Estate Sales & Auction Blog

A defense attorney and former mayor of Burlington, NC turned interior design firm entrepreneur, William ("Billy") Lewis Durham's career path was diverse, to say the least. He was a life-long connoisseur and collector of fine home furnishings. Billy's passion for home furnishings fed his entrepreneurial spirit and led him to begin two design businesses which sourced, curated, and provided exceptional design, antiques, and extraordinarily well-designed home good items. His name became ubiquitous for fine design in the interior space.

What do rhythmic drums, gentle waves, distant and echoing roar of lions, local tribes people, and festivals have in common? Everything, for one globe-trotting couple. These are just a small sampling of the exotic sights and sounds that Barbara Paul and her husband experienced. Now see their personal curated collection of artifacts, textiles, and more.

Over the years, we have serviced thousands of estates and their respective families. It's not often that we see estates that fall into the "veritable time capsule" category for the quality of their collections. When we do, we like to highlight them in a special way. But, the real story often comes to light when we dig beyond the tangible "stuff" contained within the estate -- when we get an in-depth glimpse at the person behind the estate. Such is the case with Sandy.

Exposure to tens of thousands of fine works of art over the course of a curator's 30 years career gives her a very discerning eye for detail and quality. This is most certainly the case for one renowned former Museum of Fine Arts Boston curator, Barbara Stern Shapiro, as evidenced in her lifetime personal curation ... from Boston to New York and back.

This might be a “made for Hollywood” story based right in Cortlandt Manor, New York with acclaimed hotelier, Claude Philippe, as the main character. Decades after the fully furnished estate was passed to the husband of Philippe’s widow, many of the original contents (hand-picked and curated by Philippe himself) remained relatively untouched — down to the collection of Philippe’s cuff links discovered in the closet.

Rich corals. Dramatic blue and green turquoise. Beautifully crafted copper and silver work. For millennia, the magnificent history of Native American Indian tribal jewelry making has been passed down from one generation to another. Explore the world of Native American jewelry....

You’ll never believe what we found in a pile of linens! The other day, our managing partner, Grant, motions for me to come to his office. I can tell from his bemusement and expression that he has some secret or surprise to share. The reason for his jovial spirits is still a mystery -- but not for long.

Find out what Grant and Christie have to share during our auction previews. Join BRG managing partners as they bring you some Exceptional Winter 2019 LIVE Auction highlights...

What is so special about BRG's Exceptional Winter 2019 sale that would have us dusting off the auctioneer podium and gavel in order to run a live auction? Well, you are about to find out!

The results are in! The Comité Rodin has reached its decision on the authenticity of the Buste de Saint Jean-Baptiste that we offered in auction this past October in our Exceptional Fall Greenwich Auction. It's real! Find out more....