New & Unique Modern Garage Door Options

by Rachel Lyon, Editorial Director for Direct from the Designers

There are all kinds of garage doors these days, so make sure to find the perfect design for your home! Due to the wide range of regional and temporal styles, traditional architecture has always had more variety in the garage door department, but modern and contemporary options are expanding as well. Here are some of the latest modern garage door design options to help your home stand out!

A Chic Updated Grid

The metal frame with glass panel look has been popular for quite a while. Why? Despite the simple format, it still gives homeowners a lot of customization options between the finish on the frame and the panel material. Having all that glass means the garage will have plenty of natural light, which is perfect if you intend to spend time working on your car or in your shop. Many people also love the look from the street at night—whether you opt for clear or privacy glass, turning the lights on will create a welcoming glow when seen from outside.

A typical single-car grid-style garage door has two columns and four rows for a total of eight panels. If you don’t see a blocky grid complementing your design vision, you may prefer full-width panels instead. These newer doors have five panels at the same height, so they offer a much different appearance with slender window openings. This shape doesn’t compete with windows elsewhere on the house—it makes a great choice for all kinds of modern and contemporary aesthetics!

A Fresh Take on Windows

Of course, there are also modern garage door designs with windows that don’t fall under the grid category. Think about where you’d like to place them. While traditional garage doors typically put a row of windows across the top panel, modern doors have a lot more diversity. Their windows can be short, long, or full view and fill the whole door, stack up on just one or both sides, fill out the top half, etc. Most modern homes are designed asymmetrically, so stacking windows—of any shape or size—on one side is particularly popular.

You can add style beyond the shape and placement of the windows, too. Check out the new contemporary slim windows—they let you choose between black and silver frames, which you can match to the door color or contrast for extra definition. This relatively small design feature makes a big visual difference, so consider it if you want your garage door to have some oomph.

Stylish Solid Design Options

What if you want a modern garage door without any windows? Rest assured there are also fully opaque, solid options to consider. Sleek flush panel garage doors offer the most minimalist impression, with a smooth surface only broken by the panel sections that articulate when the door rolls up and down. If that’s too plain, try a grooved panel version with additional lines across the width. There are also plank-style designs that look like wood boards, but if you’re in the market for something that really stands out, metallic inlays are guaranteed to draw the eye. This design feature offers the opportunity to add another material/texture to your façade, something that modern architecture is known for!

Whatever sort of garage door suits your style, Clopay® is sure to have a great fit in their collection! There are tons of design options in each product line, so take your time exploring the possibilities. Not sure where to start? You can try on different looks with their Door Imagination System™ as well as reach out to a local dealer for expert guidance!