# Refurbished Metalwork Shops Studio Four23's New Office is Inspired by a Toolbox By Joey Haar | Published 2017-02-21 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/studio-four23 References: [dezeen](https://www.dezeen.com/2017/02/20/four23-studio-self-designed-london-office-industrial-materials-interior-uk/) & [four23.net](http://www.four23.net/) [Studio Four23](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/black-barn-1), a communication firm based out of Clerkenwall, England, has refurbished a [former metalworking shop](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mana) for its second office in London. The firm chose to [design the new office itself](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/studio-saransh) (rather than outsourcing the project to another studio,) and it took an interesting bit of inspiration. In designing the office, Studio Four23 used a photograph of a toolbox as creative fodder. Part of the decision to use such a strange photo as inspiration is due to the space itself. The industrial building would have had plenty of toolboxes strewn about during its tenure as a metalworking shop, so using a toolbox fits with the original purpose of the building. Further, Studio Four23 believes that the toolbox symbolically represents the company as a whole -- each employee has a specific task to fulfill, and together they can build projects that none could alone. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.0/10 - Popularity: 74% | Activity: 8% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Refurbished Metalwork Spaces:** Creating unique office environments by repurposing former metalworking shops. - **In-house Office Design:** Businesses taking on the challenge of designing their own office spaces instead of outsourcing the project. - **Symbolic Design Inspiration:** Using unconventional objects or images as creative fodder for office design, leading to unique and meaningful workspaces. ### Where This Applies - **Communication and Design Firms:** Communication firms and design agencies exploring the idea of repurposing former metalworking shops to create inspiring office spaces. - **Office Design and Construction:** Businesses specializing in office design and construction offering services to help businesses create their own unique work environments. - **Creative Inspiration:** Companies and individuals seeking unconventional sources of inspiration for their office design projects. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Modern Heritage Workspaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/norton-folgate-offices.md) - [Bright Colorful Workshop Offices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/office-sm.md) - [Studio-Workshop Offices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/banda-agency-kyiv.md) - [Music Industry Creative Offices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/22re.md) - [Reconfigured Calm City Studios](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/latelier.md) - [Cohesive Modern Workspace Studios](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/unorthodox-designs.md) - [Adaptive Reuse Offices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-works.md) - [Rerfeshed Historic Workspaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cloisters-interiors.md) - [Adaptive Workspace Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/salt-hq.md)