The Mission style of architecture originated in the Southwest and it remains popular there. As the name suggests, Mission style houses take their inspiration from churches, fortified churches, specifically. The distinctive look of a Mission home is hard to miss, and it can be hard to complement with a modern addition such as a garage door.

Find out what makes the Mission style so distinctive and how you can complement a Mission home with a new garage door.

Craftsman Garage Door and the Mission Style

The style is sometimes called Mission Revival because it was part of an Arts and Crafts movement in the Southwest. Architects usually incorporated restrained decorative elements. Because of that involvement, a Craftsman style garage door makes sense as a complement. Look to the name for an understanding of the central theory of the style, it emphasizes the craft of building.

A Craftsman garage door is solid and meant to last with details that only a craftsman could master. You'll usually see multiple panels below one or two rows of glass panes. Usually such doors feature notable trim, perhaps some elaborate detailing. That said, manufacturers often emphasize even simple trim by coloring the door two-toned.

Traditional Wood Garage Door and the Mission Style

Mission houses usually feature an ornate parapet and many archways, as you'd expect to see in a church. Some Mission houses even feature a bell tower.  Yet, the rest of the façade is often simple. Stucco is the favored siding material. For doorways, builders use plain wooden boards reminiscent of the forts that also stand as inspiration for the style.

So, instead of a strict Craftsman style door, you could opt for a traditional garage door in wood. These doors might feature fewer of the Arts and Crafts details. However, you could choose a simpler door. Consider looking to some of the doors that feature clapboard façades.

Arched Garage Door and the Mission Style

Spanish Franciscan missionaries had fortified churches built all along the Southwest and in California as bases for their ministries. So, when the Arts and Crafts architects decided to use these buildings as inspiration, they incorporated ecclesiastic aspects to the façades. According to Antique Home, you see this come out in their heavy use of arches.

If you want to be true to Mission Revival architecture, an arched garage door would be ideal, especially one made out of clapboard wood. Conversely, you can choose a door with panes of glass at the top that create a faux arch on the otherwise straight top.

Stay true to the Mission Revival style in your upcoming garage door installation.

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