With the late-summer days still long and the weather right for getting out and about, now’s a good time to invest in a stroller if you’ve got little ones. Current eBay data show that average prices in the stroller category are dropping fast, as sellers try and move their goods before winter sets in. I live in New York City, which in many ways is the ultimate walking metropolis and home to a thriving stroller culture (think of paparazzi shots of movie stars like Naomi Watts guiding her young sons around downtown Manhattan in a Phil and Teds double-decker buggy). As the mother of a toddler and an infant myself, I’ve noticed that prams have become the equivalent of a handbag or a car for busy moms: not only everyday necessities, but also expressions of style. Here’s a spectrum of choices that are popular—which fit a variety of needs, budgets, and lifestyles, no matter where you live. read more

It isn’t rare these days to hear about designers that are artists, artists that have bands and musicians that serve as muses for some of the biggest couture houses in Paris. But 53 years ago, when Vera Neumann (1907-1993) took one of her bright geometric prints, had it screened onto a leftover piece of parachute silk from WWII and called it a scarf, she single-handedly revolutionized the idea of fashion as art. Until then, artists were artists and designers were designers—and no one crossed mediums. But Neumann believed that art should be accessible to the masses, and wearing it seemed like a pretty good way to go about achieving that goal. So she put her colorful prints on everything from wallpaper and bedding to blouses and dresses, all emblazoned with her iconic ladybug signature. Over half a century later, her wearable art—originally collected by Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly—is still just as coveted. Try searching “Vera Neumann” on eBay for further proof. read more

This time of year we’re thinking about tucking away the towels and flip flops, sweeping up the sand, and making sure our entry is ready for fall. The tenets of good entry design are straightforward enough—it’s all about making a good impression and controlling the clutter. Here are tips from three designers who know how to get a WOW while reigning it all in. read more

On the eve of the third annual Dwell on Design conference in Los Angeles (June 25-27), Dwell's publisher Michela O'Connor Abrams chatted with The Inside Source about how she styles her own Mill Valley, CA, home and which eBay items she'd love to own. This year for Dwell on Design, sustainable living site ecofabulous is decorating a PreFab home crafted from recycled goods, and the house will be auctioned off on eBay during the event. Check back here in coming weeks for more dispatches from the conference, including an interview with ecofabulous founder Zem Joaquin. read more

While botanical and zoological drawings and prints have long been celebrated as elegant and often attainable artworks, these days trendsetters are getting to the heart of the matter—literally. Designers are hanging medical charts in well-turned-out spaces and discerning shopkeepers are elevating anatomical models to objets d’arts. Jewelry designers too, are finding inspiration from internal organs and skeletal structures. read more