Foxfire Mountain House Launches Sister Hotel! Meet the Lost Fox

When you delve into the pages of Foxfire Living: Design, Recipes, and Stories from the Magical Inn in the Catskills, penned by Eliza Clark and Tim Trojian, you’ll find yourself drawn to the unique allure of Foxfire Mountain House. This luxury bohemian retreat in the Catskills is a testament to the couple’s innovative neo-vintage design style, a hallmark that sets Foxfire Mountain House apart. Foxfire Living brings the dreamy, rustic, modern style, the hallmark of Foxfire Mountain House, into any home. Get your copy here. 

Inside+Out Upstate NY is excited to share the news that Eliza and Tim just launched Lost Fox Inn, a historic boutique hotel and wedding venue in the heart of Litchfield, Connecticut. The inn exudes old-world charm while providing modern amenities. There are ten rooms in the main house, and an adjacent former schoolhouse accommodates four more. In addition, the old Tavern Building is home to The Lost Fox Tavern restaurant, which serves hearty New England-style cuisine curated by Executive Chef CJ Barroso. Learn more about this inspiring design duo in our exclusive interview here.

We caught up with Eliza and Tim to learn more about their latest design project. 

INSIDE+OUT: You had an incredible vision for your flagship property, Foxfire Mountain House, a Hudson Valley destination favorite. What inspired you to expand to a second sister property, Lost Fox Inn?

Eliza Clark: It’s been ten years since we first laid eyes on the rundown classic vintage Catskills hotel that would become Foxfire Mountain House. We fully threw ourselves into renovating the property from top to bottom and learned an unbelievable amount along the way. We were very hands-on: we laid tiles, planted gardens, and antique shopped across multiple states…always keeping in mind the beauty of the natural world outside and how we wanted Foxfire to reflect that in the decor and the food we served. There was so much we didn’t know, but what was always there from the start was our love of hospitality. Everything we did was with our guests in mind. We have an amazing team of people who run the day-to-day of Foxfire now, so doing it again seemed like the perfect plan. We were ready for the next adventure and more hospitality. We found it was no easy task once we started looking for a property with that special something, that unique vibe and setting. We felt confident we could make anything beautiful after designing Foxfire, publishing our Foxfire Living design + cookbook, and beginning an interior design business (Byrd Studio @by.byrd). But that special feeling a place has–inherent magic–is either there, or not.

How did you discover the Lost Fox Inn property in Litchfield, CT, and what inspired the name?

We didn’t want another place in the Catskills, so we started looking at other areas that we thought had natural beauty, proximity to larger cities, and a style that would excite us design-wise. Litchfield is a classically stunning New England town with lovely shops and restaurants. The Lost Fox Inn property is a charming village-like compound of three buildings just a few minutes from the center of town. It’s private and feels like a world unto itself. There is an old tavern with guest rooms above that dates to 1745, a private cottage that was once a schoolhouse over a century ago, and a main inn with ten huge guest rooms.

We called it “Lost Fox” to play on Foxfire, but it was a couple of hours away from the Catskills; it was as though the fox had rambled and wandered from home.

How does Lost Fox Inn differ from Foxfire Mountain House?

The style is both completely different and somewhat the same at its core. Lost Fox Inn takes classic New England simplicity and gives it a chic old-world charm with a little cheekiness thrown in. Think of the Rolling Stones at Villa Nellcote (our modest version of that). Another way to look at it is that Lost Fox Inn is like Foxfire’s fabulous big sister: a little older, a little grander, a little more polished. Bringing natural elements into the decor, from stone fireplaces to the lobby’s natural clay brick floor to touches of greenery, as unifying features across both properties.

Let’s talk about food! What is your plan for the Tavern at Lost Fox Inn? Tell us about your executive chef, the menu, and how often the menu changes.

We like worldly rustic country cuisines for the food across both of our establishments. Our brilliant Executive Chef is CJ Barroso. He’s worked in some of New York City’s top kitchens, like Aquavit with Marcus Samuelson, Michelin-starred Public, Saxon and Parole, and The Finch. The menu is seasonal and a little partial to seafood in the best way since we’re in New England with lots of inventive vegetarian options. The menu changes four times by the season. Chef CJ is passionate about meeting with farmers and discussing the day’s freshest ingredients.

Your book on Foxfire Mountain House is full of design inspo and recipes. Do we foresee a forthcoming book about Lost Fox Inn?

You never know!

Can you share more about your design services and offerings? Who is your ideal client?

My daughter, Arden Wray, and I launched Byrd Studio in 2021. We offer full-scale design services, taking our clients from consulting and initial concepts through renovations all the way to a pillow fluffed on the sofa and a candle lit on the coffee table on our way out. We’ve worked on a wide variety of residential projects across the Catskills and beyond, as well as commercial projects like retail shop interiors, a yoga studio, a multi-unit vacation rental, and, of course, all the interiors of Lost Fox Inn + Tavern. Our ideal client is creative and open-minded, and they trust us to transform their rooms into beautiful spaces they adore and feel at home in.

Tell us more about what it’s like to work and play as with your partner, Tim Trojian, in life and business now that you have a second property.  What has changed, if anything?

That’s a tricky question because it’s so nuanced, and some days, some elements of the work are more straightforward than others. Overall, I would say that we still talk about work on some level pretty much all the time because we are doing what we most love to do and choose to do. We do it with the person we most love and want to do it with. That’s the upside. The hard part is that we often approach things differently, and disagreements can’t help but feel personal. You can disagree with your business partner, but work challenges are a knot in the stomach when you’re having dinner with them or curling up on the couch to watch a movie. With ten years of experience behind us, I guess now, while it hurts at times, we know we are stronger. The properties are better for the collaboration. We’re entrepreneurs, but that doesn’t mean we entirely do things our own way.

What are you most proud of when you think about Foxfire Mountain House?

That’s the easiest question! Without a doubt, I’m most proud of the fact that countless guests have enjoyed their time at Foxfire Mountain House. That was all that mattered to us from the start. We’ve hosted weddings where the couples come back to celebrate their anniversaries and come back with new babies. It’s like family: elopements, birthday parties, girls’ weekends, just regular getaway escapes. Foxfire Mountain House has become very dear to so many people.

You have an outstanding and loyal staff at Foxfire. Tell us about your staff and work culture at Lost Fox Inn.

Our staff are everything. Teamwork makes the dream work is a hambone saying that’s overused, but it’s honestly true. Each member of our team is vital to ensure guests have an enjoyable experience. In terms of work culture, while everyone has a position and a job title, you’ll never hear one staff member ask for assistance with something and get a “that’s not my job” response. All for one, and one for all. Everybody’s job is to make things run smoothly across the board. I can proudly say we have a hard-working, big-hearted, friendly, and reliable team.

Speaking of taking care of your staff, you have a no-tipping policy (tipping is welcome but not necessary). What inspired that, when did it start, and will it continue at Lost Fox Inn?

The no-tipping model came from our decades-long belief that employees in the hospitality industry should have a liveable, honest wage. We’re not a fan of putting the burden on our customers to pay extra to Front of House staff so that the employees can make a living. That is the responsibility of ownership and the employer, in our view. Providing a living wage is the responsibility of ownership because it allows staff to receive a consistent wage they can rely on throughout the year. Not the feast or famine model that the tipped wage invokes. With consistent wages comes a better credit score and more access to the financial system so that car loans and mortgages all become attainable, which is almost impossible under the tip model. It means the employee isn’t at the mercy of, for example, whether a snowstorm hits and the restaurant is slow that night. They are taken care of. Likewise, during the pandemic, our team received unemployment insurance. We also believe hospitality workers deserve access to affordable health care and 401 savings plans. That is why both are offered to all eligible staff at our businesses.

Foxfire Mountain House is known for exceptional events like your annual BBQ, the magical “In The Wild” forest dinners, and more. What programming do you have in mind for Lost Fox Inn?

We’re just starting to play with ideas. The basement of the inn at Lost Fox was once a Jazz Cellar, as labeled on old blueprints we came across. That could be a sexy use of the space. An old-school jazz club with candlelit tables…this is part of creating a hospitality venue that we love. The possibilities are endless and exciting.

Tell us about hosting weddings and events at Lost Fox Inn.

We love hosting parties, whether weddings, corporate retreats, big family reunions, or friends’ gatherings, so we have designed the Lost Fox Inn property with that in mind. There is a gorgeous large tent area with a courtyard and spacious firepit area that will make weddings a dream. Our ten years of experience hosting weddings at Foxfire Mountain House will undoubtedly carry over to Lost Fox Inn. It’s been gratifying that before we even opened, we’ve received a large number of wedding requests. We’re hosting site visits currently and booking for 2025.

What else can we expect from Lost Fox Inn in 2024-2025?

The Tavern will be a culinary destination, and the upstairs Great Hall, with its massive fireplace, will be a favorite dining spot. We’re excited for the grounds to continue to evolve, and we’d love to add a classic greenhouse. So many ideas!

What are you most proud of regarding your life and work?

Personally, I’m proud that I’ve had the courage and work ethic to follow my passions and change careers when I’ve wanted to try something new. It’s allowed me to challenge myself, dare to be better, be curious, and be fulfilled. I trust my instincts, and I’m prepared to be responsible for finding my own happiness. And I like to make things. I’ve written and published books, produced and directed television series, and designed beautiful spaces for people to enjoy. I’m really proud of that.

Photos Courtesy of Arden Wray @ardenwray

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