What Are Carriage-Style Garage Doors & Are They Right For Your Home?

Carriage-style garage doors take their name from times gone by when large homes had carriages and horses, typically stored in separate carriage houses. The buildings used pairs of large, side-hinged, wooden doors that close in the middle to hide them away. Modern-day carriage doors borrow from this classic look, often with prominent iron fittings, creating one of the garage styles that can instantly boost your home's curb appeal. Typically, carriage-style garage doors (they might also be called barn doors) are made of wood or have a faux wood finish. Numerous other colors are available, and they might also be partially glazed. However, the strong visual appeal does come with a couple of drawbacks that might impact whether or not they are right for your home.

First is the way carriage-style garage doors open: from the center, out. So unlike roll-up garage doors, carriage garage doors require plenty of space for them to swing outward. This also means you can't park another vehicle (or kids' bikes) as close as you would with other styles of garage doors. The second drawback is that although it's common to have automatic openers for carriage-style garage doors, they are completely different from the standard type. So your old one will need to be ripped out before a new one can be fitted. You could just have manual opening carriage doors, but you might find that inconvenient.

If you like the idea of carriage doors but not the expense, or you don't have space for them to open properly, you can give an outdated garage door a makeover with faux hardware. Although these hardware options are actually made from durable plastic, they look like traditional black iron. The AntiqueSmith magnetic faux hinges and handles, for example, are under $25 and can transform a garage door in just a few minutes. If your existing door is white and you want to make it look even more authentic while still keeping to a modest budget, you can check out the best paint choices for a DIY faux wood garage door.

It should also come as no surprise that enterprising manufacturers have combined the carriage-style garage door trend with the convenience of traditional overhead models. That means you can get the carriage look with the same type of garage door you're used to using. There are a variety of styles available, from traditional to contemporary, offering homeowners what should be a direct, trouble-free replacement for their existing garage door. If you've been wondering whether carriage-style garage doors are right for your home but are concerned about the side-opening aspect, one of these could be the perfect solution.