The first episode of Sherlock titled "A Study in Pink" was filled with great semiotic characteristics that were peppered all throughout the show. The show begins with John Watson, a man that has just spent time in Afghanistan fighting as a soldier, clearly dealing with the psychological effects of combat. His cane is the physical manifestation of his psychological injuries he has sustained while fighting.
Just as the cane sheds light on Watson's condition, as does the state of the flat of Dr. Holmes elucidates what his mind is like. His home is filled with literature, and he himself is a bit of an open book, very up front and honest about himself and very blunt with who he interacts with, often describing very uncomfortable truths about the people he observes. Thomas Jefferson himself said "Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom" and no person better signifies that fact than Sherlock Holmes, the book being a very good metaphor for his character.
When searching for the killer they search through a dilapidated building, which also helps provide an analogy for the search for the killer themselves, leaving very few clues, having very few significant clues or items. Before the great taxi chase and the eventual reveal of the killer, Watson and Holmes find themselves trying to catch one themselves, what could be a sly nod by the writers to the audience that the killer is hiding in plain sight or that it was simply coincidence.
I actually had not thought about the analogy of the old creaky building to be the mind of the killer. Good observation!
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