Robert Garneau gazes at the wall with an illuminated kitchen and living room behind him.
Architect Robert Garneau evaluates his Manhattan design.
  • A Manhattan couple who had a child wanted to make their one-bedroom apartment more comfortable.
  • After renovations, a movable wall and a Murphy bed transform the living room from day to night.
  • The $280,000 renovation carves separate rooms out of 250 square feet, said architect Robert Garneau.

Eight years ago, a Manhattan couple welcomed a child into their lives and faced a dilemma: Move out of their one-bedroom apartment or find a way to make the space work for their growing family.

Unwilling to chance the New York City market — in which homes usually just get more expensive — the couple decided to stay put. But they wanted to create separate sleeping spaces for the growing child and the two working parents, one a clinical psychologist and one an occupational therapist.