I think it looks really nice. Really, you have done a great job and the kitchen is really lovely! My (life) goal is less oriented to design aesthetics and more oriented to use yours and the Earth's resources wisely. Why add the expense of moving the microwave, buying an (expensive) hood, then buying another microwave to try to fit it elsewhwere? It's hard to find people who want a used microwave I learned and you might not find any way to find a useful new owner.

I think another issue might be that the hoods I have seen are stainless steel and I don't think I've seen any that are black. And you DON'T need to replace your stove!

I like your accent too. The way it is now balances really well with the strip under the bar. I think if you want to show more of it, you might do just as well, for a lot less money and bother, if you made a matching trivet out of the mosaic. One can always use a nice, big trivet, so you could do 10" or 12" square, maybe with a wood surround to match the cabinets, or maybe to match the floor. And feet underneath to make it easier to pick up. Put that on the counter and it'll really point up your discrete portions of the accent tile.

They do make hoods in black, both standard undercabinet styles, and fancy ones. And they make very thin ones that pull out (check Fori's for an example). If you have the ducting for it (if your MW vents outside) and you want a better vent, that is a fine idea. But I think you should do it, if you do it, because you want the vent. It's not necessary for the accent tiles.

Think of it this way: You've been given a beautiful necklace and want to show it off, so you put on a pretty black dress that won't compete and it looks lovely. But the necklace is delicate so it doesn't really stand out. You could call attention to your necklace by adding a couple of gold chains. People would notice what you have around your neck more. But would it make your pretty, delicate necklace any prettier?

sue b- I do know what you mean about being wasteful, which is one of our dilemmas here. I think we would keep the old mw, at least for awhile (out of the kitchen).

And plllog- I appreciate your input as well. Our mw does vent to the outside (post remodel), and the other consideration is how I sometimes feel cramped when using the range. Then I start to wonder if I am just rationalizing changing this out.

One thing that is interesting is that DH says that to him it looks "unfinished". But he probably could totally live with it the way it is.

In some ways I do look at this and say to myself-get a real problem.

But thanks for listening (and responding)

Well, I'm going with the wasteful LET'S FIX IT attitude. If it were mine- which it isn't- I would get a skinny black hood vented outside. It would give a lot more view area to that glass behind the stove. When I was shopping for range hoods I kept at it until I found a good one that I could afford. Warmfridge has the same one I think in black. I shopped pretty hard online and found a really good deal. It can be done. I don't "cook" in my MW so any old kind worked for me to reheat leftovers. Your next problem will be where to put a microwave that used to have a spot. That's what will give you the headache.

My bias is to separate the MW from the range - as much for function as for looks. A hood rather than OTR MW to me tends to signal a higher end kitchen - even though many do prefer an OTR MW in kitchens at all price points. Me, I wouldn't want the MW in my face when I cooked and I sure wouldn't want anybody reaching into it while I cooked! Having more open space there above the range would just 'feel' much better to me when I cooked. And your featured tile would then be more prominent, especially because your range backsplash is already tall.

BUT, huge BUT, then you have the issue of where to put the MW...Be a shame to have it just parked on the counter. You could maybe fit a small one in the bookcase at the end of the island, but that would involve electrical (check if your code requires a dedicated MW circuit). And would a small one out of the way even work for you the way you cook - do you use the MW a lot and often for larger items?

Soooo, me, I would change it because I use a MW only once or twice a year and am fine with it stored inthe garage or pantry. If you use the MW a lot, you may be better off leaving it as it is. Save that extra tile, monitor your MW use patterns, take your time and enjoy you lovely new kitchen as is. You can always change out the MW later.

I would NOT change out the mw for a hood. I like the way you have it. I like how you have coordinated the range area and the counter area because it does not look too matchy. The black of the appliances gives the tile in that area one look while the cabinetry and counter give it another look in the counter area. I really like the contrast alot. Keep in mind, dark colors recess while bright colors protrude. Your other tile is light so it draws your attention more than the darker area. I agree with plllog - disburse custom trivets around (the left side of your sink? and on the island?) to compliment your good taste without drowning it out. A friend of mine also used her leftover mosaic tile to cover a serving tray and fruit bowl - VERY cool!

Since you have white accents in your kitchen, I'd consider a white vent hood over your stove. I think the black might be almost as heavy a look as the mw.
I think you need more backsplash to make it work there. Right now, it does not coordinate with the field tile as well as it could, yet if you had more, it would seem to belong on that wall along with the larger format tile.

The OTR mw also casts a large shadow over the stove area and puts the bs into a large recess. If you used a more streamlined hood, it would feel more spacious and the bs would be more prominent.

I usually opt for the cheap answer, but this is obviously bothering you and I have to agree that it needs to change no matter how reluctant I usually am with taking out functioning stuff and re-doing.

For me it does not work. I love both tile styles you have and everything in your kitchen. Very nice job! The reason it does not work for me personally is because I think it's easier to get away with a different tile behind range when you have a slide-in style.It can be pulled off but it's very tricky. The extra height on the back of your free standing range is an extra element in the mix. I do like mixing but only when my eye moves around the room with same tones or the bringing together of same tones around the room evenly. That's just my take and we all have different taste, not everyone will like what I did in my kitchen. So, if you love it you should keep it because thats all that really matters.

How well does the current microwave-hood serve you? Honestly, how much pull does it have for smoke, etc? How noisy it it? How much do you use a microwave?

I had to come back because my previous post bothered me.
I think the current stove setup looks like Darth Vader in an otherwise light kitchen.
If you remove the OTR mw, it will help, but I think the bs needs to change too. The field tile does not blend with the mosaics, IMHO. My first thought was to try to justify them being there, but I don't think the hood change or extra tiles really would. Maybe if you somehow made a small feature with them or used them for a frame of another feature, you could tie them in somehow.
I am sorry because this probably sounds harsh, but I was not honest enough above and it bugged me....

What I would do is take out one row of the subway tile around the rest of the kitchen and put the glass mosaic tile in there to tie it all in. I would keep the microwave where it is.

LOL-dianalo-Darth Vader-I love it! I can see why you say that, and while I don't entirely agree, it has bothered me some that the two don't seem to tie together. (to which DH replied-and you want to add MORE?!!) I have even thought about pulling the glass out and just replacing it with the tile. ack-I'm back in backsplash purgatory!!

xc60-I mocked that suggestion up before doing the backsplash. I had a pretty good representation of the subways and the mosaics, and I tried a lot of different combinations-just a line of one; a line of 3 (glass squares); the glass interspersed; etc. None of it looked right, so we went with what seemed cleanest. Now I just don't know.

florantha-We don't use the mw all that much-only to reheat or to defrost frozen bread (ha). We're vegetarians and never "cook" in it. I honestly think I could do without it completely, but I'm not sure how DH would feel about that. As far as how well it works venting, better than before when it was just recirculating, but really not that great.

xc60 is on the track of what I was thinking. I would rather see an inset band of the mosaic around the rest of the kitchen -- like a liner of 2 or 3 rows, even if it disappeared behind the range, so that it connected the whole kitchen with that accent on the other wall. I don't think that more behind the range will make much difference -- you will still have a visual that reads dark patch against cream tile.

To be honest, looking at it again, and this is on my monitor and not seeing it in person, but the subways don't look like they are doing anything to compliment your counters, cabinets or the mosaic colors. It looks like, on my monitor, the biggest disconnect is the subway tile color. Not what you wanted to hear, but still cheaper than a hood and stove. And if my monitor doesn't see what you are seeing, this opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it. ;-)

I would change it out because I absolutely don't like OTR microwaves in general. I just don't like the way they "work" in the flow of the kitchen. I cook on the stove. The MW is used to warm things up and make snacks, and I don't want people in my space warming things up or making a snack while I'm cooking. And I don't like reaching up to put things in and take things out, especially with a glass top range underneath. So, if you need justification, feel free to use any/all of the above. :-) I realize that you were asking about the asthetics, but I just thought I'd throw the functionality issue out there too. Asthetically, I don't like the MW in my face while I'm working, either. I'd rather look at that pretty tile backsplash. :-) You are the one that has to like the way it is. I agree with Plllog that your real headache will be where to put the microwave if you move it, but I'm sure a solution can be found if that's really what you want to do. I also liked the idea of trivets. That would be cool.

Just my $.02
Cj

Your kitchen looks great. This is very subjective and I don't live at your house but I'm not that fond of the break in the rest of your back splash in the L with the mosaic - I want the continuity through the back splash in that section (I like the use of the mosaic on the other counter though). For me replacing the OTR with a hood wouldn't make a difference. My Mom swears by her OTR but I think it really depends on your preferences and household whether it is a good option.

We're installing an OTR microwave in our new kitchen, I'm not exactly thrilled with the idea...but our kitchen design and layout posed a lot of issues and it seems to be the best option.

What we are planning on doing is mounting the MW a little higher than the standard. This only works for those who arent vertically challanged :) All members, including my 12 year old son are above 5'5 (yikes). Not to mention my DH is also our cabinetmaker.. so we were able to make adjustments as needed to cabinet heights etc...

I have come to terms with the location, as there arent many alternative places in our kitchen to put the MW that would be asthetically pleasing AND functional.

I think your kitchen is very pretty - and IMHO, the OTR MW doesnt make or break it..

~ D ~

A nice quicker fix would be to remove behind range mosaic tile and change to the light tile. Remove first row of light tile around room and replace with the mosaic. Lots of people have a different tile moving up from a 4" countertop backsplash so I would do that with the mosaic, yours will just have a different spin. I honesty think that idea would look really pretty and stylin.
BTW, I also have an OTR micro in my new kitchen and a stove that I'm not crazy about. With two college students living at home the (nowhere else for the micro) is staying, both appliances are staying until they die. I'm hoping my stove dies soon so I can justify a new one.

oh-jterrilynn-now that is an interesting idea. Last night DH and I were talking about it and he came up with the idea of changing the colors of the mosaic behind the range-what I did back there was a custom blend. He thought if we kept a few of the same colors but deleted the dark it might tie in with the subways better. I tried mocking that up (just printing it from my computer-I don't know how to photoshop) but I didn't really like it and he was already (wisely) sleeping. So. Hmm-maybe I'll try that.

Thanks for all the suggestions and keep them coming if you're not bored-I really value different perspectives on this because I am thinking we are too close to the *problem* and are having a little trouble thinking out of the box with respect to design here.

Off topic: I want to compliment your cabs, floor, color scheme, etc.

Mostly because it's much like ours. Makes me feel good to see a fellow lighter-but-still-warm-wood-with-varieties-of-white kitchen. And with lots of pendants and somewhat similar pulls. We've got silver instead of black as accent and there will be some near-reds, which you've been able to avoid so far. It'll be a while yet before I can post a finished kitchen, but you might giggle when you see it, as I did yours.

Greetings to your DH, clearly a man of taste and virtue.

I love the backsplash, and would want to show it off. If that were my kitchen, I would sell the range on craigslist, and buy a slide-in range. Quick fix, it will cost you a few bucks, but worth it in the end.

Microwaves don't last forever. Mine usually die after 5 years. Since you're currently undecided, why not hold off till either you're sure of what to do or the microwave dies anyway.

Has your subway been grouted yet? If not then ignore this. It could be my monitor but it looks like your grout colour on the subway is blue (maybe gray?). I find that that doesn't tie in with your mosaic and is much to busy. Maybe you were trying to match the counter but the mosaic already does that. One option would be to change your grout colour to that of the subway tile and then, as jterrilynn suggested, put a row of the mosaic in the first row so that it carries through the whole kitchen and ties the other counter into the space as well. The MW backsplash/stove center is ok so if you change what is around it that might help to accent the mosaic a bit more.

florantha-also OT but are you the person I seem to remember from previous months who was the *red* person?

I did have red accents in the old kitchen and would have liked to have kept them as they were a relatively new (several years) turn I took, but alas, it doesn't seem to be moving in that direction now.

I would change out that MW in a NY minute. I would also consider a slide-in range.

The hood I linked below is thin, but it takes up space in the cabinet above.

Here is a link that might be useful: narrow hood