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designers of the 20th century. There's also a cache of Fortuny lighting and European grand tour and blackamoor statues. Other furnishings exude the beach town's breezy influence. "Palm Beach likes to sandblast and bleach dark woods like mahogany, or cover them with shells, so we find a lot of that there," Osborn says. A pair of fine Minton-Spidell consoles, which Osborn says the homeowner had tired of, received shell-encrusted grotto fantasy treatment by West Palm Beach artist Christa Wilm, sought after for her shell and coral creations. It's all set against a dreamy backdrop of hand-carved plaster moldings and classical figures inherited from the 4,500-square-foot location's previous occupant, John Gregory Studios. O sborn and Barber also travel to important estate sales on the West Coast and places in between. A recent haul of pedigreed furniture and art came from the Bel Air estate of Zsa Zsa Gabor, including an antique Venetian secretary in a sumptuous coral hue that was in her dining room. One of the late beauty's favorites was a pair of monumentally sized, gilt Tang dynasty-style horses from the mid 20th century, which now holds court in the main window. "She loved horses and used to attend polo matches in Palm Beach, where she had a house. These were likely a gift from someone," says Osborn, who elicited the details from Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt, Gabor's ninth and final husband. Unusual and provocative accessories give the store edge. "A lot of my collections are oddities — unexpected but in a sophisticated way," Osborn says. A taxidermy cobra, posed and ready to strike, was gleaned from the Palm Beach estate sale of a well- traveled family. An antique glass vitrine showcases an ancient Tibetan carved skull and a mythical figure with rare star-ruby eyes, carved by a native Alaskan artisan from a 2,000-year-old skull. Exquisite old craniums fascinate collectors who have an interest in archeology and curiosities, such as a prominent Palm Beach attorney whose collection of nine Edwardian-era and antique African skull specimens was purchased by Osborn at an estate sale. Having operated a booth for 10 years at the recently shuttered Dallas antiques emporium The Mews, Osborne and Barber are fine-tuned to what collectors and interior designers want. In addition to their own staggering collection of antiques, The Muse on Slocum — new spelling, new location — features treasures from a half- dozen designers and antiques dealers, including a striking collection of colorful Murano glass lamps from James McInroe, contemporary art from Kathleen Allen, Continental antiques from Ann Schooler, and French antiques from Sally Crawford. Artifkt, a local stockist for Farrow & Ball, has a dedicated space for the England- made paints and wallpapers. Rather than traditional booths, The Muse on Slocum has highly styled spaces with a mix of periods that feel more residential. "I created a synergy of dealers with antiques, art, and interiors," Osborn says. "It all works together, even though we don't all have the same look." Items don't have to be museum quality or pedigreed to make it through the door. "I've tried to find things that people can't find anywhere else, but they're still affordable." The Muse on Slocum, 1201 Slocum St., 214.655.6873. Aaron Osborn and Virgil Barber An antique Venetian mirror rests on a shell-encrusted console from an Ocean Drive estate. Set of antique framed charcoal drawings. Shell-encrusted console from an Ocean Drive estate. Venetian 19th-century secretary from Zsa Zsa Gabor's house in Bel Air.