Should I plan for two cooks in my NB kitchen design?

Designing for two cooks is absolutely worth planning for — and it's one of those decisions that's much easier to build in from the start than to retrofit later.

A two-cook kitchen comes down to one core principle: two work zones that don't force people to cross paths. The classic kitchen triangle (fridge → sink → stove) was designed for one person. When two people cook simultaneously, you need to think in terms of parallel workflows — one person prepping while the other manages the cooktop, for example.

Space Requirements

The most important number is aisle width. For a single cook, 42 inches is the minimum. For two cooks, you want 48 inches minimum, and 54-60 inches is genuinely comfortable. This is the single biggest layout decision — if your current kitchen has 36-inch aisles, two people will be bumping into each other no matter how nice the cabinets are. If a layout change is involved (moving an island, removing a wall), that triggers a building permit and potentially structural work, so factor that into your budget and timeline early.

Two sinks are the other game-changer for two-cook kitchens. A prep sink on an island or secondary counter — separate from the main cleanup sink — eliminates the biggest traffic conflict in most kitchens. Adding a second sink means extending supply and drain lines, which typically adds $1,500-$4,000 to your plumbing budget and requires a plumbing permit. It's worth every dollar if you cook together regularly.

NB-Specific Considerations

Many New Brunswick homes — especially those built in the 1960s through 1990s — have smaller, galley-style kitchens that simply weren't designed for two people. If you're in an older home in Moncton, Fredericton, or Saint John, opening up to an adjacent dining room or removing a non-load-bearing wall is a very common solution. Always have a contractor confirm whether a wall is load-bearing before planning around it — removing a load-bearing wall requires an engineer and a building permit.

For electrical, a two-cook kitchen often means more appliances running simultaneously — think two 20-amp small appliance circuits at minimum (already required by NB Building Code), plus dedicated circuits for any additional appliances like a second oven or warming drawer. If your home has a 60-amp panel (common in older NB homes), a kitchen upgrade of this scope almost certainly requires a panel upgrade to 100 or 200-amp — budget $1,500-$4,000 for that work.

Practical Tips

Think about dedicated landing zones on both sides of the cooktop and near the fridge — each cook needs counter space to work without sharing. An island with seating on one side and prep space on the other is one of the most popular solutions in NB kitchen renovations right now. Also consider two-drawer dishwasher configurations or positioning the dishwasher so it doesn't block cabinet access when open — a surprisingly common frustration in two-cook households.

Storage layout matters too: pull-out drawers instead of lower cabinet doors mean one person can access pots without crouching in front of someone else's workspace.

When to Hire a Pro

Any layout changes — moving the island, opening a wall, relocating the sink — require professional trades and likely permits. A kitchen designer (fees typically $500-$2,500 in NB, sometimes included in a contractor's quote) can be genuinely valuable here, because two-cook workflow is something they plan for regularly.

If you're ready to explore what's possible in your space, New Brunswick Kitchens can match you with a local kitchen renovator for a free estimate — it's a great starting point for understanding what your layout can realistically accommodate.