Should The Front Door Match The Garage Door?

Curb appeal is an important factor to consider when building a new home or renovating an existing one. The appearance of your front and garage doors is important in contributing to this appeal. This is where the million-dollar question comes into play: should the front door match the garage door?

While the answer to this question may appear simple on the surface, there are several factors at play when it comes to determining this. Some argue that matching front and garage doors give your home a more cohesive and uniform appearance, which increases the visual appeal. 

Others may take a more nuanced approach to this question. The best way to resolve this debate is to consider the following factors and preferences when making your decision. 

Consider Your Home’s Design

To determine the extent to which you should match our garage and front doors, take a step back and look at the overall design of your home. Is it constructed with simple, clean lines and materials that are consistent? Or is it a modern design with busy shapes, contours, and a mix of materials? 

If your home’s design incorporates several themes (for example, chrome, glass, and wood paneling), it may be a good idea to restore visual balance by installing matching doors. Unmatched doors in this case would make the design busier and more chaotic, reducing its curb appeal significantly.

Decide Your Door Preference

When you select two distinct designs for two doors, it is obvious that one will stand out more than the other. This is a matter of personal preference. You must decide whether you can accept the idea of one of the two doors standing out more prominently. 

If your ultimate goal is to make your front door the focal point of your home, tone down the colors and design accents of your garage doors, allowing the entry door to shine.

Architectural Consistency

Knowing which architectural category your home belongs to will help you make a more informed decision about door styles. Ideally, your home’s architectural style should match that of your doors — both of them! Consider a farmhouse-style home with a rustic door for the entryway and a modern door for the garage. Something seems off, doesn’t it? 

A steelwork door frame or aluminum panels appear to be a good choice for a contemporary house with asymmetrical shapes. Similarly, for a rustic structure, a light or dark-stained wooden entry door would perfectly complement a similar wooden door for the garage with the same hue.

Showcasing a Statement Exterior

If you own a home with a one-of-a-kind exterior that you want to highlight, then matching your doors is probably not a good idea. A rustic stonework home, for example, deserves to stand out without the distraction of matching doors. 

In this case, you may want to choose a focal design for the front door and tone down the appearance of the garage door (perhaps with a neutral color), as garage doors are typically larger and may detract from the unique exterior you want to highlight.

Position of Doors

If you’re debating whether or not to match your garage and front doors, this is a surefire way to decide. Examine the placement of your doors. Is your house more compact, with close-knit entry and garage doors? If this is the case, not matching the doors is a risky move that could harm your curb appeal. 

This can occur as a result of a break in an otherwise consistent design theme, especially when the doors are so close together. In such cases, it is preferable to maintain consistency by selecting similar doors.

Play it Safe

You could consider using the same overall material and color for the doors, but with a slight change in accent and design. For example, if you choose blonde wood doors to complement the exterior of your home, you can select a different finishing design for both doors to give them distinct identities rather than having them be identical. This is a great way to reduce risk while still getting the best of both worlds.

Color Matching

Doors are the focal points in your home and thus require careful color selection. If you want to match your entry and garage doors, choose a color that contrasts well with the exterior of your home. It is not recommended, however, to choose a color for both doors that is similar to the color of the home’s exterior. 

Remember that both doors are important entrances to your home and should be visible, if not overwhelmingly so. Also, unless you want a busy-looking exterior with clashing color traits, avoid combining warm and cool tones.

Choosing Hardware

While these are simple elements that are overlooked in favor of macro design concerns, they are nonetheless critical. If you’ve decided to match the front and garage doors, make sure you follow through by using the same hardware on both. 

This includes choosing suitable handles, pulls, latches, or bolts for both doors. Don’t use a steel pull on the front door and a rustic handle on the garage door, or vice versa. Use the architectural style of the house as a guide to determine the best type of handle to pair with your doors. 

In Conclusion

The decision to match your front and garage doors is ultimately a matter of personal taste. Keeping the fundamentals of basic design, color theory, architectural symmetry, and macro curb appeal in mind will go a long way toward assisting you in making this decision. 

Consider everything from your home’s distinct style and door placement to the hardware and elements you want to highlight. A well-thought-out and nuanced approach is always preferable to an impulsive decision that you may come to regret later!