Meet The Maker: Spotlight On Cured Luxury Concrete Goods
Our ‘Meet The Maker’ feature celebrates The Tower Shop’s local and independent artists, producers, and makers. All who are Scottish, an independent business, and committed to using sustainably sourced materials and reducing single use plastics in their products. Which is exactly why we sell them.
Cured Luxury Concrete Goods is created by artist Zoe Scott in her rural zero waste home studio near Glasgow overlooking the Campsie Fells. We recently did a Q&A with Zoe to find out more about her and Cured.
🎨 Origins & Personal Story
Q. Tell us about yourself
I’ve always made things. It’s a part of who I am and how I see the world. I studied printed textiles at university and then fell pregnant with the fist daughter shortly afterwards. I loved being a mum but I also craved a creative focus. Cured grew over the last eight years from making concrete plant pots at my kitchen table to the business it is today, where you can find my products all over the UK.
Q. What first sparked your interest in creating Cured Luxury Goods.
I’ve always love modernist architecture and urban landscapes, especially incredible concrete structures! I think it’s such an utilised material in the creative world. There are thousands of glass makers, ceramicists and resin makers but only a handful of artists working with concrete. I do love a challenge! I love the idea of making pretty concrete, it’s an underdog material and often unexpected to be viewed as attractive.
Q. How would you describe the personality of Cured Luxury Goods in three words?
Joyful, Mindful & Curious
Q. What first inspired you to reinterpret the Guatemalan worry dolls you received as a child into the Worrywarts?
I’m often asked where the idea of them came from and it’s a story I love to tell. They grew from my anxious childhood when my mum gave me Guatemalan Worry Dolls to keep my worries at bay. I would talk to them. They helped me feel in control.
I now have children of my own and thankfully they are less anxious. However they do have a strong desire to fill every pocket, shelf and surface with rocks. Small rocks, big rocks, smooth rocks and sparkly rocks. Sometimes I feel like I live in a quarry! But I am thankful to these wondrous rocks because they inspired the Worrywarts.
I think we are all drawn to tactile things. A special pebble from the beach, a fallen conker from an autumnal walk. They become your own talisman. I loved the idea of us all having our own personal champion. Someone (or something) who would be there just for you that always has your back. You’re never alone if you’ve got a Worrywart.
🧵 Craft, Technique & Materials
Q. What makes your process unique compared to others?
Where do I start! It’s an incredible thing in these times to say that I don’t think anyone does what I do. I take industrial concrete, mix it with recycled plastic chips and mould it into mindful friends for visitors to take home with them. That is the niche of what I do.
One of my favourite things about concrete is how low energy it is. Unlike ceramics or fused glass it doesn’t require kiln firing. In fact it doesn’t need anything except strong arms, clean Scottish water, and a wee bit of time. It’s quite a magical process really.
Q. What part of the making process brings you the most joy? And the most challenge?
The downside of being a unique maker is that there’s no guidebook for when things aren’t working. I spend a lot of time researching techniques, experimenting and problem solving. Last year I wanted to boost my eco-friendly credentials further by incorporating recycled plastics and glass into my concrete mix. It’s taken the best part of a year to fully work the process out but it was an invaluable learning curve.
Being and making in the studio is definitely my happy place. It’s messy, dusty and tiring but I wouldn’t change it for the world!
✨ Luxury, Quality & Curation
Q. What does “luxury” mean to you in the context of handmade goods?
Luxury should mean the time, care and effort has gone into making something special. The items themselves should feel special, like a wee treat for you. The moment you see the boxes you should know you’re getting something exciting and wonderful.
Q. How do you ensure quality and consistency in every piece?
Every single item is made by hand, one at a time. So if it’s not right it doesn’t pass the test and make it into a box. My youngest daughter has a big doll’s house that she calls The Worrywart Hotel. It’s where slightly wonky friends go! It’s full of legless dragons, hornless unicorns and bashed guys. They bring her such joy and I love to see them rescued.
Q. How do you decide which pieces or collections to release?
Almost every Worrywart exists because someone has asked for it. This is absolutely the case with the custom figures like Rebel Worrywart who is exclusive to the wonderful Wallace Monument.
He has then inspired a whole series of ‘human-ish’ Worrywarts like a Jacobite Soldier and Mary Queen of Scots. I’m constantly working on new designs and fresh ideas to keep the Worrywarts exciting. This year I’ve launched a Mini Duo box with two tiny friends for the indecisive and people who love to share. As a mum of two, I know how important it is for my children both to get equal treats!
Q. Each Worrywart comes with its own individual persona. How do you develop these personalities and stories?
I’ve done so much research over the last couple of years and learned things I never could have thought to explore. Some of the more challenging figurines include microscopic components of the immune system for the Welcome Collection and a trio for the Freud Museum London exploring Freuds concept of the self. Researching William Wallace was a breeze compared to those!
I try to make each Worrywarts information as accurate to the real person as possible, but condense it down to their core essence. The Worrywarts are always a force for good and so the stats that come with it always reflect that.
Q. Which Worrywart or collection are you most proud of, and why?
That’s like asking me to choose a favourite pet! I love them all of course!
I think I’m most proud of the original five, they are where everything started. Chief, Dinky, Rinky, Elder & Mighty are the core collection and the embodiment of all that it is to be a Worrywart. Positivity, ultra tactile and a whole load of self-empowerment. They even won a Highly Commended award from Gift of the Year.
🌿 Sustainability, Ethics & Provenance
Q. What steps do you take to ensure your work is sustainable or ethically produced?
Each Worrywarts contains recycled plastic chips which are made from community waste. I buy them from a small place in Glasgow who take plastic donations of broken toys, old buckets and tubs and throw them all in an amazing chipper. It’s great to be able to support another small business doing good! The packaging is all made in Edinburgh using recycled paper. It’s important to me that my business can support other small businesses across Scotland.
Q. How do you see the role of makers in shaping more conscious consumer habits?
I think people want to be eco conscious, we just need to make it easy for them. It’s one of the things I especially love about The Tower Shop at The Monument. Each product has been carefully selected to showcase the best of Scottish makers. When you don’t allow people to buy mass produced plastic they are forced to be eco conscious (in a good way!)
💛 Inspiration & Creative Identity
Q. Where do you find inspiration for new designs or collections?
I love stories and Scotland is full of them. From legends and folklore, historical figures and a huge range of wild creatures there’s so much to inspire.
Q. How has your style evolved over time?
The Worrywarts have become more than I could expected have imagine and Cured Luxury Goods has grown to include a new range called ‘Little Dwellings’. These are small houses inspired by one ones my granny collected. Her windowsill was covered in them from all over the world. People would bring her them from trips so she had a whole eclectic village. I would love to continue that tradition and allow visitors to create a village of their own based on all the places they have visited.
Q. Are there makers, artists, or traditions that influence your work?
Scotland is bursting with creatives of all types. I’m lucky to call some of them my friends. We’ve met over the years at craft markets and pop-up shops. It’s so wonderful to watch what they’re all up to via social media and I try and still go to as many markets as I can. My most recent obsession is a Danish design house called Studio Arhoj, they make joyful blown glass and ceramic creatures as well as homewares. I also would love to own something from Scottish knitter Donna Wilson.
🛠 Business, Community & Growth
Q. How do you hope Cured and your products make people feel?
I would like people to know that’s its okay to be a little bit odd. My products are made to bring joy and companionship to those of us who might feel a little bit different and that we don’t quite belong. I’m here to tell you that you do belong and more than that, you are actually quite wonderful!
Q. What’s next for you? Any upcoming projects or dreams you’re excited about?
This year I’ve got a couple of really exciting project with the National Trust for Scotland and I’ve just welcomed Historic Scotland as a new stockiest, so I’m looking forward to both of these adventures. We have so many unique tales in Scotland it’s hard to know where to start!
🌟 Personal Touches and Future Vision
Q. What’s one piece you’re most proud of, and why?
I’m most proud of my packaging. I invested a lot into working with an incredible duo called The Better Trends Co who took all my rambling ideas and turned them into a functional product. The boxes had to do a lot of work. They keep the product safe and easy to transport, they tell the story of who made them and where and they carry each Worrywarts special stats.
Q. What’s something about your craft that people would be surprised to learn?
Last year I made over 2500 individual Worrywarts all by hand in my garden studio!
Q. If your brand had a message to the world, what would it be?
You can do it, you are not alone and remember you are wonderful. Now get out there and start telling your own stories!
Thank you Zoe for taking the time to share your story.
You can meet Zoe and find out more about Cured at Culture Night Stirling at The National Wallace Monument on Friday 1st of May 2026.