Islands are popular additions to modern kitchens because of the considerable aesthetic and functional value they can bring to the heart of the home. They’re great for increasing both countertop space and cabinet storage. Additionally, they often serve as visually striking focal points that elevate the room’s interior design. But what if you just don’t have the square footage or the financial bandwidth for such a fixture in your kitchen? Well, as it turns out, not having an island might be less of a concern than you think. According to Jasmine Roth in HGTV’s “Mind to Design” video series, “It would be really easy to just add like a table or a bar cart or something very simple to the center of a kitchen, and suddenly you have an island.” You can still get many of the same benefits of a kitchen island with the help of an elegant, efficiently designed bar cart.

If you use a bar cart as an alternative to an island, you can increase the storage space in your kitchen without spending a fortune, making this hack especially useful for homeowners needing to make the most of a small kitchen. In addition, your cart’s design might help bolster the visual appeal of your space and give it a more luxurious vibe. You can use your bar cart for all sorts of items that you’d normally keep on your countertop, such as coffee mugs, oil and vinegar bottles, or a knife block. And when you’re done using whatever’s on it, you can simply roll the fixture out of the way, so that it won’t block any high-traffic areas.

If you’re going to pick out a brand-new bar cart to use as an island, there are a few things you should consider. First, make sure that you’re getting a bar cart that’s actually tall enough to use as an island. (The ideal height for a standard island is approximately 36 inches.) Next, review your kitchen’s current aesthetic and color scheme. If you choose a bar cart design that matches the other elements of your kitchen, your new island will look more like it belongs in the middle of the space. However, this could also be an opportunity to experiment with more unique kitchen color combinations.

Bar carts typically have open shelving, so you’ll want to make sure that whatever you’re putting on yours looks relatively neat and tidy. An elegant dishware collection could be quite striking. On the other hand, your collection of spices will likely just end up looking cluttered–negating this clever trick the HGTV star uses to make a small kitchen seem bigger. When you’re filling up your cart, avoid putting any items you use regularly on the bottom shelf, or you’ll have to bend over all the time to get them. Additionally, you should always make sure to keep your bar cart out of your kitchen’s work triangle. This is the area between your refrigerator, sink, and stovetop. Making this space easy to move within is important for creating a kitchen layout that is perfect for your home.