Timorous Beasties
Encyclopedia
Timorous Beasties is a design led manufacturing company based in Glasgow
, who specialise in fabrics and wallpapers. Timorous Beasties was founded in 1990 by Alistair McAuley and Paul Simmons. Winners of the Walpole Award for 'Best Emerging British Luxury Brand' in 2007 and 'British Luxury Design Talent' in 2010, they have branded showrooms in London and Glasgow, and export their luxury products and design talent worldwide.
In 2005 Timorous Beasties were nominated for ‘Designer of the Year’ by the Design Museum
, and were commissioned in 2006 to design the window display for the Wellcome Trust
, London. The display consisted of Mosquito nets woven with large mosquitoes, patterns on lamps made from molecules, and a large lighting structure in the shape of DNA made of lamps.
They are known for their take on the Toile
de Jouy fabrics of Napoleonic France, Timorous Beasties’ toile designs include a balance of decorative, architectural, and human contexts. Through reference to images of the cityscape, they have articulated an exclusively urban genre. Focusing on the under-belly of urban social realism. Their controversial Edinburgh Toile design was featured on the cover of the Edinburgh Festival
2009 brochure.
In 2007 Timorous Beasties were winners of the prestigious Walpole award for ‘Best Emerging Brand’ and again in 2010 Timorous Beasties were awarded ‘Best Luxury Design Talent’ at the Walpole 2010 awards in London. The award recognises designers that have maintained the highest standard of British design talent through innovation, design and product quality during the year. Past winners include Rolls-Royce
, Louis Vuitton
, Paul Smith
amongst others. In 2010 Timorous Beasties were also awarded the ‘ICFF Editors Award’ for the best wallcoverings for the 4th time! The award is among the industry’s highest accolades and is judged by a panel of respected U.S. and international editors in the field of contemporary furnishings.
Recently they have produced two collections of hand tufted carpets and rugs for Brintons Carpets, engraved a building and collaborated with brands such as Nike
and Famous Grouse. More recently Timorous Beasties have collaborated with design duo ‘Nobody and Co’ on a revolving tablecloth, designed wallpaper for the Chicago Art Institute and exhibited at Sheffield’s Millennium Galleries
with a Ruskin
inspired installation.
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, who specialise in fabrics and wallpapers. Timorous Beasties was founded in 1990 by Alistair McAuley and Paul Simmons. Winners of the Walpole Award for 'Best Emerging British Luxury Brand' in 2007 and 'British Luxury Design Talent' in 2010, they have branded showrooms in London and Glasgow, and export their luxury products and design talent worldwide.
Company Profile
Timorous Beasties studio mixes design and production under one roof allowing them the freedom to create their own unique style, their fabrics catching the eye of museum collections such as the V&A (London), Cooper-Hewitt Museum (New York), and Gallery of Modern Art (Scotland). Whilst Timorous Beasties specialise in printed fabrics and wallpapers, they also work in a wide range of disciplines ranging from graphics, furniture, products, ceramics, carpets, glass and interiors.In 2005 Timorous Beasties were nominated for ‘Designer of the Year’ by the Design Museum
Design Museum
Design Museum is a museum by the River Thames near Tower Bridge in central London, England. The museum covers product, industrial, graphic, fashion and architectural design. It was founded in 1989 and claims to be the first museum of modern design...
, and were commissioned in 2006 to design the window display for the Wellcome Trust
Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust was established in 1936 as an independent charity funding research to improve human and animal health. With an endowment of around £13.9 billion, it is the United Kingdom's largest non-governmental source of funds for biomedical research...
, London. The display consisted of Mosquito nets woven with large mosquitoes, patterns on lamps made from molecules, and a large lighting structure in the shape of DNA made of lamps.
They are known for their take on the Toile
Toile
Toile is the name of a fabric that entered the English language around the 16th century from a French word meaning "linen cloth" or "canvas" — particularly cloth or canvas for painting on...
de Jouy fabrics of Napoleonic France, Timorous Beasties’ toile designs include a balance of decorative, architectural, and human contexts. Through reference to images of the cityscape, they have articulated an exclusively urban genre. Focusing on the under-belly of urban social realism. Their controversial Edinburgh Toile design was featured on the cover of the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
2009 brochure.
In 2007 Timorous Beasties were winners of the prestigious Walpole award for ‘Best Emerging Brand’ and again in 2010 Timorous Beasties were awarded ‘Best Luxury Design Talent’ at the Walpole 2010 awards in London. The award recognises designers that have maintained the highest standard of British design talent through innovation, design and product quality during the year. Past winners include Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce is a British brand; it may refer to:*Rolls-Royce Limited, the original company founded in 1906, and split into Rolls-Royce plc and Rolls-Royce Motors in 1973*Rolls-Royce plc, the aerospace, power systems and defense company....
, Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier – commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton , or shortened to LV – is a French fashion house founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label is well known for its LV monogram, which is featured on most products, ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes,...
, Paul Smith
Paul Smith
Paul Smith may refer to:In music:*Paul Smith , British record label manager and art event producer*Paul Smith , prominent composer of American film music*Paul Smith , Los Angeles jazz pianist...
amongst others. In 2010 Timorous Beasties were also awarded the ‘ICFF Editors Award’ for the best wallcoverings for the 4th time! The award is among the industry’s highest accolades and is judged by a panel of respected U.S. and international editors in the field of contemporary furnishings.
Recently they have produced two collections of hand tufted carpets and rugs for Brintons Carpets, engraved a building and collaborated with brands such as Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
and Famous Grouse. More recently Timorous Beasties have collaborated with design duo ‘Nobody and Co’ on a revolving tablecloth, designed wallpaper for the Chicago Art Institute and exhibited at Sheffield’s Millennium Galleries
Millennium Galleries
The Millennium Galleries is an art gallery in the City of Sheffield, England. Opened in April 2001 as part of Sheffield's Heart of the City project, it is located in the city centre close to the city library, Sheffield Hallam University, and the city's theatre district...
with a Ruskin
Ruskin
- Surname :*John Ruskin , an English author, poet and artist, most famous for his work as art critic and social critic, and for his writing on the architecture of Venice....
inspired installation.