As a Michigan homeowner, you appreciate the value of a sturdy garage door that can withstand rough winters. But there’s more to selecting a garage door than performance. If you’re considering a new garage door installation, you probably want one that offers excellent functionality and pleasing aesthetics.
While there are plenty of options on the market, if you’re looking for a unique garage door that matches both traditional and modern homes, consider installing a carriage house garage door. Learn more in our carriage house style guide.
What Is a Carriage House Garage Door?
A carriage house garage door is a modern garage door designed to resemble the traditional carriage house doors or coach house doors dating back to the 1700s. Also known as barn-style doors, the original doors stood on hinges and swung sideways to let in horse-drawn carriages. While carriage house garage doors adopt the aesthetics of the historic coach house doors, they maintain the modern garage door overhead feature, where they roll upward.
What Makes Carriage House Garage Doors Different?
What makes a carriage house garage door unique is its history. The old-world look has a timeless appeal that brings a touch of elegance to different home designs. Aside from the charm that comes with classic architectural styles like farmhouse, rustic and vintage, these doors also provide the convenience of modern operation.
For instance, unlike the original carriage doors, the modern versions offer the same functionality and design features as standard overhead garage doors. These features may include weather-resistant materials, insulation, smart technology and safety mechanisms. As a result, carriage house garage doors go beyond the standard door features.
Carriage House Garage Door Designs
Carriage house garage door designs vary based on materials and design elements, offering many options. While it’s a single, unique garage door type, design versatility eliminates sameness. Here are some of the common carriage house garage door styles on the market:
Canyon Ridge®
Canyon Ridge® is a Clopay® series featuring diverse carriage house garage doors to complement different architectural styles and personal preferences. The popular series has everything from traditional-looking carriage house types to more modern variations.
The more traditional styles, like the Canyon Ridge® Carriage House (5-Layer) and its four-layer option, replicate the aesthetics of coach house designs, making them a perfect choice if you want to capture the charm and realism of the old world. In contrast, Canyon Ridge® Modern blends the classic style with modern elements like clean lines and metallic accents, which add sophistication.
Bridgeport™ Steel
While steel garage doors are a modern invention, Clopay’s Bridgeport™ Steel opens the carriage house style to new possibilities. As a faux wood collection, Bridgeport Steel has a wood look and finish that allows it to imitate carriage house doors while maintaining the superior performance and durability of steel.
Bridgeport Steel offers plenty of design and color variations. For a classic look, you can opt for the large, horizontal recessed panels. These doors also come with various top-section options like arches for more diversity.
Coachman®
Like Canyon Ridge, Coachman garage doors have some of the most authentic carriage house door appearance. Despite modern qualities like the roll-up feature, these garage doors often display traditional hinges and handles similar to those that came with the historic swing-out doors.
While Coachman doors are designed for practicality, they also maximize aesthetics to attain the original carriage house door look. The doors are made from durable steel and feature other technologies like rust prevention and insulation for convenience. However, using woodgrain-textured composite overlays gives the doors their natural wood appearance.
Gallery® Steel
Gallery Steel is a high-strength garage door collection with a three-layer construction that provides durability, insulation, and dent resistance. It also offers a beautiful carriage house look with multiple design options, such as long and short panels, top section and window options.
Gallery steel garage doors feature four types of oak woodgrain finishes to capture the look of a wood carriage house style. Optional hardware such as strap hinges, lift handles and step plates — available in spade, spear and colonial designs — are perfect accessories for adding more authenticity to the door’s appearance.
Benefits of Carriage House Garage Doors
Carriage house garage doors combine classic aesthetics with modern features, offering several advantages. Here are some of the benefits of carriage house doors:
- Increased curb appeal: Carriage house garage doors are designed to replicate the historic coach house doors. Their distinctive look and various design options give the doors much character, transforming them into exterior centerpieces for diverse home designs.
- Versatile designs: Modern carriage house garage doors are made from different materials, from solid wood for the most authentic look to metal with faux wood overlays. They are also available in various panel designs, top-section choices, decorative accents and finishes. The versatility makes it easy to customize these doors to complement any architectural style.
- High durability and longevity: Unlike the old carriage house doors, modern versions are often made from more durable and long-lasting materials like steel, composite wood and fiberglass. Due to multi-layer technology during construction, these doors offer exceptional durability, reliable performance and improved longevity.
- Increased property value: One survey shows garage door remodels had the highest return on investment in 2024. Considering the high-end look of carriage house doors, they may boost your home’s resale value due to the enhanced curb appeal.
How to Choose a Carriage House Garage Door
Carriage-style garage doors come in multiple designs, so choosing one that complements your home depends on several variables. Here are things to consider when selecting a carriage house garage door:
- Color: Like other garage doors, carriage-style doors offer a wide range of color options, from traditional white and natural wood finishes to bold colors. You want to select a color or woodgrain finish that complements your home.
- Design: Certain design elements, such as panel pattern, top-section appearance and finishes, can affect how the garage door complements your home’s aesthetics. Consider the wide range of design options, from horizontal and narrow panels to barn-style lumber crosses, for a suitable door that pairs well with your architecture.
- Hardware: Carriage doors come with various decorative hardware options that enhance the style. You’ll need to decide if adding hardware will elevate your home’s appearance. If you opt for hardware, select from pieces such as wrought iron for the top section or handles and hinges.
Carriage House Garage Doors From Quality Door Company
Our carriage house garage style guide explores the unique features of these beautiful doors and their long history. If you’re interested in a perfect balance of style, elegance and performance, a carriage house garage door should top your list. It’s also worth noting that quality and correct installation affect how well your garage door serves you.
At Quality Door Company, we carry products from top brands in the industry, ensuring exceptional quality and reliability. We also provide professional garage door installation and maintenance services. Explore our broad selection of garage doors to select one that suits your needs!
