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Living with Style


The Newport Flower Show 2026

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The theme for this year’s Flower Show was “Pearls of Newport.” And can there be a more appropriate pearl than Rosecliff, this architecturally splendid Gilded Age mansion, where many a… Read More

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Containers, A Valuable Garden Detail

6 / 18 / 266 / 22 / 26

In honor of my dear friend, Margot Shaw, founder of Flower magazine and one of the headliners for the 2026 Newport Flower Show, I’m taking a page from her new… Read More

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Flowering Outdoors: Gardens and Parties

6 / 11 / 266 / 15 / 26

The Newport Flower Show will have a Star headliner this month, Margot Shaw, founder of Flower magazine, introducing her new book, Flowering Outdoors: Gardens and Parties. Don’t you love the… Read More

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A Notable Newport Estate, The Orchard Part 2

5 / 28 / 266 / 9 / 26

In a town of many old mansions, most have become house museums or condominiums or have been turned into dormitories and classrooms for a local university. Only a special few,… Read More

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Hansel and Gretel in Richmond

5 / 14 / 265 / 13 / 26

Historic Garden Week in Richmond provided such warm memories of both horticultural and architectural inspiration. One setting lingers in my mind, which I cannot resist calling the “Hansel and Gretel… Read More

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Reminiscing about England

4 / 16 / 264 / 7 / 26

Along with the daffodils and the tulips, the other gift I anticipate the most about spring is my trip to England. But this year, “circumstances” superseded that annual/semi-annual trip…though New… Read More

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New Zealand’s Omaio Garden

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Omaio Garden (in Matakana) on the North Island of New Zealand would be the envy of anyone…even if you’re not a gardener. Liz Morrow’s talents clearly carry out the meaning… Read More

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Ayrlies Garden and Wetlands, New Zealand

3 / 19 / 263 / 16 / 26

Ayrlies Garden is the creation of visionary Beverly McConnell, who, since 1964, has been sculpting 14 acres of bare farmland into one of New Zealand’s best known Gardens. An hour… Read More

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Palm Beach, a Taste for Regency

3 / 12 / 263 / 10 / 26

Imagine the pleasure of coming to photograph a home only to realize that it was the former residence of a good friend…and then to see that this Regency jewel has… Read More

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An Island Enclave in Palm Beach

3 / 5 / 262 / 6 / 26

Everglades Island, a thin sliver of land floating just off Palm Beach in the Intracoastal Waterway, is an enclave just a short causeway from South County Road. As with many … 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

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

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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

515 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

410 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

169 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

211 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

privatenewport

Just a teaser🌸

This weekend, Rosecliff with @newport.mansions was transformed for one of Newport’s most anticipated weekends of the year💫

We’ll be sharing the full Flower Show recap tomorrow..

Follow along if you love historic homes, gardens, and the side of Newport most people never get to experience💛
#newportflowershow #newportmansions #privatenewport #gildedage #architecture

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jun 21

250 9
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18088550087456192
Just a teaser🌸

This weekend, Rosecliff with @newport.mansions was transformed for one of Newport’s most anticipated weekends of the year💫

We’ll be sharing the full Flower Show recap tomorrow..

Follow along if you love historic homes, gardens, and the side of Newport most people never get to experience💛
#newportflowershow #newportmansions #privatenewport #gildedage #architecture
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