With witty design details sprinkled among a slough of practical improvements, New York–based architectural design-build firm MADE helped to increase the value of a Manhattan townhouse by $700,000 just one year later when the family traded up for larger quarters.

One of the most common reasons for  renovating a house is to accommodate a growing family. In Manhattan, a young  family wanted the designers to turn adjacent spaces that were divided by a large brick arch into their children’s bedrooms. MADE filled the arch with colorful panels containing cabinetry for storage, shelving and,  at the floor level, a sliding dummy door  that allowed the daughter and son to crawl between the two rooms.

“We knew we wanted to fill the arch  with something beautiful to look at,” says MADE partner, Oliver Freundlich.

“It had to do with making something playful, thinking about the kids and giving them something tailored to their size,  not the adults’.”