Listen up: Here's why you need a full custom garage for your home

If the garage is the last thing on your mind when designing your custom home, listen up. Designing a home requires a lot of decision-making, and a full custom garage may likely be at the bottom of your home design checklist. We get it. 

However, the design of your garage can be a game-changer in your home’s overall look. Allow these innovative garage design ideas to transform your space and impart a more high-class look to your home.

Why garage design matters in a custom home build

When it comes to crafting the perfect custom home, the design of the garage is often overlooked. However, it plays a crucial role in the overall aesthetic of a home’s design. A garage serves more than just the practical purpose of sheltering vehicles and providing storage space. It stands as a defining feature of your home's exterior. Neglecting to give a garage exterior design the attention it deserves can detract from the beauty of your home and make the garage appear as an afterthought. For this reason, it is essential to carefully design your custom home garage to seamlessly blend with the rest of your home's exterior for a cohesive look.

Garage exterior design: Take your home from bland to beautiful

Disguise your garage with a luxury modern garage door

A garage door that dominates a home's facade can make a house look dull and uninviting. Using a bulky garage front and center especially proves a challenge in creating a timeless home exterior. 

If a front-facing garage is unavoidable, one clever solution is to camouflage your garage. Blending the garage door with the materials used for the exterior siding can create the illusion of a more substantial home. Additionally, this method eliminates any visual distractions from the unique design elements of your home.

Disguising a garage works exceptionally well for homes with a contemporary or Scandinavian exterior design. Houses with a contemporary design often incorporate modern and practical elements, making a full custom garage door an ideal complement to this aesthetic. 

On the other hand, Scandinavian homes aim to blend seamlessly with their surroundings by utilizing simple and minimalistic design elements. In this case, an unrecognizable garage would be an excellent fit for a Scandinavian-style home as it allows the structure to maintain its simplicity in design.

Hide your garage with a side garage door

If you have a large enough lot, you can tuck your garage entrance away from the front of the home, which will help to preserve the house’s aesthetic. A dominating garage that takes up space in the front of your home might lessen your curb appeal. Placing your garage doors on the side will ensure it doesn't completely overshadow the facade of your home. A house with a side entry garage is a great way to hide your garage and give room for a focal point on your home.

Try a chic courtyard garage

A sophisticated way to conceal your garage is to build your home around a courtyard. Doing this allows you to incorporate a porte cochere in your home’s design. A porte cochere, or “coach gateway” is a passageway for a vehicle to go from a driveway and into the courtyard of a home and was more often included in the design of historic mansions. For this reason, a house plan with a porte cochere will give your home a high-class look.

Detach the garage from the rest of your home

Garages have made their way into the everyday design of American homes. However, attached garages didn’t become a house design staple until the 1940s. The result gave better accessibility to the homeowner’s vehicle but stripped American suburban homes of their architectural character by placing garages front and center.

If you want to stay true to certain traditional architectural design styles, it may be best to leave a garage off the home's main structure. For example, a garage may look out of place on a traditional colonial house design, as these homes typically embrace a symmetrical exterior. A detached garage in the shape of a historical carriage house can keep a timeless aesthetic while providing adequate storage for your vehicles. If you'd like to stay indoors, a connecting breezeway is a stylish way to access your detached garage.

Upgrade it with these luxury garage ideas

If you don’t want your garage to be an eyesore, you can enhance it by updating its exterior materials. If a front-facing garage is unpreventable on your lot, you can upgrade your lot to create a custom look. 

Adding modern garage door panels and exterior garage lights can elevate the look of your garage. For a modern design, opt for black garage doors with windows. Garage doors with wrought iron windows will give a chic and elegant vibe. 

Wood garage doors offer a unique, rustic charm if you're looking for a more down-to-earth style. Whatever type you choose, you'll be sure to give your garage a stylish, updated appearance. 

Yes, the design of your garage makes a difference

Why settle for an average-looking garage when you can elevate your home's aesthetic with a custom garage design? Don't let a boring garage hinder your dream of a beautiful home. Opt for a fully custom garage in your home’s design and watch your dream home take shape.