I only have an 8' ceiling, but mine is built of marine grade plywood with drywall and plaster over it, and stone on the base portion with wood trim...just an fyi for ideas :o)

That is hard to find in a specific picture. I did find a
few hoods, stone work etc.. but not exactly what you are
looking for. Maybe these ideas can help you figure out how
it will look. Do you have a friend who can draw what you are thining about?

Igloochic, that is beautiful!

Procorbis google image

Ideamom (This was on GW)

Stone Stonesonlinepros

Staticflickr

Francoise

Soapstone Trendair

IMO, this is something that needs to be done very, very carefully or you could end up with something awful instead of wonderful.

I know you said you would use cultured stone --
But *real stone* is very heavy, so in order to look authentic and avoid looking fake, you will need to have the kind of structural supports built in that a real stone chimney or hood would have. The first picture Boxerpups posted illustrates this to some degree, with the large lintel over the opening. Boxer's second photo, with the stone arch also works, since we know a stone arch can be very strong. Stucco is a little more variable, so you have more flexibility.

But to show how uncomfortable it can be if something that looks heavy isn't visibly supported from below, look at how this heavy-looking balcony overshadows the area below. Would you feel really comfortable standing under it?

Similarly, for a range hood, if it doesn't have visible means of structural support, it ends up either looking very Fake, or 'Tipsy'. In the photos below, see how it's the DESIGN that is flawed more than the materials used.

Fake Looking:

Tipsy (Look Out):

Great pictures...and some make you wonder. Is one of those what Luke's aunt and uncle had in their kitchen on Tatooine?

boxer pups, you come up with the best pictures!!

Be very, very careful using cultured stone. Most of it only looks great from a distance, but up close it becomes obvious that it is fake. I'd rather use natural stone, made for the purpose of veneering. It is very thin and is a natural product. But also like sweeby said, it may become overly heavy focal point. will there be a fireplace nearby that will be stoned in the same way? that might help to balance it out some.

I just wanted to comment on the use of cultured stone. There are many manufacturers and some are better than other. I would check out Boulder Creek and Cultured Stone.
The problem with real stone is that it can be a very tricky DIY. It is heavy and takes a lot more time. I do think it looks nicer. Marshall concrete out of MN has an amazing real stone, but you would want a pro to install it. I would not mix real stone and a manufactured stone in the same room.

Thanks all for the pictures . As for the stone and support - I am very familiar
and comfortable with the product having already installed 1200 sf on the
exterior of my home and doing 2 fireplaces . We have pretty much built this
house ourselves with the help a few subs , so I understand how to properly build the support structure . I am also not worried about it looking fake - my
house and fireplaces look beautiful . The main difference I see - is these
photos all have range liners ( recessed ventilation ) instead of hoods . I 'm
thinking I should just build it and see how it looks - I can always rip it down
and drywall .

I have a picture of what I think you're talking about. Unfortunately, I'm not going to be home for a few days, and don't have it with me. The picture I have is of a hood that is stainless steel directly above the range, then the "chimney" portion directly above the stainless is stone. It's from a magazine, and I think it was an ad for a stone company, I just can't remember which one. I'll be home Sunday or Monday, and can try to find it and scan it if you're interested.

I'm thinking about basically the same thing.
crashboombang - please post those pictures. I cannot find a picture of what I want anywhere. I want to do a stone backsplash on my rangtop wall (so it looks like the stone wall was there) and then run the stone up the hood - with a wood moulding around the top and bottom. Oh, and directly behind the rangetop - a pressed tin square. Wish I could find a picture, so I wouldn't have to guess if I like it or not.
I don't want to do support colums because it will look to heavy - although I agree that some of them look tipsy otherwise.

crashboombang ,

It sounds just like what I'm talking about - thanks . Have a good trip .

Wow - sorry this took me so long. It took a little longer to dig up that picture than I thought, then once I found it, my scanner decided it didn't like me. Anyway...after I found it and realized it was a Merillat ad, I found a picture of the same kitchen on their website, so here's the picture. Hope it's still helpful after all the delay! Also included a link to the Merillat website photo gallery that the picture is from.
{{!gwi}}From Pot Rack

Here is a link that might be useful: Merillat photo gallery

Euro Cast Design has DIY stone hood easily installed in less than 1 hour