I badly wanted to go with induction, but our island doesn't have sufficient wiring...only 20 amps. To get the required 30 to 50 (depending on number of 'burners') would have cost at least $2000, if it could be done at all. The wiring doesn't always run through conduits, or at least that can't be determined so far, so new external conduits are required for the length of the house, then sheetrock removal once the wiring re-enters the house. Still investigating though. Where is the electrical panel located on, or within your residence? Have you had an electrician examine your situation with your telling the electrician what you have in mind? Since you have a poured slab some of better layouts do accommodate with extra stub-outs for electrical runs; you make have an extra run hidden underneath the floor of the cabinet base. An electrician has the tools to locate your electrical run throughout the slab, and walls, without demolition. If you had your heart set on something, you should try to achieve it versus having to live with second best as you will be living it for several years after the decision has been made. Regarding your downdraft fan, and from personal experience, here is what I look for: 1) Ventilator height; the taller, the better. 2) Variable CFM capability; there is nothing like evacuating smoke as high-speed when you accidentally burn food, and smoke alarms are wailing. 2) An external fan as pulling air out is better than pushing it, plus the noise reduction is well worth it.

We've got the farm thing going, too. Dust is an ever-present "friend" here. I decided to post a picture of our beam when I had the pots hanging from it (please excuse my clutter, LOL) We're working on getting more storage built in to the kitchen, but it's not done yet. Our beam is 8' to the underside, and I simply hammered some nice strong long-shanked nails into it to hold the pots. Function all the way. : ) The pots were just high enough for us to walk under. Before you invest in a rack, you might want to measure and see just how far the pots would hang down after the rack was installed. I have a hard time feeling comfortable with objects in my head space-and I'm only 5' 4"! At 5' 10", your view may be through the pots rather than under them if the ceiling is 8 feet high.

I had glass uppers in my old kitchen, but I hung a lightweight sheer muslin inside. Gave me the airiness without driving me crazy. In my new kitchen, which is more casual, I made sure I could add curtains in the future. But I plan to group like things and hope for the best.... Almost all my stuff is white anyway.

I love mine, unequivocally. That said, it's probably because mine is stationed over the end of my peninsula, not in the center of the room over an island, and doesn't interfere with lighting or sight-lines at all. While at the stove, I can just reach over and grab one with my left hand. I think proximity to the stove is pretty key for keeping it functional rather than decorative. Unlike Marcolo's pic, ours can be hung with their backs to the wall, so if the sight of a naked used pan bottom offends you, that's one solution for the more prudish among us. I'm also not sure why some people report layers of heavy grease/dust on theirs -- we don't have layers of grease anywhere on our kitchen surfaces (??). We just hang the pots/pans we use regularly, and none of them stays unused long enough to gather dust. I do give the potrack bar itself a swipe whenever I'm wiping down the cabinets. LOVE ours, and REALLY love not having to stoop to pull a drawer out to lift up a pan -- we use a lot of cast iron, and these suckers can be heavy. Much easier just to swing it down to the stovetop when needed. YMMV.