“made with volume designed and managed our ground floor extension, new layout for the whole ground floor including kitchen. To think that at one stage we thought we might try to re-develop without the help of a designer!

Carlo took us through every stage with patience and bags of inspiration. More than breathing life into our ideas, I think our favourite features of our house are actually all his ideas. We had no trouble with building consent, party wall agreements, all the bits I didn’t really understand. It all just happened quietly in the background. And we kept within budget, just.

The result: Since the hoarding was removed, the glass installed and the floor uncovered a couple of weeks ago, I’ve noticed I’ve sometimes had a subtle imposter-feeling in this space. I will get used to it and settle down to being just plain grateful, but as someone quite sensitive to physical environments, I feel like the whole being is far greater than the sum of its parts.

I walk in after work and swoop across the warm terrazzo, then turn slowly and absorb, enjoying the light glowing from all angles of the space, making me unfurl from the day. I actually feel so rested in this space. It’s so much more than an extension and new kitchen and far beyond what I could have imagined for our home.”

“We met with several designers and architects before choosing made with volume and have not regretted our decision.

We had been warned against firms who give less attention to smaller projects such as our kitchen extension but this was never an issue with Carlo. He was enthusiastic and creative from the first meeting. He was interested in our ideas but not afraid to lead us down routes we hadn’t considered. He stuck with the project right till the end of the build patiently answering all our questions as they arose.

Having someone local to our area was a huge help and he had respect for the integrity of the original victorian style and knew how to tastefully merge it with a more contemporary kitchen. We would strongly recommend made with volume.”

“Working with Carlo was a pleasure. He helped to reimagine a small space providing neat storage solutions and a creative way to turn a utility room into a bedroom which doubles as a study. Carlo took a relatively simple brief and came up with ideas we would not have thought of ourselves. Even though our project was a small one, he applied the same level of enthusiasm and attention to detail as he would a bigger project. Design wise he fully understood our tastes and delivered well to our brief. His fees were reasonable and he was very flexible as the project evolved and changed. We would highly recommend Carlo and would use him again for future projects.”

“I’m so glad I chose to work with made with volume. Carlo is very talented and impeccably professional. Carlo talked me through every stage of his work with me, explaining what I could expect from him. The work and ideas delivered were fantastic. Carlo understood my desire to balance a contemporary, modern home with the period features in my house. Carlo brought fresh ideas and a wealth of knowledge and creativity.

In short, made with volume are ‘the business’. I would suggest hiring them if you can, as I get a feeling that demand for their work will outstrip supply at some point soon.”

“We are thrilled with the project that Carlo completed for us in Walthamstow. He was full of great ideas from day one, understanding our needs and our style. He worked really quickly and the whole project felt excellent value for money. Now I’ve seen his great work on the loft I’d love to get him to work on other areas of the house too!”

“Thank you for your perseverance regarding our project – especially for your fantastic ideas to make our home functional and accommodating. We know it was very tricky to respond to all our needs and restrictions on the council’s part.

made with volume were very prompt in their responses and reactions to council’s requirements, an excellent negotiator and mediator. All of this, thanks to their immense knowledge and innovative approach to overcome any obstacle.  Throughout the whole time, we were well informed about the costs and extent of work, no surprises and all deadlines met. Pleasure to work with.”

“made with volume really understood what we were looking for and were always responsive, helpful and thoughtful with their suggestions. They suggested excellent tradesmen to work on the project that they trusted and who carried out the work with professionalism and attention to detail. The finished studio is exactly what we had hoped for; built to last, quiet, subtly attractive and energy-efficient.”

“When we first saw the plans Carlo had drawn up, we were incredibly excited. It was a joy to open the PDF and see the ideas we had talked about in our meetings given real and vivid form on the screen. We were particularly impressed how sympathetic to the building they were. and how they brought modern and traditional aesthetics together. When it came to working with other buildings professionals such as structural engineers and building control, he was able to advise us and provide excellent contacts that helped keep the project moving.”

“Like many long standing partnerships you often find new advisers due to comments or introductions from friends, or following projects that interest you. Which is how we met Carlo. We were fascinated by The Science Lab and wanted a fresh view on a tricky speculative project we were considering at the same time as some updates to our property in Pimlico, a 19080s post-modern Mews House.

The speculative project has yet to be funded, but most of Carlo’s ideas have been implemented at the Pimlico house and we are just about to complete the final phase of the work. This has included:

- Simple space reconfigurations to increase storage and update the interior décor for the bedroom, study & lounge

- Basic improvements to poor workmanship on external lead flashings & glazing

- Debating the merits of replacing heck doors with fixed glazed panels to get more light into the interior without spoiling the aesthetic of the house’s 1980s design – and then producing detailed drawings and specifications

- Producing detailed briefs for the builder, to manage our expectations and the budget for the various internal & external options.

- Flexible & transparent fee structure which has enabled us to keep in touch, be an important sounding board and have access to his advice whenever we are in doubt!

The result of our working together has been a major transformation to how we now use the House and enjoy the lighter and more tranquil atmosphere as now most clutter is out of sight!”

“We knew Carlo was right for us on the first visit. He was easy to get on with, showed real consideration for what we wanted to achieve (not just what we were asking for) and was open with his opinions.

Throughout the design phase Carlo was very collaborative in providing ideas that enhanced our requirements. He always patiently explained anything that was new to us and what the pros and cons to different approaches were, giving us options when they were available and ensuring we got the outcome we wanted.

He carried this same care to the build, keeping track of important dates to visit and making sure the project moved forward as expected including highlighting potential risks we wouldn’t have thought about.

Overall, if you want a personal, thoughtful and design led approach we couldn’t recommend made with volume more.”

“We chose to work with made with volume after seeing their gorgeous work at The Science Lab during an Open House a few years ago.

It was very easy to work with Carlo, he listened carefully to our ideas and looked at how we wanted to use the space. He understood our aesthetic and made proposals that captured our requests as well as proposing unexpected delights - the suggestion of a green roof, one such delight. He was always clear and also available when we had questions. Carlo has helped guide us through the process and we are excited now to be starting the build soon.

We would recommend Carlo and the team and have no hesitation of using them again for any future work.”

“Thank you so much for all the work you’ve been doing to help with our building work. You’ve really gone above & beyond and it means a lot to us!”

“We bought a large Victorian house in Forest Gate which was a real project. We had previous experience of house renovation / remodelling but had always done DIY design. This time due to the size and complexity of the project we sought a designer using our network, speaking to local contacts and also via the Open House London event. made with volume were recommended to us so we visited their project The Science Lab and viewed other projects done before making our mind up.

Carlo’s approach to design and taste was very much to our liking. Employing someone on the design of your forever home is such an intimate process it’s important to get the person right for you (it’s a bit like therapy). Once we engaged Carlo, he was by our side from the start of the project right through to the final fit out.

I found him very easy to deal with, giving sound yet innovative good ideas and suggestions although always acknowledging the final say about design decisions is ours. What I found most useful is that we had a professional by our side when discussing points or requiring work from a builder where we were technically out of our depth.

If we ever do another housing project, I would definitely use Carlo for the design and ongoing support work. Would I recommend made with volume? Yes, without a doubt.”

“Having Carlo from made with volume on board to work on the redesign of a troublesome extension made what would have been for me and my partner a daunting task, an enjoyable process.

Carlo’s interest in and enthusiasm for the project was infectious, and his depth of knowledge about available products and suppliers has saved us hours of research. He tuned into our aesthetic tastes very quickly, took on board all of the problems we wanted to resolve through the redesign process, and throughout the process he thought of issues and solutions that would not have occurred to us.

Carlo has been a really pleasant, reassuring and inspiring person to work with, and was clear about the scope of his work and charges from the start.

As we move into the building stage we feel confident that we have a clear and well thought out brief and technical drawings to take out to tender, and feel that commissioning made with volume has been money very well spent.”

“After receiving an offer from a local café allowing us to site our fridge against their external wall, the search was on for a spatial designer to create a protective cabinet for it. We posted in NextDoor and immediately came up trumps with made with volume.

Carlo was well versed in sustainable materials and sang from the same hymnsheet as we did, understanding our need for a structure which was solid yet stylish, well-secured yet welcoming, and above all, as William Morris would have said, both useful and beautiful.

Carlo’s methodology exceeded our expectations. He brought along inspiring ideas and was always happy to discuss our needs on equal terms rather than dictate to us what we ought to be doing. As a result, we were far more prepared to listen to his opinions!

The space filled by the fridge cabinet had previously spent many years in a shabby and unloved condition, aching for the transformation that was to change it from a hurriedly negotiated passageway to a sought-after local destination. And being outdoors, it truly is open to all people, whatever their social status.

Through Carlo’s creative work, the Community Fridge site is bringing dynamic visual excitement to Leytonstone, as well as fulfilling its primary function of tipping the balance of food justice and reducing food waste. We are ecstatic.”

“Absolutely delighted with the work produced by made with volume, it will completely transform our house making it much more suited to our needs. Carlo was a pleasure to work with and always challenged us to think differently about the possibilities.”