Hide my hood and make the cabs look good!

13 years ago

We are *this close* to ordering the cabinets, and I wanted to pose a question about the cabinets over the range. We are thinking of ordering a 36" wide x 24" high x 24" deep cabinet to go over the range that my husband would cut down to 18" deep. The 18" wide cabinets on either side of the range cab are a normal 12" depth. I'm thinking that staggering the depth would keep it interesting. Not doing a fancy wood hood will save us $$, and I like the traditional look of cabinets above the hood anyway. I really want to hide the hood underneath though, so that nothing shows (otherwise I'd just get a regular hood that peeks out from underneath).

Here's a layout (sorry, the OTR cabinets are depicted as 12" deep instead of our preference for 18" deep):

And here's a picture of the actual wall (with recessed shelf):

This brings me to the reason I came here in the first place: I need help fine tuning the exact measurements and making sure everything is in proportion. The wall behind the stove is 8' high, broken down like this:

Countertop = 3' above floor +

Bottom of OTR cabinet = 3' above the range +

Over the Range Cabinet = 2' high

How do you think a 24" tall cabinet would look above the range? Too boxy? Just right? I was toying with the idea of an 18" tall cabinet with a 6" mantle/shelf underneath it (that would sit 36" above the range. From what I understand, the bottom of the hood must be no more than 36" above the range).

Second question: what's a good depth so that I'm not banging my head on the hood/cabinet? Does an 18" deep cabinet that's 6' from the floor allow enough head-room? (I'm 5'4", so seems ok to me...but what about the depth...should we shave off a couple inches?)

I have a certain hood/blower/liner in mind that is made for a shallow depth: http://www.ventingdirect.com/broan-pm250-20-custom-hood-power-module-insert-with-250-cfm-fan-2-speed-rocker-control-and-dual-40-watt-lighting/p637862#reviews (I know it's wimpy, but I've had a heck of a time finding anything as compact as this one).

If you're curious about the recessed shelf, it starts 48" from the floor and is 15" high. So the top edge of the plywood in the picture is 63" from the floor. That leaves 9" from the top edge of the recessed shelf to the bottom of the hood/cabinet.

In case I've lost you in the details, what I really need is feedback about how to affordably hide the hood under cabinets above the stove, and how to make it function well. All along I thought I would have my husband build something custom up there, but at this point ordering a cabinet and making a few tweaks here and there seems to be the better option. (They will be painted white cabinets, so we can make it all blend in together).

Thanks so much!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

bmorepanic
13 years ago
We did this, my advice is to buy an undercabinet hood. There lots to choose from and an inexpensive telescopic one is linked below. Make the front of it into a mantle shelf looking thing and place a regular wall cabinet above it.

I'm not pushing this particular hood, I know nothing about it - its just the first one that came up for undercabinet, telescopic.

Or get a regular wall mounted hood.

What you're thinking about is a lot of trouble and expense. If you don't make hoods for a living, expect it to take days - even if you know carpentry fairly well. Unfortunately, you don't just attach the liner to the bottom of the cabinet and go. You need to build a surround for the liner and cut it and the cabinet floor above for the insert blower, the wall and the back of the cabinet for the ductwork, all the while working in little tiny spaces with nearly zero tolerance for error.

Really, really, really, just buy a hood. And get one with enough cfms to actually work. Buy a nice hood that you'll enjoy looking at. The extra inches that a normal hood is deep? You don't even see those three days later.

Also below is a picture of our 26.5" deep, 650cfm hood (kitchen ain't done yet) created from a liner and insert. This took about three days - not including finishing - by someone who had extensive carpentry experience. This hood ended up costing more than just about any premade hood I would have selected.

Here is a link that might be useful: Telescopic type
malhgold
13 years ago
Bmore - looks AMAZING!!!! Love the paneling, love the pot racks, love the hood!! Can't wait to see it finished.
Related Discussions
How to make this look less awkward? (ordering cabs this a.m.)
Q
Comments (6)
Well, that was a surreal experience. 3.5 hrs (including lunch) and a credit card swipe, and the whole thing is going to arrive tomorrow. I feel like I just bought a kitchen at Wal-Mart. lol. I hope this works out and that we like the door style once it's installed. It isn't DH's ideal -- mine either -- but about 1 a.m. I sort of lost interest in all the nuances of flat panel door design and just went the easy way (vs custom). There are some things that we will have to test out for looks etc as we go, so I know I'll have to do some returning and exchanging -- so I'm still happy to have design input esp. on the sink area. We've got a couple of weeks yet before things get started, so there is time to change or add to the plan. Andy, twodogs and marti8a -- I got a bee in my bonnet about the sink move a few months ago and I never could get it back out, so I think that is set in stone. (rationally or not, ha.) I always prep to the right of the sink, always have the dreaded dish drainer on the counter to the left and seem to be incapable of changing direction -- I've tried -- so that's why I planned it with the longer stretch of countertop to the right. I am definitely listening to you regarding the window size and shelves vs a cabinet. I think the cabinet between the windows might just have to wait until I see how it is all looking, and I will consider shelves (hate dusting or I would have put them in to start with). Hollysprings -- you always have good ideas. I had also thought of slotting in a cart somewhere, but I was thinking perhaps at the end of the cleanup sink run. That 36" space on the other side does give more room for a cart plus maybe some drawers too. When I clean out the cabinets over the next couple of weeks and get rid of all the extra stuff, I'll inventory exactly what needs to go where (should have already done that) and decide how much drawer space I need. I would love to have wider windows (that actually look outdoors) but there is a dividing wall and a laundry closet in between them on the other side. I'll consult DH and our handyman about the old window. Maybe we will end up replacing and reframing it after all. Thanks all, again!
...See More
Will an island hood make my kitchen look crowded?
Q
Comments (39)
plllog, we have a appliance repair company I can call. We haven't had to use them often (thank goodness) but when we have, they've given us good service and (we felt) honest answers. I'll also ask the HVAC tech when he comes to give us a quote on installation of hood and downdraft (we have to tweak downdraft venting by a few inches). I realized last night that installation for a hood just might be spendy enough to make our minds up for us. I figured the squared hoods were too modern looking - dang it - but I had to ask. jeanteach, when I walked into the kitchen this morning and saw my cardboard hood hanging there, I thought, "uh, no, not that." So I'm back to leaning towards a downdraft. Both options have their pros and cons and we just need to figure out which cons are easier to live with. I keep staring at my kitchen, whipping out the tape measure and revisiting how to move the cooktop to the perimeter because that would solve this issue for me. But short of compromising on way too many things - and stickier issues for me than the cooktop ventilation - it can't be done. Not without 2 more feet of wall space in one direction or another. Ah, well, hubby really likes the cooktop in the island. And I honestly don't mind it but I'd be happier with about 8-12" of counter on either side. Oh, there's that danged 2 extra feet again! Oh, don't mind me. I'm exhausted, it's been a long week and I'm obsessing for no good reason. This isn't an end of the world decision. I need to step back, take a breath, and just pick something! Either option will work just fine.
...See More
Ordered my cabs and I got a good deal! Pics (drawings) included.
Q
Comments (5)
I wish I could help you, but they are being made locally. I am in New Brunswick (Canada), so its probably not local to you. The cab maker told me he has had a hard year for business (likely due to the economy) so I think he might be giving me a break to get some work. I have heard some really good things about his work. He has been doing this for 25 years so I feel good about him!
...See More
Discovered a good reason not to have cabs to the ceiling.
Q
Comments (25)
Romy, he thinks he is #1 cat and his much smaller twin sister runs rings around him. What LL said. The example you showed at 4:07 looks just right. Who would ever say, oh no, the cabs should go all the way to the ceiling? There are many kitchens on this forum that do have cabs all the way to the ceiling and look fabulous. I think a lot depends on the height of the ceiling and the way the upper cabs are done (e.g., stacked). Sometimes it can look a bit stretched and weirdly proportioned, so there's that. Before my remodel and the addition of crown, I used to put display stuff up in the space. The crown has reduced the apparent space (about 11") and I prefer it empty. Since my cabs and walls are unmatching creamy white, the space doesn't call attention to itself.
...See More
davidro1
13 years ago
peace_rose look at arbordomus kitchen, over in "Finished Kitchens". Their wall layout and hood setup was the same as yours. They put a shallow hood under a cabinet, had it duct the exhaust outdoors, straight through the wall, and used a remote blower to pull the exhaust outdoors. If my memory is correct. There is no room for a silent motor in that little Broan that you bought. Quiet and powerful blowers are not expensive when bought as blowers-only. Any hood as a capture canopy can be combined with any blower.

hth
peace_rose
Original Author
13 years ago
Argh, the thing I hate about hood discussions is that the different terms confuse me so. So maybe I'll re-direct here and use the terms "exhaust system" and "cabinet hood" from now on. I don't think that arbordomus's kitchen exhaust set-up is what we I'm looking for.

"Telescopic" helps me narrow everything. You can hide this under a cabinet without seeing it, que no?

Now back to my original design questions. If we didn't have cabinets flanking the hood, then I would be very likely to just buy one like bmorepanic's. (Nice progress, by the way!) But I don't particularly like how this sort of hood looks with cabinets on either side. (Don't like the empty triangle space on the wall). I actually am thinking of something like the one in this kitchen: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg071937592845.html

We plan on cutting a hole into the wall to direct the exhaust outside. So back to the dimensions - is an 18" depth enough capture space? Is 36" above the range sufficient?

Hide my hood and make the cabs look good!

Comments (4)

bmorepanic

malhgold

Related Discussions

davidro1

peace_rose
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Hide my hood and make the cabs look good!

Comments (4)

bmorepanic

malhgold

Related Discussions

davidro1

peace_roseOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

peace_rose
Original Author