Scottish design studio Timorous Beasties has officially opened its new showroom in Edinburgh – and it is wonderful
Timorous Beasties Edinburgh is not simply a showroom; it is a work of art. And how could it not be, when walls are lined with over 500 original Timorous Beasties designs, each as intricate and impactful as the next.
The showroom exterior is white and serene, boasting a subtle grandeur that reflects the elegance of Edinburgh’s New Town. From the outside, you could be forgiven for thinking Timorous Beasties is a minimalistic, understated brand. Walk through the door, however, and you’ll realise you are quite mistaken.
Luxury patterned wallpaper and ceiling-high panels are hung on every wall. Cream windowpanes, white doorframes and black banisters break up an extravagant interior that could otherwise be a little overwhelming. Bamboo side tables and polished walnut cabinets have a grounding impact on the maximalist designs.
“When deciding how to design the interior of our Edinburgh showroom, we had to imagine ourselves as the visitor because we wanted them to feel welcome, to feel excited and to feel intrigued by the different parts of our world,” says Alistair McAuley, one half of the creative duo behind Timorous Beasties.
“We just want people to come in and enjoy the designs and hopefully start to imagine how they could use them to enliven their own home.”
Fellow artist and co-founder Paul Simmons says, “Selecting a wallpaper is like selecting artwork – it’s about emotion and curation. We hope that the layout of the showroom will help people discover designs that reflect their personality.”
Natural light is a key ingredient in the ground floor space. Timorous Beasties’ Emulsion Imagination wallpaper is one of the first things you’ll see as you step through the door, subtly highlighted by the sunshine that streams in from all angles.
In a window at the rear of the building sit two nonchalantly draped samples of Berkeley Blooms velvet and Bloomsbury Garden fabric, both offset by an orange-brown cushion titled Totem Damask Pickled Quince.
Through the back, you will also find dozens of fabric sheets, from Tudor Rose lace (part of the new Stucco collection) to an earlier, almost neon design named Gerhard Gum, which is a heavy velvet fabric that is ideal for curtains.
All fabric samples hang from runners on the ceiling, ready to be pulled out and admired. Alistair tells us, “The goal here is to make the selection process as interactive as possible, allowing guests to understand the fabrics, explore how they feel and see how they move.”
Paul continues, “Showrooms will often just hang fabrics along a wall, but we want people to play with the pieces. You don’t just browse in a Timorous Beast showroom, you experience it – and hopefully leave with something beautiful.”
The basement level is darker, of course, but the designs brighten the space, this time woven into rugs and sewn into armchairs. A dining table is glazed in Kaleido Splatt grey with a Rorschach Art rug placed beneath it. Hidden through the back is a two-seater sofa featuring red Glasgow Toile upholstery and backdropped by drapes of the same design, just in green and blue.
“Our wallpapers and curtains are investment pieces – they will last for years. We have a long-time customer who told us the other day that the wallpaper we put up nearly 30 years ago still makes her smile every day. That’s the energy we’re bringing into the space. Spend some time with the team, explore the materials and figure out what is going to make you smile for the next three decades,” Alistair smiles.
“But we wanted every person who visits to leave not only feeling inspired, but with something beautiful in their hands,” says Paul. “That’s why we also offer lampshades, cushions, tea towels and bed linens – so that everyone has access to our designs.”
We had to ask, why Edinburgh? “It has kind of been a long time coming,” Alistair reminisces. “We’ve known for years that we’d end up opening a showroom in Edinburgh, but we wanted to wait for the perfect spot. Eventually, this place came up.”
Paul concludes, “We’ve previously ventured to Berlin and then opened a showroom in London this year, which we launched during Clerkenwell Design Week. Coming here was the natural next step and what better place than Scotland’s capital, where luxury and creative expression are celebrated?”
Timorous Beasties
35 Northumberland Street
Edinburgh
EH3 6LR
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