Your garage is something you probably use on a daily basis, every time you leave and come home. The garage door takes up so much surface area, it’s instantly noticeable from the street. So, it’s important to select the right color for your garage door. And if you have a white house, then you have plenty of freedom. But with so many options, it can be tough to find a place to begin. We have researched what color will suit your garage door to pair with a white house.
Because white is a warm neutral color, you have the freedom to pair a white house with literally any other color for your garage door. White has the ability to balance out other neutrals and colors without drawing any attention to itself. Therefore you can choose between cool colors, neutral colors, or warm colors such as:
- Blue, green, or purple for cool temperature
- White for warm neutral
- Black or grey for cool neutral
- Brown for some middle ground
- Red, orange, or yellow for warm temperature
The garage is an often overlooked part of the house. It’s a separate place, and it’s easy to think of something like a garage door as merely functional. But a garage door can add just as much charm and personality to your home as any other feature. Keep reading to learn what colors go great with white, and how to match your garage and house.
What is the best color for a garage door?
Ordinarily, the best color for a garage door would create one of two specific results. The garage door will either agree with the rest of the house’s style or fade into the background altogether.
If you want to be especially bold, you can let the garage door color pop with its own personality. But this is tricky, and generally only works if the garage door is still consistent with the style of the home.
Blue, Green, or Purple
If you choose blue or green for your garage door, then you will be leaning towards a natural design style. This is because the colors blue and green are commonly found in nature. For example, blue can represent the sky or the ocean. Purple can represent dusk or even a regal style. Green and purple can feel a little warmer than blue because they are secondary colors.
White
Typically, it’s best to paint your garage door any shade of white. This allows the garage door to blend in with the house. The garage door won’t distract from the style of your actual house, but it can still brighten the area. This is why white is the traditional canvas for artwork. It offers absolute freedom and makes sure your home doesn’t look too busy.
White is also a neutral color, which technically means it has no color. As a result, there are no colors that function as a natural pair or opposite of white on the color wheel. Instead, you should focus on white’s temperature. White is unusually warm for a neutral color, compared to the others like grey and black.
If your house has cooler colors for the siding, roof, and trim, then a white garage door can help warm up the place without becoming overwhelming.
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However, if you plan on using white paint with a white house, then you should choose either a lighter or darker shade of white for the garage door. Otherwise, the white can become overwhelming. If your house has more color, then you can read this post to learn what color garage door will go with a blue house.
Black or Grey
You can also choose a darker neutral instead of white to relax the temperature. Black or grey are popular colors for modern, sleek, and industrial styles. These will cool down the overall look of the house without sacrificing the versatility of a white door.
But if you don't have much color on your house at all, then it could probably use some more color. In this case, the garage door should match with some other element on the house or property. This is the only way to fill up the scene without losing focus on the house itself.
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If you don't have much color on your house at all, then it could probably use some more color. In this case, the garage door should match with some other element on the house or property. This is the only way to fill up the scene without losing focus on the house itself.
Brown
If you feel that the material of your garage door is appealing enough, and the colors even out with your home, you might just leave them as is. You can read this post to learn if you should even paint a new garage door.
For example, a fresh new wooden garage door might just need a good finisher in order to provide a protective layer.
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Wood is often a great fit because the color brown is especially useful for finding a middle ground. That’s because brown is only a near-neutral instead of a pure neutral. In fact, brown is sometimes considered a cooler form of orange. This is a great way to find some level between warm and cool, without using a vivid white or a bleak grey.
Red, Orange, or Yellow
Hot colors can potentially feel a little overwhelming on a house with white siding. So be careful of which shades you use. However, you can still choose colors like red, orange, or yellow. Red can be useful if you have a lot of bricks on the landscaping. Orange and yellow are great if you plan on doing lots of gardening. This will create a flowery style or an arts and crafts style.
How do I match my garage door to my house?
The garage door is broad and takes up a lot more room than you think. It sits right beside the house, which means both structures must feel consistent with each other. It’s easiest to make that uniform appearance by matching the garage door with some part of the house or area.
This would include the environmental conditions, accent colors on the house, or the trim color on the house. You can also simply keep the garage door the same color as its natural material.
Matching the environment
The first thing you’ll want to consider is how hot or rainy your weather is. If the garage door is constantly going to be subjected to harsh sunlight, then you might want to choose the color white. White has the unusual ability to reflect harsh light.
Specialists like the University of California Santa Barbara assert that white only appears to be white because it is reflecting all colors. Since no wavelengths of light are absorbed, it’s commonly suggested that anything painted white will receive less heat.
Then again, it’s possible that you have a very busy garage for things like woodworking and auto repair. In this case, it will be tremendously hard to keep a white garage door clean. Instead, you should opt for something like brown or black. This will allow you to hide more scrapes and damage.
And don’t forget about your landscaping. Consider if you have a lot of foliage and lawn art in front of the garage. Also consider the pathways leading to the garage and the front door. If there is a color scheme going on with the front lawn, then you don’t want to muddy it up with complicated garage door colors.
Should the garage door color match house or trim?
You can also select a garage door color based on the accent colors and door colors. The key to any style is always balance, no matter how tiny or bold.
Matching your garage door with the trim is another great option that will create a balanced look. The “trim” on your house includes the outline around your doors and windows, as well as things like the gutters and downspout.
The trim of your house can act as a framing device. Because it runs all across the home, it can give your house a unique, attractive face of its own.
However, the trim is not going to serve as a dominating color. It doesn’t take up nearly enough surface area for that. This means that your garage door will perform in the same way. The garage door will only act as a friendly neighbor. This is useful if you don’t want the primary color of your house to become too overwhelming.
How do I pick a garage door and front door color?
Your front door should make a statement. It is the thing through which all guests get their first impression of your home. It is also something you’re going to use every single day.
This means that the front door should act as the neck of the house. It may not take up much room, but it should definitely dictate its surroundings. This applies to things like accent colors. Since your accent colors will be guided by the front door, you can also match the garage door to the accent colors.
It is rarely a good idea to match your garage door with the front door. This relationship will cause the garage door to command the entire area. The front door is simply too small to keep the attention it deserves. This means that you should definitely choose the front door color before you choose the color for your garage door.
Summary
Since white is such a versatile color for your house, it can be easy to get carried away with too many options for your garage door. Fortunately, there are still general rules that will allow you to paint the garage door without sacrificing character for balance. Now that you understand some basic matching principles for the garage door, you have a great place to start. All you need to do is find something that will suit your own individual lifestyle, and it’ll be a joy to pull into the driveway!