Timorous Beasties

There just don’t seem to be enough contemporary Scottish design places out there, which is mad as our country is bursting with artistic talent! Timorous Beasties is one of the few home grown talent designers that is easily accessible to the masses.
The little boutique shop on GWR shows off all their beautiful fabric work which they incorporate into lighting, wallpaper, rugs and cushions. Like Darryl I was seriously impressed with the ‘Biblochaise’ which incorporates both a bookshelf and a chair into the one piece of furniture and no doubt won someone a prize at art school along the way!
Some friends of mine were opening a contemporary Scottish bar in NYC and came to Timorous Beasties for the wallpaper. They opted for a beautiful Pheasant wallpaper and ‘Glasgow Toile’ which features some of the less attractive scenes of Glasgow which they used as the wall covers of the ‘restroom’ (see junkie on a bench and Lidl). They are good at transferring a design of wallpaper you like to, say perhaps a lampshade. They guys are very accommodating you won’t be let down by the service here!

I’ve always looked in on Timorous Beasties because its offerings are pretty eye-​catching, but it looks too intimidating to go in just for a browse. Although the wallpaper is, as has been said before, eye-​catching stuff, the cash desk stares you down since it’s right opposite the door, and the steep prices of the wallpaper draped down from the ceiling means I don’t want to frequent this joint until (ha) I’m a high earner on a mission to decorate!
Saying that, I like the concept. Cool, unusual wallpaper, beastie-​themed mugs, a choice selection of bold curtains… youll be hard pushed to find styles like this in other stores. It’s very pricey and it looks like it’d be difficult to go in for a casual look if you’re not buying. But if you do happen to have some cash to burn and are looking to style a business or your house, this kind of décor would go down a storm! A lot of the designs, all based on organic inspiration (namely bugs as the name suggests) really stand out and you can tell a lot of quality time and effort has been dedicated to bring these unusual wallpapers to your attention. Today they had a design displayed which featured moth wings. Doesn’t sound appealing on paper but it was gorgeous!
It’s yet another scenario where I’ll bide my time and return when I’m rich and famous. I love the stretch of shops on this road but the horrible syndrome associated with living in the west end with no money is that you develop an expensive taste! Or, should I say, an appetite since I’m not quite at the feast yet. Saying that, this shop is great and I appreciate its nod to the Scottish community, from the Burns inspired name to the collection of Rabbie Burns plates and mugs displayed in the window. It seems to be staying true to its grass roots and I like the designs based on Glasgow culture specifically. It couldn’t be further from To A Louse, this shop seems to be directed to the rich and creative commune. One day I’ll buy the moth wallpaper and be the coolest cat in town.

After walking past here on several occasions I decided to pop in for a gander — the wallpaper in the window (Honey Bees on a green background) was far too strange to just be ignored…
This shop is an homage to everything ‘trendy’. I enjoyed looking at the different wallpaper designs — the Glasgow scene wallpaper is pretty spectacular (lots of little drawings of the sights) — although for the price you’re paying (£98 per roll), you wouldn’t want it to be anything but! I was, however, EXTREMELY impressed by the ‘bibliochaise’. Basically it’s a chair combined with a bookcase, (it takes out that annoying ‘walking’ activity which most people have to deal with once they find a book to read, and then need to find a chair. Ah, how I love the modern world!).
I suppose, if you’re into art/​design/​interior decorating, this place could well be the best thing since sliced bread, but to me it was just slightly pretentious, and overly expensive.
Maybe I’m just not cool or artsy enough to appreciate their products, but c’mon, who could really cope with turqouise pineapple print wallpaper???