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Connecticut 2020

The 2020 Fine Homebuilding House is a complete remodel of a 20th-century home in New England. This project will take full advantage of the opportunities for air-sealing, adding insulation, and installing highly efficient mechanicals, resulting in a healthy, comfortable home that will achieve net-zero energy.

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Tools & Materials

Best Garage Door Styles for a Modern Farmhouse

From rustic to modern, these garage doors help set the tone for iconic farmhouse style.

Sponsored by Clopay

Clopay® Coachman® insulated steel garage door with a classic crossbuck panel design. Photo: Andy Frame.

Originally characterized by a vintage, carriage-house look, today’s takes on farmhouse-style garage doors can range from rustic chic to sleek, modern glass.

Carriage-house garage doors are the most popular choice for farmhouse architecture. Accented with windows and decorative hardware, these doors have all the charm and character of old-fashioned sliding barn doors with the convenience of modern overhead operation.


Reserve Caruso
Clopay® Reserve® Wood custom garage door. Photo: Caruso Builders.

Originally built in natural wood, today’s carriage-house doors can also be constructed in steel or a durable wood-grain composite material, which are quite popular because of their low-maintenance durability and energy efficiency.


Clopay Gallery Steel garage door
Clopay® Gallery® Steel garage door with Dark Oak Ultra-Grain finish. Photo: Andy Frame.

Though some prefer a steel door in a solid color, others get creative with wood-look door options to add warmth and texture to a painted white exterior.

Steel garage doors with “wood-grain prints” imitate the rich colors and patterns of real wood without the upkeep.


Weather-resistant Clopay® Canyon Ridge® Carriage House doors (5-layer)
 

This custom home builder originally wanted stained wood garage doors for her Florida farmhouse but she dreaded the expense of ongoing surface maintenance.

Instead, she opted for low-maintenance faux wood garage doors that are UV- and moisture-resistant and won’t rot, warp, or crack.

The composite cladding is molded from real wood pieces to reproduce the authentic look and feel of the species it emulates—and it can be stained.


Clopay Canyon Ridge Louver
Clopay® Canyon Ridge® Louver garage door in black. Photo: Kirstie Harrison.

A garage door can account for up to 40% of a home’s façade, so choosing the right one is something of a high-stakes move.

The builder of this Texas modern farmhouse bet on a new addition to Clopay’s Canyon Ridge faux wood door line-up – the Louver design — to bridge the home’s rustic and contemporary details.


Clopay Avante garage doors with frosted glass panels.
Clopay® Avante® garage doors with frosted glass panels. Photo: Andy Frame.

Although farmhouse style garages have vintage roots, modern garage doors can be an unexpected and welcome focal point. In this case, the aluminum and glass garage doors are the game-changing element that completely transformed the look and feel of this traditional board-and-batten farmhouse plan.

Aluminum garage doors are available with a variety of tempered-glass options to control natural light without comprising privacy.

Clopay Avante garage doors with clear glass panels
Clopay® Avante® garage doors with clear glass panels on a hobby barn in North Carolina. Photo: Living Stone Design & Build.

The above garage doors are constructed using a 2-1/8-in.-thick commercial-grade aluminum frame and are just as rugged and durable as the ones used in restaurants and car dealerships.

Clopay Avante garage doors with frosted glass panels
Clopay® Avante® garage doors with frosted-glass panels and white aluminum panels. Photo: Andy Frame.

Frames can also be custom powder-coated to match an exterior.

Feeling inspired? See more of these projects and others in the Clopay Lookbook or contact a local Clopay dealer for product information.

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Fine Homebuilding Magazine

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