Ditto on this question... can't wait to get some response. I love the "cabinet" type hoods with shelf above and tile backsplash as well. We will probably go w/ SS appliances altho' I'm wondering the same about them "going out" soon. I have always balked at SS because I'm in the medical field and it seems so " morgue like "... Some of those huge frigs in the show room remind me of body frigs and I keep waiting for someone to open the door and a table to roll out. :)

We went with SS, 42X27" hood. A liner was too massive a wood look for us, and I wanted a high shelf with warming lights. Code advised and common sense required the 27" depth due to a grill. Because it was a functional decision and the hood is a functional piece of equipment, the outdated look issue doesn't seem to apply (for us anyway). I don't know about Wolf/Independent hoods, but I'm a little surprised you can't get more than 900cfm with a 36" hood

I'm in a similar boat, but with white instead of stainless. I bought a white hood with the controls underneath so if I wanted I could get a cover made for it (DH is making my cabinets). DH wanted it exposed, and it seemed like it would work eithe way.

But now DH thinks we should go with dark stained permieter cabinets instead of white - and there is only the cooktop along the run with the hood. We have a white wall oven and fridge, but they are on the back wall and those cabinets are "built in" and white to match the back trim. So I'm thinking the white hood is now going to really stick out like sore thumb,

However, in our last house the only stainless appliance we had was the range hood. Our appliances were white and the cabinets natural oak - and it looked just fine.

Cathy

A wood created hood with liner can be $1200 to several thousands more than it's equivalent standalone stainless hood. It all depends on how elaborate you want the surround to appear. It's harder to clean, and frankly, it will become dated far more quickly than the utilitarian and functional stainless will. A "mantle hood" is one of those trends that will go away and leave people with the "what was I thinking" just like harvest gold appliances or "Mediterranean style". That's my opinion, and that's worth every bit of what you paid me for it. ;) However, if you were one of my clients, I'd say the same thing and then say, "It's your kitchen. Get what you LOVE, as you'll be the one living and cooking in your kitchen. If your friends are so gauche as to point out that something you love and personally selected is no longer stylish, then they're not really your friends."

I have a relative whose dream kitchen was orange oak cabinets, white tiled counters and backsplash, and brass everywhere. He just renovated his 1950 post war bungalow and that's what he put in. He's either terribly behind the curve or terribly ahead of it. He's happy either way!

Nothing is timeless. It boils down to the aesthetics of your home. In our traditional home, the mantle type box is perfect because the kitchen is open to other rooms and the paneled hood mimics the chair-rail height paneled walls elsewhere. If you have a more modern look, stainless would fit the flow better. My only real advice is: don't count on stainless being easier to clean. If it's anywhere near windows, the sunlight will highlight streaks that might drive you crazy ... unless you find the perfect cleaner and the perfect cloth and even the perfect barometric pressure! I wish I'd enclosed my stainless fridge for that reason. The stainless dishwasher is less noticeable because it's not at eye level and not in direct sun. Just keep an eye on light lines.