We have a fairly large bedroom and we both consider it very cozy. I think cozy is not really a matter of size, but how the space is furnished. If there are comfortable places to sit, to read, to put one's feet up, to write a note or check email when you don't want to go to your office, to step outside to enjoy the weather in a comfortable chair--- to me, this evokes a comfortable, safe feeling that is the epitome of "cozy." With respect to guest rooms, now that our children are out of the house we have several :) One is a large room with a double bed, a club chair and ottoman, a desk, dressing room and spacious bath. It is off by itself and has its own HVAC zone, so we usually put people there. The other two rooms have two twin beds and one single bed, respectively. We find that this configuration lends itself to a versatile combination of sleeping arrangements. The only thing I would change is to put a double in the room that holds one twin. But since my ,other is the one who uses that room most often and finds the bed very comfortable, we haven't bothered. And since we also have beds downstairs, they're not the only options. IMO it should not be considered a hardship for a married couple to sleep in twin beds for a few nights. In fact, I find the concern about it sort of odd. After all, it's only a few nights out of years.....right?

Talk to a realtor in your area who can give you hard numbers. However, I would have to say that the project is only worth doing if you are able to incorporate that half bath into a master suite and add a shower or tub/shower. Depending on what type of footings were dug for the garage, your project may require demolition of the garage and new footings dug before you can use the space for living quarters. If the realtor gives you an idea of the numbers on this as far as any gain in value to the home, you will then need to contact your local permits office and find out what type of permits and inspections you will need to go through to do this. Do not even think of doing it without, as it creates a big nightmare for you to have unpermitted work at any eventual sale time. Plus, lots of neighbors just live to turn you in to the codes people. Then your third stop is a structural engineer to be able to assess the scope of construction needed for the project. As previously mentioned, the foundation will need assessing, as will the existing walls and roofing structure's ability to be insulated to current code without affecting the required head height. It could be a really simple project, or it might not be. After you have gathered all of the above information, then it's time to develop a written scope of the project with all of the specs for the products that you want to use and the structural requirements of the engineer. Then you use that document to seek bids from contractors so that everyone is bidding on the same project with the same products. For a mid range master, expect costs to come in somewhere between 120-140K if you have to rebuild from the foundation up. If your foundation and existing walls will work, then you can probably shave off one half to one third of that amount. If you DIY everything, then maybe one half to one third off again. So, between 30K and 140K depending on what the reports say and how handy you are.

I can't help you with paint colors, but I can tell you that white bedding is actually rather nice when you share your bed with animals and babies as long as you buy a sturdy 100% cotton that you can bleach and wash in hot water. I wouldn't recommend down-filled items or fabrics that are not washable.

What a magical room Cam Cam! If you want a full sized bed and not a twin, then ditto Ya Ya and gmreid. The right side of the mural wall can have the dresser and bookcase side by side. The dresser could also go on the plain wall beside the closet. If you curtain the window wall the bookcase can go between the bed and the closet, with the nightstand on the other side. I would not want the headboard against the mural wall because then she can't see it. But this would create more space when you go in. You are well on your way! I would not mind seeing a window treatment that pulls from a color in the mural. Keep us posted!