Welcome to the 883rd Tablescape Thursday! Many, many years ago, I’m guessing 12-15 years ago, I came across Napoleon Bee flatware on the Neiman Marcus website. I had never seen this flatware before and was immediately smitten. That may have been around the time it was first in production, not sure. It happened to be on sale, but even on sale it was quite expensive. After it arrived, I was dismayed to find that several pieces were defective. I’ve thrown all those out now, so I don’t have any to show you, but the handle on several of the forks and knives was cut incorrectly. Part of the rounded section where the bee design is located was chopped off, making it lopsided and not rounded at all. I contacted Neiman’s, and they sent out replacement pieces.
Over the years, I’ve used that flatware many times in table settings.
I love the pattern so much, I eventually purchased it in the gold-accented version. (Gold accented version is available here: Napoleon Bee Flatware with Gold Accents.)
Last year, I discovered this pattern available at the Mikasa website. Though I had 8 place settings, I seemed to always be running out of spoons before it was time to run the dishwasher, so I decided to purchase another 8 place settings. Shortly after it arrived, I realized the design had changed a bit.
The dinner fork in the latest version of this flatware, as seen on the left below, was larger in size overall. Plus, the rounded part of the handle that held the bee design was larger.
The bee looked different, too. On the newer version, the bee looks a bit larger and more detailed. This Napoleon Bee flatware has become so popular, I guess they decided to enlarge and emphasize the bee design a little more. (Latest/newest design is on the left below.)
Since this is my everyday flatware here at the Dollhouse, it’s been bugging me that my old pattern is slightly different. I much prefer the latest version of this flatware, so I decided to see if it was on sale again. The last time I checked, the sale had ended. I was happy to find this morning that it is on sale again, plus I got another 25% off the sale price with the code: EXTRA25 at checkout. So my total for 45 pieces (service for 8, plus 5 serving pieces) was just $107.24, including tax. If you like this flatware, that’s a great sale, much less than what I paid at Neiman Marcus so many years ago. You’ll find Napoleon Bee flatware on sale here: Napoleon Bee Flatware, Sale on Sale. Update on 8-29-25: Unfortunately, the sale must have ended last night. It doesn’t appear to be on sale today—Friday. Keep an eye out, I bet it will go on sale again.
I didn’t plan this, but many years ago, I tripped over this La Rochere Bee glassware in HomeGoods and loved it. I don’t think I had the flatware yet, not sure if it had even been created at that time. Anyway, I decided to make it my everyday glassware. When I purchased the Dollhouse, I missed my bee glassware. It’s not the cheapest glassware to buy, so I hesitated buying more, especially since I may one day sell the Georgia house and move to the Dollhouse for good.
I finally gave in and ordered two sets (a dozen) for the Dollhouse. I love how it has worked out here that my everyday glassware and flatware here at the Dollhouse now coordinate with each other. That’s not the case in the Georgia house, where I have a generic stainless steel pattern as my everyday flatware. I really do love this bee glassware! It comes in several sizes, so when purchasing it for everyday use, it’s important that you go for the larger 12-oz size. I think the other sizes are too small for use as an iced tea or water glass in a place setting. The first time I ordered it, I received the wrong size. I returned those, waited a bit, then tried again. The next time, I received the correct size. You’ll find it available in the 12 oz size here: La Rochere Bee Glassware, 12 oz size.)
Looking for bee-themed plates to go with your bee flatware or glassware? Here are two patterns that I really like. You may recognize these from a table setting I shared last year.
View this table setting in detail here: Celebrating Spring with a Bee-themed Table Setting.) You’ll find the salad plates I used in that table available here: Bee Salad Plates.
I just ordered these salad plates today. I think they will look great in a table setting along with the ones that I already have. You’ll find these available here: Bee-themed Salad Plates.
Looking forward to all the wonderful table settings linked below for this week’s Tablescape Thursday!
If you are participating in Tablescape Thursday, please be sure to add your permalink below, and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then copy and paste the address showing in the address bar, into the “url” box when you link up. You’ll need to include a link in your post back to the party to link up and participate. That’s so visitors to your blog will be able to find the party and the other Tablescape Thursday participants. Requiring a link back also prevents businesses and scammers from linking up to sell their products. Please, don’t add your post name/blog name ALL IN CAPS…it tends to create big spaces between the rows of links. Please do not link up table settings that were just recently shared in the last few weeks for Tablescape Thursday.
Did you find both the gold trimmed and the plain bee stainless steel set to look good after repeated dishwasher use? I have a supposed 18/10 set of “stainless steel” flatware which hasn’t fared well in dishwasher.
My regular Bee flatware gets washed constantly in the dishwasher, and it still looks great. I don’t wash the gold accented bee flatwash in the dishwasher, although it is supposedly dishwasher safe. I’m worry about what the heat and dishwasher detergent would do to the gold. If it didn’t remove it, it might dull it down. I’ve seen a lot of vintage china over the years that has lost its gold trim from being washed in a dishwasher or maybe it was scrubbed with rough sponges—not sure. So I’m always careful with any dinnerware/flatware that has gold or silver trim. I’m sure the vintage stuff wasn’t designed for dishwashers, but maybe the newer flatware of today could handle it. I just don’t want to take a chance.
Love your bee footed glasses and newly ordered salad plates! The colors in them remind me of Villeroy & Boch’s Audun Ferme pattern, which has several coordinating designs – from french country pastoral scenes to geometric borders, all of which are lovely.
I love the gold trimmed flatware! Glad you got the pieces you wanted, and with the glassware too. I also love seeing your earlier tables – I’d missed some of them, and some it was just so much fun to see again. Thanks so much for hosting. Hope you have a lovely long weekend!
Love the flatware and the yellow bee plates. I just ordered both
Oooooo, those “salad plates, ” be still my ❤️!!!
franki
Now I just need for it to be spring/summer so I can set another Bee table.
Great purchases, Susan. You won’t be disappointed- very cute stuff!!
Have a fabulous weekend!!
Thanks, Michele!
I will have to check both of my two sets of bee flatware.The gold bee flatware is okay. The two stainless sets were ordered a few years apart from each other Thank you for telling us Susan.
Let me know how your flatware looks. My spoon handles are the same size, although the bees are a little different. It’s the dinner forks that looked so different in size.
I also have the gold accented bee silverware by Wallace. Is your earlier set by Mikasa or Wallace? My set was purchased online through Costco.
It’s by Wallace, too…that’s what it says on the back of the handles. I guess they made some changes to it over the years. That first set I got from Neiman Marcus had a lot of defective pieces.
I really like Wallace quality and I first saw Napoleon Bee on your site. I knew I’d like to have it, but I had a set of Wallace 18/10 already, purchased when my everyday Oneida went missing over child rearing. Fast forward to an estate sale where brand-new, never unboxed Napoleon Bee flatware was for sale, two 45 piece place settings I picked up for $40. Such a blessing to me!! It’s my every day set now.
I share your appreciation of these LaRoche glassware & Napoleon Bee flatware patterns – I also fell in love immediately years ago when I found them, first one then the other, in (now defunct) Tuesday Morning stores, and have & use both myself! I was lucky enough to find, only a few months ago, a complete set of footed LaRoche Bee dessert dishes in perfect condition while out thrifting too – I rescued them all without hesitation.
We diverge at the dinnerware; I found some new Williams Sonoma Dinner Napkins in their exclusive ‘Honeycomb” pattern at a thrift shop and discovered their Honeycomb line of tableware in their online store… now this beautiful ‘pen-&-ink’ black & white design line, with subtle (& some not-so-subtle) gold accents, is my only desire. The glassware is however gold on clear… OOOH-La-lalalala, *so beautiful*.
I say use your Bee-theme tableware through the Fall with Fall color linens & accents… Bees do hibernate in winter but are very active through the rest of the 3 seasons.
Thanks for letting us know about the Napoleon Bee sale.
That’s awesome that you found LaRoche dessert dishes while thrifting! Score! Unfortunately, the flatware has is no longer on sale, but they do periodically put it on sale, so just keep an eye out and I’m sure they’ll have it on sale again.
Thanks, Susan – will do. Did you get your double-discount by signing up for their notifications?
Yes, finding the dessert dishes gave me a real thrill! I’ve seen that glassware on sale from time to time also at Wayfair dotcom, just an FYI & a FWIW.
I do consider the WmSonoma napkins to be another very lucky score – I went to the WS website to find another 4 to complete my table and found them to be (what I consider) eye-wateringly pricey… I’ll be waiting for those to go on sale as well! Their Honeycomb line is extensive & just irresistable; the all-season style allows the most options from an investment. I like to use my things in various (creative challenge) ways…
I see you doing this with your tablescapes, and happily, we agree on that too.
I really like your blog – I’m a long-time lurker. I’m so happy your Dollhouse is bringing you so much challenge, satisfaction, & Joy – from my own experience, being near enough to enjoy family frequently is everything.
Thanks & thanks again Susan for all you share.
No, I didn’t get the double discount, just the reduced amount that was showing on the website. Yeah, WS prices can be high when things are not on sale. Def the napkins are a score, too. I try to always wait for a sale at WS and Pottery Barn. Thanks! I am enjoying seeing family a lot more often. ♥