All civilized countries will dispute their right to possess citizens with the finest sense of irony. Who
doesn’t want to feel the wittiest in the world? However, after living in the UK for almost three years
I can assure you, even though this may be a small country, it seems to have more true eccentrics than
many larger countries.

I suppose the old aristocracy helped to foster this culture. To have a really odd lifestyle it required a rather sizable personal fortune and the arrogance to ignore the reactions of your fellow countrymen. However, irony and the British sense of humour are alive and well in most everyone that I have come
across.

In design terms, no one does it better than Alistair McAuley and Paul Simmons, founders of the design
studio Timorous Beasties. McAuley and Simmons met while studying textile design at Glasgow School of Art and founded their Glasgow based company in 1990. Noted for its surreal and provoking textiles and wallpapers, Timorous Beasties has been described as “William Morris on acid.” Interpretations of naturalistic images—insects, plants and flowers are a common theme, often interpreted in highly original and sometimes bizarre ways.

Never a company to shy away from exploring social and political issues Timorous Beasties is infamous in the design world for their particular take on Toile de Jouy. Typical is the Glasgow Toile. At first glance
it looks like one of the magnificent vistas portrayed in early 1800s Toile wallpaper, but closer inspection
reveals a different vision of contemporary Glasgow. Common everyday scenes of city life, both the good and the bad, are presented. Stare at the seemingly pastoral scenes and you will find council housing
tower blocks and a prostitute or two in the mix. The design duo also offer a London version of their
stylized Toile, however I am partial to the original Glasgow version.

Timorous Beasties is, despite the name, not for the faint of heart. Their always unique designs satirize
the world of textiles in a beautiful, subtle and always thought provoking manner. I can imagine any
number of adventurous and daring ways to incorporate their art into fun and whimsical interiors.

Curious about the term “Timorous Beastie”? See Robert Burns’ poem “To A Mouse” (written in Scots, of
course): “Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie, O, what a panic’s in thy breastie! Thou need na start awa sae hasty Wi bickering brattle! I wad be laith to rin an’ chase thee, Wi’ murdering pattle.”

[Act of Union wallpaper was created to mark the 300 years of union between England and Scotland. A mirror image of the east coast of Scotland and a mirror image of the west coast come together to create a Damask shape. Over the coastline of Scotland is a Tudor Rose from an earlier wallpaper design]

[At first glance it looks like one of the beautiful vistas portrayed in early 1800s Toile de Jouy wallpaper, but closer inspection reveals a contemporary vision of Glasgow. Dilapidated tower blocks and scavenging seagulls appear in the less than peaceful scenes.]

Tweet