Depends if you require the additional bedroom or do you prefer a larger ensuite.

If you care about resale and the more modest master bedroom is still spacious enough for a king sized bed and some end tables, maybe a bench, then I would consider another bedroom. More bedrooms typically sell better.

We have an enormous master suite that in some floor plans in our neighborhood actually is split so there are two bedrooms and smaller closets. I love the fact we have two separate walk in closets, but we basically have a large sitting room in our bedroom which is strange and unnecessary in our house and for how we live our lives. I would have liked a bigger shower or perhaps a boudoir-type closet instead of another sitting room.

You can also have an unpretentiously scaled master bathroom and bath, but with a big closet or storage room. If your closet is large enough and has built-ins, you can avoid having lots of dressers in the bedroom, so it will feel larger. Or you can just move the dresser into the closet. Also, hardwood floors make a room feel more airy. Use area rugs to soften the footfall where you walk.

A lot more information is needed to answered your question properly, ask your architect. And, remember most of the time one spends in a master bedroom they are unconciuos.

If you are not concerned about resale value there is no advantage to having an extra bedroom. Some of us use our bedrooms as a get-away from the family whereas others are just using it as a simple bedroom. If you need a space where you can retreat, read, etc a large master suite will help you attain this and relax at the same time.

Calling your home a 4/2.5 when one bedroom is tiny won't get you more money, it will get you angry buyers who just wasted their time looking at a house that was really a 3/2.5 +closet with window. If I have 3 kids I'm not going to buy a house where one kids deals with a smaller bedroom.

They always says adding a bedroom adds value but neglect to tell you that all the bedrooms need to be about the same in size or the only person it adds value for is the appraiser.

Sometimes paying an architect or engaging a design/build firm is a good idea to look at the house in a different way. You might find a way to normalize the bedroom and get what you want.

2014 posting

An oldie but goodie.

It might be an idea to have an office space worked into your large master suite. These days a lot of people work from home and do not mind a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom house, if they can have some work space and not have to use a bedroom for that.