I like them on my house. We have a garage under that is not used regularly, so I didn't want a driveway to it and I didn't want it to look like a garage door, so instead it looks like french doors. The plus is that it provides privacy but lets in a lot of light so the garage/workshop area is very bright during the day.

(Note, since this pic was taken, the door has been painted to match the trim.)

Zen, my only concern would be how they'd blend with the rest of the windows on your house. Note that the windows in your link are similar to Annie's above, with divided lights that closely resemble those in the doors.

Some here (I lack the skill) could possibly Photoshop them on your garage, or perhaps the GaragePlus company that shows the email link would be able to show you what they'd look like on a photo of your house.

It depends. In Annie's house, it looks like a logical place to have french doors out from a living space. No one is likely to arrive at that part of the house and mistake it as and entrance.

However, in the house pictured, I see two reasons why it might be less successful. One, there are no french doors anywhere else on that elevation. So I think they look a little out of place. Secondly, the structure is clearly a garage. I think the french doors sort of indicate it is not a garage, but then it makes you wonder what it is? ANd if you should enter into it. Seems sort of odd to me.

That said, I share your dislike of standard garage doors. We recently put in carriage house style and are very happy with them.

{{!gwi}}

Before
{{!gwi}}

Zen4d,

Your house is like the garage with the french doors pictured in the other thread, i.e. one story with the eave front and dormers above. But your garage is gable-ended, with a long, low wing to one side.

Because of that I don't think the french doors would look as well. Plus the french doors would be in your front facade since the garage is a front-loading one. To me, it makes the house seem less sheltering to have such a large expanse of (apparent) glassed doors. Whether or not its actual glass is immaterial, it seems like it would be glass and for that reason it is too exposing, especially sinice it's not like glass doors under a porch as it might be in a house.

The garage doors the Mtnrd has are very stylish, and I think that sort of thing, i.e. "garage"-style but not at all typical-looking, would work well in your situation.

L.

A no vote here. For the reasons stated above and also think all you would see when you drove up would be a mass of glass garage doors pretending to be something else and the focus would be garage doors and not front door/house. I think the carriage doors would look great on your house.

I think that either the French Doors or the Carriage Doors would look nice on the house.

It might be nice to add matching window grilles to the existing windows of the house to coordinate the appearance of divided lights in the windows & garage doors.

Well I wasn't sure the look would work on your home so I did a virtual. I like it. Though it's hard to see in your photo I believe you have divided panes in your windows too. Is that correct?

Wow, justgotabe, thanks. That was so nice of you. I understand what you are all saying, but i really dislike all those garage doors i currently have facing the street.

I am going to see if i could get a mock up with the carriage house doors, my second choice.

difficult decision.

Lizbeth has point, the garage would look like it's trying to be something it's not. My initial thought was, it would look like you converted the garage to a studio but didn't take out the driveway. The French doors are pretty, though! So in Justgotabme's mock-up, I wondered: could you do carriage doors for the main pair of doors, and the French doors on the little side garage? Then it would look like a side porch or studio, but the driveway in front of it would still be appropriate. And maybe that one could have shutters to match the house?

I need to learn Photoshop so I can picture these things before suggesting or trying to describe them!

What bpathome said..
Can the door to the right be treated differently ?

I agree, if possible, you dont want three huge masses that all look the same.

How do you use the set to the far right? I might even try solid wood there, and carriage on the two doors to the left.

With the different rooflines, it looks like the part on the left has a different function, so different doors would help the look.

Here you go.
I do these the Windows Paint program. You just have to play with it to learn to use it. It's quite user friendly.

If I may recommend a brand, we installed CHI insulated fiberglass doors last year, and they are fantastic. We were surprised what a difference they made in reducing drafts & keeping the garage warm in winter. Because our FR is over the garage, it made a big difference in comfort in that room too. CHI has a variety of styles.

Here is a link that might be useful: CHI brochure

awm03. I really like that style of door!

Here's a combo virtual...

Thanks, justgotta. I wish the beadboard were a little wider, but they were less expensive than the beautiful Clopay overlay doors (their Canyon Ridge series). We didn't want wood again. Our old wood doors had warped, were heavy, & burned out the garage door openers. The CHI doors are light, airtight, and much more attractive than a stamped steel door. They were roughly $1600 each installed, if that helps zen4d.

You're welcome awm. Some day I'd like to replace our steel stamped doors too, but they're insulated and for now we've so many other things to finish first.

Justbegone, by any chance can you put AWN03 doors on my image? I like those too.
Which program do you use?

You're all life savers!

Thank you, all.

This post was edited by zen4d on Sun, Feb 2, 14 at 1:29

And here's one that looks like a room with French Doors and a garage to the right:

Sorry I didn't see that you had another view attached so I used the old one. I read your message in my inbox.

Here's a another view. ( I had PaintShop Pro up anyway.)

Thanks again, justbegone.

I think I like the french doors better, don't you all?

You know I think I do too zen4d. And with that said, I'll justbegone.

Nope, I still don't admire the french doors at all.. They just look out of place for the purpose and don't go well with the rest of your house's windows. The widths seem off for french doors which usually have relatively narrow individual leafs, definitely not garage door-sized holes in the wall.

The other option that was photoshopped looks better with its tidy little row of boxy windows across the top. (Not so keen on V-shaped diagonal trim, but that's a different issue.) The little windows are a better match for the style and shape of the house and its openings, and seem more appropriate for a garage door, particularly the double one.

However, you're the person who must be pleased, not I, so if you have your heart set on it I wouldn't let some anonymous online poster sway you!

L.

Awm03's doors are so handsome and appropriate to their house, and would be to mine, too (the model, I just learned, is "Pennsylvania Farmhouse"), and I want them! But they just don't seem to say Cape Cod nor go with the French door, to me, they are a little too, um, substantial?

You know, one thing is, the house itself has dark accents in the roof, shutters, and doors, but the garage is all white except for behind the garage door windows. Maybe some black accents, like planters or urns, shutters on the right-hand door, or a pergola?

Can you do something like this, with a pergola? But a white, not natural wood. I think the windows are sized better. And though it has the cross-bracing, I think it looks a little lighter-weight.

Here is a link that might be useful: [garage door with pergola[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/bretland-road-camano-island-wa-eclectic-garage-seattle-phvw-vp~945140)

Well, yes, the advantage of anonymous posters is we are easy to ignore! And we have the advantage that it is easy to be honest.

The problem with the French doors is, I think rather then enhance your home, when you drive up, you say "hmm,...what is that building?". By contrast, in Annie's case, it is the side of the house, and not a separate garage. You won't be driving up to it, and even if you saw it, you'd think it was a family room with french doors. Perfectly normal.

To me, the French doors seem designed to pretend that the building is not actually a garage, Which then begs the question, what the heck is it then? It's total size right to left looks almost as big as the house itself from the curb (hard to tell) but in any event, it will be a big part of your house's curb appeal.

I would try to break up the mass with a few elements:

1. On the left, pop a window in the gable to make the facade more pleasant.
2. Put in carriage doors, any style.
3. The lone pair of doors to the right should be solid wood,
4. Add a rooflet over the two doors to the left for some visual interest.
5. Consider color. Give the eye a little relief and break up the mass. Either paint the house or the garage or all the doors.

Now, I will just be gone too and leave you to choose what makes you happy!

On your other thread I mentioned that we used FrenchPorte in Chevy Chase, Maryland for our garage doors. We and many of our neighbors think they really look wonderful. We have a 1960 ranch with a walkout basement, but from the road, it looks like a one story ranch. The french doors create the illusion of a longer house and let light into the garage, but do not allow people to see into the garage. They are more expensive than most other garage doors, but, for us, it was worth the price. The fact that there are no other french doors on the front of your house does not bother me. I don't think too many people have banks of french doors across the front of their houses, but they often have two or three sets as we do in the back of our house. I think it would look fine to use the french doors on your garage. There are also variations on the number of lights/style from which to choose, so you can pick something that complements your home.

Please post pictures of whatever you decide to do. I always enjoy the 'after' photos!

Here's another view of the French Porte doors:

Just wanted to point out that the photo shopped carriage doors at 14:10 & 14:26 don't look like they would in real life as they appear to be trimmed in black on the bottom panels. I assume if you went with carriage you would do all white with black hinges & handles? Can anyone photo shop them that way? Sorry, I don't know how!

Here are the carriage doors. I'm too sleepy to add the black hinges. Good night, everybody!

I'm not remotely an expert an designing home elevations, but when I look at the photoshopped versions of the "french door" style I'm left with wondering where to go to gain entry.

Because I'm clueless, I would go to the french doors with the assumption that they offer entry into the home. Then, be terribly embarrassed to have been knocking on the garage doors! Hahahaha!

They would be great if they were the entrance to your home office. Otherwise, be kind to your clueless guests and put up doors that don't pretend to be something else. :)

Thanks, awm! I can visualize the black strap hinges.I think I would like (as suggested) the right door different/solid wood/no glass. Get nice black lights and add a big black urn with flowers to the right of the double door.

I think Mtn is right about needing a window centered above the double garage door to break up the mass and the rooflet like she has on her garage would look great, but not sure you were planning on more than garage doors.

If these doors were not at the end of a wide driveway in a building that looks like a garage next to a home I too could see the confusion, but from my Midwest perspective they still look like garage doors to me. Or maybe it's my age because I remember when folks used to paint all the panels in their doors a darker color with white trim which basically looked very similar to french doors.
zen4d if you can find photos of garage doors you're interested in that are straight on I can add them to your home. It might help if you could get a full straight on photo of your home too. The best would be standing straight out your garage so they'd be more "square" in the photo like in the second photo you shared, but if possible get the whole house in the photo. I'll even be able to add a window in the gable if you like too.

This post was edited by justgotabme on Thu, Sep 19, 13 at 23:08

I wanted to thank you all for helping me yesterday. Such good advice.

After much thought, I am leaning towards the French door garage. My hesitation was exactly what many of you had said, that it may look like it's something that it's not. I agree to an extent but I believe as these doors become more popular, and they will, people will immediately understand they are indeed garage doors and nothing else, especially when there's a driveway in front of the doors. I do plan to some day - not yet - put a window over the door and would like lights and sometype of awning over the doors - but that will have to wait as these doors are expensive. I also think that because this CT home is so spread out -it's addition after addition, after addition - that the doors seem too lonely and using french doors will pull them in more. - if that makes sense. Obviously I'm not a sophisticated designer or architect.

I haven't made up my mind completely but I am almost there. Again, thanks so much.

I think you'll be very happy with them Zen. I strongly believe in doing what you personally love with your home even if others don't "get it".

Great, zen. Isn't it a relief to settle on a decision!
The French Porte doors will look just fine, and you'll be so much happier with them than the old garage doors. Be sure and post photos when they're installed.