Viral mates, Matt and Josh Design, detail the incredible Facebook finds that made them famous

Gone are the days of touring op-shops and expensive antique stores for savvy designers as viral designers reveal some of their incredible Facebook buys.

Gone are the days of touring op-shops and expensive antique stores for some savvy designers.

Out of a vibrant apartment in Melbourne’s CBD, the hugely popular Melbourne-based homeware merchants Matt Moss and Josh Jessup from Matt and Josh Design have tapped a widely used online resource that has fast become a huge part of their bread and butter.

Josh Jessup (left) and Matt Moss (right) from Matt and Josh Design have built an impressive Instagram following of over 1.2 million people.

The pair has built an impressive Instagram following of more than 1.2 million people, but the neo-businessmen say they have found a way to use social media for more than just clout.

Their home acts as a storefront of sorts, inspiring their large hoard of followers, though almost everything in it is someone else’s unwanted goods.

A typical day for the owners of the lucrative “rental-friendly” homewares label begins with a scroll through the Facebook marketplace, they explained.

From there, they investigate, sometimes haggling and driving to collect their new showpiece.

“People wanted more of our house and decorating and ourselves,” Josh told news.com.au regarding their online notoriety.

“So we started sharing that with our audience, and it’s slowly evolved to taking everyone along for our house decorating journey more.”

Some of their finds include a lamp made from a fallen gum tree branch, a shark made out of broken surfboards, and a large door adorned with a giant painting of The Powerpuff Girls antagonist, Mojo Jojo.

Josh said that, as well as opening up a massive market, Marketplace shopping can offer huge savings.

“We find unique pieces that you’re not going to find anywhere else,” he said.

They’ve tapped into Facebook Marketplace to find unique pieces for their home that they can then share with their followers.

The pair also finds Marketplace shopping to be more sustainable and more affordable.

“And it also just helps keep the interior design world a bit more circular and sustainable.”

The said there were signs of fellow designers, curators and other businesses transferring their whole business models to buying and selling on Marketplace.

“I feel like a lot of furniture curators in Melbourne have popped up recently during Covid, and one of their main methods of those businesses is going through Marketplace,” Josh said.

Matt added: “There’s also been a couple of pieces we’ve gone to pick up and then chatted to the person and found out that’s kind of like what they do.”

“They run an upcycling furniture business, and they find more rundown items on the Marketplace, and then they repaint them and that sort of stuff, and they sell them again,” he explained.

Josh added that their algorithms had recently become dialled in, meaning scrolling for their finds has lessened.

However, they warn of scammers and advise buyers to be cautious and not hand over any money until they have the product in hand. Picture: Kirill Kudryavtsev

The pair say they’ve saved countless thousands of dollars, including $14,000 on a $15,000 “giant rug” which was put up on Marketplace for just $1,000.

“We’ve saved absolute thousands for sure using Marketplace because a lot of people just want to get rid of things quickly,” Josh said.

However, such an open market comes with its fair share of hazards.

Scammers are aplenty, targeting both buyers and sellers.

Matt said the age-old adage rings true when shopping on Marketplace – if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

He said the key to avoiding being scammed was to: “Slow down … Try and just think through what you’re looking at and what the deal is.”

“Do a bit of a spot check and just check their ratings and reviews and make sure it’s a legit seller,” he added.

“And don’t hand over any money until you’ve got the product physically in hand or you’ve seen it.

“A lot of people might try and ask for you to send money, and then that’s the last you see of them.