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The Newport Diary


Newport’s Clarendon Court

9 / 16 / 219 / 29 / 24

Clarendon Court (1904) represents everything the words elegant, classical and sublime bring to mind. In this important Newport residence, there is the added distinction of a noted Gilded Age architect,… Read More

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Pampered Pets of Private Newport, 2021

8 / 26 / 218 / 26 / 21

I take great delight in coincidences. For example, this annual blog which usually caps off August, the last post of the last month of summer. When scouting the many photo… Read More

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Champ Soleil, a 17th Century-Style French Chateau

7 / 29 / 215 / 28 / 24

By any measure, 1929 was not an auspicious year…except, perhaps, in Newport. For that was the year that an exquisite version of the hunting lodge at Versailles, La Lanterne, was designed… Read More

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The Orchard, A Notable Newport Estate

5 / 13 / 215 / 19 / 26

Summer is just around the corner, when friends return from all parts of the country and houses are “opened for the season.” One of those homes has been beautifully readied… Read More

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A Writer’s Lair: Honoring a Literary Heritage

1 / 7 / 211 / 6 / 21

Welcome to 2021! Perhaps for you, as it is for me, reminiscing is part of a new year ritual and I now find myself remembering back with great sentiment to… Read More

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A Parterre Christmas

12 / 24 / 2012 / 24 / 20

Every Christmas has its signature. This year, not knowing what draconian measure or which “pause” we were honoring, I hadn’t done much planning for decorations. But one thing I knew… Read More

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Bedecked and Bedazzled: Christmas at The Breakers

12 / 17 / 2012 / 11 / 23

What is more joy-filled than a fifteen foot Christmas tree of live, brilliant red poinsettias?! Newport’s own legendary creation takes pride-of-place in the Great Hall of The Breaker’s, obviously deserving… Read More

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Past Christmases at Parterre

12 / 10 / 2012 / 11 / 20

In spite of 2020 being an “annus horribilis” (to quote Queen Elizabeth) we’ve made it to the merry month of December. So I say, with a nod to rhythm and… Read More

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The Adventures of a Narrative Gardener

12 / 3 / 209 / 12 / 22

My friend, Ron Fleming, is a Renaissance man in the truest sense of the word–writer, city planner, preservationist, inveterate traveler, philanthropist and all ’round Bon Vivant. And gardener! His talents… Read More

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Inspiring Architectural Design: “Commodore” James’s Boathouse

11 / 12 / 2011 / 12 / 20

Count on Newport, one of the yachting capitals of the world, to have a singular example of historic nautically-inspired architecture. A hundred plus years later, “Harbour Court” (now the New… 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

268 13
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

103 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

935 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

257 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

694 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
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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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