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.
![A London Cafe Takes a Shine to Copper portrait 3](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/fields/Twist-in-Architecture-Trade-London-Remodelista-02.jpg)
Above: When entering Trade from Commercial Street, the coffee shop is at the front and the restaurant occupies the back.
![A London Cafe Takes a Shine to Copper portrait 4](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/fields/Twist-in-Architecture-Trade-London-Remodelista-21.jpg)
Above: Backless stainless shelf units hang against textured brick walls.
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Above: Suspended from the ceiling, copper tubing carries electricty to the pendant lights over the bar.
![A London Cafe Takes a Shine to Copper portrait 6](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/fields/Twist-in-Architecture-Trade-London-Remodelista-06.jpg)
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.
![A London Cafe Takes a Shine to Copper portrait 7](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/fields/Twist-in-Architecture-Trade-London-Remodelista-19.jpg)
Above: “Copper creates atmosphere through muted reflections and intricate shadows,” says Beric.
![A London Cafe Takes a Shine to Copper portrait 8](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/fields/Twist-in-Architecture-Trade-London-Remodelista-17.jpg)
Above: A balustrade detail offers a look at the way the pipes are connected.
![A London Cafe Takes a Shine to Copper portrait 9](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/fields/Twist-in-Architecture-Trade-London-Remodelista-08.jpg)
Above: The copper is paired with white brick walls and wood finishes.
![A London Cafe Takes a Shine to Copper portrait 10](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/fields/Twist-in-Architecture-Trade-London-Remodelista-12.jpg)
Above: In the restaurant section, a wood-paneled wall serves as both a design element and an effective way to absorb noise.
![A London Cafe Takes a Shine to Copper portrait 11](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/fields/Twist-in-Architecture-Trade-London-Remodelista-11.jpg)
Above: A lighting grid of copper pipes provides electricity across the back of the restaurant.
![A London Cafe Takes a Shine to Copper portrait 12](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/fields/Twist-in-Architecture-Trade-London-Remodelista-01.jpg)
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.
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