Private Newport - with Bettie Bearden Pardee

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Initial Thoughts


Louis Vuitton: the Trunk Building

1 / 9 / 251 / 8 / 25

I’m kicking off this first New Year post with a subject that hints at how exciting my hopes are for 2025…think big; don’t hold back; out with the old, in… Read More

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Christmas at the Breakers

12 / 19 / 2412 / 19 / 24

What an unusual December treat for 2024…spending a week in Paris, captivated by the decorations, bright lights, and historic architecture…and returning to Newport to enjoy, with houseguests, one of our town’s historic… Read More

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Merry Christmas From Paris

12 / 5 / 2412 / 5 / 24

What’s not to love about captivating, romantic, scintillating Paris? But when you add the sparkle of Christmas…well, that begets a whole other list of superlatives. I’m fresh off the plane, checked… Read More

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The Borromeo Gardens on Isola Bella

6 / 27 / 246 / 27 / 24

Once a rocky island, home only to fishermen, two small churches, and a few vegetable gardens, Isola Belle (beautiful island) began its transformation in the 17th century. The gardens that… Read More

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Autumn In Paris

11 / 9 / 2311 / 9 / 23

I have been very fortunate to have visited Paris in almost every month of the year…and she never disappoints!! But this trip was charmed in ways that I could not… Read More

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Entertaining in the Orangerie

10 / 5 / 2310 / 5 / 23

Well, by the enthusiastic response to last week’s post on our Orangerie, I bet you’ll love seeing this whimsical “folly” in her main role –party central. For, once finished with… Read More

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The Orangerie at Parterre

9 / 28 / 239 / 28 / 23

The Parterre Bench and the Orangerie are the two most important non-floral entities in the garden. But at times I realize the Orangerie can be more of an unsung hero,… Read More

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The Daily Joys of my Garden

9 / 21 / 239 / 21 / 23

It’s about this time of year when I have a sec to catch my breath and pen my “oops in the garden.” But 2023 has been a very different year,… Read More

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Saluting Rosecliff!

9 / 14 / 239 / 14 / 23

Rosecliff to me is like a BFF with whom you’ve shared 24 years of incredibale memories. I’ve danced in her ballroom more times than I can count, dedicated a chapter… Read More

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Designing a Woodland Garden Part 2

9 / 7 / 239 / 6 / 23

When writing the first post on our new Woodland Garden I began to ennumerate (in my head) the different steps we went through over the years…very slowly at first but… 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

Most visitors walk through Rosecliff @newport.mansions admiring the grand rooms. The ones who look up discover the real masterpiece✨

Hand-painted skies. Intricate plasterwork. A chandelier that has watched over more than a century of Newport history☁️

It’s details like these that make Newport’s Gilded Age estates feel less like museums and more like works of art🎭

✨ Save this for your next Newport visit, and follow @privatenewport for the details most visitors never notice.
#privatenewport #newportri #gildedage #newportmansions #rosecliffmansion

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jul 1

229 9
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18107910049995446
Most visitors walk through Rosecliff @newport.mansions admiring the grand rooms. The ones who look up discover the real masterpiece✨

Hand-painted skies. Intricate plasterwork. A chandelier that has watched over more than a century of Newport history☁️

It’s details like these that make Newport’s Gilded Age estates feel less like museums and more like works of art🎭

✨ Save this for your next Newport visit, and follow @privatenewport for the details most visitors never notice.
#privatenewport #newportri #gildedage #newportmansions #rosecliffmansion

privatenewport

The grand rooms of Rosecliff @newport.mansions weren’t built to be silent…

During the Newport Flower Show, one of the mansion’s most captivating details quietly came to life, a self-playing piano filling the halls as guests wandered through rooms once designed for America’s wealthiest families.

It’s the kind of moment that reminds you these homes were never museums… they were meant to be lived in..

✨ Save this for your next Newport visit, and follow @privatenewport for more hidden details inside the city’s most extraordinary historic estates.
#privatenewport #newportri #gildedage #newportmansions #privateliving

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jun 29

160 11
Open post by privatenewport with ID 17933663904090998
The grand rooms of Rosecliff @newport.mansions weren’t built to be silent…

During the Newport Flower Show, one of the mansion’s most captivating details quietly came to life, a self-playing piano filling the halls as guests wandered through rooms once designed for America’s wealthiest families.

It’s the kind of moment that reminds you these homes were never museums… they were meant to be lived in..

✨ Save this for your next Newport visit, and follow @privatenewport for more hidden details inside the city’s most extraordinary historic estates.
#privatenewport #newportri #gildedage #newportmansions #privateliving

privatenewport

Some rooms don’t demand attention, they quietly earn it..

Beyond Rosecliff’s @newport.mansions grand staircase is a space wrapped in rich wood paneling, hand-carved ceilings, and stories that have unfolded over generations. It’s easy to miss if you’re only looking for the ballroom.

These are the details that make Newport unforgettable.

🤍 Save this for your next mansion visit.
Follow @privatenewport for the Newport most people never get to experience✨
#privatenewport #newportri #newportmansions #rosecliff #privateliving

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jun 28

639 13
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18101117891267002
Some rooms don’t demand attention, they quietly earn it..

Beyond Rosecliff’s @newport.mansions grand staircase is a space wrapped in rich wood paneling, hand-carved ceilings, and stories that have unfolded over generations. It’s easy to miss if you’re only looking for the ballroom.

These are the details that make Newport unforgettable.

🤍 Save this for your next mansion visit.
Follow @privatenewport for the Newport most people never get to experience✨
#privatenewport #newportri #newportmansions #rosecliff #privateliving

privatenewport

There are grand staircases… and then there’s Rosecliff..

For more than a century, these sweeping steps have welcomed society’s elite, dazzling gowns, celebrated guests, and evenings that became part of Newport’s legendary Gilded Age story. Every carved detail, every graceful curve, and every soaring ceiling was designed to leave a lasting impression, and it still does today💫

It’s impossible to stand here without imagining the music drifting through the halls, the anticipation before a ballroom filled with laughter, and the grandeur of an era when Newport was the center of America’s most extravagant summers✨

Some places preserve history….

Others make you feel like you’ve stepped inside it☁️

✨ Save this for your next Newport visit, and follow Private Newport for more timeless moments from the City by the Sea🌊
@newport.mansions
#privatenewport #rosecliff #newportmansions #gildedage #newportsummer

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jun 25

422 13
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18186966058376120
There are grand staircases… and then there’s Rosecliff..

For more than a century, these sweeping steps have welcomed society’s elite, dazzling gowns, celebrated guests, and evenings that became part of Newport’s legendary Gilded Age story. Every carved detail, every graceful curve, and every soaring ceiling was designed to leave a lasting impression, and it still does today💫

It’s impossible to stand here without imagining the music drifting through the halls, the anticipation before a ballroom filled with laughter, and the grandeur of an era when Newport was the center of America’s most extravagant summers✨

Some places preserve history….

Others make you feel like you’ve stepped inside it☁️

✨ Save this for your next Newport visit, and follow Private Newport for more timeless moments from the City by the Sea🌊
@newport.mansions 
#privatenewport #rosecliff #newportmansions #gildedage #newportsummer

privatenewport

Part 2: The Newport Flower Show 🌿

For one weekend, Rosecliff @newport.mansions became Newport’s most beautiful address✨

Thousands of blooms, sweeping ocean views, and the grandeur of a Gilded Age estate set the stage for the Newport Flower Show, one of the city’s most beloved traditions🌸

It’s easy to see why people fall in love with Newport..

Save this for your next visit, and follow for more of the Newport most people never get to experience🤍

#newportflowershow #newportri #rosecliff #privatenewport #gildedage

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jun 23

178 17
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18114627154895104
Part 2: The Newport Flower Show 🌿

For one weekend, Rosecliff @newport.mansions became Newport’s most beautiful address✨

Thousands of blooms, sweeping ocean views, and the grandeur of a Gilded Age estate set the stage for the Newport Flower Show, one of the city’s most beloved traditions🌸

It’s easy to see why people fall in love with Newport..

Save this for your next visit, and follow for more of the Newport most people never get to experience🤍

#newportflowershow #newportri #rosecliff #privatenewport #gildedage

privatenewport

Behind the doors of Newport’s most celebrated summer event… 🌸

The 2026 Newport Flower Show transformed Rosecliff’s @newport.mansions historic interiors into living works of art, where flowers, design, and Newport elegance met in the most extraordinary way✨

These are just a few of the details from inside this year’s “Pearls of Newport” exhibition🌊

Part 2 is coming tomorrow. Trust us, you’ll want to see what’s waiting outside👀🥀

✨ Save this for your Newport summer bucket list
🌿 Follow @privatenewport for more of the Newport most visitors never get to see
#privatenewport #newportmansions #gildedage #newportflowershow #rosecliffmansion

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jun 22

217 32
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18447092419189526
Behind the doors of Newport’s most celebrated summer event… 🌸

The 2026 Newport Flower Show transformed Rosecliff’s @newport.mansions historic interiors into living works of art, where flowers, design, and Newport elegance met in the most extraordinary way✨

These are just a few of the details from inside this year’s “Pearls of Newport” exhibition🌊

Part 2 is coming tomorrow. Trust us, you’ll want to see what’s waiting outside👀🥀

✨ Save this for your Newport summer bucket list
🌿 Follow @privatenewport for more of the Newport most visitors never get to see
#privatenewport #newportmansions #gildedage #newportflowershow #rosecliffmansion
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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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