What Styles of Homes Look Best With a Carriage Style Garage Door?

Get our opinion on what architectural styles always, sometimes, or never match a carriage style door

Carriage style garage doors have become increasingly popular in recent years, especially since many companies have started offering doors that look just like a real carriage door, but actually roll up like a convenient, modern style door. But will a carriage style garage door really look right on your home? Here’s our opinion on which architectural styles can always, sometimes, or never be paired with carriage style garage doors.

Always

Victorian: If you are lucky enough to have a historic Victorian home, you will definitely want a carriage style garage door. After all, the home was built when carriages were common and this is the only historically appropriate type of door you could have.

Craftsman/Bungalow: The wide eaves and exposed rafters of a Craftsman or California Bungalow style home are typically accompanied by many other engaging design details. The last thing you want is a boring modern garage door. It just won’t match. But a carriage style door with appropriate detailing will make your home the envy of the neighbors.

Mission Revival: Because Mission Revival style homes have such a historic look, a traditional carriage style garage door is a good choice for them. Wood doors pair especially well with the facades of these homes, which are typically made from another natural material—adobe (or faux adobe).

Spanish Colonial: The abundance of wrought iron detailing on Spanish colonial homes, along with the heavy wood typically seen on doors and window shutters, makes a wood carriage style garage door with wrought-iron accents a no-brainer.

Tudor Revival: This style of architecture has a ton of character, like uneven high-pitched roofs, prominent chimneys, and unusually shaped windows. A carriage style garage door can add to the character of the home even more, especially with a custom design.

Sometimes

Colonial: Whether or not carriage style garage doors will look appropriate on a typical American colonial style home depends mainly on whether or not the garage is attached. In the case of a detached garage, they can look quite at home as the entire structure will mimic a traditional carriage house.

Ranch: It is possible to get away with a carriage style garage door on your average ranch-style suburban home, but you have to be very careful. If you do not update the home with other touches such as architectural shutters and old-fashioned landscaping, carriage doors could easily look out of place.

Never

Mid Century Modern: Mid-century modern homes have a very specific architectural vocabulary. These homes were never originally built with carriage style doors and it makes little sense to add them now. This style of home typically looks best with a simple steel or plain wood garage door.

Contemporary: Carriage style garage doors are typically too fussy to look appropriate on the sleek façade of a contemporary home. A better choice would be a full view garage door, which provides something with a lot more style than your average steel garage door, while still complementing rather than overwhelming the architecture.