Your home's garage door may seem unimportant, but it occupies a large surface area. Because your garage door occupies so much space in the front of your home, it can make a huge difference in the overall look of your outdoor space. This can make the task of choosing the right color for your garage door an overwhelming task. We have searched multiple sources to bring you an inclusive selection of garage doors, siding, and home trim combinations.
There are several ways to coordinate your garage doors with the rest of your home. Some combinations, such as matching your garage door with trim or using a contrasting color for your garage door, may draw attention to your garage door.
Other combinations, such as matching your garage door with your siding, can help your garage door blend into your home's exterior.
Picking a color for your garage door is only one of many choices you will need to make during your home exterior remodel project. Deciding whether to paint on metal doors versus wood doors and what kind of paint to use on these materials and choosing between light versus darker colors for trim and door. We will address all of these points and discuss other closely related topics, just keep reading!
1. Matching garage door with siding and trim
To keep your garage door from standing out, paint it the same color as your home's siding or main exterior material. A color very close within the same color family can also create this blended illusion.
Painting your garage door and your home the same color can also make your home's surface area appear larger. Using the same color for your trim can also add to the expansive look.
White garage door with white siding and white trim
White is a great color to paint your exterior if you wish to create the illusion of a bigger space. Lighter colors, in general, are great for making your exterior look airy and spacious.
As shown in the example above, this crisp, clean color combines well with almost any other accent color, such as the natural red brick. Various trim colors can be added for a more detailed or vibrant look.
2. Matching garage door with siding
Painting your garage door the same color as your siding can help to camouflage your garage door. Matching your garage door with the siding of your home can also make your home appear larger.
Trim painted a different color will likely become the focal point. Even subtle variations of color of trim from siding will accentuate the details of your home's exterior.
Grey garage door with grey siding and natural brown trim
The bright warm natural wood trim, pictured in the example above, is accentuated by matching the garage door with the siding around it. The brilliant shade of orange-brown is also used for the accent colors of the door and wood beams for a harmonizing look to the home's entire exterior.
Smokey shades of grey combined with a bright natural wood contrast create a vivid modern look to the exterior of this home. The vibrant alternating contrasts of the siding and trim give this home a geometric and cohesive look.
3. Matching garage door with trim
Painting your garage door the same color as your trim can draw attention to the garage doors. The matching color of the trim and garage door will create a balanced, coordinated look across the exterior of your home.
Lighter trim will add subtle detail and help to lighten up the siding color. Darker trim will add a more dramatic effect along with depth.
White garage door with beige siding and white trim
As shown in the example above, a subtle contrast of white and beige can be the perfect amount of difference in color to draw attention to the garage door. The muted differentiation of these two light colors highlights the white color of the garage door and trim, making it look crisp and clean.
The bright blue front door is the perfect splash of vivid color to add to this subtle contrast. Strong contrasting colors will add a more dramatic effect and highlight your garage doors even more.
4. Contrasting garage door from trim and siding
Some garage doors make an architectural statement to the outside of a home. If you wish to draw attention to the garage doors, paint them a separate color from the house.
Using colors within the same color family for your siding and trim will give your home a subtle, detailed look. Adding an edgy or contrasting color for your garage door can add the perfect decorative touch.
Natural wood garage door with green siding and white trim
The warm natural wood garage doors pictured above give this color scheme a warm, bright burst of color. They add beautiful accents to this pale green siding and white trim home.
These garage doors are the focal point of this exterior but coordinate beautifully with the overall color scheme, creating a cohesive look. The white trim creates a dimensional look that adds detail to this home's exterior.
Should I paint my metal garage door?
Because your garage door occupies so much of your home's exterior space, cracking or peeling paint can be an eyesore for any home. Painting a metal or aluminum garage door can be done but maybe a task better left to the professionals.
If painting over a powder coat or baked enamel finish that most aluminum garage doors come with, a process should be followed. This paint job will likely need to be repeated every 5-10 years.
What kind of paint do you use on a metal garage door?
Oil-based primer and paint should be used on metal garage doors for optimal results. Oil-based primers and paints can be more challenging to work with and require paint thinner for clean-up.
A primer that is designed for metal should be used and can be sprayed or painted on. After your primer has dried, one or two layers of high-quality acrylic latex exterior paint should be applied.
What kind of paint do you use on a wooden garage door?
Latex paint should be used on a wooden garage door. Latex paint is made to stretch and move as needed, which will almost definitely occur with a wooden garage door.
Acrylic paint will crack and eventually chip and peel as wood expands and shrinks with humidity and temperature changes. Before applying paint, a latex primer should also be used for wooden garage doors to ensure proper adhesion and stain blocking.
Should exterior trim be lighter or darker?
Trim colors can be used to highlight your home's architectural details. There are no rules when it comes to color, but keeping color changes subtle can accentuate your home's exterior without being too loud or overwhelming.
Using a color within the same color scheme but a little darker, if you have a light siding or brick color, creates a subtle contrast. If your base color is on the darker side, using a slightly lighter color can help to keep your exterior from appearing too dark.
Should the exterior door and trim be the same color?
Your exterior door and trim don't necessarily have to match. Using a contrasting color for your exterior front door is a popular way to distinguish your home and add decorative detail.
Painting your trim is a great way to highlight architectural detail on your home's exterior. White or lighter colored trim can add dimensional effects and the appearance of depth to the outside of your home.
Do front doors, and garage doors have to match?
The exterior doors to your home are arguably the most important features of your outside space. However, matching your garage door with the front door isn't necessarily the only way to coordinate the two.
Using contrasting colors for these two doors is a great way to give your home a distinguished look. Matching one of these two doors to other accent colors, such as trim or shutters, is a great way to maintain a cohesive look.
Final thoughts
Your garage door can add personality and charm to the exterior of your home. They can also be a huge eyesore.
Determining whether to hide or highlight your garage doors is a huge factor in deciding whether your garage door or doors should match your siding or your trim. We hope that the selection of combinations that we have provided has helped you during your home exterior remodel process.
Before you go, here are some other articles that may be of help to you:
What Color Garage Door With A White House?