No bright colors like yellow. :0) That's not pleasing to the eye. If you want to make it better, make it classy. Cute lighting, maybe tan paint with the navy trim....shingles.....

Pinterest ideas:

https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?rs=ac&len=2&q=garage+doors&term_meta%5B%5D=garage%7Cautocomplete%7C0&term_meta%5B%5D=doors%7Cautocomplete%7C0

Thanks, Nicole. Well, my house is yellow (and the garage is, too, but's faded). It's not a bright yellow; pleasant, I think. I think it's got to stay the same, just freshened up with a coat of the same paint. The house is very old (early 1800s) and very small - I guess I'd like to make the garage sort of "quaint", if possible. Not sure classy will really work with the house.

:0) Weeeeell.....that's a LOT of new information. Maybe a picture of the house we're matching would help...?

Ha! Thanks for sticking with me; sorry I was missing info. I'll get a picture of the house tomorrow (it's dark and rainy now!) and post it.

I would put some type of trim around the small door and the large door and paint it a crisp white if that works with the house scheme. The big door being so dark makes it look like a big dark cave so I would paint it white or some lighter color too. You can get mistake cans of paint at paint stores and lowes for cheap. Even taking apart pallets and using the rough wood as a trim around the doors would add some contrast and interest. Create a barn quilt design on a piece of plywood or something and mount it in the center below the roof point. They looks so pretty and decorative. Some one has done some really beautiful ones on the Garden Junk forum. Here is a link. These are very easy to do and can be done cheaply. Your small door is very plain you can paint in rails and styles or add some with pallet wood and paint them a contrasting color. It is amazing the things you can do with pallet wood and you can find them free all over the place. Check pinterest for pallet wood projects! AND new hardware!! door knobs and hinges! Find used ones at flea markets

barn quilt designs

pallet wood doors

Those are pretty, Raven! Thanks for posting. I wasa wondering if big door would look better white. The smaller door doesn't open, so doesn't need to be "useful". I'll take a look through the Garden Junk forum for ideas as you mention with pallet wood, etc. Thank you!

I was going to suggest white for the garage door and the side door.

We have a very similar garage. We replaced a door like that with an inexpensive (about $60) storm door. Might be able to get one a t a garage sale for less. Probably would not a big deal if your DH is handy with tools. If it does not have to open , should be a quick install. We also added a light fixture for looks. Ours works because there was power there already. Changing the big door to a lighter color would look nice.

Sorry to say, but to me it's the structure, not the color. It looks frumpy because it's asymmetrical and the swinging door isn't plumb. If the door on the left doesn't open, then I would take it out, improve the framing of that side and then sheath it and add siding or shingle material (whatever the existing is) to match so that it looks the same on both sides.

It also looks like the ground is uneven under the roll up door. I'd have someone do some shovel work to level it out, slope it away from the front, and then put a good sized concrete rectangle in front of the door. Coming out at least 5 feet from the opening and a few feet wider on each side than the roll up door. .

What most throws me visually about your garage, is the smooth door messing up the design. Not the PC design way of doing things, I am sure, but I would start off by fooling the eye Trompe-l'oeil style, by "faking it" with paint or trim to carry the matching lines over to the left.

I'd do what Snidely suggested and get rid of the side door. If it doesn't open why have it there? Then you could hang a couple of cute vintage looking carriage lamps, one on each side of the roll up.

You're all great and I appreciate your time and thoughts.

We can't take the side door out; as mentioned, any work like that will require a permit. Also, we're not willing to have expenses for this garage beyond basic. How about if we paint the door white (and the big door, as well) as suggested and hang something (what?) on it to break it up a bit?

I'm also loving the pallet wood pictures as posted by Raven.

Shall we hang something over the big door? I'm not sure I want a star - there are lots of stars on houses around here. Big grapevine wreath?

Snidely, completely agree with you on what makes the garage frumpy. I'm not picturing how a large rectangle of concrete would look. Wouldn't it look "patched"?

Marcopolo, perhaps we could put up a solar powered light. We've no power in the garage.

THANKS!

Suzieque

If you want the garage to appear that it is part of 'something' put up a basketball backboard and net.

I have been trying to find pictures of my old garages, before/after, either one of them, but evidently I don't have electronic versions? On one garage, we screwed on a free window and hung a flower box under it. On another, we added wrought iron accents that weren't a star. There were three of them. Two like this link, turned longways and abutting, and a half circle over them. It was a big empty space. One like the link, turned longways would be enough for your empty space. Paint it with Rustoleum so it can handle the weather.

Do you have a Habitat For Humanity resale store in your area? If so, an outside door (if you can find the right size) is $20. I LOVE this store for remodeling projects. They sell lots of great stuff that has been donated by builders and re-modelers.

I'd either replace the left door with one that works, or remove it and repair the siding. Make all exterior repairs necessary, clean it, repaint it, and display something decorative (like raven's barn quilts!) above the overhead door... maybe an awning over the left door (if you keep a door there).

Actually, if you get rid of the left door and correct the siding, you could get some free old paned windows off craigslist, along with some windowboxes, and hang the (fake) windows to either side of the overhead door with windowboxes for flowers beneath them. :)

I agree that the Garage door needs to be painted. In a magazine once they were fixing up an old garage with painting it and they mounted shutters up on both sides of the door( you could do one on the right side) . The shutters were in a closed position, then they mounted window boxes below them and planted flowers. A great idea and made it look like a little " cottage". With "windows"!

Guess I'll go find my picture now that there are two more suggestions for it!

The easiest thing I can say would be to get rid of the black trim. Fresh paint and a slightly different complimentary color on the door and trim. Even if the garage door and trim was white, that would look nice and clean.

Here is a page of them Garage Doors

Adding cross boards to the exterior of the existing small door to make it a barn door style would be very easy, then paint them and the door separate colors or leave the wood natural and stain it. You can also fool the eyes by tapeing off and painting a strip to look like trim around things with out actually having the trim. From a distance you can't tell. Additionally solar power lights are a possibility too. I love some of the pallet art that's painted like the American Flag, it can be used up there like a barn quilt. I saw a great star made from pallet wood.

Examples of the type of barn doors and cross boards I am talking about. This would not require any permits etc since it's just decorative elements. It's called door bracing.

Barn doors

raven, that is exactly what we did with the first garage that had the window screwed on and window box under it. Took a handful of hours and some paint. Easy as pie!

I don't think it looks all that bad for an older garage and home. A fresh coat of paint, maybe a couple of tubs with plants on each side and you are in business. I don't know what the house looks like but I wouldn't want to cutesy up a garage too much for an older home. a solar lamp fixture over the main door.

How about a vine on the right side, trim around the garage door and a barn light above the garage door. I bought two (barnlights) for my bathroom for $40 each on Amazon. I would even just put the light for decoration purposes.

http://www.blog.barnlightelectric.com/gooseneck-lighting-from-barn-lighting-to-a-home-remodeling-must-have/

Oh, and an interesting large handle for the door.

Oh, what a great house Suzieque! So so happy. It definitely needs flowers if in vine, pots, or window box form. Something.

Very cute house! And seeing it definitely the garage needs white trim and door like the house. Whiskey barrel planters on each side of the big door with lots of colorful plants and flowers. The barn quilt over the door would go with the style of the house.

I would leave the door the color of the garage/house and add a fake window with window box right on the door...something like this (these are just hung with a chain attached):

Suzieque, you have a wonderful home! So warm looking. I like Olychick's ideas about disguising the door on the left. Then paint the garage and garage door accordingly.

I do love my little old house. I'm always tempted to sell it and move, but I never find anything I like better. Thanks for the compliments and ideas. I'm making this my project before the snow flies here in New England, and I'll post the results!

What a cute house! Love it!

Absolutely wonderful home. I like a flower box at the garage. It was a good idea to ask on here for help. I read a lot of inspiration especially after seeing your home.