I personally love photo arts and this gallery puts on some amazing exhibitions by the best artists, such as Vivane Sassen and Gregory Crewdson. The Gallerys’ six-storey space is located right by Oxford Street, so if you are doing some shopping in London, you might as well stop by this gallery. The upper floors consist of two new galleries, while the ground floor hosts a nice café/restaurant. Together with the print sales, the bookstore occupies the basement of the building. I can spend hours just looking at the books, how it is designed, bound, as well as the prints for sale. You can buy all kinds of film; medium format to polaroid film at the store. After some hours at this gallery you just want to go home and start making some photography! 

Not long in the custody of the National Trust, designed by Philip Webb and commissioned by William Morris, in 1859. Tucked away in Beckenham. William and Jane Morris only lived here for five years; not a happy time of their marriage. But there is humility, authority and even bite, in the domestic scale. The rigorous, holistic design-hand at work belies any sense of souvenir shop Morris-lite. The vegetable garden in late Summer is the place to be.

The second coffee shop has to be Kaffeine. Having only recently come across this one, I was certainly impressed and they may even have the best coffee I've had, since a short stay in Portland, Oregon.

The fantastical shop front for the children’s literacy charity, the Ministry of Stories – which offers one-to-one writing tuition for local kids. The shop sells ‘Bespoke and Everyday Items for the Living, Dead and Undead’, including Thickest Human Snot, Compacted Earwax, and Tinned Fear. (And all their products make perfect presents for humans.) All proceeds go to the charity.

It's a members-only library but you might be granted access with a research request. The writer's room is great but there's a few special, hidden corners among the bookshelves to tuck yourself away in.