A London Cafe Takes a Shine to Copper

Exposed copper plumbing aficionados will want to take note of London firm TwistInArchitecture’s use of copper pipes in Trade, a new restaurant and coffee shop on Commercial Street in the city’s East End. Referencing a time in history when the street was home to building merchants and their material yards, copper pipes dominate the warm and welcoming interiors. “We wanted to show that copper pipes normally hidden away inside wall cavities can serve an aesthetic as well as functional role,” says TwistInArchitecture’s co-founder Andreja Beric. Take a look:

Photography by Dominic Harris.

Above: When entering Trade from Commercial Street, the coffee shop is at the front and the restaurant occupies the back. 

Above: Backless stainless shelf units hang against textured brick walls.

Above: Suspended from the ceiling, copper tubing carries electricty to the pendant lights over the bar. 

Above: Copper pipes were used to create a floor-to-ceiling staircase balustrade screen as well as a decorative screen running along the face of the bar.

Above: “Copper creates atmosphere through muted reflections and intricate shadows,” says Beric. 

Above: A balustrade detail offers a look at the way the pipes are connected.

Above: The copper is paired with white brick walls and wood finishes. 

Above: In the restaurant section, a wood-paneled wall serves as both a design element and an effective way to absorb noise. 

Above: A lighting grid of copper pipes provides electricity across the back of the restaurant. 

Above: Trade is located at 47 Commercial Street in Spitalfields, in London’s East End. 

Like the look?  For more inspiration, see 10 Favorites: Exposed Copper Pipes as Decor. And then get to work with Isabella’s DIY: The Copper Pipe Curtain Road for $35. On Gardenista, see the beautiful patina of oxidized copper in A Copper-Clad Modernist Gem in the Big Woods. 

The map below shows the location of Trade in the East End of London. If you’re planning a visit to London, see our City Guides London for more favorite design locations.