As the weather warms it’s time to get out, stroll and pop into some of the new retail locations that have opened in our towns recently. Home furnishings, antiques, art and food are among the many new offerings from local entrepreneurs. Here’s what’s in store for shoppers this spring.
1. Folly Design Elements
Lynn Hamlen opened her vintage garden shop, Folly Design Elements after twenty years at the Darien Nature Center. Hamlen works auctions and estate sales from Maine to Southern California in search of one-a-kind items. “That’s the fun part for me,” she says, “finding treasures, bringing them back and putting them together in vignettes so people can see what they’ll look like in their homes.”
1082 Post Road, Darien
2. Post Modern Home
Also on the Post Road in Darien is Post Modern Home, Drew Clark’s collection of what he calls “artfully unique décor.” The store features beautifully restored, mid-century modern and vintage furniture along with contemporary art and lighting. It is a store, says Clark, “filled with nothing new except to you.”
110 Post Road, Darien
3. Fairfield County Antique & Design
At Fairfield County Antique & Design Center, owners Geoffrey and Sharon Walsky have filled 20,000 square feet of a former warehouse on the Norwalk/Westport line with furnishings, art, jewelry and vintage clothing from more than 100 dealers. Auctions take place every Wednesday and there are new installations and shows in the 2,000-square-foot art gallery every six weeks.
19 Willard Road, Norwalk
4. Good Food, Good Things
The retail shop Good Food, Good Things in Darien combined gourmet eats and haute home accessories in one location, but now the two are separating. Good Food continues serving coffee and more at the current location, while Good Things will open in a new space in mid-March. It will offer the same selection of high-end goods. “We sell everything from beautiful pocket books to fine furnishings and picture frames,” says owner Beth DuPont. The store’s new location will be announced by email and with signage around town.
865 Post Road, Darien
5. California Closets
The key to a tidy house? Make sure everything has its place. That’s easier said than done, but now there’s help nearby. California Closets has a new two-story 1,500-square-foot showroom in Norwalk. This organization specialist can help you create the best custom system for your needs. The staff offers advice on how to control wardrobe clutter, and organize spaces such as the home office, pantry and garage.
565 Westport Ave.