Kids & Family

Curators of Cool: Wilton Couple Operate "Lost & Found"

Check out this weekend destination for furnishings with a vintage twist. Donna and Andrew Clarke have a knack for recombining disparate but sturdy industrial tid-bits and architectural salvage for a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

This article was written by Leslie Yager

What do you get when two talented artsy types meet in Brooklyn and migrate to Wilton to start a family?

Beyond a sweet 3-year-old named Noah and a dog the couple describes as an ugly but beloved escapee from a Missouri puppy mill, you get "Lost & Found." 

Donna and Andrew Clarke, a soft spoken and unassuming couple, list paint as their biggest expense. 

Indeed, what the couple have in common is an eye for potential. Whether scouring thrift shops or following a tip about a discarded trunk, spare lumber or even a shabby chair, the Clarkes have the ability envision a second life.

Inside Lost & Found, weathered wooden pallets were shredded by Andrew and reassembled to cover a wall, creating a cozy backdrop to display artwork. Nearby, a galvanized steel utility tub is flipped upside down and repurposed as a light fixture. 

"We look for farmhouse style, industrial factory items, mid-century modern – anything with good bones and a good silhouette," Donna said.

A little reupholstery here, some oil based paint there, a match of metal table legs with a milled plank from a fallen black walnut tree – the result is a whole greater than the sum of its parts. And the prices are not outrageous.

"Stores tend to overcharge for antiques so people get turned off and instead buy reproductions," Andrew said. 

Find Lost & Found online or Like them on Facebook to keep abreast of one-of-a-kind up-cycled pieces. 

You can also sign up with your email address to receive sneak peeks and event reminders. Or add your email to the bursting clipboard when you visit the shop in person.

Got stuff you would like to donate or sell? 
Donna and Andrew are always looking for odds and ends, old wood and furniture.  Cool and unique things that can be re-purposed or salvaged.    The couple loves architectural fixtures, drawer pulls, anything from the 50's and 60's. If it's damaged and the paint is chipping, but you just haven't been able to send it to the dump because it still has that special something, give Them a call or shoot them an email with a photo.

Local developers:  Lighten your dumpster load!
If you are demolishing or ripping out old fixtures, barns, kitchens give the Clarkes a call, maybe they can take some junk (treasures) off your hands!

Lost & Found  is open at 300 Danbury Rd (Crossways Plaza, #410 is posted on the door) the first weekend of the month, Saturdays 10:00-6:00p.m. or by appointment. Email: info@lostandfoundct.com


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