Clopay’s August imagineNATION Makeover Contest winner turned a teen driver’s run-in with the garage into an opportunity to upgrade her home’s curb appeal.
She used Clopay’s Door Imagination System to visualize different garage door styles on her home and shared her top picks on Houzz to get feedback from the design community. The combination of online tools and advice resulted in a winning makeover.
Theresa says, “The visualization tool on the Clopay website was awesome. It led me to my first choice, and when it came time to order, I just gave the printed photo mock-up to the garage door salesman at R&R Garage Doors. We upgraded not just the look, but the insulation value. The change brought our house into a new era!”
Being able to upload a photo of her home and try out different garage door styles helped Theresa narrow her options. She loves faux wood-look doors but the Door Imagination System showed her the look wasn’t right for her home.
Clopay Classic Colleciton steel garage door with Ultra-Grain finish
She also eliminated a white traditional raised panel steel door.
Clopay Classic Collection steel garage door with plain long windows
A major style change can be scary, so before she made a final decision, she posted her design dilemma on Houzz to get opinions from home remodeling enthusiasts and pros.
Clopay Coachman Collection steel carriage house door, Design 11 with REC13 windows.
“We have to get new garage doors. Attached is a photo mock-up of the new door I'm considering, which I really like, but is the carriage house design too much with the stone and the detail on the door? I could simplify it by eliminating the windows.
You can see the original door style on the small garage door, which will also be replaced.
I'm trying to view this as an opportunity to update the outside of the house a bit; there's a new neighborhood across the street.”
Houzzers weighed in with their opinions, giving a thumbs up to a garage door with windows and even suggested other color options including the faux wood look.
Here’s what they had to say.
“You definitely want them to have the glass across the top. It's much better than plain doors, especially with garage doors that are up in front. I like what you chose, although I'm wondering if fewer panes in the glass would be more in sync with the house windows?”
“I love a garage door with windows. During the day you don't have to turn on lights just to walk into the garage.”
“Have you thought of a faux wood door? That would look pretty with the stone work.”
The Houzz community was supportive of Theresa’s top garage door design pick and gave her the confidence to choose something different than what she had before.
Theresa says she decided to post on Houzz for several reasons.
- Our garage is what you first see of the house (an important design element).
- A big change from what we had.
- Not a small expense or easily changed.
- Different from what is done in our neighborhood generally.
Old garage Door vs. new teen driver
“If Houzz commentators had said, ‘Terrible!’ or ‘Don't do it,’ I'm sure I would have changed my mind.”
She shared the results after the garage doors were installed and many agree it’s a winning transformation.
Theresa did take Houzzers’ advice and removed the grilles from the garage door windows to better complement the window style on the house. Feeling inspired? Use the Door Imagination System to upload a photo of your home to see the difference a new garage door makes.
See more Clopay imagineNATION Makeover Contest winners and enter your before and after photos for a chance to win $1,000.
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