Private Newport - with Bettie Bearden Pardee

Menu

Skip to content
  • About
    • Welcome to Private Newport
    • Meet Bettie
    • Press
    • Lectures & Appearances
  • In the Garden
    • Design
    • Gardening How-Tos
    • The Parterre Bench
  • The Newport Diary
    • Behind the Private Gates
    • Gilded Age
  • Travel Notes
    • Architecture & Interiors
  • Living with Style
    • Design & Décor
    • People, Places & Spaces
    • Personal Style
    • Entertaining
  • Shop
    • Bookstore
    • Parterre Bench

The Newport Diary


My Newport Flower Show Tastemakers’ Diary

6 / 27 / 198 / 14 / 20

What a weekend!! Where to start? The Newport Flower Show is such a destination for all who wish to see and celebrate the bounty of summer gardens. From “garden club… Read More

Share

The Parterre Bench Salutes the Newport Flower Show

6 / 20 / 198 / 14 / 20

What’s more fabulous than a seaside flower show in a Newport “summer cottage” (where The Great Gatsby and many other movies were filmed)? The Newport Flower Show at Rosecliff, Parterre’s… Read More

Share

A Homage to Rhododendrons

6 / 13 / 197 / 28 / 20

While we may have had many reasons the past few months to curse the weather, it has proven a boon to some plant groups. This year in Newport, rhododendrons are… Read More

Share

8 Spectacular Ocean Settings

5 / 9 / 197 / 28 / 20

Newport is starting to get a bustle on, which means that the “summer season” is about to begin (Memorial Day weekend). So my thoughts are turning away from spring raindrops… Read More

Share

Spring Sightings in Newport

5 / 2 / 197 / 28 / 20

“Sighted between the raindrops” will surely be the catchphrase when I think back on Newport’s spring of 2019. Just for those rainy reasons, I’ve become more and more appreciative each… Read More

Share

Newport in the Snow

2 / 21 / 197 / 28 / 20

What is possibly more beautiful than a Newport home in the summer? A Newport home enrobed in snow! Each year, about this time, a welcome sighting of snowflakes comes along… Read More

Share

Inspiring Garden Design: A Classic French Sanctuary

1 / 24 / 197 / 27 / 20

One of Newport’s most pristine estates, the 9 acre Ker Arvor (French Breton for “seaside”), is what I affectionately refer to as a design trifecta — an exceptional example of… Read More

Share

Newport Society: The Passing of a Legend

1 / 3 / 195 / 15 / 24

My first post of the New Year is in honor of Marion Oates Charles, a legendary hostess and fixture of society in Newport and Washington D.C. since the 1950’s. “Oatsie,”… Read More

Share

Bellevue Avenue in Fall Color

11 / 8 / 187 / 27 / 20

I spoke too soon in my last post regarding lack of exuberance in Newport’s leaf display. Exactly three days after that email, all of our trees literally popped at the… Read More

Share

Capturing Autumn: Turning Over a New Leaf

11 / 1 / 187 / 27 / 20

When you live in a New England town, autumn takes on a special meaning. While we might not have the exuberant leaf display of our more northerly neighbors, there are… Read More

Share

Posts navigation

Previous Page 1 2 … 5 6 7 8 9 … 13 14 Next Page

About Bettie

Author of Private Newport and Living Newport, designer of the Parterre Bench, national lecturer, and entertaining expert.
Meet Bettie »

Explore the Site

Popular Posts

Insta Happenings

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

63 6
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

922 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

248 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

164 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

686 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

429 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
Follow Bettie on Instagram

Let’s be Social!

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
Subscribe via email to receive our latest blog post in your inbox»
Lectures & Booking Inquiries  |   Parterre Bench Inquiries  |   General Contact
© Pardee Designs, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are property of Pardee Designs, LLC.
Site Design & Development by WOMA Design
Angie Makes Feminine WordPress Themes