Entertaining, Holiday, Seasonal


Christmas Inspirations at Parterre

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Welcome to Parterre!The party is just about to begin and we’ve rolled out the red carpet for you. Each year I look for inspiration to bring a new twist to traditional decoration themes; this time it was some ornaments in the music room at The Breakers whose counterpart I have used to bring another bit of festivity to the front door lantern. The balled-in-burlap pruned box globes? They remind this gardener that spring indeed is just a few months away.

Any excuse to use candles! Taking a few cues for this stairwell treatment from the Shangri La hotel in Paris. Those luscious mixed garlands add such a richness to this old French railing, and “puddle” so nicely to embrace the pillar candles.

Each Christmas I find a way to use branches (sprayed red) from Parterre’s beech trees. This year they serve as accents in a monochromatic floral design for the main table in our salon.

Here it is about capturing a favorite holiday centerpiece — staggered tall taper candles — and translating their magic for the salon’s mantle.

When designing Parterre I knew that I wanted a special setting for our Christmas tree. The octagonal fluted bell recessed in the sun room’s ceiling permits a thirteen to fifteen foot tree, crowned with a large gold star.

Adding to the gold ornament collection are two new silver favorites… a gossamer  snowflake and a wish-it-came-in-a-larger-size crown.

In the library seen in the feature image, an inherited nineteenth century English fruit cooler was the inspiration for  the mantle’s “frosted” fruit vignette.

It is this library where we spend our private time at the end of the day, the holidays providing a special gift. For with the holidays come Christmas cards and through them our friends and their families join us, adding warmth to our evenings.

May yours be a joy filled holiday, warmed by family and friends.

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About Bettie Bearden Pardee

Author of Private Newport and Living Newport, garden furniture designer (The Parterre Bench), national lecturer, and entertaining expert. An honoree for the second year on "The Salonniere 100 America's Best Party Hosts", she was also the host and creative producer of "The Presidential Palate: Entertaining at the White House".

8 thoughts on “Christmas Inspirations at Parterre

  1. Bettie, your home is stunning and your blog always delivers a scrumptious slice of Newport & the world. I enjoy keeping up throughcyour blog.
    An extremely talented artist Mary Helene Verglas & her husband Francois from Aiken have bought a small home in Newport. Her gold leaf drawings are intricately detailed & featured on one of your galleries in Newport. Don’t know which one. Hope your paths.
    cross. Have a joy-filled holiday.
    Merry Christmas to you & Jonathon. Love, Cousin Leslie

  2. You hit an elusive combination of grandeur and warmth. Each set piece is just wonderful. Wish I was there!

  3. Your home is a beautiful backdrop for all your lovely and inspiring decorations. May you have a most memorable Christmas and all good things in the New Year.

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