When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more
Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
When you're young and on a budget, your options for outfitting your apartment can be limited.
In fact, a lot of the apartments of 20-somethings that I've been in look almost exactly the same, and it's because so many of us just bought whatever was cheapest on Amazon or IKEA at the time that we moved in.
But you don't have to break your budget in order to get unique things or have fun styling your first adult space. I did a lot of comparing prices when I moved into my first apartment out of school this past May, and with its combination of unique home goods and super low prices, Overstock was where I found myself spending the most money and time. It's sort of the affordable one-stop shop for people who have an aspirational style plan but lack the funds necessary for shopping at places like West Elm, and you can get up to 70% off designer names.
Below, I've rounded up 15 things I either bought already or have on my wishlist from Overstock thanks to those budget-friendly options with relatively high individuality and aesthetic value. The prices are typically amongst the lowest out there, but even when they're slightly more expensive, I tend to like their selection better. It allows me to personalize the place I pay an arm and a leg to live in so that I can really enjoy living there.
And right now, Overstock is having a spring sale, so you can shop around and get up to 70% off thousands of cooler home-goods.
Saving even more at Overstock is as simple as visiting Business Insider Coupons, home to promo codes for your favorite online stores.
Below are just a few of the things I have bought from Overstock after doing a lot of price and style comparison from other stores, plus a few that are still on my wish list:
This cool and modern twist on a classic bookshelf.
This took me and a power drill a few hours to put together, but it looks great and a bit more interesting than the standard bookshelf (which costs the same if not more elsewhere).
Plus, I can't tell you how grateful I was that something so massive shipped free to my apartment since my order was well over $45, which is Overstock's cutoff point. If you don't get to $45, though, most orders are only subject to $4.95 in shipping costs. Big bonus for city-dwellers who don't have access to a car.
Manhattan Comfort Ellis Dark Oak/Black Four-Shelf Bookcase, $179.99
These laminated silver floating shelves for knickknacks.
These were easy enough to install myself and they draw the eye upward, making my room look less bottom-heavy. It was also pretty cathartic to finally be able to rid my bedside table of all the miscellaneous knickknacks I didn't have anywhere else to put.
Danya B. Laminated Silver Grey Floating 'U' Shelves, Set of Three, $21.69
An abstract and modern area rug for far less than you'd expect to pay.
Area rugs are oddly expensive, but they help ground the space and can make small rooms (like mine) look bigger than they are, according to interior designer Kate Lester. At most shops, the rugs that fit my budget looked either childish or bland and unappealing. I winced at spending $100+ on this one, but it helped knowing I was getting a comparatively good deal on something I really liked that also packs a lot of impact in a small, white-walled room.
Clay Alder Home Hillsboro Modern Abstract Vintage Blue Area Rug, 5' x 7'5, $107.19
A white faux linen sheer curtain.
This faux-linen curtain was one of the cheapest options I found for a classic white, sheer curtain in a long length.
Exclusive Fabrics Gardenia Faux Linen Sheer Curtain Panel, 108-Inch, $31.87
An inexpensive bedside lamp.
While I may have dreamed of really cool geometric bedside table lamps with warm light, this one gets the job done for much less. Instead, I funneled some of that money into things I thought I'd likely want to hold onto in my next move.
Kanstar Fine-Textured Wooden Table Lamp, Square, $24.96
A 16-piece dinnerware set that I got for 50% off during an Overstock.com sale.
Dinnerware isn't something you really think about much, yet you use it every day. I got this set for $50 off and it was a pretty incredible deal — you can find 16-piece dinnerware for less on Amazon, but it looks pretty bland. I waited for a sale and got something I genuinely like seeing for every meal for about $10 more.
American Atelier Oasis 16-piece Dinnerware Set (Service for 4), $69.49
Fun and comfortable throw blankets to liven up the living room.
Overstock has a good selection of throw blankets, which you might not think are a good use of money until it's your turn to host the movie night and everybody is freezing. They add comfort and interest (especially in a fun color) to your living room for a small investment. Our couch is pretty basic, but the throw blankets make the whole room look nicer.
Soft 100-percent Cotton Hand Twisted Throw 50x60, Set of Two, $33.57
A super functional bed frame with tons of room for storage.
I'm not necessarily proud of having a bed frame that likely shows up in a lot of college dorms, but bed frames are expensive, and I wasn't ready to commit the money or to one style. This sturdy, functional option has great ratings (1,600 reviews with a 4.6 overall rating) and is extremely simple to set up. My room is small, so I prefer to use the space on things that make me happy to look at, like the books and picture frames and candles on my bookshelf.
I hide my off-season clothes, cumbersome luggage and hiking packs, and mass of shoes in containers under my bed. Out of sight, out of mind.
DuraBed Queen Foundation and Frame-in-One Mattress Support Bed Frame, $129.99
A ClosetMaid closet system to make the most of my small space.
I'm originally from the Midwest, so I don't really have any clothes that I still keep at home. Everything exists in my small, New York City apartment closet. To make the most of my space, and cut down on clutter, I highly recommend ClosetMaid's shelving. It's a pain to set up, but it's worth the peace of mind later.
ClosetMaid ShelfTrack 5' - 8' Closet Organizer Kit, White, $143.99
An interesting shower curtain to customize a small area of our apartment.
Our bathroom is small, so there aren't many places to add personality. Rather than just a sterile white curtain, this was one inexpensive way to pull in colors we have elsewhere in the apartment and customize our space without breaking our budget. Overstock has a ton of affordable options that won't look exactly like every single one of your friend's places.
Intelligent Design Kennedy Printed Shower Curtain, $29.49
A relatively tall bedside table with hidden storage space.
This bedside table is tall enough not to look completely odd next to my tall storage-friendly bed frame, and the drawers mean I can have a few messy spaces without having to look at them all the time.
Clay Alder Home Isleton White Two-Drawer Accent Table, $122.39
A hamper that was half the price of ones that looked similar.
Hampers are oddly expensive. This one was about half the price of what similar-looking hampers cost. They're also oddly one of the things that feels most "adult" to switch out, even if you're only putting in something as simple as this hamper. It's a huge step up from using the laundry sack my college gave out during orientation freshman year.
Honey Can Do Bamboo Wicker Square Hamper, $28.49
A floor lamp that adds a lot of vertical storage space for under $50.
Since we have high ceilings in our apartment but limited floor space, we invested in a cheap floor lamp (another genre of home goods that's oddly expensive in general) so we could keep a few knickknacks within reach without having to get more furniture than we absolutely needed in our living room.
Porch & Den Delano Douglas Floor Lamp Etagere Organizer Storage Shelf, $45.47
A shoe storage container with space for 16 pairs and a transparent cover.
As I said, I love hiding the non-essentials under my bed. This storage caddy has 16 pockets for a lot of shoes, and the top is transparent so I don't have to guess what I'm opening when I'm in a rush or looking for inspiration.
Richards Homewares Black and Grey Gearbox Storage Caddy 16-pocket Underbed Chest, $17.79
A full-length mirror that opens to add ample organizational space for jewelry.
You can definitely find less expensive versions of the jewelry armoire, but I like the style of this one. I don't want to dedicate wall space I don't have to a full-length mirror or a hanging jewelry tree, so this one kills two birds with one stone. I like pieces that don't require me to sacrifice aesthetics for functionality.
Shimmer Cheval Full-Length Mirror Jewelry Armoire, $255.53
Mara Leighton Senior Digital Culture Reporter Mara Leighton is a senior digital culture reporter. If you want to get in touch, please send an email to mleighton@businessinsider.com, or send a DM on twitter to @maraleighton. Read more Read lessYou can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here.
Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyowcidnKxnmKS6pnvOr5yrq6SksKx5wJ%2BdqKqUlq%2BtsYycpqikXaq7qr3UnmSemaOueqm7zJ5knZ2TpL%2BiwMinnmarpKS%2FpnnBrrCs