When Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) took up residence in the Royal Palace at Tuileries he refused to spend money on new decor. However, he could not allow the curtains - with their embroidered fleur-de-lis (the French Royal emblem) - to continue to hang in the windows of the palace. His solution was to have the rich and elegant velvet drapes turned upside down. The inverted symbol of the overthrown monarchy looked like a bee. From then on, the tenacious bee became the emblem of Napoleon Bonaparte.
True or not, the tough-bee image just isn't working for me. In fact, I think the bee comes off as a bit of a softy...even downright sweet. Featured in French decor for literally centuries, this iconic insect seems more accurately described as timeless, rather than tenacious.
A charming sheet and towel set from Pottery Barn, which in their words,
"evokes images of...the lavender scented honey of Provence."
Hmmm, not sure about that, but it's definitely cute.
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| Bee Embroidered Sheet Set by Pottery Barn |
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| Bee Guest Towels available at Pottery Barn |
Speaking of honey, I am a sucker for a honeycomb print,
and am loving this lamp shade from Shades of Light:
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| Retro Honeycomb Lamp Shade available at Shades of Light |
A darling bee-themed plate at Anthropologie:
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| Image Courtesy of Anthropologie via Tina Frey Designs |
Perhaps our refined friend would appreciate the addition of
this flatware and glassware from Horchow to his tablescape:
Vintage inspired honeycomb vases and a sunny tablecloth from William Sonoma
bring flowers and bees together again:
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| Bee Pressed Vases |
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| Botanical Bee Tablecloth |
And, pillows from Ballard Designs take the bee back outdoors:
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| Napoleonic Bee Outdoor Pillow |
Regal roots aside, the bee seems to fit in just about anywhere.
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