Are you looking to give your garage door a fresh paint job but can’t decide the color? The first step should be choosing whether it will be the same color as your house or a different hue.
We’ve got a comprehensive guide below to help you out.
There’s no right answer, but we prefer a garage door that doesn’t exactly match your house.
Whether you decide on a complementary neutral tone or a bold accent color, a little contrast goes a long way and provides a much more interesting appearance.
Choosing a garage door color can be overwhelming since it’s so visible. But don’t worry, we’re here to help! Keep reading for some great ideas.
Should You Paint Your Garage Door?
If your garage door is suffering from rust, chipped paint, or discoloration, it may be time to give it a fresh coat of paint.
If you know what you’re doing, re-painting your garage door will be a breeze. This is way easier than it seems, so there is no need to stress.
First, figure out if your door is wood or aluminum so you can pick the right paint. If the old paint is flaky, you might need to strip or sand it down.
Consult your local paint store for more specifics on how to get the job done. All you need to worry about is the fun part: choosing the right color.
Monochromatic Is Boring
No offense to anyone out there with a garage door that matches their house’s color, but it’s not our style. The look is just a little unimaginative.
If it’s time to freshen up the paint on your garage door, this is the perfect opportunity to breathe some life into your home’s exterior.
Step #1: stay away from a boring single-color layout. White-on-white, in particular, gives off a sterile, uninviting vibe.
Even if it’s just a slightly different color, we always suggest mixing it up and opting out of the matchy-matchy aesthetic.
Play It Safe With Complementary Neutral Tones
The easiest way to add dimension to your home’s exterior design is to choose a garage door shade in the same family as the house’s color but a little lighter or darker.
The slate-colored house pictured above dons a garage door with similar blue-gray tones in a slightly lighter shade. This trick will make your home look more stylish without being too bold.
Try A White Garage Door On A Beige Home
A stark white garage door is a classic choice if your house’s color is in the beige or off-white family. This combination is neutral, stylish, and soft without any of the boredom of plain white-on-white.
Stand Out Without Looking Kooky
If you want to make your garage door a little bolder but still keep it professional, try choosing colors often found in nature.
Soft yellows and mossy greens are different enough to get noticed but elegant enough that they will stand the test of time.
In particular, deep greens are nice because they play off the colors in your lawn and surrounding foliage.
We love how this house pictured above ties in the garage door shutters to create a cohesive color story.
Have Fun With Jewel Tones And Primary Colors
For those who want to turn heads, jewel tones and bright primary colors are the way to go. These colors are classic, bold, and gracefully handle wear and tear.
Pastels, on the other hand, will showcase dirt and grime that builds up over the years. Keep it fresh by choosing a deeper shade.
Stained Wood Is Rustic (And Awesome)
This design is harder to achieve if you’re only planning on a paint job, but if you’re in the market to completely replace your garage doors, we highly suggest looking into natural wood options.
The result is striking, elegant, and all-around beautiful.
Plus, wood garage doors look great on any color house!
Remember to consider undertones and the value of the wood (value means how light or dark it is), but there are so many options out there that one is bound to complement your home perfectly.
Do Front Doors And Garage Doors Have To Match?
While it can tie the whole house together, this is by no means a necessity.
If your front door is bold, like the red pictured above, it may be in your best interest to keep the garage door a more neutral shade.
This will keep the front door the focal point of the house.
For more painting tips, check out this article: How Much Paint Thinner Per Gallon Of Paint?
Should All Exterior Doors Be The Same Color?
Exterior doors don’t all need to be the same color. Painting the front door a fun, bold color while leaving other exterior doors neutral is one of our favorite design tricks.
It provides a warm, inviting feel without being too overwhelming. An accent color should only be an accent, after all.
Should A Detached Garage Be The Same Color As The House?
Detached garages are a whole other ballgame, but we have some opinions nonetheless.
If your detached garage is visible from the street, it should match your house to show they’re part of the same unit. A different color palette will look disjointed.
The exception? If your house is monochromatic and neutral, a bold, bright detached garage can work as an accent color.
For example, the tomato-red garage pictured below stands out against the taupe house without clashing because it is such a stark contrast.
Check out this article for more garage paint ideas: What Color Garage Door Goes With A Gray House?
Now Get Painting!
With all these new ideas up your sleeve, it’s time to get out there and get painting. Whether you choose a soft, neutral, or bright accent color, your home’s exterior has never looked better.
Just remember: monochromatic white-on-white can look a little stuffy, so try painting your garage door a different color than your house to create dimension.
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