Like other exterior doors, garage doors are becoming an integral part of a home’s architectural statement while providing security and protection against the elements. The biggest trend, according to manufacturers, is the shift to the garage door as fashion statement, rather than just a commodity product.

Recognizing that nearly one-third (or more) of the front of many homes is taken up by the garage, homeowners are putting a little more thought into the door that covers that space. The style that is currently finding favor is the carriage-house garage door. “More and more homeowners are really looking for the extra styling that goes into these doors. It gives more character to a home,” says Beth Tillotson of Overhead Door.

Carriage-house doors, as the name implies, traditionally were placed on the outbuildings where horse-drawn carriages — and later, the first automobiles — were stored. They swung, folded, or slid open, and were crafted from various types of wood.

The old-fashioned appearance of these doors has been reproduced with roll-up operation by many manufacturers, both stock and custom, for several years, but they have primarily been made from wood. “Carriage-house garage doors as we have known them are beautiful, but they’re expensive and hard to maintain,” says Richard Brenner, CEO for Amarr.

To sidestep this maintenance and cost issue while still lending a traditional flavor to homes, several manufacturers are now offering carriage-house garage doors in a steel or steel composite construction. Most have a wood-grained surface to give the look of a natural wood garage door, even when painted. “They’re virtually maintenance-free, but you have the look of a high-end carriage-house door,” says Clopay’s director of residential marketing Pat Lohse.

Steel or steel and composite carriage-house garage doors offer many decorative options: glass lites, decorative straps and hinges, and the appearance of a traditional folding, sliding, or swinging carriage-house door. Amarr. Featuring the maker’s DuraSafe pinch-resistant design, Classica Collection steel carriage-house garage doors are available in four styles: Lucern, Valencia, Santiago, and Tuscany. The wood-grain patterns are pressed into the steel exterior of the garage door, rather than applied in an overlay. A choice of six decorative glass window designs and two closed-top designs are available.

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