Wit and Whim opens in Huntington 

One door closes and another opens for Jacquelyn Conte, 46, who kept the name Wit & Whim (from her recently shuttered store in Port Washington) but changed up the mix at her new gift boutique in Huntington. When her partner in the former business amicably opted out, Conte, a Huntington resident, decided it was a good time to move closer to home after six years of running that store.

Here, in what she suspects was a 1740s carriage house, Conte takes the word “eclectic” to new heights including with the taxidermied caribou (one of several similar pieces) that punctuates the soaring ceiling. Drawn to mysticism, vintage goods, religious artifacts and unusual antique and handmade jewelry, her new, two-room 400-square-foot space is “more of a curiosity shop than the other store,” says Conte. “It’s not a grab-and-go kind of place,” she explains. “Everything has a little story. Though it’s a very relaxed atmosphere, for people who need personal shopping or a little help, I’m totally here.”

When possible, Conte sells products from local businesses such as the luxurious line of handcrafted soaps, scrubs and bath salts from Pixie Soaps and Suds of Holbrook along with candles and pottery from local vendors. A jewelry designer — Conte offers her own brand, “Sacred Lab Co.,” which is a handmade collection of vintage and modern pieces. Also in the jewelry department, Morse code designs that spell out affirmations and messages on necklaces, earrings and bracelets in code — only the giver and the recipient will know what they say (unless you’re fluent in Morse code). Also offered are a slew of hard-to-find salvage jewelry parts that include brass stampings, beads, charms and crystals.

“They’re odd pieces that people buy for weird reasons,” she says. There is plenty in the often-overlooked men’s gifts category as well: beard oils, shaving creams, body oils, wallets, pocketknives, key rings and flasks. In search of an antique barrister bookcase or general store scale? She’s got them.

Prices start at $3 for C. Howard Co. Violet candy and gum made in Bellport; costume jewelry goes for about $25; a German glass medicine bottle from World War II, $50, a 1950s metal Hires Root beer sign, $100; and a carved cigar store Indian, $650.

Signature black and gold gift wrap is free and Conte plans to hold crafty in-store events throughout the year that she calls “fun and community building.”

Wit & Whim is located at 187 Park Ave., in Huntington. The shop is open daily,  11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; wit-and-whim.com, 631-470-0424.