Autumn is indeed an unforgettable time of the year, as well represented in Newport’s home decor. From cozy to stunning, these interior spaces capture a cherished “moment in time” from my first book, Private Newport, at Home and in the Garden. All that is exceptional about this season in Newport… the rich butter tones of a library’s paneling, the russet marble details in a stairwell, the shiny copper pots and pans accenting a French kitchen (above). Over the past 24 years years, some homes have been sold, others have been passed down to the next generation, and still others have been “updated” so much they may not be easy to identify. But it’s all part of the life of a home…and a private look at how “old” Newport lived!

One of a pair of terra cotta urns, stately punctuations in the dramatic entry rotunda at Bellevue House (which takes its name from the avenue on which it is located).

Inset with Wedgwood porcelain, the period Adam mantel is the focal point in the cozy living room of this very special seaside cottage, Pelican Ledge.

An intricately inlaid marble floor repeats the curves of the carefully articulated staircase at Gray Craig.

The living room seating arrangements at Swan’s Way graciously allow for intimate as well as large gatherings.

Positioned to catch breezes coming off Lily Pond, the library card table off this living room is a favorite spot to enjoy morning coffee and catch up on correspondence.

At Parterre, aged plaster and russet limestone counters, paired with antique copper pots, give the kitchen a look of ages past.

The sense of homeyness is one of the many reasons friends anticipated a visit to Fairholme.

Butternut paneling glows golden as the setting sun lends its last light to the library.

A nine-foot-long framed engraving of Rome in 1765 just fits above the limestone mantel at the “living room” end of Hopeland’s great room.

‘Sheer Bliss’ roses sweetly scent the red room at The Whim, its focal point an eighteenth-century Venetian secretary that was a gift for hosting a friend’s wedding.

Happy Fall and all that’s delicious about this wonderful season.

All images credited to, Mick Hales.