Matching Your Garage Door to Northern California’s Architecture Styles

California homes come in diverse architectural styles, so you'll find a range of garage door designs throughout the area. We've created a basic garage door style guide to help you explore your options and choose the best fit for your home.

California's Diverse Architecture

The regional architecture of California is diverse, including many unique styles like Greek and Italianate. Let's take a look at a few significant examples.

California Ranch

For decades, the California ranchhouse has been one of the most popular styles in the state. Loosely based on early Spanish-American constructions, it's characterized by asymmetrical one-story homes with low-pitched, often gabled roofs. These buildings are frequently styled similarly to Spanish villas. They may be very square or intensely detailed, depending on the original builder.

With its relatively traditional yet somewhat understated design, the California Ranch style is well-suited to Classic^™ Wood garage doors. These more understated designs will complement and elevate the existing architectural elements.

Craftsman

The Craftsman style, with its strong focus on avoiding the stylistic excesses of the Victorian era, dates back to the early 1900s. While it is intentionally less ornamental than Victorian-style homes, it still features a beautiful profile with gabled roofs, neutral siding colors, and casement and double-hung sash windows that were popular at the time.

These homes are well-suited to the rustic charm of a carriage house door — a versatile selection for any traditional design style, including California Ranch and Victorian homes.

Midcentury Modern

Dating back to the mid-1900s, the midcentury modern style is characterized by smooth, clean lines, open floor plans and low-pitched roofs. These homes generally lack the ornamentation and ostentatious design that characterizes previous architectural periods. The style is far closer to contemporary minimalism than anything that came before.

Midcentury modern homes are well-suited to doors with a more understated design, such as Modern Steel^™ with a matte or wood-look finish.

Contemporary

The last few decades have given rise to an architectural style known as contemporary. It takes the clean, simple lines of midcentury modern design and elevates them to new heights. Where midcentury buildings tended to be more robust, contemporary design features more glass, slimmer profiles, and dark or neutral color palettes, with a focus on lighting.

If you're shopping for a truly contemporary home design, an aluminum and glass door like Avante^® will complement the architectural style and let in lots of natural light.

Find the Right Garage Design for Your California Home

If you need more guidance picking the right garage door for your home's architectural style, the EZDoor™ system can help you visualize different options. You can upload a photo of your home to compare your favorite styles and explore customizations, from colors and finishes to the ideal window configuration. Once you have a basic idea of what door style fits your home's architecture, you can connect with an expert to help you find the right door selection for your home. Contact Door Pros today for an estimate.