Designing a kitchen island

[Carrie12345]

I’m attaching a picture that comes close to our planned kitchen. Similar cabinets (but no glass), similar counter, similar hardware, SS appliances, white backsplash, same layout but slightly different measurements. Our floor will be a medium dark brown.

We are going to build our own island. (No sink; we’re having one put on the opposite wall.) I do NOT want it matchy-matchy like the one in the picture. I do want it to coordinate, as opposed to being a statement piece. While I like the concept of an island that pops, I’m commitment-phobic.  But my mind is blank. Like, really blank! So I’m seeking inspiration please!

 

[PeterPan]

Are your cabs going to be that dark? What is the style you're going for? I'm not up on all the terms, but that's a very contemporary kind of style. To me the island of a different color (which is what mine is btw) is a more casual, kind of country style. My look in my house is more french country, so it works. 

I think if you want to blend with that look and your cabs are going that dark/modern, your island needs to go that direction also. Probably stainless with a stainless top. I have a stainless restaurant prep table in my basement, so I happen to really like that look. I'm not sure whether you could get away with a wood counter, like maple or a butcher block look. Depends on your floors and how it all looks together. I wouldn't put that stone on stainless.

[PeterPan]

In googling, I found an ikea pic with black cabinets for all and jut the countertop changed for the island.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/vadholma-kitchen-island-black-oak-20359154/

[PeterPan]

Have you thought about furring out the perimeter cabs to make those counters 3" deeper? If your dimensions are that spacious, you would have room to. Don Silvers of Kitchen Design with Cooking in mind recommends it and it's a hack that doesn't require custom cabinets. I'm thinking that changing the perimeter depth might give you some of that shake up you're wanting. I LOVE it on mine. 

How do you prep on an island that big with no sink? Do what you want, but I love my sink. I kept the long run under the window unbroken in my kitchen, no sink at all, and a potfiller sink by the stove. 

Edited August 31, 2021 by PeterPan

[Carrie12345]

7 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

In googling, I found an ikea pic with black cabinets for all and jut the countertop changed for the island.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/vadholma-kitchen-island-black-oak-20359154/

Hm. Based on one of those shots, maybe I can get away with butcher block in a tone that doesn’t clash with the floor.

Yes, the cabinets are basically black.  
I don’t really fit any particular style, but our picks do lean modern. My love of black/white/gray is more about simplicity than trends, lol.

I *adore the idea of a stainless steel counter, but feel like that’s not very inviting for gathering.

[Bambam]

Our island cabinets are a different color (lighter brown while the other cabinets are cherry). Granite on top is the same.  I think it looks fine. It looked odd to me at first because I'm used to all the cabinet colors matching, but it works. 

We have a pullout drawer in our island that houses a frame for our trash can. Love it - trash is always out of sight. Cons - sometimes someone overfills it and you have to pull everything out to get that extra trash out.  We also put a little lower piece at the bottom (hangs directly down underneath the bottom edge of the door) so I can pull it out with my foot vs. touching it if my hands are contaminated. 

[bibiche]

If you’re commitment-phobic, why not go with a piece of furniture that can be moved as the fancy strikes you, particularly since you won’t have any appliances or plumbing contained in it? 

[Carrie12345]

8 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Have you thought about furring out the perimeter cabs to make those counters 3" deeper? If your dimensions are that spacious, you would have room to. Don Silvers of Kitchen Design with Cooking in mind recommends it and it's a hack that doesn't require custom cabinets. I'm thinking that changing the perimeter depth might give you some of that shake up you're wanting. I LOVE it on mine. 

How do you prep on an island that big with no sink? Do what you want, but I love my sink. I kept the long run under the window unbroken in my kitchen, no sink at all, and a potfiller sink by the stove. 

Our dimensions are slightly different, it isn’t quite as spacious as this one. Still enormous to me! With the flank of cabinets we’re putting on the other wall, we just barely meet the measurement needs for an island at all. (I’ve been comparing to my friend’s kitchen, which is 1’ narrower, with 12’ cabinets on the opposite wall, vs. the 24” I ordered.) 

It has never crossed my mind that prep distance could be an issue. That’s probably due to my current needs to make anything work, including prepping outside of my current kitchen, lol. After 16 years of that, a few steps are unlikely to phase me. 

The prep sink on the other wall is almost entirely about people not getting in the way of my coffee 🤣. That might be a slight exaggeration, but only slight.

[Carrie12345]

15 minutes ago, bibiche said:

If you’re commitment-phobic, why not go with a piece of furniture that can be moved as the fancy strikes you, particularly since you won’t have any appliances or plumbing contained in it? 

It’s a consideration! But still unsure about what look to go for, especially for the top. I’m pretty cheap, so lots of the ones I’ve seen are still expensive enough that I’d hate to want to replace them.

[plansrme]

I have black cabinets on the perimeter and island, but a walnut countertop on my island. I love it more than I love my children. Well, maybe not more. . .

Anyway, the one thing I always always always recommend for an island is a cutout for a giant trashcan underneath. My trashcan is in a full-height narrow (maybe 10") cabinet on one end of my island, and the cutout is about 5x7. I love that I do not have to open the door to throw stuff away.  When I cook, I can just sweep things in there. I also love not having a trash can visible. I think this is the trashcan I use, but I use 30 gallon bags in it--overhang is key, as is having a can as tall as your base cabinet.

Also--drawers. You want all the drawers in your island. I have bookshelves on the back side of mine, the side that faces the living area, but the kitchen side is deep drawers and trash.

[PeterPan]

47 minutes ago, Carrie12345 said:

The prep sink on the other wall is almost entirely about people not getting in the way of my coffee 🤣. That might be a slight exaggeration, but only slight.

Sounds smart to me! 

[PeterPan]

26 minutes ago, plansrme said:

My trashcan is in a full-height narrow (maybe 10") cabinet on one end of my island, and the cutout is about 5x7. I love that I do not have to open the door to throw stuff away. 

I have something like this too. I got a commercial rectangular trash can and we use the large black trash bags. Awesome. 

[PeterPan]

28 minutes ago, plansrme said:

I think this is the trashcan I use, but I use 30 gallon bags in it--overhang is key, as is having a can as tall as your base cabinet.

Mine is a Toter, kind of a brown marbled look (you'll see them at Walmart) and I think it's no longer made. This grey would go well in a modern decor! And yes, we have an overhang. Because our cabinets are deeper than standard, the overhang has another 10" or so, which let me snag a stool to put in the kitchen side to sit to prep, sit to snack, whatever. I don't like sitting on the raised side of the island, so I use it a lot.

[PeterPan]

54 minutes ago, Carrie12345 said:

With the flank of cabinets we’re putting on the other wall, we just barely meet the measurement needs for an island at all. (I’ve been comparing to my friend’s kitchen, which is 1’ narrower, with 12’ cabinets on the opposite wall, vs. the 24” I ordered.) 

Well you don't want your floor space TOO tight. It's helpful to have 12-15" at least beyond what your dishwasher door will extend out so someone can walk by while another person is loading/unloading.

[PeterPan]

34 minutes ago, plansrme said:

I have bookshelves on the back side of mine

Love this idea!! And it might give her a way to keep the island narrower and preserve floor space.

[plansrme]

4 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Mine is a Toter, kind of a brown marbled look (you'll see them at Walmart) and I think it's no longer made. This grey would go well in a modern decor! And yes, we have an overhang. Because our cabinets are deeper than standard, the overhang has another 10" or so, which let me snag a stool to put in the kitchen side to sit to prep, sit to snack, whatever. I don't like sitting on the raised side of the island, so I use it a lot.

Oh I meant overhang on trash bags! I use a 30 or 33 gallon bag in a 23 gallon can so it hangs over even when people stuff to-go containers through the hole in the island and into the trashcan underneath. The skimpy trash bag shown on the can I linked would never work with my set-up. But overhang on the island is also key so you get as  much depth as possible.

[bibiche]

51 minutes ago, plansrme said:

Anyway, the one thing I always always always recommend for an island is a cutout for a giant trashcan underneath. My trashcan is in a full-height narrow (maybe 10") cabinet on one end of my island, and the cutout is about 5x7. I love that I do not have to open the door to throw stuff away.  When I cook, I can just sweep things in there. 

I am perplexed. What would possibly generate so much trash while you’re preparing food? 
 

[plansrme]

35 minutes ago, bibiche said:

I am perplexed. What would possibly generate so much trash while you’re preparing food? 
 

I am perplexed that you are perplexed. This is our only kitchen trash can. We just access it through the cut-out. Everything goes in there. We probably fill it up every day-and-a-half.

[bibiche]

3 minutes ago, plansrme said:

I am perplexed that you are perplexed. This is our only kitchen trash can. We just access it through the cut-out. Everything goes in there. We probably fill it up every day-and-a-half.

I was thinking packaging, but it just occurred to me that maybe you put food waste into the trash, which would explain it. I generate a fair amount of peelings and stuff when I’m cooking, for sure, but everything is composted so I have virtually no trash. I kept picturing my empty smallish trashcan and it wasn’t making sense. My compost bin, on the other hand, is regularly full. 😉 

[Anne]

Make sure you have several electrical outlets/usb ports in your island so you can plug things in easily.

 

Anne

[Forget-Me-Not]

Are you thinking different cabinet colors, or different countertops or both? I've seen some kitchens where the island is a different countertop material, like butcher block. 

I just went through a Parade of Homes in my area this a couple of weekends ago and a lot of the new homes I saw had island cabinets that were painted a color. Slate-blue, sea-foam green, darker almost sage-green, barn red.  The surrounding cabinets on the walls were usually wood-tones of some kind, or a combo of lower wood tones with white uppers.  I loved it, but it's a big commitment in my mind, LOL.  I'm all about let's do everything neutral and I can add pops of color and then change those pops of color when I get sick of that color a few months or years down the road.  

BTW, I'm about 95% sure that the granite shown in that pic is the one my mom has in her house, LOL.  It's a super popular granite color around here (I know it won't likely be your granite, just thought it was funny that it had popped up yet again). 

I'd say eke out every last bit of storage you can and lots of outlets.  I saw some that had cabinets underneath the bar seating area of the island, but those were big, big islands that had room for those AND cabinets on the front. 

[Amy Gen]

One thing we did in our last kitchen was lay the floor down wall to wall, and then add the cabinets, then we added the island, but we had it put on locking wheels so that it can be moved to the dining room for a serving station or over by the windows if I needed more space in the kitchen for a pig project. 
 

Everyone who looked at the house commented on how much they liked that feature. 

[Carrie12345]

14 minutes ago, Forget-Me-Not said:

BTW, I'm about 95% sure that the granite shown in that pic is the one my mom has in her house, LOL.  It's a super popular granite color around here (I know it won't likely be your granite, just thought it was funny that it had popped up yet again). 

I know there are variations in each slab but, yeah, lol, it’s probably the same thing! The most neutral Level A granite choice in my builder’s collection. They didn’t have anything else I was comfortable with until getting up into the Level D/E range, and I wasn’t about to even ask what that price difference was!

[Forget-Me-Not]

2 minutes ago, Carrie12345 said:

I know there are variations in each slab but, yeah, lol, it’s probably the same thing! The most neutral Level A granite choice in my builder’s collection. They didn’t have anything else I was comfortable with until getting up into the Level D/E range, and I wasn’t about to even ask what that price difference was!

It really is pretty neutral!  Her house is mostly done in grays and the wood is all brown with sort of a gray wash to it.  You can put just about any color with it all!  

[Spy Car]

There is one thing I have always desired in a "dream kitchen" and that is to have an opening cut into a food prep countertop that would allow food waste (trim) to be brushed through it and into a hidden waste receptacle below that was accessable through a cabinet drawer.

I don't really see that done. 

Bill

[Spy Car]

5 hours ago, plansrme said:

I have black cabinets on the perimeter and island, but a walnut countertop on my island. I love it more than I love my children. Well, maybe not more. . .

Anyway, the one thing I always always always recommend for an island is a cutout for a giant trashcan underneath. My trashcan is in a full-height narrow (maybe 10") cabinet on one end of my island, and the cutout is about 5x7. I love that I do not have to open the door to throw stuff away.  When I cook, I can just sweep things in there. I also love not having a trash can visible. I think this is the trashcan I use, but I use 30 gallon bags in it--overhang is key, as is having a can as tall as your base cabinet.

Also--drawers. You want all the drawers in your island. I have bookshelves on the back side of mine, the side that faces the living area, but the kitchen side is deep drawers and trash.

OMG!

I should have read the thread before responding. Boy are we on the same page!!!

Bill

[Spy Car]

4 hours ago, bibiche said:

I am perplexed. What would possibly generate so much trash while you’re preparing food? 
 

I'm surprised (given what I know of your from scratch cooking style) that you don't generate a lot of food scraps.

I just bottled up a jar of mixed vegetable pickles (for example) and had considerable trim from cauliflower stalks, pepper tops and seeds, onion skins, carrot trim, etc.

I'd love to be able to just sweep that away. and ideally send it to the compost heap.

Bill

[PeterPan]

5 hours ago, Spy Car said:

There is one thing I have always desired in a "dream kitchen" and that is to have an opening cut into a food prep countertop that would allow food waste (trim) to be brushed through it and into a hidden waste receptacle below that was accessable through a cabinet drawer.

I don't really see that done. 

Bill

I saw it on a kitchen design show I used to watch before I made my kitchen. It's fine. I think the hole would be gross and something to clean as stuff got on the edges. We went with a compost bin on the counter and biodegradable bags. 

 

4 hours ago, Spy Car said:

I'm surprised (given what I know of your from scratch cooking style) that you don't generate a lot of food scraps.

I just bottled up a jar of mixed vegetable pickles (for example) and had considerable trim from cauliflower stalks, pepper tops and seeds, onion skins, carrot trim, etc.

I'd love to be able to just sweep that away. and ideally send it to the compost heap.

Bill

Yes, our compost bin has to go out to the pile almost every day. It's fine when I have someone to do the hauling, but *I* am not interested in tromping through snow and wet/muddy yard to the edge of the woods several months every year. When my dh isn't around, shoop into the trash scraps go. 😄  

Edited August 31, 2021 by PeterPan

[PeterPan]

7 hours ago, Forget-Me-Not said:

lots of outlets. 

I have plugmold under the large window on my long counter run. You can't do that if there's a sink there. On the island I have a sink, so I have plugmold on the backsplash leading to the raised side. LOVE plugmold. Not very swank, but uber functional. You can also install it in the space just under the lip of your counter (not as convenient, but hey) or underneath upper cabs. Google plugmold and see pics to get ideas. So, so nice to have outlets where you need them.

[Spy Car]

12 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

I saw it on a kitchen design show I used to watch before I made my kitchen. It's fine. I think the hole would be gross and something to clean as stuff got on the edges. We went with a compost bin on the counter and biodegradable bags. 

 

Yes, our compost bin has to go out to the pile almost every day. It's fine when I have someone to do the hauling, but *I* am not interested in tromping through snow and wet/muddy yard to the edge of the woods several months every year. When my dh isn't around, shoop into the trash scraps go. 😄  

See, I think that being able to sweep food scraps into a hole would be far less "gross" that spilling it all over the kitchen floor while trying to get it into a trash can--which is my usual MO. LOL.

Bill

 

 

 

[bibiche]

5 hours ago, Spy Car said:

I'm surprised (given what I know of your from scratch cooking style) that you don't generate a lot of food scraps.

I just bottled up a jar of mixed vegetable pickles (for example) and had considerable trim from cauliflower stalks, pepper tops and seeds, onion skins, carrot trim, etc.

I'd love to be able to just sweep that away. and ideally send it to the compost heap.

Bill

I do, I just don’t throw them in the trash. Some scraps go into stock, others go into compost. I was just having a puzzled moment before I realized that lots of people just put food waste in the trash.

Fermented vegetable pickles? Yum.

Edited August 31, 2021 by bibiche

[Scarlett]

5 hours ago, Spy Car said:

There is one thing I have always desired in a "dream kitchen" and that is to have an opening cut into a food prep countertop that would allow food waste (trim) to be brushed through it and into a hidden waste receptacle below that was accessable through a cabinet drawer.

I don't really see that done. 

Bill

My sister has that. My Dh made it for her. 

[Spy Car]

Just now, bibiche said:

I do, I just don’t throw them in the trash. Some scraps go into stock, others go into compost. I was just having a puzzled moment before I realized that lots of people just put food waste in the trash.

I think that, like you, I'm a frugal cook and save usable scraps, but plenty of trimmings in my kitchen are destined for compost or the trash and I'd love to have a "hole." It ain't gonna happen. But a man can dream.

Bill

[Spy Car]

4 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

My sister has that. My Dh made it for her. 

That would make me so happy. 

Bill

[bibiche]

1 minute ago, Spy Car said:

I think that, like you, I'm a frugal cook and save usable scraps, but plenty of trimmings in my kitchen are destined for compost or the trash and I'd love to have a "hole." It ain't gonna happen. But a man can dream.

Bill

It’s a nice feature. I don’t have one now but I’ve had one in the past. Although it didn’t go into a drawer, just a trash can beneath. 

[Carrie12345]

42 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

I saw it on a kitchen design show I used to watch before I made my kitchen. It's fine. I think the hole would be gross and something to clean as stuff got on the edges.

Now I’ve got wheels turning, lol. I, too, would think a hole would get icky, and I can’t see having compost stuff sitting without a lid. (‘Cuz, yeah, it ain’t getting emptied daily here!). BUUUUT... maybe a lidded bucket set on a pull out shelf ABOVE a regular trash can on a pull out shelf. Then either shelf/drawer can provide a pretty straight shot.  
I don’t know. My kids may still be too messy for that. But it’s an idea!

[PeterPan]

2 hours ago, Spy Car said:

See, I think that being able to sweep food scraps into a hole would be far less "gross" that spilling it all over the kitchen floor while trying to get it into a trash can--which is my usual MO. LOL.

This is why you need the magic trashcan! If I'm doing something that messy, like making noodles, I can pull it parallel to the counter and it nestles just under the lip of the counter. Then SWEEP the junk in and everything is clean.

I'm thinking more like for drippy stuff like eggs, wet rinds, etc. a compost bin is much preferable. 

[PeterPan]

2 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

Now I’ve got wheels turning, lol. I, too, would think a hole would get icky, and I can’t see having compost stuff sitting without a lid. (‘Cuz, yeah, it ain’t getting emptied daily here!). BUUUUT... maybe a lidded bucket set on a pull out shelf ABOVE a regular trash can on a pull out shelf. Then either shelf/drawer can provide a pretty straight shot.  
I don’t know. My kids may still be too messy for that. But it’s an idea!

I didn't do a garbage disposal because noise, anxiety, noise, anxiety. Now, 14 years later, I kinda smack myself a bit and wonder why I didn't just put in a disposal, lol.

Some of the things we *didn't* do that I had as ideas irked me a long time. I think I was right on them, but some still matter now and some don't matter as much anymore. So I think go with your gut and you'll be happy. Let someone dissuade you and you won't. 😄 

[PeterPan]

2 hours ago, Spy Car said:

But a man can dream.

I'm pretty sure you could solve this problem. Power tools. 😄 

[Tap]

I would consider painting the under cabinets on the island a beautiful dark, intense color. A dark wine, indigo blue, blood-orange color, hunter green, dark teal etc. A  fun pop of color that you can change out when you want, but adds a bit of sophisticated interest.  

[Carol in Cal.]

Personally I would not use the granite.  I love teh looks of it, but every single open house or gathering that I have been to where there are granite countertops, they either look cloudy from soup scum or when you touch them you feel grease or crumbs.  It is very hard to know when they are clean, and I’ve reluctantly decided against them for food prep for that reason.

I would be inclined to have the dark cabinets be limited to underneath the counters and island, and choose a lighter color up top.  

For the island I would decide on function.  Do I want to roll out cookie dough there?  Do I want to make pie crusts?  But mostly gather and eat there?  Then I’d do without the sink or even a cooktop, and use either hardwood or marble as the island top.  Probably I’d use marble.  

What I have personally is an island with a cooktop covering half of it, and tiles on the other half of the top.  Underneath the tiles is a warming oven, which I LOVE having.  There are also various drawers and a large pull out cutting board that I use for rolling things out.  Eventually I want a Boos butcher block table for the far end, and that will be my rolling out spot.  We don’t generally eat from the island, but it’s nice to stand around with drinks having appetizers.  I do food cleaning and trimming at the kitchen sink, and then transfer to portable cutting boards on the island for more detailed prep or to use the food processor or KitchenAid.  It really works out great.

 

[Carrie12345]

5 hours ago, PeterPan said:

I didn't do a garbage disposal because noise, anxiety, noise, anxiety. Now, 14 years later, I kinda smack myself a bit and wonder why I didn't just put in a disposal, lol.

Some of the things we *didn't* do that I had as ideas irked me a long time. I think I was right on them, but some still matter now and some don't matter as much anymore. So I think go with your gut and you'll be happy. Let someone dissuade you and you won't. 😄 

Truth!

The garbage disposal thing will always irk me. We’re not getting one because of the septic. I know I’ve definitely heard people say that their septic has always been just fine with one, but that’s way too expensive a gamble for me. I’m already nervous about learning how efficient our new septic will be. Here, I know mine is just about the most reliable thing about my house, lol. It’s a champ! But every system on every property varies, so... 

[Carrie12345]

4 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said:

For the island I would decide on function.  Do I want to roll out cookie dough there?  Do I want to make pie crusts?  But mostly gather and eat there?  Then I’d do without the sink or even a cooktop, and use either hardwood or marble as the island top.  Probably I’d use marble.  

What I have personally is an island with a cooktop covering half of it, and tiles on the other half of the top.  Underneath the tiles is a warming oven, which I LOVE having.  There are also various drawers and a large pull out cutting board that I use for rolling things out.  Eventually I want a Boos butcher block table for the far end, and that will be my rolling out spot.  We don’t generally eat from the island, but it’s nice to stand around with drinks having appetizers.  I do food cleaning and trimming at the kitchen sink, and then transfer to portable cutting boards on the island for more detailed prep or to use the food processor or KitchenAid.  It really works out great.

I do love the function of marble. I keep a slab on my current counter. That thing is around 16 years old and has 1 small chip, scratches only I can see, and saves my butt almost every day. (I have laminate countertops.)

But I definitely want it to serve as extra eating/hang out space, because we’re not going to be setting up a formal dining room until we finish some basement space, if ever.  So, just the smallish breakfast area, which will hold our family but no more, and the island.

[PeterPan]

3 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

I do love the function of marble. I keep a slab on my current counter. That thing is around 16 years old and has 1 small chip, scratches only I can see, and saves my butt almost every day. (I have laminate countertops.)

But I definitely want it to serve as extra eating/hang out space, because we’re not going to be setting up a formal dining room until we finish some basement space, if ever.  So, just the smallish breakfast area, which will hold our family but no more, and the island.

My perimeter cabs are a medium cherry, the island antique white (closer to cream). The counters are the same for both the perimeter and the work space of the island, however the raised eating area on the island is wood. It's a cherry that matches the perimeter cabs, so it's mixymatchy without being too wild. As far as durability of a wood surface for an island, it ha been fine. We use placemats for each person sitting there and apply salt. So it has a few water spots but mostly it has survived well for 13+ years.

If you do something like butcher block over the entire surface, you can sand and reseal. If you want something to match your perimeter cabs and want to do that only in the raised eating area, that could work. I think dark with show water stains badly so I probably wouldn't do that. However wood is more comfortable than stone for an eating surface, with you on that. I say that and I eat at the regular height in that little overhang and don't mind. The edges are rounded similarly on both the raised wood and regular quartz counters, so they're smooth on the forearms. 🙂 

Again, just go with your gut and you'll probably like whatever you do. You can stress a lot over decisions, but sometimes you just think it through and roll with it, expecting some errors, and it turns out ok. 

[NewnameC]

9 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

 

The garbage disposal thing will always irk me. We’re not getting one because of the septic. I know I’ve definitely heard people say that their septic has always been just fine with one, but that’s way too expensive a gamble for me. I’m already nervous about learning how efficient our new septic will be. Here, I know mine is just about the most reliable thing about my house, lol. It’s a champ! But every system on every property varies, so... 

I grew up in a house with a garbage disposal and a septic tank. It was my parents first experience with that combo and they were nervous at first. They never had any issues. 
 

We are a large family. We have lived in a house with septic and garbage disposal with absolutely no issues for a decade. We had the septic tank pumped twice in the time we have lived here. The second time was the summer and there was no mention of any issues due to anything we are doing inside the house. 
 

My parents now have a vacation home where we stay with family and my siblings/family. That house is on septic and has no garbage disposal. We complain about it every time we are there.

The only thing I know we do differently than folks not on septic is we don’t put egg shells down the garbage disposal. I have no idea wether that is a big deal or not; I just know that is what the builder told my family when he built my childhood home. I just thought it was a general garbage disposal thing until I asked my parents about it when I discovered my husband putting egg shells down the garbage disposal. (We we’re new homeowners in a house that did not have a garbage disposal.)

Edited September 1, 2021 by NewnameC