Curbside Pickup: 6 Garage Door Fixes for Enhancing Your Curb Appeal

The curb appeal struggle is real.

Striking the right chord with pedestrians and neighborhood drive-bys is tough. And getting your home to stand out from the crowd––but in a good way––takes a lot of effort.

If you’re looking to inspire next-door-neighbor envy or you simply want to demonstrate how much pride you take in a clean, beautiful home, the curb appeal factor is probably always on your mind. 

Oh, and if you’re thinking of putting your house up for sale, this goes double.

Struggling with curb-appeal beauty tips? Well, this might come as a shock, but we recommend starting with your garage.

Hear us out.

The garage door is the ultimate gateway to your home. It’s the biggest entrance by far, and it often takes up a huge portion of your curb-facing square footage. So, we believe if you dedicate a little time to upscaling your garage door, you can absolutely stop your neighbors in their tracks.

Don’t believe us? Just watch.

Here are four of our top garage door makeover tips for revamping your curb appeal. Pick a favorite and see what happens. We think you and your neighbors will be very satisfied with the results.

Accent-uate the positive

First up: The devil in the details. You don’t need us to tell you the smallest, most “insignificant” accent can sometimes change the entire game. (Exhibit A: Just consider the magical transformation that occurs when you add a tie to a basic suit.) And if you’re aiming for a garage refresh, a little can go a long way.

Meet our go-to selections for small-but-mighty garage door accents:

Windows. Whether standard, transom, or vertical, window panes are a uniquely elegant upgrade option and also brighten up your garage’s interior. (In very rare cases, windows can feel like garage overkill, but most of the time glass = class.)

Hardware. Well-placed accents like hinges, bolts, or door handles (traditional, single-handed, circular—the choice is yours!) can give your garage a distinctly vintage vibe, evoking a time when carriages ruled the road. But again, if these accents seem like more trouble than they’re worth, consider a quicker fix: magnetic options are usually available at a reasonable price, so you can still achieve that nostalgic look without the hassle of hardware installation.

Panels. Warning: These are less easy to fake. We’re including them anyway, though, because they’re so versatile––and because there’s really no better way to recreate that classic American garage feel. Panels can be raised (easier to add on) or recessed (trickier to install without overhauling the entire door) and/or painted with a harmonious color scheme for extra pop. Whichever panel style you choose, the resulting geometric texture will provide an eye-catching design element and help generate added curb appeal.   

Cladding. Say it with us: “Cladding is cool.” This feature involves laying materials on top of one another to beautify and/or reinforce your door. Cladding’s sleek lines and crisp angles lend a little geometric texture to your garage display and are objectively baller.

Pretty in paint

An oldie but a goody. It’s quite possible a fresh coat of paint color is the only makeover your garage really needs. Yes, yes: “Color” can be a scary word in today’s painfully neutral, “beige-or-bust” environment, but, just like with shutters and awnings, garage doors offer up the chance for you to express yourself to the outside world. Your color selections can be as bold or as tame as you like, though we recommend shooting for something in the middle.

Trending paint colors that make us happy include:

• Burnt sienna red. With its old-world appeal and its tinge of vibrant orange, this color is perfect for country-style homes with a French- or Italian-farmhouse influence.
• Beautiful blue. Depending on the shade, blue can come across as a calm, unassuming neutral without actually being a neutral. A soft, comforting blue might just be the soothing hint of color your house needs to become a home. 
• Dark green. These days opinions are divided on green, but we believe with the right contrasting exterior, a deeper green can add a touch of sophistication to your garage. It can also provide a nice complement to your surroundings, especially if you live in an area where natural greenery plays a starring role.
• Back to black. Think black is too intense for a home? Think again. Muted or matted blacks are an exceptional addition to almost any modern exterior, and a garage door done up in black can make for a cool curbside attraction. (Bonus: It’s much, much easier to keep clean.)

Don’t want to commit to repainting your entire door? Try upgrading the trim, soffits, or fascia with a tasteful tint of color. This can help offset a bland façade and will give you virtually the same visual effect as you’d get from a fully painted door.   

Get in line

Us human beings are creatures of symmetry, meaning lines and patterns are bound to draw us in. Why not take advantage of this aesthetic bias and get more heads swiveling in your direction? For contemporary homes, the sleek, angular contours of an aluminum door can be an excellent addition to your curbside view.

But if your tastes run more conventional (which is totally okay, by the way), maybe explore a linear pattern. Crossbeam detailing or reinforced triangular corners are both good bets; humans have a history with triangles, and much of Western art trains our eyes to subconsciously seek them out. Curb-appeal hack activated!

Let there be light

This idea? It’s rather lit. (#dadjokes)

If you’re searching for an innovative twist on the standard garage door sitch, think about lighting it from the outside or from within.

You read that right.

While cleverly spaced fixtures such as sconces and spotlights can help showcase the color, texture, and finish of your garage at night, you can also glow up your garage door by installing top-to-bottom glass panels or a row of floor-to-ceiling windows. This design benefits from the light inside your home, flipping the usual curbside tableau and sparking some serious neighborly curiosity.

Concerned about privacy? Don’t be. Glass or acrylic panels can be frosted or otherwise obscured, so passersby won’t be able to see exactly what you’re up to. Go ahead and flex your amateur mechanic muscles without fear. No one’s watching.

If you’re interested in any of the above garage door makeovers or you’re hoping to renovate the inside of your garage to optimize your space or realize the layout of your dreams, we can help with that.

Garage Up can handle everything from epoxy flooring to cabinet installation, and we’re 100% committed to helping you unlock the garage interior and exterior you’ve always wanted. Plus: If you’re in the market for any of the painting projects above, our sister company That 1 Painter can tackle all your needs at a special price!

Hit us up here to book an estimate and get started.