Private Newport - with Bettie Bearden Pardee

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Design & Décor


A Downton Abbey-Inspired Christmas

12 / 5 / 197 / 28 / 20

Can you think of anything more glorious than reflecting back on your favorite scenes within this series that won our hearts…and then using those memories to inspire your own Christmas… Read More

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Creating a Thanksgiving Centerpiece

11 / 21 / 197 / 28 / 20

It’s the tail end of the growing season; time for cutting back, pulling out, bedding down. And thinking about making an arrangement with those worthy leftovers from the garden.  So,… Read More

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The Swanhurst Theater: A Private Home for Music Aficionados

11 / 14 / 197 / 28 / 20

The Swanhurst estate, though certainly not as well known or visible as some of its neighbors, has a delightful story that deserves to be told. Dating back to 1851, it… Read More

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A Wine Cellar Supper for Halloween

10 / 31 / 197 / 28 / 20

Happy Halloween! I normally don’t give much thought to this particular fall “holiday” (other than a few years ago when I over indulged with a Venetian Masquerade Fête). But a… Read More

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Dressing the Library in Fall Color

10 / 17 / 1911 / 9 / 22

Fall is my favorite season, though it looks like it will be very late this year (the leaves are all still happily green). So to tide me over, I’ve gathered… Read More

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Boston Townhouses in their Summer Finery Part 2

9 / 12 / 197 / 28 / 20

Aaah, the happy memories that these posts have brought back. We lived at 61 Commonwealth Avenue, in the heart of Back Bay, and I treasured every moment. My childhood dream… Read More

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Boston Townhouses in their Summer Finery Part 1

9 / 5 / 197 / 28 / 20

Having lived in Boston for a few years, I’m very partial to the term “Boston Proper” as describing the old in-town neighborhoods that included Back Bay, Beacon Hill, South End,… Read More

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Romancing our Summer Garden

8 / 29 / 1910 / 3 / 23

The Orangerie in Parterre’s garden was a most special surprise Christmas gift in 1997, given to me by my husband, Jonathan, as we began our house building project. While originally… Read More

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Seafair, a Hurricane’s Tale

8 / 22 / 195 / 15 / 24

There’s always a story in Newport and as we head into hurricane season, this gripping tale from my book, Private Newport, deserves to be retold. Few in Newport recognize Seafair… Read More

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Private Newport’s Most Singular Oceanside Rooms

8 / 8 / 197 / 28 / 20

The cover of my first coffee table book, Private Newport: At Home and in the Garden, conveys in so many ways the sensibilities and design spirit of this post…shining a… 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

397 17
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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