Bridgehampton, NY Time Capsule Home - Estate of Jay Paul - Part I

Pristine white sand beaches interrupted by the crash of ocean waves breaking upon the shore. Elegant restaurants where name-dropping is a nightly occurrence. Posh dinner parties with abundant supplies of beluga caviar, lobster and king crab legs on ice alongside dozens of bottles of fine champagne. Outrageous beach bashes lasting into early morning hours. Grand estates guarded by tall hedgerows juxtaposed by massive contemporary homes on the Atlantic coastal waterfront with expansive water views.

Such was 1980s summer life in the Hamptons, where thousands of new money Wall Streeters and yuppie jetsetters fled the bustle of New York City on Fridays to party in hedonistic fashion all weekend in their little East End paradise.

In fact, period movies like Wall Street (1987), Wolf of Wall Street (2013), and even Weekend at Bernie’s (1989) offer a glimpse of Hamptonites’ lifestyles.

True locals, however, were those who choose to settle permanently into Long Island’s East End. They craved and enjoyed a more subdued pace and lifestyle, albeit sometimes lavish. One such person was Jay Paul, who chose to design, build, and decorate his own slice of paradise by way of his French villa in Bridgehampton, NY.

His delightful custom build was even featured in the June 1982 edition of House in the Hamptons (“Ah, Bridgehampton: A country house that didn’t just happen,” by Mary Cummings and photographed by Davis A. Gaffga).

“Ah, Bridgehampton: A Country House That Didn’t Just Happen.” Cummings, Mary. Gaffga, Davis A., photographer. House in the Hamptons. Sheahan Publications. June 1982.

The Estate of Jay Paul

In an interesting twist, BRG is offering The Estate Collection of Jay Paul in an online auction at our new Fairfield, CT location. This estate auction includes personal property from Jay’s Bridgehampton home and features many of the same items which were featured in that magazine spread four decades ago. It’s a true time capsule estate!

In addition to Jay’s personal collection, this auction features items inherited from his uncle, Arthur Judson, which were beautifully maintained in Judson’s New York City apartment. Some of you may recall that Judson was one of the founders of CBS and BRG helped liquidate his estate (the Estate of Arthur Judson) several years ago.

Since Arthur Judson had no children of his own, he left his property to his nephew and niece — Jay and his sister. Jay’s sister passed away several years ago. As last of kin, Jay then inherited what was left of the Judson estate.

House in the Hamptons

The items which were originally featured in that magazine spread four decades ago were originally sourced by Jay Paul himself through various auction houses throughout the region.

“...[the home] features Haitian art and porcelain plates, family antiques and some unusual and beautiful items Paul found at the auctions he loves to frequent.”

The article goes on to describe in great detail the interior design and decor of Jay Paul’s beloved French villa:

“A large screen by the Haitian artist Jasmin Joseph almost fills one wall of the living room with its lively jungle motif. An oriental runner, a family heirloom, runs the length of the floor. And everywhere the eye wanders, it lights upon objects of beauty, rare porcelain plates, antiques, paintings and sculpture, each piece selected for the unique quality of its craftsmanship or artistic vision and then somehow combined with all of the others into a harmonious whole.”

The NYC Apartment

In addition to his Bridgehampton home, Jay inherited a fantastically MCM decorated ‘time warp’ New York City apartment. The contents of this apartment are also available in the online estate auction. Check out this video with Grant Panarese walking through the space and finding all sorts of design treasures.

About Jay Paul

A veritable Mad Men era executive, Jay Paul — a Montreal, Quebec-born native — settled into multiple residences in New York City, Bridgehampton, and Rye. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Art from McGill University and had a lucrative career in advertising.

With an early retirement, he designed and built his beloved French villa in Bridgehampton – which served as his primary residence for decades. This villa was featured in the widely read and distributed Long Island House in the Hamptons magazine in 1982.

Jay was the nephew of Arthur Judson, a CBS founder, music financier, and organizer. Like his uncle, Jay patronized and supported the arts through various philanthropic endeavors. Among his many affiliations was the American Friends of Blerancourt (AFB) which bestowed the Château de Blérancourt Award to Jay.

Jay passed away in March 2022 and BRG is responsible for the liquidation of the personal property from his estate.

About Arthur Judson

Renowned “renaissance man,” Arthur Judson was a founder of CBS with William S. Paley. He also spent much of his career as an artist’s manager, simultaneously managing concerts for both the New York Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestras. Additionally, Judson co-founded the Handel Society of New York and participated in several philanthropic endeavors.

Although he died in the 1970s, his well-maintained homes were kept intact and relatively untouched by his surviving heir, Jay Paul. The multi-home Judson estate featured a treasure trove of period furniture and desirable collections of furniture, extraordinary works of fine art, and more.

BRG handled the estate liquidation of Judson’s Idyllic Westchester, NY home in 2018.

About House in the Hamptons:

Sheahan Publications, publisher of House in the Hamptons debuted in 1981. The bi-monthly luxury lifestyle magazine is now known as House magazine (@HOUSEmagazine FB, @housemagazine.ny Instagram) and highlights beautiful lifestyles, designs, and architecture in and around Long Island.

Stay tuned for a grown-up version of I Spy in Part II (coming soon).

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