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The Parterre Bench


Capturing Fall’s Golden Light: The Parterre Bench

11 / 3 / 168 / 14 / 20

I’ve been thrilled about red, crazy about blue — and now I’m simply mad about golden yellow. That soft, golden light of fall is so seductive; it’s also the first… Read More

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Crazy for Blue!

10 / 20 / 166 / 13 / 22

When deciding what color to paint the original Parterre Bench, I was torn between the sage (“Parterre”) green and the blue that seems to be a favorite among French gardens… Read More

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A New Fall Wardrobe: The Parterre Bench

10 / 13 / 168 / 14 / 20

Just the words “Chinese Lacquer Red ” conjure up for me romantic visions of Mandarin silk jackets; Louboutin soles; Diana Vreeland’s legendary New York apartment; a sexy, sexy red lipstick;… Read More

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A Life of Its Own: Musings on the Parterre Bench

10 / 4 / 168 / 14 / 20

It’s been an exciting past three summer months — not only for me but for the Parterre Bench as well. After her formal introduction following the Newport Flower Show in… Read More

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Iris Apfel: Out and About in Newport

9 / 8 / 168 / 14 / 20

Visitors always give us an opportunity to see Newport through someone else’s eyes. Imagine the fun when those eyes belong to Iris Apfel (and special access is afforded). Saturday presented… 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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Planted Containers: Horticultural Delights for an August Garden

8 / 4 / 168 / 14 / 20

It’s about this time of the summer that planters are “strutting their stuff,” full and bounteous with mature horticultural offerings. From breathtaking and dramatic (repeating the planting around the gates… Read More

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Realizing a Dream: The Creation of the Parterre Bench

7 / 21 / 168 / 14 / 20

When something has been a dream for so long, it begins to take on mythic proportions…and begs that inevitable question…am I really going to design this bench? Somehow in my… Read More

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The Works of Hunt Slonem: A Distinct & Delightful Charm

7 / 12 / 168 / 14 / 20

Newport in the summer enjoys a gracious plenty of captivating visitors — last week it was designer and gardener Bunny Williams at the Newport Flower Show; this week it is celebrated… Read More

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Bunny Williams: On Garden Style

7 / 5 / 168 / 14 / 20

The Newport Flower Show is always a much-anticipated start to the “summer season,” but it was especially so this year! Bunny Williams was a guest speaker, an esteemed designer that I’ve… 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

One of the last great mansions built in Newport, Bois Doré has quietly watched generations come and go. Its name translates to ‘gilded wood,’ a fitting tribute to the golden avenue of pollarded lindens that transforms the entrance each autumn. Beyond the pink stucco walls lies a house where every room tells a story, of art, gardens, entertaining, and a distinctly European elegance that still feels timeless today.

Some homes are admired. Others are remembered. Bois Doré has always been both.

Which detail would you linger over first?✨
#privatenewport #boisdoré #gildedwood #privateliving #privatehomes

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jul 23

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One of the last great mansions built in Newport, Bois Doré has quietly watched generations come and go. Its name translates to ‘gilded wood,’ a fitting tribute to the golden avenue of pollarded lindens that transforms the entrance each autumn. Beyond the pink stucco walls lies a house where every room tells a story, of art, gardens, entertaining, and a distinctly European elegance that still feels timeless today.

Some homes are admired. Others are remembered. Bois Doré has always been both.

Which detail would you linger over first?✨
#privatenewport #boisdoré #gildedwood #privateliving #privatehomes

privatenewport

The rains have come and gone. The heat has broken. A languid, sublime afternoon awaits arriving houseguests, the kind of afternoon Newport seems to reserve for late July alone☀️

There is a quiet magic here after a summer rain. The gravel settles, the gardens glow, and every stone, shutter, and tree feels as though it has been waiting for the light to return✨

Aaah, late July in Newport🌊

Follow @privatenewport for the Newport most visitors never get to see..
#privatenewport #newportri #privateliving #newportsummer #privatehomes

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jul 20

237 8
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The rains have come and gone. The heat has broken. A languid, sublime afternoon awaits arriving houseguests, the kind of afternoon Newport seems to reserve for late July alone☀️

There is a quiet magic here after a summer rain. The gravel settles, the gardens glow, and every stone, shutter, and tree feels as though it has been waiting for the light to return✨

Aaah, late July in Newport🌊

Follow @privatenewport for the Newport most visitors never get to see..
#privatenewport #newportri #privateliving #newportsummer #privatehomes

privatenewport

The color of a Newport summer? Hydrangea blue💙

From quiet garden paths to historic estates, these blooms have become as iconic as the mansions themselves. Some traditions don’t need reinventing, they simply return more beautiful every year.

Save for your Newport bucket list, and follow @privatenewport for more timeless Rhode Island beauty
💙🩵💜💙🩵💜
#hydrangeaseason #privateliving #hydrangealove #newportsummer #newportri

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jul 19

459 14
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The color of a Newport summer? Hydrangea blue💙

From quiet garden paths to historic estates, these blooms have become as iconic as the mansions themselves. Some traditions don’t need reinventing, they simply return more beautiful every year.

Save for your Newport bucket list, and follow @privatenewport for more timeless Rhode Island beauty
💙🩵💜💙🩵💜
#hydrangeaseason #privateliving #hydrangealove #newportsummer #newportri

privatenewport

As July settles over Newport, another familiar ritual quietly returns. The hydrangeas bloom with the same dependable grace they’ve carried for generations, softening marble terraces, winding carriage drives, and hidden garden paths alike.

Some are expected. Others still surprise you.

Which Newport hydrangea display stops you in your tracks every summer? 🌿💙
#hygrangeaseason #hygrangeas #privatenewport #privateliving #newportsummer

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jul 16

434 12
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18118560511865752
As July settles over Newport, another familiar ritual quietly returns. The hydrangeas bloom with the same dependable grace they’ve carried for generations, softening marble terraces, winding carriage drives, and hidden garden paths alike.

Some are expected. Others still surprise you.

Which Newport hydrangea display stops you in your tracks every summer? 🌿💙
#hygrangeaseason #hygrangeas #privatenewport #privateliving #newportsummer

privatenewport

Beyond the mansions, Newport reveals another kind of beauty…

A winding gravel path. Perfectly clipped hedges. A quiet bench tucked among summer blooms.

Parterre proves that elegance doesn’t have to be loud.

Follow along as we continue opening the gates to Newport’s most extraordinary gardens, homes, and hidden places💫
🌿 Save this for your Newport inspiration
#privatenewport #newportri #privateliving #newportestates #privatehomes

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jul 13

130 4
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18131518648613378
Beyond the mansions, Newport reveals another kind of beauty…

A winding gravel path. Perfectly clipped hedges. A quiet bench tucked among summer blooms.

Parterre proves that elegance doesn’t have to be loud.

Follow along as we continue opening the gates to Newport’s most extraordinary gardens, homes, and hidden places💫
🌿 Save this for your Newport inspiration
#privatenewport #newportri #privateliving #newportestates #privatehomes

privatenewport

If this is your first time seeing Parterre… welcome🌸

Hidden behind its gates is one of Newport’s most enchanting private gardens, a place where every path, bloom, and clipped hedge feels like stepping into another era.

Follow @privatenewport for more places most visitors never see💫
#privatenewport #parterre #privateliving #newportgardens #newportsummers

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jul 12

525 22
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18098672288188343
If this is your first time seeing Parterre… welcome🌸

Hidden behind its gates is one of Newport’s most enchanting private gardens, a place where every path, bloom, and clipped hedge feels like stepping into another era.

Follow @privatenewport for more places most visitors never see💫
#privatenewport #parterre #privateliving #newportgardens #newportsummers
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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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