The next time you walk outdoors to your patio, you may be surprised to find that instead of pulling open a door handle, you press a button and watch as the entire back wall of the room disappears overhead.

Contemporary aluminum and glass garage doors are becoming a popular alternative to traditional “hinged” patio doors as builders, architects and interior designers look for new ways to seamlessly merge indoor and outdoor living spaces.

Using a remote control, the door opens overhead allowing traffic to flow during gatherings. Closed, it creates an attractive wall of windows, adding a panoramic view to any living space.

Retailers and restaurants have been doing it for years and the trend is crossing over into mainstream residential applications, as evidenced by its emergence on the high profile Museum of Science and Industry Chicago Smart Home: Green + Wired exhibit and the primetime television series “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”.

For both projects, the designers chose the Clopay® Avante® Collection door.

The Museum of Science and Industry Chicago Smart Home features a bronze anodized aluminum frame with white laminated glass for the traditional garage door application

A second smaller Avante door on the back of the garage opens up onto a backyard patio.

The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition design team used glass garage doors as a moving wall of windows between the family’s great room and patio as well as in a therapy room.

Another view.

The oversized opening makes it possible for two wheelchair bound family members to move about easily.

The contemporary look of the black garage door frame fits right in with the home’s rustic modern architectural style.

For more information about how you can get the contemporary look of aluminum and glass for your home or business, find a Clopay dealer near you today.