“Invest wisely in beauty; it will serve you all the days of your life.” Gee, I wish I said that, but since one of my architectural design heroes, Frank Lloyd Wright did, I think it is a message worth heeding. Since I believe that your home is a reflection of your life, then what you put in your home must be beautiful to you. Yes?

Reusing existing furnishings and home products in fresh new ways is always the most sustainable (and least expensive) way to go when decorating and remodeling a home. There are so many things to love for our homes, and many occasions that prompt homeowners to invest in beautiful furnishings and products. Can we invest wisely by aligning our purchases with our values to buy environmentally sustainable products?

Whether shopping adventures for home beautification finds consumers pounding the pavement (locally!) or clicking and pointing, at some point, millions of consumers look to eBay when shopping around.

I can safely say that Frank Lloyd Wright’s quote wasn’t about eBay. No, eBay’s famous quote is, “Don’t just shop, win!” Frank Lloyd Wright’s quote is spoken in hushed tones. The quote from eBay is shouted out for all the world to hear.

The world’s online marketplace for the sale of goods and services, eBay is used by a diverse community of individuals and businesses. The eBay community includes tens of millions of registered members from around the world. People spend more time and invest in goods on eBay than any other online site. Can these two worlds coexist?

Invest in beauty. Just like Frank Lloyd Wright’s era, we are living in a rapidly changing, and sometimes hostile social environment. His approach to this was to create art and architecture that was as much social manifestation as it was art. He believed that the power of good design makes people more aware and respectful of their natural and social surroundings.

But wait! Here comes eBay on the cutting edge of conscious consumerism. World of Good is the first online marketplace to convene thousands of consumers with eco-positive sellers and products. Their aim is to empower shoppers to align with their personal values. World of Good wants consumers to jump on their bandwagon past the green light to, “Ensure that every choice you make here is a good one.”

They just might be on the right track, because in a recent article at Green Biz, a website that supports environmental responsibility and businesses, looked at shopping trends and found that out of 9,500 consumers, 76 percent said company ethics and behavior form the basis for more purchasing choices than had been the case five years ago.

As a consumer, what I like about World of Good is that the product origin is clearly labeled. The impact on the merchant is traced, and each item is categorically disclosed as being, people positive, eco-positive, animal friendly and/or supportive of a cause.

The times they are a changin’ and guess what? World of Good has a quote too: “Where your shopping shapes the world.” eBay seems to be giving a fair shake to the world of fair trade. Can shopping for your home at World of Good make a positive social, economic and environmental impact on the planet, or are they just shouting empty consumerism?

Keeping in mind that your home is an extension of your life, here’s one last lovely quote from Frank Lloyd Wright: “Instinctively and naturally if you beautify your own life, you beautify the life of everyone around you. We share it, we get from it, it belongs to us.”