Four Hands Begins Redesign of Austin HQ and Flagship Showroom, Taps Michael Hsu Office of Architecture

February 5, 2020  by Jane Chero in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry   

“ The design for Four Hands' new space is nostalgic and refined,” said Michael Hsu, founder and principal of Michael Hsu Office of Architecture. “It is directly inspired by the Four Hands’ brand, culture and products. We incorporated a lot of natural light to create a comfortable environment for staff and to showcase the Four Hands furnishings.”

The new showroom and corporate office will feature a palette of warm, light, and neutral tones, which will serve as an understated backdrop to showcase the original designs, rich textures, and sleek lines of Four Hands’ furnishings. Accommodating the needs of Four Hands’ employees and understanding the brand’s long-term business goals was essential for the design team, who consulted closely with members from every corporate department, including HR, Accounting, IT, Marketing, and Product, to deliver a warm, intentional and functional office environment.

At approximately 35,100 square-feet, Four Hands’ expanded corporate headquarters will be organized by a central spine through its existing warehouse space, and retrofitted with custom Four Hands furnishings. The space will feature two volumetric 'houses,' which will be residential in nature with open office space located at the perimeter. A key design consideration for employee wellbeing was the use of natural light. The new headquarters will feature floor to ceiling windows around the perimeter and large skylights over a feature tree in the central common area, allowing light to filter deep into the floor plate of the workspace.

Designed to encourage productivity, collaboration, community, and creativity, Four Hands’ new campus will introduce added facilities and amenities, including: multi-use meeting space; a photo studio; breakout areas and community spaces; indoor kitchen; outdoor kitchen and patio; fitness center; and a wellness room.

“As Four Hands continues its evolution as a lifestyle brand, we found ourselves needing a space to better suit our growing team and company culture,” said Four Hands CEO Matthew Briggs. “Michael Hsu Office of Architecture understood our vision and worked closely with us to create a world-class design experience, right here in Austin. For me, the new space feels like the Four Hands brand, while also reflecting the creativity of our team and innovation of our designs.”

Four Hands’ flagship showroom in Austin, Texas, will also undergo a major renovation to better serve as an international design hub and provide an unrivaled shopping experience for its wholesale customers, and local Austin designers and consumers. Lifting the ceilings to over 14 feet, full height windows will create a natural light-filled space for an improved shopping experience. The approximately 14,500-square-foot showroom will include a designer workspace and collaboration station, an interactive touch display to virtually browse Four Hands collection of furnishings, and an expansive art display to showcase its curated collection of wall art from emerging artists around the country.

The announcement is the latest in the company’s recent and rapid growth. Doubling its revenue over the last five years, Four Hands has bolstered its position as a premier lifestyle home brand with the recent acquisition of Austin-based Wonderwall Studio - now Four Hands Art Studio, in 2018 to expand its Art category, as well as Austin-based technology firm, Adaptdev to improve its digital marketplace experience. The brand continues to introduce hundreds of new trend-forward styles and products each year, most recently announcing a partnership with renowned British designer, Tracey Boyd at the 2019 fall High Point Market.