Small houses and smaller rooms are becoming very common, but you can still decorate them to make it appear large and luxurious, simply by using paint colours that make rooms look bigger. Here's an idea on the kind of colours you can use and methods of enhancing the effect of these colours.

Not everyone has the luxury of space, but you can create the illusion of space. Several factors in combination with the use of some good paint colours are what will make any room appear larger than it already is. Here are a few tips.

Choosing the Right Paint Colours for Small Rooms
White is the best shade to make a room look bigger. Nothing creates a better illusion of space as does the colour white. However, not everyone may be comfortable with the use of this colour because too much white can actually make a space look dull. You can play with a few colours that look bright and add colour without darkening your room. These colours include:

How to use Paint Colours for Small Rooms
There is a specific technique that should be followed when using paint colourss that make rooms look bigger. Some tips include:

• Only use one colour on the walls when you are trying to make your room look bigger. Don't try to combine too many colourss as the room starts looking cramped.
• If you think white is your best bet but still want to add a dash of colour, paint just one wall in any other light colour that you like.
• Use furniture and accessories that complement the colour on the walls so that the room looks larger. Using heavy contrasts will make your efforts at enhancing the visual space of your room futile.
• If the room is narrow, paint horizontal stripes on it to make it look wider. Similarly, if the room has a low ceiling, you may paint vertical stripes on the walls to make it appear taller.
• Another great way to deal with low ceilings or to even create the illusion of space is to have the wall paint colour extend to the ceiling. This method unifies to room to make it look larger than it actually is.
• Try to match the wall colours to the colour of the flooring. This is again in keeping with the thought that the room should look unified by the use of colours, and therefore appear bigger.
• Make sure that the room you are trying to enhance visually has enough lighting. While natural lighting works wonders to make any small room appear larger, it may not always be available. In such a case, light colours enhance the little natural light that comes in to make rooms look larger. Also, using appropriate artificial lighting in key spaces (such as corners of rooms) is a good idea to create the illusion of space.
• Finally, use mirrors that reflect the light colours in your room so that it looks larger. A nice and long horizontal mirror on a wall can easily add as a decorative element as well as make the room look much bigger.

Happy decorating from Bedshed.

Related:

• How to Make a Small Master Bedroom Look Bigger
• Change Your Mood! Turn Your Bedroom Into a Peaceful Retreat
• Creating a Peaceful Environment in Your Child's Bedroom

The first lesson you need to learn while planning a master bedroom is that you can't afford to have clutter lying around in your room. Even the slightest of clutter will make your room look smaller in an instance. Remove clutter from not only the bed but from the top of every furniture piece too. This way, your room will look clean and big at the same time.

• The first step in learning tips to make a small master bedroom look bigger, is to get rid of your television, especially if you still have the older style, large TV’s. Throw it in the living room and make some space for a painting or for a small princess table. If you have a thin LED or an LCD, mount it on the wall to increase floor space.
• Now let's move on to your bed. The bed should be low in height, recommended the height of your knees. For the bed, use a headboard of your choice but avoid using a foot board. Since the bed takes most amount of space, it shouldn't be messy. Keep a maximum of 5 pillows.
• If you have too many drawers stuck to your walls or if your closet is taking up a lot of floor space, replace them with walk in closets and wardrobes. These will give you more floor space which in turn will make your room look really big. Avoid any type of furniture that will make your room a problem for easy movement.
• While painting your master bedroom, use nude, natural or pastel colors. These are paint colors that make rooms look bigger than they actually are. The ceiling should be a shade lighter than the wall colors.
• Mirrors can be used as a very strong weapon while learning to make a small master bedroom look bigger. You cannot add too many mirrors to your room as this will result in clutter. Instead, place one near the window so that it can reflect sunlight into your room and one right in front of the bed, that will visually double the size of your room.
• Wood works the best as flooring,  especially when you want the room to look bigger. If you use wide floor boards made out of light wood, your room will get a feeling of opening up. It will look bigger than the first glance itself. If you have a wallpaper, make sure it's plain and simple and matches with the flooring.

Good luck in maximising your bedroom space and making it your relaxing haven.

Related:

• Change your mood! Turn your bedroom into a peaceful retreat
• Give your bedroom an instant face lift

When it comes to sleep, you just can't impose your will on your body. These tips will help make you a little more comfortable.

• Supporting your body is very important. Use a special pregnancy pillow or a regular pillow to support your body. If you have difficulty breathing (from the weight gain), try multiple pillows, which will pull the baby away from your diaphragm so it can move your lungs up and down. Try sleeping on your side with a pillow under your knee and another under your belly.
• Drink lots of fluid during the day but cut down before bedtime to reduce the need to get up to use the bathroom.
• Movement helps improve circulation and reduces night time cramps, but avoid exercising later in the day as this can release adrenaline making it harder to get to sleep at night.  
• Try a small glass of warm skim milk. The lactose in the milk is a sugar, which stimulates insulin, which helps proteins like tryptophan in the milk enter the brain—and that can help people fall asleep. If you develop lactose intolerance, which many mothers do during pregnancy, try soy milk or rice milk.
• Heartburn can keep many women up, so don’t recline 1-2 hours after eating. Avoid spicy or acidic foods.
• Turn up the air conditioner. It's easier to sleep in a cooler environment. Plus, pregnant women can become extra hot.
• Rest is important during this time so it’s imperative you get the sleep you need! See your doctor for advice.

Related:

• Having trouble sleeping?
  
• Tips for a good night's sleep
• How Much Sleep Do We Need?

Here are some tips on getting to sleep or just dealing with restlessness.

1. Go to bed drowsy.

Sometimes the issue is that you are going to bed wound up and not able to sleep because you are not physically or mentally ready to sleep. By entering your bed, only when truly ready to sleep, you increase the likelihood of actually succeeding. To help with this avoid caffeine after early afternoon, don't exercise vigorously past late afternoon, and don't have heavy discussion before bed or in bed.

• Try a sleep inducing snack.

Comfort food isn't always bad. There are some snacks that might actually be helpful in promoting sleep. Warm milk really can do the trick.

1. Warm water.

A bath or shower can help you relax you and prepare for sleep.

• Reading or other mindless work.

Reading, doing small craft projects or even a tiny bit of mindless television can help you shut down your brain. We can go to bed with our mind racing with all you need to do and think about. By giving yourself a chance to shut it off you can help prepare yourself for sleep. Avoid reading tense novels, mysteries or scary books if that upsets you in anyway. Switch off the laptop well before bed. Keep it light and soothing!

1. Get up.

When all else fails, don't lay in bed. Get up, do something, even if it's just changing locations. Set a time limit of 30 or 60 minutes that you'll stay in bed trying to fall asleep or back to sleep. Fighting it can only be more frustrating. And sometimes you can be very productive in the middle of the night alone.

Related:

• How Much Sleep Do We Need?
• Tips for a good night's sleep