Private Newport - with Bettie Bearden Pardee

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Design & Décor


Ode to a Christmas Tree

12 / 29 / 2212 / 28 / 22

Given the big part that serendipity played in Christmas this year, I felt compelled to create this post for the last week of December. The live tree looms large for… Read More

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A Loving Table, Creating Memorable Gatherings

12 / 15 / 2212 / 14 / 22

It was about this time in 2020 that I began work on a chapter in my friends’ book, A Loving Table, by Kimberly Schlegel Whitman and Shelley Johnstone Paschke. Surely… Read More

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The Bright Lights of London

12 / 8 / 2212 / 8 / 22

Just home, and I’m happy to say…London ’22 was bright, bright bright…the weather, a perfect seasonal temp averaging 40° (and no rain), the crowds cheery and festive. I’ve sorely missed… Read More

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Happy Thanksgiving!

11 / 24 / 2211 / 23 / 22

From our home to yours…may you be filled with gratitude as you gather for this always-anticipated holiday, remembering to nurture hope, touch hearts, value truth and express thanks.

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Dressing the House for Thanksgiving

11 / 17 / 2211 / 17 / 22

Just like “that,” the holidays are here! I let Halloween slip by, but now I’m in full-on mode for Thanksgiving (while penning this post, I’m also texting my favorite chef… Read More

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Autumn, All Around the Town

11 / 10 / 2211 / 9 / 22

As I said in my first book, Private Newport, at Home and in the Garden…”On the Avenue, By the Sea, and Off the Beaten Path.” Seeing Newport in Autumn (a… Read More

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The Gates of Newport

9 / 29 / 225 / 28 / 24

Inspiration seems truly “around every corner” when you live in a setting as beautiful and historic as Newport. Just the other night, I attended a lecture on Frederick Law Olmsted… Read More

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On Tour: A First Time Peek at Parterre’s Interiors

7 / 28 / 227 / 28 / 22

There’s a saying in our fabled town, not hyperbole when you remember that it was founded in 1639, that “all roads lead to Newport.” And so it was that a… Read More

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The Redwood Library and Athenaeum’s 275th Anniversary

7 / 14 / 227 / 14 / 22

In addition to the many natural assets of which my beloved town can boast – from embracing sea breezes to extended green landscapes –are three centuries of architectural excellence and… Read More

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A Newport Summer

7 / 7 / 227 / 6 / 22

As I write this post, with a languid breeze fluttering the drapes, I’m convinced that my friends, Nick Mele and Ruthie Sommers, ordered this weather. It has been the sunniest,… 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

There are gardens you visit… and gardens you remember✨

Parterre is one of those rare places where every path, clipped hedge, and bloom feels intentionally timeless. It’s quiet, deeply personal, and a reminder that Newport’s greatest beauty often lives behind gates most people never pass through🍃

Save this for your next Newport daydream, and follow along for more of the hidden estates, gardens, and historic places that most visitors never get to experience. 🌿✨

#privatenewport #newportri #secretnewport #historicgardens #gardendesign

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jul 7

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Open post by privatenewport with ID 17971096749094876
There are gardens you visit… and gardens you remember✨

Parterre is one of those rare places where every path, clipped hedge, and bloom feels intentionally timeless. It’s quiet, deeply personal, and a reminder that Newport’s greatest beauty often lives behind gates most people never pass through🍃

Save this for your next Newport daydream, and follow along for more of the hidden estates, gardens, and historic places that most visitors never get to experience. 🌿✨

#privatenewport #newportri #secretnewport #historicgardens #gardendesign

privatenewport

The anticipation.
The symmetry.
The sound of the fountain.
Then… Rosecliff💫
@newport.mansions

Some places don’t need an introduction, they let the experience speak for itself.

If Newport is on your bucket list, save this reel for later and follow @PrivateNewport for more timeless corners of the City by the Sea🌊
#privatenewport #newportri #gildedage #rosecliffmansion #newportmansions

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jul 6

100 7
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18086347259420231
The anticipation.
The symmetry.
The sound of the fountain.
Then… Rosecliff💫
@newport.mansions 

Some places don’t need an introduction, they let the experience speak for itself.

If Newport is on your bucket list, save this reel for later and follow @PrivateNewport for more timeless corners of the City by the Sea🌊
#privatenewport #newportri #gildedage #rosecliffmansion #newportmansions

privatenewport

Long before fireworks lit the harbor, history quietly began here.

In 1781, General George Washington and French Commander Rochambeau departed Newport for the remarkable 14-week march south to Virginia, where they joined Lafayette and ultimately secured the decisive victory at Yorktown, helping shape the birth of a nation.

Tonight, the same harbor reflects fireworks instead of warships, but its place in America’s story remains unchanged.

Happy Fourth of July from Newport. 🇺🇸✨

Follow @privatenewport for the history, homes, and hidden stories that continue to define this extraordinary city💫
#privatenewport #fourthofjuly #250thanniversary #happybirthdayamerica #newportsummer

View Instagram post by privatenewport

Jul 4

934 20
Open post by privatenewport with ID 18018225521854726
Long before fireworks lit the harbor, history quietly began here.

In 1781, General George Washington and French Commander Rochambeau departed Newport for the remarkable 14-week march south to Virginia, where they joined Lafayette and ultimately secured the decisive victory at Yorktown, helping shape the birth of a nation.

Tonight, the same harbor reflects fireworks instead of warships, but its place in America’s story remains unchanged.

Happy Fourth of July from Newport. 🇺🇸✨

Follow @privatenewport for the history, homes, and hidden stories that continue to define this extraordinary city💫
#privatenewport #fourthofjuly #250thanniversary #happybirthdayamerica #newportsummer

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

256 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

166 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

692 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
Follow Bettie on Instagram

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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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