Estate Sales & Auction Blog

After four decades in the antiques industry, renowned and respected antique dealers, Ed and Jane Grant are retiring. The couple supplied their showrooms with antiques and vintage finds from across the globe. Here are some of BRG's staff highlights in the sale.

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.

For millenia, people have sought ways to decorate themselves beyond clothing and textiles. From ancient times to the modern era, jewelry has played a key role in personal adornment -- from rings to necklaces to earrings. Learn about key types of jewelry ....

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.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a blue girl. If I'm out shopping, I immediately gravitate towards all things blue (patterned, printed, solid). My children roll their eyes anytime I stop to look at something blue, with a quick roll of their eyes and an under-the-breath utterance of "of course you'd stop for that!" I wasn't always open about being a blue girl....

Expansive ever-changing sunset hues. Rosy pink-orange colors that pop against the darkening blues above the earth. Beautiful shimmering pinkish- and orange-reds evolving in the shifting light in warm Caribbean currents. Nature presents captivating coral colors in the most spectacular ways. Using Pantone's color of the year, learn how to stay current with your decor.

Periodically, we encounter pieces or even entire sets of vintage copper cookware in the estates that we handle. There are some things that collectors and users of copper cookware look for when purchasing vintage pieces that perhaps the average non-collector might not be aware of.