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Ellen Jürgenson and Aubrey Jesseau procured much of their apartment furnishings through the Bunz trading platform.Christopher Katsarov/The Globe and Mail

“Not to get too corny, but we like used things; things with a little bit of history,” Aubrey Jesseau says. Many of the furnishings in the two-storey rental he shares with girlfriend Ellen Jurgenson, located in Toronto’s Little Italy neighbourhood, were procured through online trading platform Bunz, where Jesseau works.

More than a cheap decorating strategy, trading is a philosophy for Jesseau – one that encourages sustainability by giving products a second life and mindfulness around ownership and need. But practically speaking, furnishing your space through trades can amount to a lot of time spent online hunting – though not necessarily. “You can kind of manifest things on the app,” Jurgenson says. Through filters, saved searches and alerts, Jurgenson assures it’s easy to look for the things you want and get notified when something similar becomes available.

“You can build your own mental mood board of things you’re on the hunt for,” Jurgenson says. “But inevitably you come across things that you didn’t really think you wanted. Then you see them and you’re like, ‘Oh, there it is! I could use that in my house,'” she says.

Favourite Room: A laundry room that doubles as a play space

Jesseau and Jurgenson present their finds to one another, and if both are in agreement, they’ll offer a trade. Usually it’s wine or Bunz’s digital currency, BTZ. But sometimes, traders get inventive. “There are, literally, no rules,” Jurgenson says. She once secured an item for a donation to the charity of her choice. “I gave $50 to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and [the trader] was happy with that,” she says.

When furnishing one’s space this way, patience is key. In their case, the better part of a year was spent accumulating items. A pair of Eames moulded fiberglass armchairs were a score for Jesseau (along with an IKEA rug and some stoneware dishes). The previous owner was moving to Britain and looking to rid herself of most of her earthly possessions this side of the Atlantic. “It was one of the best trades ever. I think we gave her enough wine to last her, well, until she left,” he says.

And despite the space’s furnished state, the trading continues. “It’s hard to be done,” Jurgenson says. “You develop new tastes for things and playing around is so much fun. We’re open and not scared to try out different things,” she says. The couch is next up on their list of trades, for purely pragmatic reasons, since, Jesseau says the cushions have flattened over time. The rug in their living space was a non-Bunz purchase, ordered online. “There are corners and nooks where we have a combination of new and used things and that’s pretty cool. I think it’s a good combo,” Jurgenson says.

But trading will always be the preferred method of procurement. “When you trade with someone, you’re getting an item with some history,” Jesseau says. “Sure, it probably has some scratches and some wear.” But it also has a story. “That’s when it has more meaning for us, knowing that this item already has a history and we’re going to continue it,” he says. The ins and outs of the transaction can often make for a good tale as well. “Any time anyone says, ‘How’d you manage to get that?’” says Jurgenson, “I’m like, ‘Funny story.’”

Get the look

  • Vintage Moroccan wool rug 4’7” x 8’9”, US$4,000 at ABC Carpet & Home (abchome.com).

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