I would make the hood match the cabinet over your desk, not the small drawers(?)/panels on the bottom, but the long panel on each side and the arched wooden valance in the middle, with the same beadboard (even if you don't have the depth b/c of ductwork maybe he can fake it, just an inch would do).

I love your 3rd drawing (one at bottom of your post). It looks like it'll completely hide the sheetrock part of your hood and make it all wood. I think its very attractive and has lots of detail and would look in keeping with your cabinetry.

You did a great job of drawing out different ideas.
Can't wait to see what you come up with and the finished photos!

Oh dang...... I jumped on this post thinking you had this finished. I have thought of your kitchen often and wondered what you decided on.

So, anyways, from the 3 mock-ups I would vote for the third one. It looks more substantial which I think fits the size of your hood.

Good Luck. I know this is driving you crazy :(

Number 2 or 3. #3 is getting a little "colonial revival" in detail with the keystone and pilasters, so 2 might give you the detail you want without getting "too" detailed, IMO.

Hm.... I think, since you're redoing it, that it would be great if you could slim down the upper part a little, make it look less heavy. That is, angle it in and back a little over the mantle to make it more chimneylike.

Are those panels behind the decor actual cabinet doors? With recesses behind? Do panels have to be saved there?

I like the full width, corbelled mantle in the middle drawing, and I'm scared that all those panels in the bottom drawing will make it look too heavy. Yeah, I like the middle drawing best.

Thanks for the suggestions...keep em' coming.

Katie---thanks, sorry, so wish we were done too.

p111og---not quite sure what you are describing as to "angle it in," I think you are saying to change the top structure & we aren't going to tackle a redo (too expensive). The crown can come off, those two "columns" on each side (on upper area, sitting on shelf) can & will be removed. The ledge/shelf area can be built-up more to add more panels and raise a shelf or mantle higher.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I really want to get this finished and stop looking at at all the time!

#2 , keep it simple. I love your desk area, what is the name of your granite, it looks good with both the dark and light cabinets.

Don't worry about what I was describing--the answer is you're not going to alter that much.

I'm calling your ledge/shelf a mantle because visually that's what it is. The shelf over the fire.

What I've figured out was bothering me was that the eye is drawn so far upward. Removing the crown might help. You don't have other crown moldings at ceiling height, right? So having the contrasting crown is calling all the attention up there, and finishing it straight, without the crown, would match the wall around what I think is the pantry on the left, and the opening on the right.

Then the next thing to do would be to make the mantle more impressive to further lower the eyeline (since you're already taking out the tile inset). I wouldn't raise the mantle--it looks like a good proportionate height--but make it chunkier, and have corbels that repeat some of the shape of the counter level ones, but not exactly the same. I like how you've drawn the mantle in the middle picture where it's almost as wide as the structure, but not quite.

Another thing which will shift the weight down is if you do the mantle in your stain color rather than your paint color, but that might be too visually heavy against your soft yellow. What I'd like best would be to see it made of the same stone as the backsplash tiles. While that might not be possible, it might be worth doing it faux.

Also, the shape of the mantle, because it matches your molding, is visually confusing. The chimney surround, that is the whole structure over your cooktop, is, other than the crown and the mantle, very blunt and chunky. Since the mantle can be built up, how about blunt and chunky for that as well? Maybe a little curve underneath to go with the corbels and general feeling, but a thick edge.

This is too thick, and the corbels are wrong, but it's the kind of thing I'm describing.

Then, above, I wouldn't do any detailing at all. Just paint the flat yellow, and use your tall decor items to fill in the space.

I think that what strikes me as not sitting well are the curves in the hood fan cover (esp the *legs* - look bowed to me) but no other curves in either the cabinets and the desk. Is there any way to reduce the curves in the hood fan cover? Are the legs solid wood? Can something the same width but a different depth/profile be used?

I'm wondering if it makes sense to use cabinet doors (unless I'm misreading things - happens often) or just go for pannelling? I like the beadboard pannelling in the upper cabinet of the desk....

I also like pllog's suggestion of making it more chimney like, by slopping the sides of the cover (above the shelf) towards each other more. If you can't change parts where the cover meets the cabinets, I wonder if the front corners could still be slopped, giving it the illusion of thinner.

I really need to find my printer/scannern (in the chaos of our basement) so that I could draw up ideas

Thanks for the suggestions. The legs/corbels definitely are not bowed, I think it just appears that way in the photo. The corbels are heavy, solid wood and the tile/grout has been placed up to the edges accordingly. If money were not an option we would have already ripped out the entire thing and the backsplash and started over. SO, we need to work with the bones of what is there. Things can be added, the crown can be taken off, those two "column" like things can be removed. The cabinet guy can make doors, panels, mantles, just about anything.

I'm not sure if you have followed all my previous post & I can't find my inspiration photo. Long story short, the corner pantry ended up taking up so much room for cabinets on that hood wall. We ended up redoing everything and completely changing it all. The rangehood was framed and drywall(ed) while the cabinet changes all took place. For who knows why- it didn't dawn on us that the range hood was no longer a good fit either. Perhaps GC'ing our own home and pregnant with #5 gave my brain too much to deal with. Anyway, the inspiration picture really is beautiful and this is what I'm stuck with!

P111og, I think you have some great suggestions. I too had thought added corbels under a mantle would be best if they had a rounded feel and look to them like the existing ones (without completely copying them)staying in character and style to it. The inspiration picture actually had crown that wrapped around the shelf (just like the ceiling) and on both columns. We didn't have room for this, ripped it off stopped finidhing the rest and here we are. Reason why the columns look so strange on ours, like there isn't a purpose to them. I think the crown sticks out so much because of the contrasting colors. I want to redo it all to be painted and glazed like the island and desk.

Oh, yeah we have an open floor plan with arches and cures all around the home, so IRL the curves fit in very nicely. Thanks and please keep the wheels turning, I know my friends here can make the best of a piece gone wrong:)

could you link to your original thread with the inspiration pic?

When I looked at your pictures I think it's great. When I read your post, I tried hard to think what bothered me the most. First, those two small door panels on top of the mantle. Second, I'm not happy with the curved arch between the two big corbels. Instead of looking 'hearth' like, it looks too smooth and modern. It would be different if it was brick. And I like the curve in the tiled back splash, but the curved painted wood looks too much like a piece of plywood. (which it probably is).

I think that part would look more 'stately' if it went straight up at the corbels and across. And it would match the squareness of the cabinetry.

If you really want the lower wood arch, I would put something on each side. A large single fleur de lys per side, pointing in towards the cook top.

Of your drawings, I like both #2 and #3.

Oh, I get it now! I misunderstood the make it match in your first message. You mean paint and glaze the whole thing so that instead of wall yellow, it'll be cabinet cream with glaze, right? I was thinking it was the added trim, rather than whole thing.

Yes, indeed, that will look good! I had been thinking some color definition to the existing corbels would be nice, again, for balance, and you can do that with the glaze.

I totally get it about the adaptation messing up the plan, and think you have a very rational approach to improving the one thing that's messing with your otherwise scrumptious kitchen. (And it's not like what you have is bad except for the vestigial columns; it's just less than ideal.)

Any chance you can expand the niche a little? Because rather than adding panels to the structure--which I think will again draw too much attention up--you could remove the tile and elongate the niche somewhat, paint it, and have it be something like the center of the desk hutch. I wouldn't do the blue beadboard or any such literal repeat, and I'd keep the shape the way it is, generally, that is the same as the lower niche and pantry door panel.

Even if it can't be enlarged, the niche can work for you if the whole structure is cream. You can superglaze the interior of it to make it as if soot had accumulated, and basically make it darker (i.e., brownish). Then wire up a big Italian (or faux) ceramic plate in the middle, with a light, sunny yellow look and some light blue and cream in the pattern, to pick up all your colors. And flank it with some trimwork to reflect the hutch cabinet doors, maybe, but I'm still having trouble seeing panels up there.

I still think chunky mantle with corbels, though you could adapt what you have. I'd make it either the color of the glaze, or the color of the dark cabinets. Have that strong line to draw the eye.

Your kitchen is just stunning. I opened up your post and said, whoa!!! All that's throwing it off is the paint color. It's too bright and saturated of a yellow for the tile, and it clashes with it and makes it look gray and drab. You just need to add a few accessories. Hide the tiled niche on top with a painting in a frame to match your wood, and you have a kitchen that can grace any magazine cover ;-).

I know you have spent a ton on this kitchen and it shows, but look how just a few inexpensive tweaks can turn it into a show stopper. No need to do all that extra renovation and at least to my eye it takes it from beautiful to just stunning.

That's great, blondelle! I really like your solution. Very clever.

I love blondelle's solution, but if you can't afford to repaint all the walls (looks like it wraps through the doorway into next room?), then maybe try just painting the whole hood/mantel area the same color as the desk/island before getting into carpentry? If the tile above the mantel part doesn't look better with the new paint, then hang a picture like blondelle did, or set a plate there like p111og suggested.

Wow! I can't believe what a difference paint makes. To be honest I did not respond before because I could not find anything negative about your beautiful kitchen and did not feel qualified to make any suggestions. After seeing blondell's post a realize how much more pleasing to the eye your hood area is now.

Looking at the pics again, even with the paint, I think the side panels should go all the way up to the crown. They still look chopped-off. But the corbels looks great painted cream instead of yellow - maybe even paint everything over cabinets and touching tile cream? Goes much better with the tile - if you can afford to paint all the kitchen cream, that would be best.

Wow, blondelle - that's great!

(the legs still look bowed to me though - hee hee!)

Blondelle, you are amazing, thank you so much for taking the time to do that for me. The designer who came out to our home completely told me how horrible my paint choices are/were. SO, we certainly were looking at doing some changes. Finding the time to repaint, when some areas haven't been painted even once, yet!

SO, what do you think! Paint the hood and the walls the same or paint the hood lighter like the island/desk and change the walls to something more like what blondelle came up with?!

The designer uses PPG paints and suggested...

For the hood:
512-2 Creamy white or 511-2 White Rock

For the kitchen walls...
315-4 Pony Tail or 316-4 Golden Ecru

Adjoining open great room...

316-6 or 318-6 or 317-6

She came up with these because I have the golds/reds going on in my furniture. Two of the chairs already delivered and the rest waiting to arrive. The dining room is BM's Morocan Red and is seen from both areas too.

I'm so appreciative to all the help here and having others to run these ideas across. Thanks, Again!

If you're going to repaint anyway I *really* like blondelle's pic of using the same color on walls - she did a very good job matching the tiles. Blondelle, what was that color?

Thanks for the compliment. If I get a chance later I will try and mock them for you so you can see. If not tomorrow. Don't worry! We will get you kitchen looking awesome! You guys have to help me with mine though. A designer's own is the hardest...LOL! I seem to be able to help do everyone's but my own ;-(.

Yes, if you don't have a floorplan that's so open you have to use the same color through all the rooms, I'd start with blondelle's color for the kitchen and work from there.

If you're doing the hood chimney in the exact color and glaze of the furniture, and adding furniture like details, that's fine. Otherwise, use what you're using on the walls. That is, there are plenty of colors and finishes in the room. I wouldn't introduce any more even if they "match".

WOW! I love what blondelle did! That looks really great!

Holy moooly - your kitchen is fantastic - painting everything like blondelle did will be great. For accents you could get some iron work pieces for over the cooktop and in the top tile area. I'd try that before covering it up. Also, if you paint the hood lighter you'll make it more dominate & I don't think that's what you're after.

Can't wait to see how it turns out!

Your nice, sweet comments are making me smile about my kitchen (again). I loved my new kitchen so much and then when the designer came out it was like getting hit by a semi..."the tile competes and almost doesn't match your granite, it is too busy having the tile on a 45 degree angle and the paint doesn't match at all, I'd have done a green shade!" What!!!??? How can I do green now when everything in the house goes with yellows, golds and reds. I knew it couldn't be as bad as she made it out to be:)

DH is still kind of wanting to pull off a "furniture looking, substantial" piece and have it look like a finished wood like the desk and island. I'm leaning more to painting it all and keeping at simple like blondell's inspiration. Partly I don't want it to stand out, worried it won't look al that great after we do add to it and paint/glaze the whole thing.

If we paint it all (like blondells) should we still redo the shelf/mantle? Should the crown and shelf match the trim in our kitchen (like it is now). Should we have the columns go all the way to the ceiling and have the crown redone to go aroung the added corners?

I'm forever appreciative to your help on this project. Thank you!

Time to divorce the designer! I for one love tile on an angle and whould like to do it in my kitchen but what do I know. I KNOW that your kitchen is beautiful and you will get there with your friends at GW.

Oh, good grief!! The tile is lovely and goes with the style of your kitchen. Does it take over from the granite? Yes, somewhat, but so what? Both your granite and your backsplash are soft and easy to live with--restful--so the granite stars on the island and the tile stars on the splash and they sing a lovely duet. Having the tile on the angle also softens all the vertical lines you have in your cabinet detailing, as do the arches in the niche, pantry door, etc.

This kitchen didn't want green. I like your bright yellow, for a bold, energetic color that brings up the energy level of all those soft finishes. I like Blondelle's beige yellow for an overall soft elegance. I love green, and it would make a counterpoint for your red cabinets, but you've chosen to decorate with "analogous colors" (next to each other on the color wheel), rather than "contrasting colors" (across from each other on the wheel). You have plenty of value (light/dark) contrast, so throwing in hard color contrast would actually be overdoing it!

Anything that you apply to the surface of the hood chimney surround (whatever it's called)--other than paint-- is going to make it look that much heavier. The mantle shelf pulls the weight down to the lower part, which helps the top look lighter weight. It directs where the eye should focus. I think that to make furniture panels work at all you'd have to at least remove the drywall. The hutch over the desk has a delicacy. Panels on the chimney box are going to make it that much heavier.

I was surprised myself at what a difference the paint color change made. Colors play off it's other, and that bright yellow drained all the life from your tile. I did try to lighten the chimney section to match your island, but it looked so bad I didn't finish it. It threw the whole balance of the kitchen off, and took all the focus there, ruining the harmonious look. It's the same material as your walls, so no sense in another color.

The frame of that painting ties both sides of you kitchen together on each side of the hood. Maybe the round plaque could be a bit smaller but it looked unfinished without it.

I would keep everything all one color as shown as there's so much going on already.

Ajsmama, I have no idea what paint color that is as I made it, and kept tweaking it Photoshop until it looked perfect with the other elements.

Mommyto4boys, happy to help. I just wanted to feel better about your kitchen, so I wanted you see how gorgeous it could be with some minor changes. I honestly think with just the paint change and those accessories you really don't need to do much more.

White chimney surround, and green paint? Dear Lord! Do me a favor...fire that idiot!!!

I wish Blondelle could drop by for coffee and do a little magic tweaking in my place. That is just excellent. Momto4, I just wanted to say I really like the overall style and individuality of what you have; tweak here or there maybe, but restyling a genuinely custom creation toward what strikes me as more of a standard, model A, B, or C look would be a shame.

I like blondelle's suggestion on paint, but I would either remove the panels above the mantel or make them full height. I like that better than the paneled options in your drawings. Of those, I like the second one best. The narrow-wide-narrow has a sense of balance and mirrors your desk area. I do like the detail below in the third on, but when you step back and view the kitchen as a whole, I think you'd lose the contrast with the rest of the kitchen and the visual interest it looks like you wanted in the hood -- some relief from all the panels and something for your eye to rest on. With blondelle's paint change and accessories, that is where your eye rests.

Here's a rendition of your 'designer's' choices. I tried it with all shades of green and it was worse. The paint still doesn't flatter your backsplash and the hood and chimney surround take over your whole kitchen. That's all you see is that column of white. I've tried softening the white but then it doesn't match your other finishes. If you do want it white it should be in another finish such as venetian plaster or stucco. Doesn't make sense to have it another color of the same wall finish. Anyway, I wanted you to see so you can feel better about her trashing your design. Hers isn't terrible, but I don't see anything professional designerish about it. Go ahead and trash hers right back...LOL!

It's perhaps better than what you have, but not as good as simply painting the walls and all as blondelle posted earlier. I like seeing the structure and the accessories more than the color.

Blondelle, Was wondering if you could help me out still a little more. You have been so wonderful to show how such a great and inexpensive update will do wonders for our kitchen. Would it be possible for you to advise on the color match. Do you by chance have any paint fan decks there to lead me in the direction for the right paint. I've been using mostly BM and the kitchen is concord ivory, our hallway is barley, mudroom americas heartland and a bedroom upstairs with wyndham cream. SO, I have tested lots of "yellows." If you have any samples of any brand that you think would be close or does photo shop help with this at all, I'd love some suggestions. The "designer" who came out was concerned about anything "yellow" at all not working well. Hers as I listed above are more of a neautral tan/golden color (so very hard to describe). I'll see if they have something on-line that I can link here. Again, I really appreciate and am ever thankful for your time and dedication. Thanks:)

Mommyto4boys, the color of the walls in the second image was one of her color choices. I went to the site to see a swatch. It still has too much gold in it for your tile.

I'm not at home right now, but color is so hard to spec. One color will look different at several times of the day. A color that looks right in my light, might not in yours. BM makes little sample jars of color. I will try and give you a guide when I can find my fanbook. Then your best bet is to go into an art supply store and get some cheap white mounting board, paint them with the samples, and place a few of them around your kitchen to see the color in all different light, and decide which you like best.

Happy to help ;-)!

You might want to check out the SW strip that has Latte & Nomadic Dessert on it. Try_hard used Nomadic Dessert in her house and it looks like it might be a good match for your tile.

Laurie

Here is a link that might be useful: Try_hard's living room

Blondelle - does PS use Pantone (sp?) colors, or can you get a reading on the values that OP can use to get a sample mixed?

I would do as close to what Blondelle did for you as you can (the frame and the plate are genius solutions), then quit! That looks great. I think you can go on forever, second-guessing and fiddling with how tall the panels should be, messing with molding, etc. If your kitchen looked just like Blondelle's beautiful rendering, who would question any part of it?

Is there yellow in the paint in Blondelle's version? I see a creamy beige. I'd use your tile and go a little to the creamy side to start finding the right color. I know from doing renderings that software and computer monitor views don't match real life color, even if you're using software that lets you use specific paint colors from a specific paint manufacturer.

OK, I found a good solution. Open my image in one window and then go to the link below in another. That's BM color viewer. Start with Grant Beige which on my monitor is the closest to what I have there. See if you can calibrate your monitor first on your computer. The software should be there in your computer's preferences. It shows you how colors look in a room. Then just put both photos side by side. I chose Living Room 5 to work with. They also have to option to put in your own photo and play with colors. Not sure how that works, but it shouldn't be too hard.

Photoshop does have Pantone color, but since the color looks different in each part of the image it's hard to work backwards that way.

Let us know what you come up with. You can choose their different color collections and paints to work with, but you must try to adjust your monitor's color first.

Have fun!

Here is a link that might be useful: BM Color Viewer

Ahhhh, paint colors. On my screen the mock up by blondell looks like a very creamy rich color. I'm bummed that on the decks when looking at manchester tan and normadic dessert they are more tans and not at all golds/yellows. My concern is making this work with the rest of the home as we have the golds/reds going on and the house is so open. I think that is why the designer chose the above listed colors because they matched the granite and tile and then had a much deeper color on the same strip that I could use in our great room.

I want the kitchen to work and match, but also need to keep in mind my great room, dining room and furnishings. I have all new furniture and can't possibly start over.

I'm going to have to start testing lots of samples, but hoping I can find something not too tan or too beige. Wish it wasn't so difficult. Perhaps more of a creamy neutral would work? Any more paint suggestions? Thanks :)

I really hope I can find the perfect color choice to give me blondell's work of art and still match the rest of the home. I'm now concerned I'm trying to marry tan and gold and they will be a sure divorce before the honeymoon is over:--OO)

Your original image shows two colors of travertine. Where the light hits it on top it's the regular warm peachy beige and on the backsplash it looks gray beige. What is the name of your travertine? Which of those two colors is closer to what's actually there. What's your living room wall color or the walls the kitchen opens to? Can you take a photo and post of of the surrounding area? It would help!

Thanks Blondelle for your reply (again). YESThe surrounding great room area is in barley (BM), so yeah more yellow. We wanted to eventually change that too. We wanted it more of a deeper golden color. I'll try to post pictures tonight of the sample paint and the other room.

Again, thanks for your time and help:)

Happy to help ;-). Are you planning to add little shades to the bare bulbs on your fixtures? I think that gives a nicer, more finished look. If the travertine is the warmer color, then your paint can go warmer too to help tie it in with the surrounding rooms.

I am not sure how light or dark, tan or gold you want to go but I thought I would share with you some of the colors I'm using in my home which will have greens, golds and tans throughout. In powder room I am using BM Wilmington Tan HC-34 it's a very pretty golden tan. In my LVR/DR I am either using BM Twilight Gold which is more of a beige gold or another color but that one whould be too dark for you. My ceilings will be either BM Barely Beige or Wood Ash. My home is mainly all on one floor and all the rooms kind of flow into each other so I had to find colors that complimented one another. I had help from the gal who is doing my drapery so it made it allot easier. Maybe these colors will not interest you but I thought it might help. Unfortunaley I don't have pics. yet but I will in 2 or 3 weeks. Something was on back order and is holding eveything up.

Looks like it is coming along!! Was that first yellow- Blonde SW? Looks like what i was considering?

Also what is your floors? Maple? Color? Maker? Thanks!