Ten years ago the choice of garage doors was pretty much limited to brown, beige or white raised panel steel. But thanks to design innovations, garage doors have evolved from functional to fashionable.

A recent survey conducted by Door & Access magazine confirms the “it” look among the garage door set is the carriage house style door, representing one out of every five residential garage doors sold in North America today.

Clopay’s Gallery Collection ranks among the top 5 carriage house style garage door models purchased, according to an industry survey.

What sparked our love affair with a garage door style from the horse and buggy era? Do you recall the golden age of the “Garage Mahal”, when supersize garage doors and multi-car stalls became a major exterior focal point (i.e. status symbol.)? It forced builders, architects, and manufacturers to take notice and find better designs to integrate them onto the home.

Clopay Coachman Collection steel and composite carriage house garage doors. Design 21 with ARCH 3 windows.

Wood, which had taken a back seat to steel in the 80s and 90s because of maintenance and insulation concerns, re-emerged as a popular construction material in the form of the carriage house garage door, only this time with the convenience of modern overhead operation.

Clopay Reserve Collection custom wood carriage house garage doors.

Continuing improvements in technology led manufacturers to introduce garage doors in materials that provide the look, feel, and design flexibility of wood, combined with the low-maintenance and energy-efficiency homeowners enjoyed with insulated steel models.

Clopay was the first manufacturer in the industry to introduce a variety of steel carriage house door designs including:

Coachman Collection insulated steel and composite carriage house doors, Design 21 with SQ 24 windows.

Gallery Collection stamped steel carriage style garage door in Desert Tan with Clayton decorative windows and coordinating Clopay Rustic Collection fiberglass entry door.

Gallery Collection insulated steel garage doors with Ultra-Grain woodgrain paint finish.

Canyon Ridge Collection faux wood carriage house garage doors are made from a durable composite material molded from actual wood pieces to replicate the natural texture and grain characteristics. Design 13 with REC 13 windows in Mahogany cladding and overlays stained in a dark finish.

These garage doors are moisture resistant, so they won’t rot, warp, shrink or crack.

Another faux wood carriage style garage door option, the Canyon Ridge Ultra-Grain Series, combines steel and composite. Design 12 with REC 14 windows in a Medium finish.

If you love the look of carriage house style garage doors, want your home to stand out from others in your neighborhood, or you’re simply looking for a fast and easy way to upgrade its curb appeal, a carriage house garage door may be the perfect fit -- and a wise investment.

Carriage house style garage doors aren't just for historic homes as this 70s split level remodel shows. Garage door: Clopay Coachman Collection, Design 13 with REC 14 windows.

Garage door upgrades rank as one of the top 5 value-adding projects on average, nationwide, for the second year in a row, according to the Remodeling 2012-13 Cost vs. Value report.

As seen on HGTV, Clopay wood carriage house doors help give this 1950s home updated curb appeal and charm. Garage doors: Reserve Collection, Design 4 with Arch 4 windows in Redwood.

READ MORE ABOUT CARRIAGE STYLE GARAGE DOORS:

• Clopay Custom Garage Doors Featured On Santa Barbara Design House and Gardens
• Win A New Clopay Garage Door From This Old House