I would like to see a picture that was not taken through a PC lens; that amount of correction makes me dizzy. Ranges are square, not parallelograms. I wholehraetedly agree with the plaster idea for the curved top. The corbels could be made from solid wood, or "cast stone"/plaster.
Casey

That is most likely a plaster hood. Could be cast like sombreuil says.

This is a very complex design executed by a craftsman/men with a lot of experience. Just look around, that is a pretty big kitchen , especially in France, the Lacanche is $$$ everywhere, there is a 2nd sink and the main is marble. This should clue you in to the level of detail in this kitchen, and it also tells you (or should) that this is not a DIY project or even for the apprentice craftsman.

Plaster is tough work and an art, Making that curved shape out of wood sheets would require some of the most complex joinery imaginable and you simply don't have the tools to do it. You could carve it out of built up solid pieces, and it would be easier. But again, you don't have the tooling for for that either. I'm guessing you probably don't have the skill required for either, but that can be learned. It will take a good while though, so...........

at the end of the day the cheapest TOTAL cost is to find someone who makes this type thing for a living. A local craftsman is best but you're unlikely to find someone with this skill outside a major metro area. Another option to explore is one of the co.s that specializes in "cast" mantles and hoods. Trust me the $4-8 grand they want for them is going to be you cheapest option over the long haul even it is a scary amount of dough upfront.

BTW - the blower doesn't have to be in the hood itself. It could be an inline blower in the attic, or you can get a roof or wall mounted blower too.

Here is an old post that talks about this.
I wonder if you could build a plywood frame using a jigsaw
and cover it with platic to fit around a vent/hood.

~boxer

a few more sites...

How To Install a Soffit and Hood
http://www.diynetwork.com/projects/how-to-install-a-soffit-and-hood-in-a-kitchen/index.html

Help me design a wood range hood cover
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg1009094332259.html

Here is a link that might be useful: DIY Plans for Custom Range Hood?

Cheapest way to build that? Go to Italy or France, hire a good plasterer (and a tiler while you're at it), bring them back, pay for their stay here - housing, food clothing, shelter etc. whilst here, round trip tickets etc., and have them build it.
Not only will that be the only way to build it well, it will be the cheapest way to build it well. I doubt the skills to execute these old trades exists in this country - metro areas or not!

BTW, I live in Boston, MA - metro area that is almost your best hope for nominal classical building skills. An Italian friend of mine was so disturbed by the trades skills here, he did *just* that for tiling his house (as well as a few other construction jobs I don't recall). He has the best tile job I've ever seen here - no cement board nonsense, just straight up mud-job floated tile installation - super tight seams, almost integral joints, super flat floors ...

(BTW, I'm only one-third joking with my answer.) ;-)

toffee

Where is that pic from? A European real estate site? my guess,
I agree w/Casey - it makes me dizzy

You may be able to get a similar design pre-fab but it still won't be cheap.

http://www.ams-cs.com/.new/index.php?cPath=21_90&osCsid=4a3b5c3f276e3c7a5bea45bd7c0f40d0

As for building it diy, the basic shape seems like a box with a domed top. Everything rectilinear can be easily built from wood. Then, if you are clever with bending wire mesh and remember your childhood paper mache skills, you could make a plaster facsimile of the domed part The dome might be a stage prop sort of thing, but as long as you're okay with the look of an old stone mantel and don't require the actual mass and feel, then might be good enough.

Off topic, but whoever lives in the kitchen pictured above must be a giant if they actually store anything in those baskets hanging from the beam. And how can they reach the lovely copper pots above the stove? On the other hand I do think it's beautiful to look at.

What is the reason for the piping running above the window? Are they coupling a vent from another room with the range hood? And what is that unit above the pipe--an air conditioner?

Have fun stormin' the castle, toffee-el!

That's an impressive hood surround.

You can purchase nice corbels at a decorative stone yard and build the rest per previous advice.

It's not impossible to find someone to do this and it really depends on where you live. My town has many artisans and craftsman who still do the same awesome stone, tile, stucco, plaster, and concrete work they have for generations. They could easily copy that picture.

The thing above the brown ducting looks like a split-system air conditioner, a system popular in Europe. The compressor and condensor are outside, refrigerant runs in thin lines into each room, where an evaporator and fan is mounted in a pretty slim case. You can see how these would work well for retrofitting a/c to old masonry buildings. You don't have to put ducts through the walls, just some small holes for the refrigerant lines. Actually I wish my house had this system.

First off, I did not even notice the top before I read what you were asking :) So cheapest is to not make it curved ;)

Next cheapest might be to get it made from sheet metal and then paint with same paint than rest of it. Might be able to get the same look.

Good luck.

You guys are right. These pictures were downloaded from a European vacation home for rent website.

It seems like these gigantic hoods are popular with certain type of house there. They are all over sized, with that curvy mid section.

Another thing is the color combination, A lot of them have the orangy colored tiles going with yellow cabinets and pinkish walls. I guess not common here.

This is a different kitchen without the strange color combination.

Toffee-el,

Do you have a huge range or series of cooktops going in?

One of the main themes of these kitchens is that each one seems to be in a very large space and houses a very large range or domino cooktops.

Do you have that situation?

How creative are you and how much time do you have? I'm guessing if you aren't experienced, it would take some time to do. But if you are up for a challenge, you might just come up with a beautiful addition to your kitchen.

Make a wood frame, then use sheetrock to cover it. You can bend sheetrock around a curve by scoring it (graduated elliptical scoring)- see the link below, and do the same thing with the wooden frame. You will have to reinforce it for stability- perhaps the vent liner does that? Cover it with some venetian plaster rated for heat applications or use the 'green' American Clay products to give it a textured look.

You might also check out customwoodhoods.com for some ideas.

I certainly think you could do it for less than the $2000+ that you can buy them for- or have them made for.

Here is a link that might be useful: bending sheetrock

If you really want to go with the whole look the color combinations are key.

Real European terracotta tiles are expensive, but you can find Saltillo for quite a bit less and some companies will stain/antique them for a reasonable price.

The colors on the walls are usually earth based natural pigments like ochre instead of paint. You can find those in the US as well.

The best approach on a budget is to capture the feeling of the space and make it relevant so it fits your home and locale.

I wonder if building it out of wood and putting plaster
on top would be easier.
Here are some ideas.

~boxer

"I doubt the skills to execute these old trades exists in this country - metro areas or not! "

They do - I promise!

floratha - that pipe you see is very common in Europe ad it's for the hood !. This is most likely in an apartment bldg. and it vents to the common open area in the center of the building a lot of times. The unit above the fridge is the heating and cooling unit called a "split". There is a compressor unit mounted o the wall outside close by. johnliu - they are available here too, and not very expensive either. We use them to cool AV closets/rooms sometimes.

Thanks guys, after reading this thread and doing some googling. I think this is what could work:

1. a wood frame as boxerpups suggested. like:

absolutely, but that hood has no where near the detailing of the one you posted or the 2nd from last that boxer did. Those xtra curves and corbels make all the difference.

Not saying that is won't look good, just that it's not really the same thing!

If you are building a frame, it would be easier to go with plllog's suggestion of wire and stucco. Drywall isn't needed and is difficult to get right since you would have textured drywall instead of plaster or stucco.

I just posted what will be the same advice to another post for hoods. Yosemite makes a pre cast hood that is pretty good looking that is somewhat similar to your picture without the corbels.

They do not sell direct. My website will have it listed in a shopping cart for approx $900. A vent to go with it runs about $200 - 400 the larger fan unit costs more.

If you click on the link at the end of the written text introducing Yosemite you can see pictures of it.

On the 2nd page of hood pictures on Yosemite's site you will see they have extensions for different ceiling heights.

Stanisci is a company that makes wood hoods with lots of curves in various heights and widths. They do not sell direct as their business model is to sell unfinished hoods to national sold cabinet companies that do not want to build them on site. Dealer costs when supplied by the cabinet company and finishded to match by them generally are $2,000 - $10,000 which is then marked up from there for profit of the local retailer.

A few websites sell them to the public. You will have to finish them to match your cabinets if you go that route. I would think you could get a go painter to put a finish on it onsite that makes it look like cast stone.

Here is a link that might be useful: Yosemite Hoods Link