I did just what you describe and I'm tickled pink with it. In my case it WAS a load-bearing wall, but that just meant I had to header off the opening. I created about a four-foot archway between the two sections of the (now one)room - making one section the bed area and one the sitting/dressing area. I can't tell you what it costs since I did it myself, but I really don't think it would be that bad, depending on what needs to be done. I had to move a electrical box and add another (to stay up to code) but it was mostly a framing/drywall job. I would say the most important thing is visualizing the feel/scale of the new room as well as new traffic patterns and usage patterns to come up with a good design. In may case I created a couple of new walk-in closets to keep the scale of the resulting room comfortable. I know I've been in several "de-partition" rooms that feel just like that - two rooms with a wall knocked down.

Decor *and* behaviour modification; you do want both. For the wall, poi ting in the direction of the guest bathroom: https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/605597937/bathroom-arrow-wood-sign-wood-sign-art?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=bathroom+arrow+sign&ref=sr_gallery-1-19&organic_search_click=1# https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/571776054/sign-restroom-wedding-restroom-bathroom?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=bathroom+arrow+sign&ref=sc_gallery-1-2&plkey=a835f4c96e0b1f058d0a007059d972f86d902f4f%3A571776054# https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/582618754/restrooms-sign-restaurant-sign-rustic?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=bathroom+arrow+sign&ref=sr_gallery-1-14&organic_search_click=1&pro=1# And for your bedroom door:https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/629668772/personalized-mr-mrs-last-name-sign?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=mr+and+mrs+wall+sign&ref=sc_gallery-1-15&plkey=a6232108a973c10b6ddf8a400760c56398f916e6%3A629668772&cas=1#

One thing I've learned from the pros and other talented decorators on this forum over the 15 years I've been visiting is that scale matters a lot. When you have a room the size of your master bedroom, you need some substantial furniture (and art, etc.) to make the design work. This was a very important lesson for me to learn, as my house before I was married was a very small bungalow. Everything I brought from my previous home looked silly and dwarfed in the home my husband and I moved into. My art looked like postage stamps tacked to the walls. I didn't know how to decorate in large spaces because I had never done so before, and I always preferred modest, simple furniture and art so it look me years to embrace the larger spaces. But once I did, things started looking a lot better. I've found places to use some of the sentimental items I couldn't part with (in bathrooms, kids' bedrooms, small guest room, as part of gallery walls), but some things just don't work in the larger spaces. Your bed, though very pretty, is probably one of those things. We have a California King in our large-ish master bedroom and it looks great and fits the scale of the room. Find some large art you love too. I'm sure the pros will have better advice, but just wanted to chime in as I went through that same frustrating phase you are in now. Good luck!

Multiple thoughts, not all in line with the majority: - Five bedrooms is a huge house. The potential field of buyers who want the space and upkeep of a house that large (and who can afford it) is relatively small. More plainly, You're looking to build a house that only a small percentage of buyers can afford to buy. Wanting a thing and being able to afford a thing aren't the same. Your pool of resale buyers will be small, so selling could take a long time, or you might be forced to take less than you want. - Yes, people will like the idea of a "master up and a master down": live-in space for mom, space for a live-in nanny or elder care-giver. Plenty of reasons people would like the space. But the real question is, Will your resale buyer be willing to pay what it will cost you to build it? Personally, I think you'll attract plenty of interest, but you may not attract the necessary dollars at resale to make this worthwhile. - How old are these small children? By the time you finish building this house, they'll probably be at least a year older -- how long will you want to have bedrooms close by? - I'm a highly practical person: you're talking about a short time when kids are small. To save money, could you sleep in a "non-master" upstairs for this short time, then move downstairs? - How "master" do you see your "masters"? That is, when you say "master bedroom", are you envisioning a slightly larger room with a modest walk-in closet and a private 3-piece bath ... or does "master" to you mean a spacious room with a seating area, a massive closet and a luxury bath? The question isn't just, "Should I have two masters?" It's, "Just how much will I put into a master?" Your own vision of "how much" can make a world of difference in this question. - Don't overbuild for your neighborhood. Remember that the biggest, most expensive house in the neighborhood is "drawn down" by the more modest houses that surround it. - Summary: Don't be caught up in just whether this is a desirable idea -- it is. Consider first and foremost whether it is an economically viable idea.