According to Better Homes & Gardens magazine, the colonial home is one of the most popular house styles in the United States, and it’s easy to see why. A colonial home’s striking architectural elements give it a historic charm and distinctive look.
There are many traditional and classic elements of a colonial home, and finding a garage door that can mimic this style can be difficult. Luckily, Precision Garage Door of Delaware has plenty of tips to help you choose the best one for your home.
In the following post, we took a closer look at the top door styles that complement colonial homes.
Characteristics of a Colonial Home
In order to ID which door designs would be the right match for this distinct home style, we started by thinking about the features that make colonial homes unique.
A colonial home’s architecture is consistent with the colonial period of the United States (1600 through the 19th century) and encompasses a wide range of house types ranging from log cabins to large estates. In general, all colonial-style homes have the basics in common. Check them out below:
- Homes that stress symmetry: Colonial-style homes feature a symmetrical construction with an emphasis on the front door located at the center of the home. The rest of the home’s elements also follow this symmetry with an even number of, and equal spacing between, windows, dormers, and chimneys.
- Mansions created out of this style have grand pillars at the home’s entrance with an even number of columns on both sides.
- Like layouts: Many colonial homes are two or three stories tall, and feature a stairway directly behind the front door that leads to the second floor.
Door Styles That Suit Colonial Homes
Time to choose a garage door style that complements your colonial home. You don’t need to find one that matches exactly, as some contrast can add interest and appeal. But, you also don’t want to go with a door that’ll be completely out of place in the context of a colonial home’s historic look. Here are the door styles we recommend:
- Traditional raised panel: A traditional raised panel garage door style is a popular choice for any home, including one of the most popular homes in the United States! Its basic design that features windows at the top of the door followed by rows and columns of rectangular paneling down the door fits many exteriors and accents a colonial home’s symmetry.
Because of the simplicity of this garage door style, you can leave it as is or personalize it with accents to draw in elements of the rest of your home.
- Carriage house: The carriage house garage door is rapidly becoming the “it” style in the industry. Built to look like the doors found on old-time barns or carriage houses, this style fits right into a colonial home’s era of inspiration. While homes back then didn’t have garages connected to the home, they did have carriage houses or nearby sheds or barns.
or handles can be customized, widow style changed, or door color painted to create a rustic yet timeless match for your colonial home.
Door Accents for Colonial Homes
Adding accents to your home can elevate its appearance and provide an element of interest that draws in the eye. Incorporating elements from your home into your garage door through accents is an effective way to add cohesion to your property overall.
- Straps: Garage door straps are decorative hinges that come in a variety of materials and colors, such as forged iron, steel, or solid bronze, as well as different shapes and sizes. Strap hinges can bring bold detailing to your garage door with the convenience of quick and easy installation. Select a design that mimics the decorative crown molding on your colonial home for a unified look.
Handles: Garage door handles add a touch of elegance that work especially well with a colonial home’s exterior. There are tons of garage door handles to choose from in a variety of styles and colors. If you want handles for your colonial home’s garage door, try drawing from the colonial theme by choosing a material that brings out the home’s historical charm, like high-quality wrought iron.
Try Garage Doors on Your Home at Our Showroom
Now that you have some information about the different styles and accents that’ll look great on your colonial home, it’s time to check them out for yourself. Delaware and Maryland area homeowners like you can head out to Precision Door’s showroom to see our garage doors in person and get a better idea of what will look the best on your home.
Get this home a fitting room! We encourage new door shoppers to bring a picture of the front of their home to upload into our visualization software. This will help give you a better feel for what your home will look like with various garage door styles, materials, and colors.
To take the perfect photo of your home, follow these steps:
- Clear the front of the garage of any cars, toys, etc.
- Close the garage door and walk about 20 to 30 feet out.
- Can you get the whole door in view?
- Are any bushes obstructing the picture? If so, try a different angle. You want to get as much of the door in view as possible.
- Bring your photo into our showroom.
For any questions before your visit, don’t hesitate to contact our garage door experts for more information. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Take these tips into consideration when adding a new garage door to your colonial home. Click here to contact Precision Door of Delaware for more information.
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