Well, I'm also ordering a PS26 so I totally get the PS26 love. If they modify it to have a 15 3/4" top, how does that affect the overall depth and curve? Can you not fit the 30" instead, or forego the wooden cab front above and use a stainless duct cover instead?

Of course I vote for the PS26. I drove Pat crazy today getting the trim on mine just right and he was so nice and had such a great sense of humor about it. Next time you talk to him tell him hello from the madwoman in NJ. :-)

I personally love the first photo, with the wood hood (without the modernaire) If you love it though go for it!

I like the first hood better, because it's a timeless style. I think I would grow bored with the Modernaire after a few years. OTOH I did not inherit a style gene, so take my advice with a grain of salt! Pevo

Love the Modernaire. But I don't like cabs tops at differing heights so I don't know what to tell ya!

Really prefer the Modernaire -- I think having the wood hood looks heavy and monolithic -- the metal hood breaks it up and provides a nice contrast and a focal point. Metal also echoes or "repeats" the range or rangetop below.

As far as what is above I think the cabinet in the second rendering looks OK. But another option is no cabinet and have a duct cover made by Modernaire. Then tile all the way to the ceiling behind the hood and duct cover. That's what we are doing. It's a different look. Check out mamadadapaige's kitchen in the FKB to see how a hood with duct cover looks. That was my "inspiration." Just another option -- something to consider. The cabinet above the hood is too high to be of much real use and taking it away lightens the look, JMHO.

I"m going to agree with most of the above posters. Modernaire with no hood above. It still gives a traditional look which I assume you're going for but lightens the overall feel. I do like staggered height cabinets but much prefer this last option. Good luck!

I would do (and did) the Modernaire, but I would not put a cabinet box above it. Frame out a wall and use your backsplash tile over it, or clad the over part in metal, too.

I love the modernaire. If I had had the $$$ for it -it would have been a done deal.

There really are 2 completely different looks. So it depends on what makes your heart sing.

Thanks so much for your responses!

anna_chosak - the overall depth of the hood will stay the same 24", but the curve won't be as pronounced since the top will be 15 3/4" deep instead of 12" deep. Pat did a drawing of it with the dimensions and it looked ok, but I like the look of the 12" deep at the top better but that won't work for us unless we do option #2 in my post above and that causes issues w/ crown molding! I looked into the 30" tall(& brought it up again to DH after seeing these responses), but DH really doesn't like it - too big and too much metal he says. Same with the stainless duct cover. What size, color and trim options are you ordering? How is your layout with the cabinets around it - are your cabinets to the ceiling? Pat at Modernaire has definitely been great to deal with!

jillsee & Pevo - I do like the wood hood too, but just not too sure if it would be too dark since we are going w/ dark cabs! Geesh, I really wish I could see all these options in my kitchen IRL!

breezygirl - that's the only place where we have cabs of different heights only b/c of the hood venting. I suggested to DH perhaps we should look at extending cabs to the ceiling with maybe stacking 12" glass front on top and he didn't like that idea at all (I'm not too sure I like it either - seems like it would make the room smaller since we're going with dark cabs). Any thoughts on that?

sayde - I was all ready to go with the wood hood but then thought it would look to heavy and dark and stainless would really break up that wall of dark cabs. I do like both though and they are so different!! DH vetoed the duct cover - too much metal.

remodelfla - I so wish we could back vent so I wouldn't have to put anything above the hood for the venting!

histokitch - can you expand more on what you area suggesting? I'm trying to picture it - are you talking like a vertical "soffit" above the hood?

celineke - I know - they are 2 completely different looks and I am having such a hard time deciding!! I do love the PS26(DH not so much though), but I'm afraid I will disappointed with the way it looks w/ the modifications that would make it work with our cabs. And I love the look of the wood hood too, but I don't know if I'll love it IRL since I've only seen a drawing of it!

I think that's the issue on why I can't make a decision on this - b/c it's a big decision (and not a cheap one!) and I don't know if I'm going to love it. It took us a long time to pick out the cabinet color - but once we saw kitchenaddict's KM peppercorn kitchen and then ordered a sample door, we both agreed that was definitely the color we wanted (which so surprised us b/c we were not looking at dark cabs at all!). DH cannot believe that I'm still wavering on this decision after 2 weeks!

Thanks so much for taking the time to look at my post and respond with suggestions. I really appreciate it, even though most suggestions I've gone through with DH and he really didn't like (30" tall PS26, stainless duct cover).

Any other votes or suggestions? For the option #2 which has the issue with the crown return from adjacent cabs, does anyone have pictures of kitchen cabs & hood where this was done??

You asked me about stacking cabs on that wall. I would much prefer that, but this is your kitchen.

I wouldn't want to waste storage space even if it's something you don't access very often. Glass cabs would give you display space up there.

Heidigo: I just ran across this picture that might help you. It looks like MA modified this one by bringing out the cabinet over the hood 3":

Another view:

Hope that helps!

In answer to your question (which I thought I answered the other day but apparently it didn't post), I am not getting upper cabinets on that wall, so I will not be much help to you there. Mine will be matte black with brass trim to match my Lacanche.

I have the modernaire and I love it.. so far!

Hello!
Thanks for the hood pic anna_chosak - that looks really nice, now why doesn't the sketch my kd did w/ the MA look like that?! Where did you get this pic - were there others of this kitchen? I'd be interested to see how/where the crown on the adjacent cabs ended w/ the cabinet over the hood.

Hi ajard - and I love your hood too! I have to figure out a way to get the PS26 to work!!

Heidi

There were some others but those were the best I could find of the hood and surrounding cabinetry. It's by a designer named Garrison Hullinger; just google "garrison hullinger kitchen" and you'll get a few other photos of the room, but none that show the hood. I ran across it on some blog, happened to notice the cabinet over the PS26 pulled out, and immediately thought of you.