I am infatuated with Timorous Beasties design studio and I don’t think it will be a passing crush. Around since 1990, Timorous Beasties have perfected an intoxicating blend of old-school craftsmanship and classic design iconography with a very modern, Glaswegian gutsiness and vitality.
The resulting products are both fresh and enduring, and I am only one of their many fans worldwide. Boscolo featured their Civic Bee wallpaper in our recent Hans Road project, and I am always looking for other ways to bring their original, passionate, and elegant spirit into our work.
It’s a funny thing to try and write about design, because no matter what words you choose, it’s all about what you see in the end. So here are some images that show what is captivating about Timorous Beasties so much better than anything I could write – but I’m still going to tell you a bit about why I love these pieces!
I warrant Jackson Pollock himself wouldn’t be amiss to this Graffiti Stripe cushion. What beautiful saturated hues and what uncontrived, energetic patterns – you can almost believe that someone has just splattered paint at this right before you saw it. It would add spontaneity to any room or piece of furniture. I’d love to use it on a sofa in jewel tones, set in a room that has subtle touches of colour.
A real updating of damask wallpaper without sacrificing any of the traditional gravitas, this pattern is typical of how Timorous Beasties so successfully blend past and present, order and chaos in their work. I see this wallpaper in a high-ceilinged powder room with a large window; I’d love to accent it with a sophisticated mirror and a lush vase of flowers.
This delicate Golden Oriole paper is so subtle that on first impression, it could almost have come from an Oriental palace of yesteryear. Infused with a contemporary expansiveness, it’s particularly exquisite when used in panels.
The handpainted design is slightly revised in each panel, giving the impression of motion. The wallpaper also comes in gold; it would be wonderfully sensual used in a large bedroom. It’s printed to order and the shimmering background is made with carefully layered sheets of leaf, lending depth and resonance.
You can see the Pollock energy in this Bloody Empire wallpaper, which has a bee at the centre of each aureole. Timorous Beasties are quite fond of their bees, which represent regeneration for them, and now I am too…
Here a time-honoured dark wood frame anchors the fearlessness of the drips. I’d be excited about using this piece in an irreverent but prototypical drawing room. It would be cheekily subversive, and also very stylish!
I love the contrast between the graffiti designs and this one; it shows the imaginative range of Timorous Beasties. Even in this restrained design, the flies between the birds, the open beaks competing to eat, and the riotous roots reveal the restlessness of the company and its aesthetic. I’d use this on a pale wood chair or loveseat in a conservatory, with plants mirroring the virility of the animal life.
I leave you with one last member of the Graffiti Stripe family. I see this wingback in a pared-down but not minimal dressing room, for a lady with a punk streak. You can just see someone curled up in this, waiting for her to finish dressing in front of a mirrored table of makeup before an evening out. The Graffiti Stripe would inspire them to literally and figuratively paint the town red!