Timorous Beasties

Timorous Beasties is an award winning brand that was founded in 1990 by Alistair McAuley and Paul Simmons. It is said that the brand has

“One foot firmly planted in the tradition of William Morris and another in the edgy world of urban grit, the award winning Timorous Beasties’ designs create a provocative feast of pattern and images”. The brand takes contemporary images and combine them with traditional print, they use incredible wit to create their work.

“Beasties” are a reoccurring theme within their work. Designs featuring insects and bugs crawling or flying across the scene are popular and what the brand is most known for. The critters are reference to oriental influences whilst their wallpaper prints make use of experimental ideas and bright colours that juxtapose original pre-modern and eastern themes. The carefully chosen colours that the brand uses are for diffusing harsh lines and make the forms blend into each other. This makes the prints become more like a colourful field than an articulated pattern.

Timorous beasties has collaborated with many brands, such as Johnny Walker, Nike, Fortnum & Mason, and Philip Treacy. They have also curated commissions for various establishments, including the Edinburgh Festival 2009 graphics and book covers for Penguin, Magna and Granta.As well as this, they also have home accessories, bespoke furnishings and exclusive lines for a range of brands. These include the V&A boardroom, UK Supreme Court and Welcome Trust. Timorous Beasties also work on exteriors and have collaborated with furniture elites Ercol, S.C.P and the designs cult classic duo .nobody&co.

The designs brand are winners of various awards for their surface design work, emerging brand work, textiles work and carpet work.

Information: The Cutting Edge of Wallpaper, page 50 https://www.timorousbeasties.com/about/profile