Newport Mansions Trip November 19, 2017

On November 19th the Interior Design Society hosted a trip to the Newport Mansions and a lunch at our department chair's house RoseMary Botti-Salitsky. Overall, this had to be the best trip I've ever taken with IDS. This was my first time touring the mansions and I was very amazed by the size of these places. Each house was mammoth in size and as soon as you walked in, you could see how grand it really was. You go in room after room and it feels like the tour went on for hours. Each individual room had a purpose and was set up with original furniture. It was great to see that everything had been preserved so well and you could really see the craftsmanship of each piece.


But what really stuck out to me was the small details. All the columns had intense sculptures imbedded, along with ornate details towards the top of some. On the mantles were small knick knacks that were full of detail. My favorite was a pair of small vases that were incrusted in crystals and the design of a ram on the side. Even the bathrooms were special. Large claw foot tubs that were custom made, filled up the space and a small vanity would be in the center of the room.


In the end though, I would say my favorite part part of the tours was how each house was decorated for Christmas. Huge trees were all over the houses along with holiday plants and other decorations. This really brought life to the houses and gave a bright cheery atmosphere to each space.

After the tours, we drove to Rose's summer home in Newport and toured the area. We got to see extraordinary ocean views on an extremely windy day. We then sat down and had homemade lasagna that Rose made. What really made me happy was that we got to sit down and connect with one of our professors! Connecting with the faculty is amazing and that day we got to hear about her life, past projects and what she's looking forward too. We also got to share our lives as well and really bond. Hearing everything she has to say is really inspires me to aim high in my own future career and to not take no for an answer.

All in all, I had a fantastic day with my friends and I even got to make new friends along the way. The Newport Mansions trip is definitely one to remember and I know for a fact that I'll be participating next year. I hope I can see you as well!