The wet kitchen and dry kitchen concept is simple on paper: one room for the mess, one room for the show. The working kitchen takes the frying, the turmeric and the sink full of pots. The entertaining kitchen stays camera-ready.

The setup has a history in Asia and in large homes, and it’s getting renewed attention from homeowners who entertain often or cook in ways that don’t stay tidy. Designers say the idea has real merit. They also say most Seattle homes don’t need two kitchens, and what people are usually after can be solved with far less square footage.

We talked to design professionals about when a second kitchen makes sense and what it costs.

Start with the job, not the label

Amanda Armstrong Sava, general manager of Neil Kelly Company , says she has designed a few versions, though nobody called them wet-dry kitchens at the time.…