Home Improvement Workshop
Stop going round in circles.
Start knowing what to do.
You have ideas, concerns and half-formed plans—but no clear way forward. In a private live design session, we talk through the problem and test possibilities together as I draw directly over your plans.
Book your workshop£200“I feel like I was looking for someone like you and a service like this for a long time. Super helpful.”
— Joshua
“You actually feel like you’re having a chat with a friend—and you can feel the passion for what he does.”
— Blanka
Watch
What is a Home Improvement Workshop?
See how the live session works, what we explore together and what you will take away.
What happens in the call
58 minutes that change how you think about your home.
You bring the problem
Plans, photographs, sketches and questions—whatever you have. You do not need a finished brief or to know the answer before we begin.
We explore it together
We discuss how you live, what you want to achieve and what is getting in the way. I draw and test ideas while you react and ask questions.
You leave unstuck
You leave with working sketches, meeting notes and a recording—along with a clearer sense of what is possible and what to do next.
Is this for you?
For anyone stuck on a home decision.
- You are thinking about buying a house and want to understand what it could become.
- You have been living with a problem for years and cannot see the solution.
- You have plans, but something feels wrong and you cannot name it.
- You want to compare different layouts or extension ideas before spending serious money.
- You and your partner need a productive way to explore different priorities.
- You want experienced architectural thinking without commissioning a full design service.
“You’ve given us clarity in terms of what we can do—and reinforced my thinking on the cost side of things.”
— Tony, Workshop client
Who you are talking to
Carl Leroy-Smith
I have been designing homes for 25 years, working directly with the people who live in them. I have seen what gets missed, what costs more than expected and what makes an ordinary house feel completely right.
The Workshop brings the same design thinking you see on the CARL YouTube channel to your particular home. Nothing is pre-designed: the ideas develop through the conversation and the drawing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions you might have
The Workshop is a practical, private design session—not simply a conversation. Here is what to expect.
What actually happens during a Home Improvement Workshop?
Before the call, I set up the property information and floor plans you have sent so they are ready for us to work with. I briefly familiarise myself with what you want to discuss, but I do not design a solution in advance—the design work begins when we talk.
During the 58-minute video call, I share my screen and draw directly over your plans. We might test layouts, move rooms, walls or furniture, explore an extension, or compare several approaches. As I draw, I explain the design, cost, planning and practical implications.
Do you actually draw and design during the call?
Yes. Drawing is central to the Workshop. I sketch directly over the information you send, so you can see ideas develop and react to them in real time.
What will I receive afterwards?
You will receive the working sketches, meeting notes and a recording of the session. These are exploratory materials to help you make decisions and brief the professionals who take the project forward.
Do I need professional floor plans?
No. An estate-agent plan, an old drawing or a reasonably clear hand-drawn sketch with a few dimensions is often enough. Photographs and a property-listing link also help.
Can I book before buying a property?
Yes. A Workshop can help you understand a property’s opportunities, limitations and likely priorities before you commit. Send the estate-agent details, plans, photographs and the questions you are trying to resolve.
Do I—or the property—need to be in the UK?
No. The Workshop takes place online and can work internationally. Local planning, building and legal requirements must ultimately be checked by appropriately qualified professionals in the property’s location.
Can I send a property I want to convert into an HMO or several flats?
No. The Workshop and Recorded Design Review are designed for homeowners considering a home for themselves or their family, rather than HMOs, blocks of flats or commercial development. An individual apartment is fine.
I may be able to offer strategic guidance on a plot for a new home or a modest garden annexe, provided there is enough information for us to understand and discuss the proposal.
Can you offer a second opinion on another architect’s design?
Not while that architect—or another designer—is currently appointed on the project. If drawings were prepared in the past and the architect or designer is no longer involved, I can discuss the design and offer an independent perspective.
Is this intended to lead to a larger architectural service?
No. The Workshop stands alone. You are free to use the ideas and sketches when briefing another architect or designer. If a separate professional service is required, that would be discussed and agreed independently.
What if we do not arrive at a design I want to build?
The purpose is clarity, not a guaranteed finished design. Testing an idea and deciding it is not right can be just as valuable as discovering a direction to pursue.
Ready to move forward?
Book your Home Improvement Workshop
58 minutes. One conversation. One clear way forward.
Working sketches, meeting notes and a recording of the session are included.
£200 · Online video call
Choose a timeAfter booking, I will email to ask what you would like to cover and invite you to send any plans, photographs or property information that may help me prepare.
Other ways to work with Carl
Not quite the right fit?
Prefer a focused response without a meeting?
Send one property and up to three focused questions. I will respond with a personal 15-minute Recorded Design Review.
Explore the Recorded Design Review →Not ready to buy?
Start with the free video workshop and workbook to clarify what is wrong, what you want to change and what to consider next.
Start with the free workshop and workbook →