The Mid Century Door

[Ryan]

I've always had an appreciation for mid-century modern architecture. As far as modern design goes, the mid-century efforts are just so approachable and optimistic. It's al...
To read the rest of this blog entry from The Garage Journal, click here.

 

[softailgarage]

Wow, talk about a flashback. I can remember when most garages had some kind of design like that on the door, mostly the mid 60's and they had been there awhile. You dont see that in So. Cal. anymore, I'm surprised it hasn't come into some sort of "retro fashion".

 

[zcinpa]

there are still some of these in neighborhoods around Western PA, I should snag pics of them because I don't see any like them in your collection. I wonder if anyone does affordable styles like this now?

 

[tatra]

thanx for posting these.... in the market for a new door myself and a friend is going to need new ones too so i'll be showing them these........

 

[gahrajmahal]

Man, you just know how to push all the right buttons for me! Thanks for doing all this research... but weren't you taking some time off to be with your new baby girl??

 

[Stuart in MN]

I was just thinking about this...every day on my way to work I drive by a 1960s rambler house that's in really nice shape, but they just replaced the garage door with a carriage style one that just doesn't look right. It's a fine door, but it doesn't match the rest of the house at all.

 

[Steves32]

Wow, talk about a flashback. You dont see that in So. Cal. anymore, I'm surprised it hasn't come into some sort of "retro fashion".

Actually- there are pockets of Mid Century homes scatered all over So. Cal.
My brother has an Eichler home in Thousand Oaks. Some are still MCM but alot have been "renovated" to newer cookie cutter status.

 

[HotRodChef]

Nice. We have quite a few of these in Palm Springs and surrounding communities. I love the chevron with the crown.

 

[Falcon67]

>I'm surprised it hasn't come into some sort of "retro fashion".

Mid Century Modern homes sell now for BIG bucks. They are quite hot.

http://www.atomic-ranch.com/

 

[Zeke]

Wow, talk about a flashback. I can remember when most garages had some kind of design like that on the door, mostly the mid 60's and they had been there awhile. You dont see that in So. Cal. anymore, I'm surprised it hasn't come into some sort of "retro fashion".

No, you don't see this too often because the mid century look dated itself as fast as Disney's Tomorrowland and has been renovated to something worse. There are scattered specimens, as previously mentioned.

 

[Squankum]

When you call that stuff "mid century", I feel old.

 

[Falcon67]

LOL. Check out these faucets that are in the Science building here on campus. If they ever renovate, I'm grabbing as many as I can get.

 

[JAKE-THE-TOOL-MAN]

LOL. Check out these faucets that are in the Science building here on campus. If they ever renovate, I'm grabbing as many as I can get.

That's cool! I'm young but I find retro things from the 50's or 60's awesome. I also like the doors with the knob in the middle

 

[A_Pmech]

LOL. Check out these faucets that are in the Science building here on campus. If they ever renovate, I'm grabbing as many as I can get.

Dude! I want!

 

[Red Leader]

Love it.

 

[64dragnwagon]

I love mid century ranches and contempory architecture. Favorites are Frank Loyd Wright and Eichler. Flat roofs, cantilevers, clearstories, rectangular windows mounted high, wood and stone.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Wow, I've actually never seen those before. Kinda neat, but I've never been a fan of that style architecture. Waaaay too many squares and rectangles.

 

[zjrog]

Always a fan of 50s and 60s architecture, I've never been able to afford them when I'm looking for a new to me place to live... While it might be fun to "retro" style my own garage door, not sure it would be appropriate. Then again, sometimes it shouldn't matter and should just be done... Hmm, think the wif emight kill me though.

 

[CaliNapco]

Cool ideas.. my ranch was built in '64 but some where along the line the door was changed to a modern raised panel door.. yuck.. Be fun to get them back to a period look...

 

[wintermute]

Too bad I didn't see these 2 years ago when I did my carport conversion! I have your typical modern raised-panel door on my '52 Rancher… Maybe I can get away with painting the square frames in a contrasting color for a similar effect

 

[Big-Foot]

I love the era actually...

I don't know what has quite come over me - but things I used to take for granted are now capturing my attention. Some things that I used to detest are now being pulled and held close..

This was truly an age unto itself. The age when mom's stayed at home, dads's worked 40 hour work weeks for a living wage (and didn't have to worry about having a job to go to on Monday).. An easier time to live... Well for me it was... Maybe that's why my almost sixty year old self is continually taking trips back in time....

Thanks for posting!

 

[Falcon67]

One of the fine home areas here is full of mid century houses,, so anytime we see an Open house sign, we swoop in for a look. Tire kickers!

 

[JimJobsite]

I just have to say, great collection of images. ...... the lowly garage door gets its due.

 

[Jakespeed63]

What a coincidence, because, I have recently been thinking of adding a bit of "pizazz" to my 1969 Orlando ranch. Funny thing is, door is actually lightweight fiberglass. So, figured I would build a design from poplar then use screws from the backside to atatch. Cool pictures, lots of insperation.
JT

 

[I void warranties]

you just don't see ads like this anymore...

 

[Falcon67]

If I painted my garage door any of those designs, the neighbors would stage an intervention. And my wife would flip!

 

[zman]

No, you don't see this too often because the mid century look dated itself as fast as Disney's Tomorrowland and has been renovated to something worse. There are scattered specimens, as previously mentioned.

I have to disagree. Dated would be 70's split levels and 80's boxes. Real Mid-Century designs to me have a timeless style to them. It's fake shutters and BS that makes them look bad. That's what I bought one. Though I have to admit mine is a little heavy not he paneling at the moment but he it was '61

 

[detroadster]

Thought you guys might get a kick out of a few "then and now" shots of my eichler-esq 1965 mid-century modern. The wife and I are trying to stick as closely as possible to the look and feel of the house as we update and modernize. The cedar beams and catwalk on the front of the house is all new. I started adding the cedar under the soffits last summer but ran out of good weather. I'll continue it along the sides this summer. The previous owner had the original garage doors replaced with some modern steel ones that just don't do the house justice. They are on the list for replacement this summer.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Thought you guys might get a kick out of a few "then and now" shots of my eichler-esq 1965 mid-century modern.

Very nice! You're right, those doors will need to go.

 

[JSBriggs]

Very stylish, but get rid of the juniper! My sister has a Rummer (Portland Eichler copy) and I always enjoy it when I visit

-Jeff

 

[detroadster]

Very nice! You're right, those doors will need to go.

I know, I know. Just cant seem to find anything I like that fits the style. I'm stumped on this one. The trim on the house is black and I've been toying with the idea of black finished steel or aluminum with opaque or "frosted" glass panels. What do you guys think? Too modern?

Very stylish, but get rid of the juniper!

Come on over anytime and start pruning!

I hate that stuff too. If you look at the 1965 photo you can see that the developer just piled up all the boulders from the site excavation on either side of the driveway. I'd like to pull the juniper on the left out and have a parking spot for my pickup that does not block the garage but I'd need to figure out how to get 2k pound boulders out of there first! No shortage of projects, that's for sure!

 

[pcd]

Love these styles and examples. More and more people are setting themselves apart and adding character to their homes with their garage doors, which in reality make up a huge amount of frontal real estate of a home that people initially see. Great photos.

 

[AndyL]

Detroadster - consider cross reed glass - pricey option but gives it a more classic look (and adds texture to the inset glass) . I do a few of these a year - I'll see if I can grab a pic this week...

 

[detroadster]

Detroadster - consider cross reed glass - pricey option but gives it a more classic look (and adds texture to the inset glass) . I do a few of these a year - I'll see if I can grab a pic this week...

Yes, please do. I'd love to see a few shots of how that looks. Thanks!

 

[ATK]

@Detroadster - That'd be a whole-lotta glass on the front of the house. I love the style of the home and what you're considering as doors (that cross reed glass is cool), but having that much glass, and mixing the two glass textures may not come out as good as we wish. Perhaps a custom door that matches the dark/black vertical wood on the face with lites (in cross reed, of course) going vertical along the outer sides of the doors, which may provide that sort of custom mid-century feel and look. This may be over the top, but you could also come up with a design that spreads across both doors and accent paint to match the brick............or I may have no clue what I'm talking about; very possible.

I'm really into this whole idea of keeping the garage doors "age appropriate" (maybe the correct term is period correct?) with the age of the home. I've always been kept my eye out for a good design I would like to put on my future (a ways down the road) garage doors.

My house was built in the mid '70s and has the original door design (about 9 squares on each door). I can't even find an example online, so maybe it is plenty unique and I just leave it.

When searching online for garage doors of that period I've had a tough time pin pointing what "garage doors of the '70s" look like. What do you call that era? It isn't considered Mid-Century, right? I guess we just call it "The '70s"?

 

[Camero68]

Those are fun designs for garage doors !!! I like it very much. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

 

[strnge]

A page about Mid Century garage doors from one of my wife's favorite sites:

http://midcenturyliving.blogspot.com/2009/10/art-of-garage-door.html

Our house is full of Mid Century items.

 

[littlebritishcar]

A page about Mid Century garage doors from one of my wife's favorite sites:

http://midcenturyliving.blogspot.com/2009/10/art-of-garage-door.html

Our house is full of Mid Century items.

I love that blog. It is written by a fellow Napa resident.

 

[Engineer61]

What a lot of you are missing is that those garage doors are one solid piece, not horizontal hinged sections like current garage doors. I live in a mid-century ranch, in a neighborhood of mid-century ranch houses. All the houses are mostly brick veneer - only exception are those like mine that have roof gable ends that are covered in a MDF siding, but most of the houses have hip roofs.
I need to paint my garage door, thanks for the pictures they are giving me some ideas.