Discover Your Dream Outdoor Spaces

We hope you had a chance to check out some of the holiday decor of at least one of the Preservation Society of Newport properties. We had a blast, as we always do, decorating the Elms on Bellview Ave in Newport for the holidays. This year our schedule had to be adjusted to work around the filming schedule for The Guilded Age. When we got to start our work, we were excited to witness the tail end of production crews packing up the cables and dressing room staging. Areas in the Elms also had to be uncovered due to added protection of the walls from all the moving equipment and furniture that was brought in. On the outside of the building, cranes were being used to get the huge garlands and wreaths up around the main entrance. While Marble House and the Breakers were already decorated and open to the public, we were ready to open by the beginning of December. So much goes into preparing for just one week of decorating! Jim Donahue juggle everything from deciding which decorations to replace for the next year, attending gift shows to coordinate decoration that can also be sold in the gift shops, to scheduling the break down of all three mansions, amongst other tasks, besides his usual responsibilities at the PSN! The PSN and Elms staff also had to arrange the main entrance and ballroom for an event with a visiting dignitary, in the midst of the already tight schedule. Lastly we helped organize the "water closet" where the decorations are stored the rest of the year. Coincidentally, this bathroom has one of the first showers to be installed in Newport, as I was informed by a PSN guide years ago. Unfortunately it is closed to the public. A special thank you to Harold and the rest of the Elms staff for moving the ladders from room to room, amongst other things. Always a pleasure to see the same friendly faces. Until next year...