. In fact, using contrasting colors on the door will draw attention to and complement those other elements creating a more cohesive exterior that makes visual sense from any angle.
You can use contrasting colors to accentuate the separateness of the garage
In some cases, you may create a single visual experience using contrasting colors. In other cases, you might want to draw attention to separate elements of the house. This type of paint scheme is popular with postmodern homes that often use blocks of color to denote different parts of the house.
This video provides a good idea of what we're talking about with blocky paint schemes.
It can help you make a bold statement
If your goal is to make a statement with your home's exterior then adopting a contrasting color scheme that includes the garage door is a great way to do it. Of course, you'll need to hire a painting contractor that knows what they're doing. But if you can find one the contrasting color scheme can make your home stand out for all the right reasons.
So, Should the Garage Door Color Match the House?
There is, unfortunately, no clear-cut answer to this question. It depends on your tastes, your goals and to at least some extent, on the style and size of your home.
Why You Should Consider Matching Your Garage Door Color to Your Trim Color
If the idea of matching the garage door color to your home's primary color doesn't appeal to you for some reason you have another option. You can match it to your home's trim color. Few are the homes where the siding and trim are the same color and that's likely the case with your home. Matching the door color to the trim color can produce an all-over visual experience that many people find very satisfying.
Many homeowners use the trim color on front doors, shutters, and architectural details. Extending that trim color to the garage door can pull everything together. This works especially well when the trim is a classic shade like white, charcoal, or a muted accent that doesn’t overwhelm the façade.
What About Combining Colors?
There is no hard and fast rule that says you need to paint your garage door the same as your home's primary color, or the same as your home's trim color. Why not combine the 2? Make the panels the same color as the siding on the house and make the panel frames the same as the trim on the house.
Now if there is a high contrast between the siding color and the trim color then this idea may not work on your garage door because it will create a very busy look that could be a distraction. But if the difference between the siding color and the trim color is subtle, you could create a very interesting look.
| Garage Door Color Approach | Best For | Potential Drawback |
|---|---|---|
| Match house (siding) color | Large or front-facing garages; modern or minimalist homes | Can feel flat if the rest of the exterior is also very neutral |
| Match trim color | Homes with strong trim lines and coordinated front door/shutters | High contrast trim can make the door visually dominant |
| Use contrasting accent color | Homeowners wanting a bold, customized look | May not suit conservative neighborhoods or HOA guidelines |
| Two-tone (siding + trim combination) | Subtle color differences; paneled doors with good detailing | Can look busy if colors differ too much or design is overly complex |
A Better Garage Door is the Garage Door Company You Can Trust
We're no fly-by-night operation. For more than 25 years we have been providing the people of Aurora and the greater Denver metro area with expert garage door installation and repair services. We're also here to provide helpful advice (if you want it) about which type of door would be the best choice for your home and more.
If you're looking for a garage door company that won't let you down and is here for you 24/7/365 it's time you got to know the team at A Better Garage Door. Call us today at 303-920-2267.