Photography: Hannah Puechmarin | Stlist: Cheryl Carr
Whether you’re into mid-century modern, rustic farmhouse or sleek minimalist interiors, everyone’s on the hunt to bag a bargain, and everyone knows a great place to do that is on Facebook Marketplace.
Launched by the social networking giant Facebook in 2016, according to Capital One Shopping, roughly 491 million people bought something on the platform in 2025.
Statistics aside, we all know there are gems to be found. Still, in our pursuit of the perfectly styled space full of interesting, reclaimed objects and one-of-a-kind antiques, it’s easy to lose our way trawling through the myriad of listings for used baby clothes, unwanted gifts and knick knacks from the 80s.
Below two of our favourite interior designers, Kate Hardy from Cloth + Stone Designs and Dana Tosolini from Concepts Interior Designs, share their top tips for navigating the app and share expert insights on how to spot great deals and rare finds!
How to shop on Facebook Marketplace
Step 1: Make a plan
“Know your brands and search for them in particular,” advises Dana. “Searching takes time and patience, but keep focused or you will just scroll for hours.” She advises creating a plan for your interiors or the specific item you want before you start trawling through the app’s thousands of listings. Dana likes to start with reverse image searches, which will help create a targeted mood board and distil the style you’re aiming for.
Step 2: Narrow your search
Kate, who specialises in creating deeply personal spaces, definitely knows her way around a second-hand furniture store (both online and in-store). Her advice when shopping on a site like Facebook Marketplace, is to narrow your search to specific brands or items.
“One of the useful things about Facebook Marketplace is that you can save your preferred searches and get notifications if something new is added,” she says. “I often put brands or specific phrases into the search bar if I am looking for a particular item. For example: bentwood chair, geometric fabric or chrome side table.”
Dana, and her Canberra-based team, take a similar approach when searching for one-of-a-kind pieces, which they often do for clients wanting a blend of old and new. “We usually know what we are looking for,” she says. “If an item is not in Canberra, then we expand to Sydney or Melbourne depending on the product and what it’s worth.”
Step 3: Take your time
Kate says once you know specifically what you’re looking for, the key to success is to, “do the legwork and keep looking.” Unfortunately, there are no real short-cuts here, but consistent searches on the same topic are likely to alert the algorithm to what you’re looking for. “I believe Marketplace learns from what you search so if look at mid-century chairs a few times, you’ll start seeing more of that style and it will prioritise what it thinks you will engage with,” she says.
Step 3: Buy from reputable sellers
“I tend to purchase from vendors who I can see have solid profile record of selling similar items and preferably reviews,” says Kate, who is always on the lookout for vintage art, rattan and small mirrors. Facebook Marketplace gives each seller a badge based on their seller activities, and lists their ratings and strengths based on reviews – so it’s worth following a sellers with high quality items and a good reputation among buyers. “Occasionally you come across a great vendor who seems to have a really authentic selection of pieces that are of interest,” adds Kate.
Step 4: Style your pieces like a pro
Highly experienced styling old and new items seamlessly, Kate says the scale and architecture of a home should dictate it’s style, but there are a few principles she generally lives by.
- Choose a hero piece
“Select one antique or heirloom piece to be the star,” says Kate. “Then surround it with more modern, restrained items so it shines rather than gets lost in a room full of ‘statement’ pieces. Vintage pieces need some breathing space so the room doesn’t look like a museum.”
- Balance shapes and lines
“If the older piece is ornate and detailed, pair it with clean-lined modern furniture,” suggests Kate. “Conversely, a simple antique bench or chair looks striking next to contemporary sculptural lighting or bold artwork.”
- Use repetition
Kate loves to repeat textures and materials from a vintage pieces in other, more modern, items. “For example, if a timber dining table is the anchor, echo the wood tone in picture frames or side tables, so it feels integrated into a wider, holistic scheme,” she says.
- Layer textures
“Mix the patina of hard materials of wood, brass or marble with the softness of linen, boucle or contemporary rugs,” says Kate. “The contrast in texture makes the blend feel intentional and inviting. Contemporary rugs are a great way to ground older pieces.”
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