Sleek and minimalist – it’s an aesthetic that has dominated interior design since seemingly forever. But since the October 2019 opening of the Timorous Beasties showroom in Schöneberg, this has started to shift. The Scotland-based textile studio has gained an international following for its provocative, surreal – and utterly maximalist – designs. And now you can bring these bold patterns into your own home with wallcoverings, fabrics, furniture, rugs and cushions available to view and buy at the showroom, which is located in a former art gallery near Gleisdreieck Park. With high ceilings, concrete floors and bare white walls, it really lets you appreciate the full spectacle of the designs. They’re without exception statement works – whether it’s the abstract spots and specks of the Storm Blotch wallpaper or the tongue-in-cheek underwater scene of the Eel Colonnade fabric. The products are manufactured in the UK and Europe (hand printing still takes place in Glasgow) with natural inks used to reduce the environmental impact.
Since joining forces at the Glasgow School of Art in 1990, the “Beasties” Alistair McAuley and Paul Simmons have gone on to create designs for a varied and sometimes unusual range of projects. You can check out the duo’s fabrics and papers for yourself at the showroom, which welcomes private customers as well as interior designers and architects. It also serves as a space for events and collaborations with local designers (interested parties: get in touch at berlin@timorousbeasties.com). Timorous Beasties offers a creative counterpoint to the understated interior design we’re used to seeing – a welcome splash of Scottish punk in Berlin.
Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: Sophie Doering & Timorous Beasties
Timorous Beasties Showroom, Kurfürstenstr.14, 10785 Berlin–Schöneberg; map
Currently open Tue & Wed 10–18h and by appointment (check the website for the latest opening times)
@timorous_beasties