Bee goods

Living in Manchester, there are bee references in the city wherever you look.  Featured on planters, waste bins, and even in the floor of our town hall, the worker bee was adopted as a symbol for Mancunian workers during the industrial revolution.

Now the bee is part of another revolution… interior design & home wares 🙂

Home décor items featuring bees are everywhere now, and I love it!  I’ve cherry picked some of my favs, with patterns ranging from cute to abstract.

Dinnerware

For me, bee themed dinner wear is perfect for dining al fresco.  It’s so summery and cheerful, and can’t fail to make you smile.  If you’re wary of taking porcelain plates out for your next picnic, there are some gorgeous melamine versions available.

clockwise from top-left: Melamine plates / Bee bowl / Sophie Allport bee bowl / Bee hive teapot / Sophie Allport melamine side plate / Natural stone platter & coaster

Home accessories

There are also a wide array of bee-themed home wares available – a quick Google search brings up plant pots, cookie jars and clocks, but I’ve chosen some that I think are more subtle and don’t make me look like a bee fanatic.

Solid oak candle holder / Queen bee tieback / Bathroom accessory set / Gold bee print 

I particularly like the bathroom accessory set from wayfair.co.uk, though I’d be more inclined to break up the set and use the soap dispenser in my kitchen.  The bee print I originally purchased to go on my picture shelf in the dining room, but its found its way into my botanical bathroom – the gold frame fits perfectly with the opulent feel I was trying to achieve and it looks fab.

Soft furnishings

I don’t need much persuasion to buy cushions lets bee honest (sorry… couldn’t help myself).  I love that you can get both traditional printed and embroidered cushions, and more abstract geometric prints that might suit your interior décor better.

clockwise from top-left: Beehive cushion / Harris Tweed bumble bee cushion / Don’t Worry Bee Happy cushion / Black bee button cushion / Yellow hive cushion

I think the yellow geometric cushion from redbubble.com is my favourite.  I think it will be making an appearance on my second bedroom makeover mood board 🙂

Bee homes

Why not consider adding a bee house to your garden or yard, to help promote declining bee populations.  You can find some very stylish and affordable bee houses online – mount them on a wall or fence, or have a free standing one in amongst your flower beds.

source: Hexagon bee hotel / Bee hive / Bee blocks

***

Whether your a Manc like me or not, bees are extremely important to us all, and we must do what we can to curve the declining numbers.  There are a host of bee charities and support groups you can join or donate to including the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and Friends of the Earth.

source: beeinthecitymcr.co.uk

If you are in the Manchester area between July-September then check out the Bee In The City event, where you can walk a bee trail and discover 100s of bee sculptures that will be popping up all around the city.

Till next time, bee good 🙂