You could recycle the brick on the side of the house to the front and put siding on the side and back where it will be less noticeable. You might be able to get the same brick.

Thank you for the idea. The brick is only on the front of the house, and we're thinking it might be difficult to find matching brick for a 40-year-old house. Here is a picture of the house in winter. It maybe shows the brick better.

what ever you do to the new garage bay, do to all 3 bays. better to have the whole garage be 'different' than an odd man out at the end.

this includes your driveway too. you might build a new plaza across all 3 bays.

No one uses steel or aluminum siding. If you have wood then consider Hardie Board for any siding needed.

Have you considered creating a 'tandum garage space' It might be the best and least expensive option. You'd add on to the back instead of the side.

Otherwise if you add another bay onto the garage you'll have to not only change the roof, but add to the driveway and now you have a garage with an attached house.

(but i will say, its not going to look wonderful.... your garage will be larger than your home. any way to build it around the corner in the back... side loading? is it something that needs constant going in an out or more seasonal like a boat or rv?)

All great ideas. But I need to clarify that the kitchen/dining room sits right behind the current garage bays. The third bay will be set back about 1-1/2 feet from the existing garage. It will include a stairway to the basement and be used as a workshop/potential storage for a classic car. So...now what say you?

I might also add this house needs siding able to withstand Minnesota winters. Seamless steel siding is popular here for renovations.

i say, look at beverly's photo and decide if thats what you want your home to look like.

instead of thinking of it as a 3rd garage bay, think of it as an attached workshop. with a different style of door.... not another overhead door. something that disappears, blends in. with no asphalt going into it... have pavers for the plaza at the top. recessed as you say helps.

Thank you, everyone, for helping me to see this house in a new light. I'm still struggling with the final look, so please be patient.

BeverlyFLADeziner, I agree about the garage with attached house look. I also mean no disrespect with regards to the siding. Maybe it's the difference between the North and the South. Anyway, Hardie Board requires painting. Can you make other recommendations that require less maintenance? We're retired DIYers with the emphasis on retired these days.

Interesting idea, ninigret. I'm still not sure how to keep the bay from looking tacked on, even "without" a door. Most garages are on one side of the house or the other.

Okay, I went ahead and did some quick and dirty rework on my own. I added the third bay, set slightly back; replaced the two single doors with a double; and toned down the garage door color from white to sandstone. We might be able to salvage some brick from the sides of the front door patio to face around the third bay. Thoughts?

Setting the 3rd bay back a couple of feet will help the look. I think even if you are able to scavenge enough brick for the front it will still look a bit different as the mortar will be newer. Since you're setting it back a few feet I would probably just go ahead and do it in siding. As long as the siding color matches the trim and garage doors I think you'll be OK.

Thanks for your input. We may redo the house entirely in siding and maybe add some stone for accent. This has been helpful. What a great resource for homeowners.

I think you should keep the two bays and do a medium color siding on the third bay. Try to minimize the amount driveway as much as you can.