Have you ever really looked at your home? That is, have you ever stood outside on the street and taken time to behold your abode? If you have time, give it a try. What things do you notice? Do you like what you see? Perhaps more importantly, how do you feel when you look at it? Do you feel a sense of warmth and welcome? Or does it seem to communicate, “please go away, there is no happiness here.” Do you feel a sense of joy and light when looking, or a sense of weight and sadness? It‘s both mysterious and fascinating that the layout of a space – its colors, decor, and so forth can affect our feelings of that space.
Like us, our homes go through difficulties and challenges. Years of enduring the elements leave the paint faded, undesirable plants growing in undesirable places, and sometimes a home that seems too tired from the battle to even worry about aesthetics. Through this process, our home begins to lose a crucial element – curb appeal.
Curb appeal is not only a crucial element when selling your home… It is making sure that your home has its best foot forward. When we go to a job interview, we make sure to dress to impress. After all, it would be a shame to be passed over because of your outfit – it’s the same with your home and its curb appeal.
Just as important as great landscaping and fresh paint are the garage doors. Have you ever considered the importance of garage doors on your home’s overall impression? Your garage doors can account for up to 30% of the overall curb appeal of your home! Think about it – With these doors accounting for so much of the real estate of the home and its curb appeal, it is imperative they look their absolute best.
If you want great curb appeal and need to upgrade your garage doors, what is the best way forward? I’m glad you asked! As with all things aesthetic, there are certain “rules” or guidelines that, if followed, will invariably lead to the outcome you desire. Below are 5 principles that if followed will help you obtain that much sought-after curb appeal:
- Color is Key.
Most experts recommend garage doors that are complementary to the color scheme of the house. Doing it this way tends to make the house look bigger. As a result, many people stick to the classic colors of dark greys, browns, dark blues and black. These colors tend to look nice and can often bring about a harmony from the different colors already found on the home. Darker color doors ensure a classy look that provides a great context to highlight the front door and enlarge the size of the home in the eyes of the beholders.
White is always a safe choice, but always ensure the white of the garage doors is not whiter than the surrounding paint or it can cause the other areas of the home to look older. If a brighter and lighter color is chosen, it is typically best to highlight the peaks of the home in the same color or brighter to add harmony and to make the house appear bigger.
Most important is to choose colors that are complementary. Complementary, however, does not mean uniform. Thus, using contrast is essential.
- Contrast is Crucial.
Contrasting the colors of a home signal intentionality. It’s important for showing your viewer how to view your home. At a basic level, lighter and brighter grab the attention. Therefore, brighten and lighten where you want onlookers to focus. One potential idea is to trim the home in white and paint the peaks in a similar color to your garage doors. The white helps to bring about the contrast needed to make all the colors of your home flow smoothly. The white trim also causes the eyes of onlookers to focus on the peaks which makes the house appear larger (a bonus for interested buyers).
- What is your style?
When you looked at your entire home along with your yard, what style did you see? Did you like the style? Are you going for rustic but cozy, or modern and sophisticated? Carriage house style garages are modeled after the historical carriage houses where people kept their horse drawn carriages in the past and can solicit a feeling of something wholesome and inviting. Modern doors are usually free from heavy ornamentation and replaced with simple rectangular or curved forms. Just be sure that whatever style and subsequent feelings you are seeking to evoke is consistent throughout your home and curb appeal.
- Balance is Beautiful.
With the correct contrast in color, the garage can serve to create the color balance of the home. This might mean having a garage that is a similar color or style as the front door to bring about the balance. If you keep in mind that the garage door should complement or highlight the front door, you’ll have excellent curb appeal.
- When to Window.
Installing windows in the garage door works wonders. There are two major reasons why this adds so much curb appeal to your home. Firstly, windows help to break up the monotony of a single large surface area found in garage doors. Windows add that excitement and dynamic that a large garage door without windows is hard-pressed to do. Secondly, windows help to create a sense of balance and consistency with the rest of the home. If there are windows in the home and on the front door, but none on the garage door, this could bring about a home that may look unbalanced and therefore not as aesthetically pleasing. There are rare occasions when not having windows on your garage door can be a good move. These include having a garage that is not located on the facade of the home or your garage doors are styled to be windowless.
The funds or work spent to increase the curb appeal on your home is an investment, which is essentially spending something now with the prospect of gaining more. With garage doors occupying up to 30% of your home’s facade, they are an essential element to curb appeal. Maybe your garage doors just need a “paint-lift” or some windows, new accents, or maybe even a complete replacement/renovation. One thing that you can be sure of is whatever you invest in your garage doors to increase your curb appeal will pay off. Beautiful garage doors could be the difference between a “wow” and an “eh.” If “wow” is what you want (and I would assume it is) you can trust the professionals at Overhead Door Company of Joliet to accomplish just that!