It's only going to really look right if you paint your cabinets and panel in the sides of the fridge. To do it in a stained wood isn't nearly as cheap or easy. Mantle hoods are around a 4-5K choice in medium cost lines, and you're not going to save a whole lot DIYing the entire thing from expensive parts and pieces. Stain grade components are much more expensive than paint grade, and marching your stain isn't going to be easy. It would be easier to do a deliberate contrasting stain than to try to match.

Plus, doing the mantle hood without addressing the fridge issue is like putting only half of an outfit on. Or, pairing a frilly lace blouse with track pants. You need the complete style appropriate ensemble that fits your body and the occasion you are dressing for. Look at your local homes efor sale and see what are style approperiate choices for your neighborhood.

$289 including liner, although you'd probably want a more powerful one--I assume she used the one Lowes sells.

I'd agree that this easier to do with paint or cabinet doors/cover panels as in your photo than with stained wood.

Here is a link that might be useful: a little more info here

Brickmanhouse also did a much more grand hood DIY in her lovely kitchen:

Here is a link that might be useful: brickmanhouse farmhouse kitchen

Deeageaux - Thank you for that explanation. That was very helpful.

Holly -IâÂÂm asking about copying what they did in the photo as far as adding the shelf, not ordering a mantel as I know thatâÂÂs not in the budget. I would only need a few pieces of wood to complete the photo above. IâÂÂm set on staining the cabinets (prefer stain over painted so IâÂÂll start with that -- I have the option to paint later if I decide itâÂÂs not working for me) and believe IâÂÂll be fine matching the stain.

I understand what youâÂÂre saying about half an outfit, but it is what it is. WeâÂÂre not replacing the counters at this time, canâÂÂt recess new fridge in the wall, donâÂÂt like the look of a standard fridge with panels pulls forward past the counters to cover the sides that stick out (at least not when fridge is in middle of cabinet run), not practical to drop down to a 17 cu foot refrigerator so IâÂÂd have room to box it, wonâÂÂt remove the cabinets and counter to the right, & flipping the cabinets to the other side of the fridge, IâÂÂd need to replace that section of counter and I think that would look odd. Someday weâÂÂll remodel and do it right, but not at this time. IâÂÂm picking and choosing what we can afford and what will make a visual difference to me. A counter depth refrigerator is what itâÂÂll have to be at this time.

I built mine. Don't quite know how much it cost me as it was wrapped up in all my wood purchases. Probably $100 in wood + I bought the doors which were probably $100 for the pair. I did buy paint grade doors - but stain grade wasn't a whole lot more.

I would think that your whole kitchen is going to need to be sanded down to bare wood and then stained - so, if you do this all at once including the hood I am not sure why you would have any issues. Or you could paint rather than stain as Holly suggests.

Link to my kitchen is attached. Near the bottom of my reveal post, I have some extra pictures in there to show how I built mine. I winged it as I could not find much on the web on how these hoods are constructed.

Hopefully too, you can use your existing vent to the outside. Unfortunately, for what I wanted to do, I had to put two new holes in the side of our house for the new insert as it was taller than my original low profile, builder installed hood.

Here is a link that might be useful: DIY Reveal

Writersblock - Sorry your post wasnâÂÂt up earlier when I responded.
Thank you for those links!

I, too, agree it would be easier to achieve this with paint. IâÂÂve tried very hard to convince myself to paint the cabinets, but I really want to try the stain first. I prefer dark stained cabinets so I figure IâÂÂll go that direction first and if it still leaves me blah, IâÂÂll bust out the paint. Wish I knew ahead if I was going to like the stained cabinets! The paint job would be a DIY and we have young kids so IâÂÂm concerned about the hold up. I know how to properly prep, prime, and paint with good quality products and I still have some knicks in the bathroom vanities. WeâÂÂll see.
ItâÂÂs interesting to me, the painted white cabinets I like are in kitchens with nicer architectural detail. Just painting my cabinets white I donâÂÂt think is going to give me the same feeling.

I like the look of this hood detail too.
{{!gwi}}

I might end up with a stainless undercabinet range hood in the end.

Diyguyjr - Man, I keep missing posts.
That looks so amazon! Thank you for posting. IâÂÂll have to do a little more reading and digging.

The first and possibly the second DIY hoods are only 12-14 inches deep. You really need at least 18 inches depth for minimum capture. You could keep your same plan with a new deeper cabinet box and recycle the door. Your OTR microwave was probably 16" deep.

Yes, that's a good point, scrappy. I should also mention that while I like the first hood I posted a lot, I'm a little surprised it passed inspection with the trim coming down so low on the sides.

You need to check the minimum vertical clearances for a surface that isn't fireproof in your local code.