Timorous Beasties

Noted for surreal and provocative textiles and wallpapers, the design studio, Timorous Beasties, was founded in Glasgow in 1990 by Alistair McAuley and Paul Simmons, who met studying textile design at Glasgow School of Art.

Their work could be seen as a wayward take on the often “twee” world of textiles, with heavily illustrative insects, ‘triffid’-like plants, birds and other animals. They are also known for their contemporary take on the ‘Toile de Jouy’ fabrics of Napoleonic France, and have designed a number of toiles based on different cities around the world.

One of their strengths is the ability to provide a bespoke service from custom colours to original artwork.

All design work takes place at their Glasgow Studio, where they continue to hand-print many of their fabrics and wallpapers.