Our Best Garage Remodeling Ideas for Impressive Curb Appeal

Refresh Garage Lighting and House Numbers

The extras on a garage often get short attention, but those little details can make a big impact. Take lighting and house numbers: Choices more in step with your garage's style can tie together paint, materials, and more. Use proportion as your guide when selecting fixtures: Low-slung styles such as this garage work better with small to medium fixtures.

Budget for Your Garage Makeover

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Paint a Garage Door

Paint can work wonders for a forlorn garage, even if it's just the door that needs a refreshed hue. Pick a color that's already present in the home—here, a rich sage green—or play up one of the secondary hues present on trim. This garage remodeling idea is a simple upgrade that has an impressive impact.

Soften a Garage's Edges with Plants

This creative garage remodeling idea has little to do with the structure itself: Add containers potted with pretty blooms. Planters can help soften the edges between the garage and the landscape, while adding pops of visual interest to what is often a neutral facade. Here, a miniature trellis adds even more growing spots, with lush vines that clamor up around the door. Another budget-friendly idea: Use hanging baskets on either side of a garage's door.

Upgrade an Alternative Garage Side

Although the vehicle entry side of a garage often gets the most attention, the other exterior walls can do much to enhance the beauty of your landscape. Take this side view of a garage: A rich paint color, muntined windows, and lantern-style light fixtures establish an elegant traditional look. Miniature porticos with decorative brackets add prominence to the two side doors.

Include Decorative Elements for a Garage

If your garage's structure is in fine shape, then think about using its facade as an extension of your home's curb appeal. Incorporate elements that offer texture or color to help break up what can be a large, boring expanse. On this detached garage, navy blue siding is used as an accent among stretches of white board-and-batten and a modern black-framed garage door.

Add a Structural Element

Details that soften and define can be a great way to give your garage a low- to mid-cost facelift. One good option is adding a narrow pergola or horizontal trellis over the garage doors. This update allows you to unite the garage with other architectural features of your home without a lot of structural heavy lifting.

Add Trim and Molding to a Garage

Depending on your DIY skills, adding trim or molding for a detail-driven boost can be a good way to improve the garage windows and doors. If your garage doors are fairly unadorned, added molding or insets can create visual interest. Paint trim in the same color as the rest of the structure for a clean, monochromatic look, or opt for a contrasting color to make the details pop.

Update a Garage Door Opener

If your garage and garage door are in good-enough shape, there are tech updates you can make to improve its convenience. New openers—some controllable by remote or via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi on a smartphone—can make it simpler to open and close the door. Plus, these systems can offer entry for kids and visitors through keypads.

Define a Garage with Materials

Upgrade your garage using materials that tie in with the rest of your exterior. Here, the richly stained garage door matches the horizontal wood paneling used as an accent across the contemporary home's facade. A shallow overhang above the garage door features the same metal roofing used elsewhere on the main structure.

Update Your Garage Doors

There are a remarkable number of garage door options that vary widely in design and price. If your doors could use a functional and aesthetic upgrade, consider budgeting for replacements that include enough extras to boost your curb appeal. These pretty doors include inset panels as well as small windowpanes, all painted in a color to blend with the rest of the home.

Define a Garage's Entry

Structural elements such as an awning or small portico can add welcome architectural detail to a garage. Be sure to repeat materials and styles used elsewhere to unify the exterior. Here, brackets add Craftsman-style visual interest, while a matching gray paint color helps the attached pergola blend in with the garage.

Use a Carport for a Garage

Many homeowners don't have the space or the budget to add a full-size garage where there isn't one. A carport is one solution that can add definition to your home's curb appeal while offering partial coverage for your vehicles. Here, the end of the driveway is topped with a pergola, which also offers a good spot for extra seating for larger gatherings.