Timorous Beasties

Timorous Beasties is a design-led manufacturing company based in Glasgow that specialises in fabrics and wallpapers. The company was founded in 1990 by Alistair McAuley and Paul Simmons, who met while studying at the Glasgow School of Art.[1] Winners of the Walpole Award for 'Best Emerging British Luxury Brand' in 2007[2][3] and 'British Luxury Design Talent' in 2010,[4][5] the company now has two branded showrooms in London and Glasgow, and export their luxury products and design talent worldwide.

Company profile

Timorous Beasties' work embodies a unique diversity of pattern, ranging from design that echoes a golden age of copperplate engraving (a time-honoured classic the Thistle range; or Merian Palm Superwide Wallpaper) two examples of a distinctly edgy nature. Yet, the studio fully engages a design discourse with textile history by lending an aesthetic evolution to time-honoured motifs.

In 2004 Timorous Beasties unveiled their critically acclaimed Glasgow Toile: by reversing the pastoral context of Toile de Jouy, they transformed the traditional toile device to create an exclusively modern urban genre. The Hotch Blotch fabric series challenges a 1000-year old aesthetic mode by placing disorder within the structure of damask pattern to reveal the inherent beauty of splatters, drips and blotches. Hunting Toile and Urban wallpapers mark a synthesis of 18th-century chinoiserie groupings, Rococo swirls, and Victorian silhouette paper cuts to create a uniquely contemporary ornamental textiles pattern repeat.

As well as their own product range, Timorous Beasties have worked on a number of commissions and collaborations with high-profile clients such as Nike, Famous Grouse, Ercol, Brintons Carpets and Penguin Books, across a diverse range of applications including print, packaging, furnishing, interiors and exteriors.

Some of their more recent projects include:

  • Fortnum & Mason (November 2014) - Working in collaboration with brand design agency Design Bridge, Timorous Beasties created a range of confectionary box designs for the luxury department store Fortnum & Mason.[6]
  • Netjets (June 2015) - Timorous Beasties were commissioned to create a tail-wrap for Netjets' signature series, the Challenger 350 jet, making its debut at ArtBasel, Switzerland.[7]
  • Kate Bush (July 2015) - Timorous Beasties were invited to produce the artwork used on the programme and tickets for Kate Bush's first live shows in several decades: a 22-night residency at Hammersmith Apollo entitled 'Before the Dawn'.
  • Penguin Books (May 2016) – Timorous Beasties partnered with Vintage Classics to produce a collection of reissues inspired by nature. The collection contained five books each featuring a unique illustrated cover designed by Timorous Beasties.[8]
  • Royal Bank of Scotland (May 2016) - In collaboration with Scottish design studios O Street, Graven Images and Stuco, Timorous Beasties produced illustrations for a new series of polymer banknotes for the Royal Bank of Scotland.[9]
  • Linn (May 2016) - Timorous Beasties were invited by Linn to provide the designs for the speaker covers for their Series 5 speakers.[10]
  • Bowhill House (June 2016) - Opening to public for the first time in 138 years, Timorous Beasties were responsible for the redesign of the historic Smoking Room at Bowhill House: the country home of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch.[11]

Awards
  • 2013: Winners of the Retail Exterior Surface for Princes Square (Surface Design Awards)
  • 2007: Winners of Walpole Award for Best Emerging Brand
  • 2006: Elle Decoration Award for Best Textiles
  • 2006: Elle Decoration Award for Best Carpet
  • 2005: Winners of Scottish Style Award
  • 2003: ICFF New York Editors Award for Best Wallcovering
  • 2001: ICFF New York Editors Award for Best Fabrics
  • 1999: Millennium Award for Laminates
  • 1998: ICFF New York Editors Award for Best Wallcovering

Collections

References
  1. Jeffries, Stuart (8 February 2007). "The Writhing on the Wall". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  2. "Walpole Awards 2007". Walpole British Luxury. 19 November 2007. Archived from the original on 3 November 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  3. Dingwall, John (20 December 2007). "The 100 Hottest Scots: The Men". The Daily Record. Scotland. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  4. "The Walpole Awards for Excellence 2010". Walpole British Luxury. 15 November 2010. Archived from the original on 3 November 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  5. Sharp, Jim (20 November 2010). "Tim Sharp's Business Diary". The Herald. Scotland. Archived from the original on 3 December 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  6. Montgomery, Angus (19 November 2014). "Design Bridge creates new Fortnum & Mason confectionary packs". Design Week. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  7. Thompson, Henrietta (14 June 2015). "Design Miami/Basel preview". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  8. Sinclair, Mark (28 April 2016). "Timorous Beasties bring the birds and the bees to Vintage's new nature series". Creative Review. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  9. Banks, Tom (25 April 2016). "How "Fabric of Nature" Scottish bank notes were designed". Design Week. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  10. White, Jeremy (30 August 2016). "Linn: the speakers speaking volumes through bold design". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  11. Bynorth, John (16 June 2016). "Bowhill House smoking room open to public after 138 years". The Herald. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
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