Collection by Luke Hopping

The Architect Behind Some of London's Homiest Coffee Shops

The storybook cafes of London's Soho and Fitzrovia neighborhoods each have their own unique charm, yet many source their style from a single origin, architect William Tozer.

In our April issue dedicated to kitchens and baths, we visit a town house renovated by William Tozer and inspired by his work on local coffee shops. Grab it on newsstands next week.

Talkhouse

Tozer reconfigured a Portobello Road retail space into a light-filled cafe with a healthy dose of reuse. The cementitious resin floor and wood counter are composed of materials found on-site.
Talkhouse Tozer reconfigured a Portobello Road retail space into a light-filled cafe with a healthy dose of reuse. The cementitious resin floor and wood counter are composed of materials found on-site.
Fernandez & Wells

Drain grating supports Yorkstone countertops at the Somerset House outpost of Fernandez & Wells, evoking the look and feel of street food.
Fernandez & Wells Drain grating supports Yorkstone countertops at the Somerset House outpost of Fernandez & Wells, evoking the look and feel of street food.
Kaffeine

Tozer refurbished the interior and exterior of this tiny retail space in Fitzrovia, preserving the existing shopfront and painting it jet-black.
Kaffeine Tozer refurbished the interior and exterior of this tiny retail space in Fitzrovia, preserving the existing shopfront and painting it jet-black.
Lantana Cafe

A street frontage dominated by ducts for an underground substation provided challenges as well as opportunites at this retail conversion. Tozer concealed the ducts with slatted wood, which also succeed in drawing the eye inward through an open window.
Lantana Cafe A street frontage dominated by ducts for an underground substation provided challenges as well as opportunites at this retail conversion. Tozer concealed the ducts with slatted wood, which also succeed in drawing the eye inward through an open window.
Furniture throughout the house echoes the soft materiality of the architectural details, which include original pine floorboards refinished with lye and wood soap. The music room armchair and footstool are vintage, from Ercol; the blue-gray Grasshopper floor lamp is by Greta Grossman from Gubi.
Furniture throughout the house echoes the soft materiality of the architectural details, which include original pine floorboards refinished with lye and wood soap. The music room armchair and footstool are vintage, from Ercol; the blue-gray Grasshopper floor lamp is by Greta Grossman from Gubi.