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Winter


Parterre, Wrapped in Winter

1 / 8 / 261 / 8 / 26
winter at Parterre

December posts, with their focus on holiday festivity and decorations, preempt any other topic. So I’m thrilled for the first blog of the New Year to capture the three to… Read More

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Christmas 2025 at Parterre

12 / 18 / 2512 / 18 / 25

There’s nothing like “Decking the Halls” for the holidays to get one in the mood…unless it’s following through with that creative spirit and pulling together a blog…the final step. Which gives me… Read More

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Christmas Splendor at The Breakers

12 / 11 / 2512 / 11 / 25

As a witty friend recently opined, “The Breakers is a Master Class in opulence…whispering of candlelit soirees, sweeping gowns, and a Gilded Age that knew no limits!” But as you… Read More

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A Brief Encounter with Snow

2 / 22 / 242 / 21 / 24

I shouldn’t say “surprise surprise,” for it is, after all, February… but with all the unseasonably warm temps I had begun to believe we might miss a snow this year.… Read More

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Heartfelt Visions

2 / 8 / 242 / 7 / 24

Being the optimist and romantic that I am, I like to think that everday is Valentine’s (as I cheekily tell my husband). But February 14th is also such a happy… Read More

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Saluting the New Year 2024

12 / 28 / 2312 / 27 / 23

From our home to yours… Wishing you a New Year Wrapped in Love, Touched with Wonder, and Filled with fresh occasions for Delight.

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Christmas 2023 at Parterre

12 / 21 / 2312 / 26 / 23

Well, I’m betting you are all set and decorated for the holidays! But at Parterre I love to put up the tree, hang the garlands, dress the mantels and create… Read More

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8 Creative Ways to Enhance your Decor with a Christmas Tree

12 / 14 / 2312 / 14 / 23

The Preservation Society’s Newport mansions provide a gracious plenty of thought-provoking ideas for decorating this Holiday season. With trees in almost every room, there is inspiration galore. And while the… Read More

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A Gilded Age Christmas, Part 2

12 / 7 / 235 / 28 / 24

As I begin this post, I realize that there’s a fact about Christmas in the Gilded Age of which many are probably not aware…the Vanderbilts, and others in their “set,”… Read More

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A Gilded Age Christmas , Part 1

11 / 30 / 235 / 28 / 24

It is glorious in Newport any time of the year, but especially at Christmas! And with all the attention “The Gilded Age” series has garnered I thought I’d begin my… 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

Everyone knows The Breakers.

But Bois Doré is the kind of Newport estate people whisper about✨

Elegant without trying. Hidden behind gates and gravel drives. Timeless in a way trends could never replicate☁️

Follow @privatenewport for more hidden Newport history, estates, and gardens🤍
#privatenewport #newportri #privateliving #boisdoré #newportestates

View Instagram post by privatenewport

May 19

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Open post by privatenewport with ID 18400480072159789
Everyone knows The Breakers.

But Bois Doré is the kind of Newport estate people whisper about✨

Elegant without trying. Hidden behind gates and gravel drives. Timeless in a way trends could never replicate☁️

Follow @privatenewport for more hidden Newport history, estates, and gardens🤍
#privatenewport #newportri #privateliving #boisdoré #newportestates

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

516 23
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

414 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

1060 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

218 14
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

1206 36
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
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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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