Private Newport - with Bettie Bearden Pardee

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Summer


Designing with Hydrangeas

8 / 7 / 258 / 6 / 25

Though late to bloom this year given our wet and wonky summer, these Newport signatures never fail to make their statement…and complete many a landscape’s je ne sais quoi. Look… Read More

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Show-Stopping Hydrangeas at Marble House

7 / 18 / 247 / 17 / 24

After a few years of disappointing blooms, this summer of ’24 is a show stopper of what can rightfully be described as a hydrangea heaven, contributing muchly to the pleasures… Read More

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Bellinis and Blossoms and a Second Bloom

8 / 16 / 188 / 14 / 20

Given our love of gardens and flowers, Cathy B. Graham and I were destined to meet — but actually, it was Instagram that first brought us together — where so… Read More

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Summer Picnics: 14 Don’t-Miss Pointers

8 / 16 / 168 / 14 / 20

Picnics! What is summer without them? And sometimes the best spot for the occasion just may be on your own plot of heaven. If truth be told, I find myself… Read More

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The Chowder Bar Pop-Up Party

8 / 11 / 167 / 17 / 20

Newport is busy with visiting guests, drop-by garden aficionados and parties galore. You probably have your own version of this summer fun also. So  I thought you might enjoy an easy-to-assemble, spur-of-the-moment… Read More

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A Picnic in the Garden: All About Pattern

9 / 8 / 157 / 15 / 20
A Picnic in the Garden: All About Pattern

September is truly the most beautiful month in Newport, a perfect outing for a small garden picnic. And under the canopy of grand old beech trees, Alice and Jim Ross… Read More

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About Bettie

Author of Private Newport and Living Newport, designer of the Parterre Bench, national lecturer, and entertaining expert.
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privatenewport

A quiet corner inside The Breakers - where even the hallways were designed to impress✨

Built as the Vanderbilt family’s summer “cottage,” The Breakers remains one of Newport’s most iconic Gilded Age estates… and moments like this explain why.

The marble.
The vaulted ceilings.
The feeling that every detail mattered.

Follow for more hidden details from Newport’s legendary mansions✨

#NewportRI #TheBreakers #GildedAge #PrivateNewport #LuxuryInteriors

View Instagram post by privatenewport

May 14

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Open post by privatenewport with ID 18103904227953462
A quiet corner inside The Breakers - where even the hallways were designed to impress✨

Built as the Vanderbilt family’s summer “cottage,” The Breakers remains one of Newport’s most iconic Gilded Age estates… and moments like this explain why.

The marble.
The vaulted ceilings.
The feeling that every detail mattered.

Follow for more hidden details from Newport’s legendary mansions✨

#NewportRI #TheBreakers #GildedAge #PrivateNewport #LuxuryInteriors

privatenewport

Wrapping up our time at Virginia’s Historic Garden Week with some of the details that stayed with us most 🌿

The brick paths.
The hidden fountains.
The climbing roses.
The kind of homes and gardens that remind you beauty was once created slowly… and meant to last.

Thank you for following along through one of the most beautiful spring traditions in the South - we already know these places will stay in our minds for a long time🌥️

Which photo was your favorite from this series?👀
#virginiagardenweek #richmondvirginia #gardensofrichmond #privateliving #privatenewport

View Instagram post by privatenewport

May 12

402 22
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18464953345110908
Wrapping up our time at Virginia’s Historic Garden Week with some of the details that stayed with us most 🌿

The brick paths.
The hidden fountains.
The climbing roses.
The kind of homes and gardens that remind you beauty was once created slowly… and meant to last.

Thank you for following along through one of the most beautiful spring traditions in the South - we already know these places will stay in our minds for a long time🌥️

Which photo was your favorite from this series?👀
#virginiagardenweek #richmondvirginia #gardensofrichmond #privateliving #privatenewport

privatenewport

Before “quiet luxury” had a name, homes like Parterre were already living it. Gardens that evolve with the seasons, rooms designed for conversation, and a pace of life that feels almost impossible now💫✨
#privatenewport #newportri #privateliving #newporthomes #gildedage

View Instagram post by privatenewport

May 11

1034 22
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18140137576523606
Before “quiet luxury” had a name, homes like Parterre were already living it. Gardens that evolve with the seasons, rooms designed for conversation, and a pace of life that feels almost impossible now💫✨
#privatenewport #newportri #privateliving #newporthomes #gildedage

privatenewport

The Gilded Age didn’t believe in subtlety✨

The dining hall at The Breakers was designed to impress at every angle - soaring ceilings, gilded details, and the kind of grandeur modern luxury rarely touches anymore.

Newport really was America’s playground for excess, and honestly, we’re still not over it..
What’s the first detail your eyes went to?
#thebreakersnewport #newportmansions #privateliving #guildedage #guildedagemansions

View Instagram post by privatenewport

May 10

205 12
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18120233929734011
The Gilded Age didn’t believe in subtlety✨

The dining hall at The Breakers was designed to impress at every angle - soaring ceilings, gilded details, and the kind of grandeur modern luxury rarely touches anymore.

Newport really was America’s playground for excess, and honestly, we’re still not over it.. 
What’s the first detail your eyes went to?
#thebreakersnewport #newportmansions #privateliving #guildedage #guildedagemansions

privatenewport

You were never supposed to see these homes…

For one elegant week each spring, Virginia’s Historic Garden Week quietly opens the gates to some of the state’s most beautiful private estates and gardens.

Often called America’s largest open house, the tradition began in 1927 and now welcomes visitors into hundreds of homes usually hidden behind hedges, winding drives, and brick walls.

From classic Virginia red brick estates to grand Palladian-inspired manor houses, each stop feels like stepping into another era entirely.

Okay… but which one are you picking? 👀
#virginiagardenweek #richmondvirginia #privatenewport #privateliving #fyp

View Instagram post by privatenewport

May 7

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Open post by privatenewport with ID 17898831606287396
You were never supposed to see these homes…

For one elegant week each spring, Virginia’s Historic Garden Week quietly opens the gates to some of the state’s most beautiful private estates and gardens.

Often called America’s largest open house, the tradition began in 1927 and now welcomes visitors into hundreds of homes usually hidden behind hedges, winding drives, and brick walls.

From classic Virginia red brick estates to grand Palladian-inspired manor houses, each stop feels like stepping into another era entirely.

Okay… but which one are you picking? 👀
#virginiagardenweek #richmondvirginia #privatenewport #privateliving #fyp

privatenewport

before trends… this was the standard

nothing accidental, nothing overlooked

follow for more places that feel like another era ☁️
#newportrhodeisland #thebreakersnewport #newportmansions #privatenewport #gildedagemansions

View Instagram post by privatenewport

May 5

633 21
Open post by privatenewport with ID 17906290311411005
before trends… this was the standard

nothing accidental, nothing overlooked

follow for more places that feel like another era ☁️
#newportrhodeisland #thebreakersnewport #newportmansions #privatenewport #gildedagemansions
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Bettie's Faves

  • Charlotte Moss
  • La Dolce Vita
  • My Beautiful Paris
  • The Enchanted Home
  • The Glam Pad
  • The Lush List
  • The Potted Boxwood
  • Vicki Archer
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