I really appreciate these comments. I should note that our kitchen project is not a full remodel but only consists of new cabinetry, stove, hood, and fridge, and I think our appliance choices have pushed it closer to $50,000. It is a small space and I presume it would be a $70-90,000 job if it were a full renovation.

It is a smart idea to think about matching the rest of the color to the range. Although, our kitchen is currently painted Maritime White and I love it! We had a damn good color consultant pick the color when we moved in 5 years ago and she nailed it. It is the perfect white for this 160 year old home and looks incredible no matter the time of day. It is right on with our floor stain too. I love that we have lived with this color already and know how it looks in the space, so I want to stick with it.

B Carey, thanks for breaking it down in such real terms. It quite helps to ease my sticker shock and just go with the custom color on the Blue Star range to match the Maritime White we know and love. Done!

Now on to the hood conversation. I am trying to remember why we chose the Vent a hood over the Blue Star. Part of it was price. The Blue Star was about $1600 more if my memory is correct and not including the paint job. I think reviews of the two, noise level, and shape of them might have also swayed the choice.

Can you educate me more about powder coating on stainless verses non powder coating.

I agree that our designer does not seem to know about the logistics of color, though I'm being a stickler about the cabinet color and perhaps she is trying to accommodate me. I suppose she is not a kitchen designer as much as a cabinet designer. Hence, you Houzz experts are quite helpful!

Background note:

(Cabinet designer is owner of cabinet company. I do trust her knowledge of painting cabinets. We have toured the workshop, seen their different painting facilities, and got to feel a finished set of painted cabinets that were of the non catalytic, more housepaint type of paint. It was a huge set of cabinets off gassing before shipping to a Nantucket kitchen. I got to feel all the surfaces, inside and out.

They walked me closely through the pros and cons of each kind of painting process and the maintenance involved with what we are selecting. The company has been around for 50 years, is 100 percent custom made, their materials are outstanding, and I have read extensive reviews of customers, including those who have used our paint process.

Those who are using the type of paint we are using seem to have historic homes. And their jobs are about 4 -6 times more expensive than ours. They do a lot of this work and seem to get the ins and outs of it. I spoke with a few other cabinet makers in the area who also do historic homes with this more house paint type of finish and had zero confidence in their understanding of how to apply the paint, and the pros and cons. I completely get that this kind of work is not the norm and a bit more specific to our region where there are plenty of 150-250 year old homes with owners who want a particular feel to the surface of their wood.)

You’ve drunk the Kool Aid and just want people to agree with you. Not gonna happen here. Anyone that would suggest this reverse order of process, or painting a range hood with house paint, or cabinets with house paint, well that person needs to drop the K from KD. That person isn’t knowledgeable enough to be a KD. And they mightv even need to drop the D.

You’re are spending money that is not in your best interest. And that will give you a poor result. Now how many people that make more money the more money you spend would tell you that truth?

Can someone educate me about powder coating. Is that the only kind of paint advised for use on stainless steel? I need to double check with her about what type of paint is being used on the hood and if it is the same as for the cabinets. Are there other kinds of non-powder coating color finishes that are advisable on stainless steel? If so, what are the pros and cons of those vs powder coating?

Waynette, Oh the banter in my head around what else $1,900 could do in the world is strong. I swing wildly between the what's $1,900 in the grand scheme of a kitchen design and Jesus - $1,900! That's why I love getting out of my head and on Houzz for perspective.

I don't think 95% of us take the prices of cabinets and appliances lightly. I agonize over lots of dollars I spend. But ultimately, I am always willing to wait if needed to get what I really want. It is not like you are buying a $1300 range and doubling the cost with a paint job! You are buying an expensive range and adding 20-30% (?) to the cost for a custom paint job.

I don't prefer the monotone look you are going for. It is very taste specific and would be hard to find a buyer who didn't want to change out at least appliances. But my new build kitchen will be very taste specific to me for finishes, without regard to resale value. You likely wouldn't prefer my kitchen choices, and that is okay!

You can youtube powder coating process to get a better idea. But what Sophie is saying regarding different paint types is that you use a different type of paint depending on the material/application. Even if you used the same paint from the same paint can on different materials, there will be some variation in color. You are not going to want the cabinet company to powder coat the cabinets and you aren't going to get BlueStar to change their process. Just understand that the finish will be different between the 2, which causes the colors to appear slightly different. A good example of this would be looking at the final dried paint from a flat base versus a glossy base. It is the same color, just not the same shine level.

Just wondering - did you decide if you were sticking with the stock knobs or going with painted? The photos you added show with both black and painted knobs. You'll have to figure in the cost of standard paint or custom painting for those as well ($95 each for the standard colors).

If you decide to stick with the current strategy of keeping your cabinet color as is and using regular paint, you should probably order a sample or three of the standard whites and see how they look. IDK if dealers have these sample that maybe you can bring your door there rather than ordering the samples yourself.

It's going to look a little different though regardless of whether you pay for the custom color.

I spent quite a bit more on my kitchen than you are, but paying for a custom white range sounds kind of nuts to me as does spending ~$7k on a 30" range. But whatever... spend your money how you want. Also the custom job is really $1300 more than a standard white range, not $1900 more.

Definitely rethink the hood paint.

I just learned from the cabinet maker that they have painted hoods before using a paint for metallic surfaces, and color match to their cabinets. They spray it. They will make me a sample that I need to sign off on.

I spoke to the appliance person too, who had as much sticker shock as I did over the Blue Star price. She is doing some research for me. Their site says they have 750 colors. Yet their swatch book only shows 188. Where are the rest of the colors, how much does it cost to have these painted, do they have metallic swatches? She will ask these questions today. She said Blue Star really dissuaded her from custom color, likely because they know that all colors, even custom, look different in different light and next to the same color on a different surface and they probably don't want to deal with people who are disappointed when they learn that even a custom color won't bring an exact match.

Steve - Thanks for asking about the knobs. As they typically do with painted knobs, they are making two sets for us so we have replacements on hand for when they get worn, as they warned us such knobs so. If over time in our adventures through junk and salvage stores we come across vintage knobs, we will swap them out. Here are thewood knobs we chose from. Not sure where your knob pricing is from but ours are *nothing* near that cost. It might be $100 or something for all the knobs. This place does not nickel and dime. Their prices seem quite fair to us. How often can you say that?

B Carey - We too are not concerned at all with resale. Plan to own this house for decades. Even if I didn't, houses in our neighborhood are so in demand, most people don't look at kitchens - they just buy the house because it is available and put in a new one if they don't like what is there. There is certainly a freedom in going with one's own aesthetic!

Kendrah, I'm referring to the knobs on the stove. The Range with Custom Hood andthe Lincoln Square photos you posted show two white ranges, one with matching white knobs, the other with black. What were your plans for your STOVE knobs? BS sells them on their site for $95 each in 190 colors, but I have to assume the custom knobs would be priced higher. http://bluestar-store.mwrc.net/en/product.php?product_id=40391 

Major sleep depravation moment Steve. Of course you are talking about stove knobs! I was quoted via our appliance person $85/knob for one of the 190 standard colors and $120/knob for a custom color. I do intend to get knobs in the off white color to match the off white door. I love the customized knob colors.

I made it to an appliance store today (I'm out of town and there happened to be an appliance store with Blue Stars quite nearby.). I compared their color chart to my paint samples. One was quite a close match. I am having a metal color swatch of it sent to my house. My kitchen woman - I dare no longer call her a designer :) is sending me a sample of the painted hood material. I'll be glad to see them in my kitchen, in the light, with my walls.

I have not read the whole thread. I am just going to go out on a limb and tell you what I think might look much better and be less expensive to boot. Get the range in black. It makes no sense at all to try to match a metal to a wood. For the hood, I would go with a matching wooden hood or a stainless hood. Black ranges look very authentic in period kitchens.

I strongly recommend taking Sophie's advice. And her track record here is incredibly strong, i.e. she is almost always right about specific issues. She has nothing to sell you. Think about that. Everybody else you deal with is trying to sell you something or save themselves effort.

I second the black range and a painted wood hood with insert ...paint match problem solved, and a better more authentic look.

Sophie is blunt but she is usually spot on.

Good grief - I spent over $50K on a kitchen and did absolutely everything myself. Everything - design, specs, total gut job, wiring, plumbing, setting cabinets, installing appliances, countertops, floors - everything, and the only custom items were a couple of cabinets and the refrigerator handles (made by a local blacksmith). Only $40K? Spring for whatever custom paint you want.

* I got more info. The cabinet people do not do the hood painting themselves but send it out to a local metal painter/refinisher. Thank you all for your eyebrow raises around this and helping me to ask the right questions.

* Rita, good idea about a black fronted range. I'm smitten with the look of black ranges made by that fancy French company. We are settled on wanting a Blue Star though, and I think a Blue Star in black is going to look very contemporary and somewhat choppy in a smaller kitchen. What are your thoughts? Here is our layout for the wall with our hood and range so you can get an idea of the size of things. On the right is the door to our dining room. The yellow is a table on the wall opposite the range.

I have an idea book with 20 different wood hoods with inserts. Our kitchen lady and I spent a lot of time in the space, measuring them out, making mock ups, and in the end she and I both decided we liked the look of painted metal better because it took up less visual bulk than wood. Were our kitchen larger, I think a wood hood with insert would look best with the age of our house, our cabinets, and certainly our aesthetics.

* Oh, I know Sophie has some great advice, and blunt isn't a problem for me. I appreciate her input and she has flagged some great concerns for me in the past. Some of her advice here is apropos to our specific situation and some not. I count on her to chime in when I post here.

* Aliceinwonderland, we are not having our whole kitchen renovated. We are getting new cabinets, fridge, range, and hood. So $35k covers custom cabinets, demo, installation, plumbing and electric reconnect to existing outlets. About $15k on appliances. Our kitchen is not large. (See below.) Learning about other people's budgets is very helpful to put things in perspective to thanks for your numbers.

What I did was just choose a couple of copper trim pieces for the Bluestar electric wall oven. This reduced the cost and still has a unique, but non-traditional, appearance.

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You would be much better served with powder coating on a hood than paint, no matter the paint. Powder coating, especially done at the factory, is a much more durable finish, and for something like a vent hood that's going to be subjected to high heat, get greasy, need scrubbing, will last longer.

Fully agreed. Don't substitute powder coating for some other type of paint, unless you plan on never using the kitchen. If it's just a show-piece kitchen, then any option will do. Heck, you could just vinyl wrap it. LOL (don't actually do that, of course!). But if you plan on using the hood, powder coating is the way to go. Everything else will look ugly after a while.

Alternatively, the option of getting a hood liner inside of a custom-built wooden hood sounds as if it would perfectly work for you.

And of course, you can do what Jerry and many other forum members have concluded and embrace a small amount accent colors. This could be stainless steel with nice trim. Or it could be another factory-default color that contrasts with the rest of your kitchen. Highlights can be pretty. Not everything needs to be absolutely uniform.

I'm going to jump in and give my 2 cents worth.

The number of colors is only limited by your pocket book. If you go to any auto body repair shop, they will have a huge catalog filled with powder coat paint colors. Bluestar will do any of those colors as long as you can supply the color number. That's how they get to 750 colors

Bluestar will be happy to send you swatches of their regular colors. They will also send you a preproduction swatch of the custom color you decide that you must absolutely have with no consideration of cost.

I suggest you order a few samples of the closest standard color you desire from BS. From that sample, form the rest of your decisions. Have the paint store and the cabinet maker color match and custom mix this color for you.

If you decide to paint the exhaust hood, if it's metal it must be powder coated. Your auto shop can do this. Or, you can buy the BS hood and they can do it. If you decide on a wood-clad hood, Vent-A-Hood sells the exhaust insert for this custom application. Your cabinet maker can make this and paint it with the matching cabinet paint.

Please note that the last inspiration picture features a Wolf stainless range.

Your problem really lies with the fact that you won't move off of Maritime White. If you tried to compromise, lots of options will open up. If it were me, I wouldn't die on this hill. I'd buy the stainless steel or the black. I'd spend the money elsewhere on something else totally fabulous. Bluestar is a work horse that doesn't need any embellishment. Appreciate it for it's industrial beauty.

HomeChef - I have asked two different appliance stores about this and they have said that 750 refers to the combinations of their standard 188 colors plus various trim option combined to get 750. From your comment I understood you to mean that there are 750 powder coated colors and that auto shops have a list and formulas for that many or more? (Is this what a RAL number is?)

Thanks for the tip on asking for a pre-production swatch of a custom color from Blue Star. Do you think they will do this while I am in the process of deciding between one of their colors and a custom color, or is this only after someone commits to a custom color?

According to a quick websearch: "There are 2328 RAL colours in total, 213 RAL Classic colours, 490 RAL Effect colours and 1625 RAL Design colours."

So, not sure where the number 750 comes from. In principle, if you're willing to pay for it, either Bluestar or any auto body shop should be able to powder coat in any of these colors. Although, depending on technology used, they might not be able to pick from all three palettes. My guess is that RAL Effect and RAL Classic is what you want. RAL Design is more appropriate for house/interior paint.

Kendrah - going from memory here, but Blue star charges for color samples they send ($15-20 maybe?), but will credit the cost of samples when/ if you purchase. I must have picked a standard color because my 48 RNB was $875 to paint.

You might as well spend the money, even though it still won't match perfectly as your examples show. You still will be getting a heckuva inexpensive kitchen!

Don't paint the hood unless it's a wood insert (or unless your cabinet shop uses a metal shop for paint). Have you looked at Modern-Aire? I think they do custom colors and have some nice shapes.

$15 for color samples does make sense. They cost real money and you don't want people to order the samples and never order the stove. But fortunately, RAL is highly standardized -- that's kind of the point. So, you should call around and ask your local auto body shops, whether they'll let you take a look at their color samples. If you are lucky, you'll find a shop that allows you to look at the samples for free, even if they might not allow you to take them home.

These samples should be really close, but might not be a 100% match to what Bluestar will do. That still depends a little on the subtle differences in substrate (i.e. the sheet metal that the stove is made of). But once you have things narrowed down to two or three candidate colors, you can make a more informed decision when ordering samples from Bluestar.

Rather than try to nail the color of the range perfectly and spend a lot of money for something that could ultimately disappoint, I'd go with a color that is a touch darker than your cabinets and make it look intentional. I think you'd still pull off the historic look you're after.

I don't mind paying $20 for samples. It is a pittance compared to the cost of the kitchen and they do credit it to your purchase too.

Wolfgang, I like the idea of looking at other colors just a touch darker. I think black is going to be too much of a contrast against the off white cabinets.

Should anybody feel inclined to hop on the Blue Star build your own range site and make some additional range color recommendations, I'd love to hear what your ideas are for oven door and knob colors other than off white and stark black.

Here are our other kitchen colors:

The wall color is Maritime White and the cabinets will be matched. Our pine floor is a near cherry color and we have this an other Hitchcock chairs and a bench in the room that are black, gold painted, and various unpainted hard woods.

This is the marble for our main countertops. We will be adding a small bank of lower cabinets with a cherry top.

Here is some artwork, which will probably stay in the room:

Personally, I wouldn't be afraid of black with copper knobs. That's a very classic combination that IMHO goes beautifully with the rest of your design.

But if I you're scared of that much contrast, you could always tone it down and see if you can pick up the color of the marble countertops. That would be a light grey.

I still think black is more suitable. But grey is timeless and inoffensive. And you do already have it in your palette thanks to the natural stone.

I think the color of the drawer pull in photo #2 would be a great choice for the range.

Maybe Bluestar standard RAL color 8022 (Black Brown) for body and knobs plus Antique Brass trim (knob surrounds and handles) to also match your chairs and bench

Unfortunately, a link to the Bluestar "Build your own" website doesn't keep any selections that have been made. Black Brown (RAL 8022) is the last version of black in the "blacks" color pop up.

Here is a link to the color:

https://www.ralcolorchart.com/ral-classic/ral-8022-black-brown

Kendrah,

You are not going to like what I have to say, but those chairs, that print and your decorative tray just scream to be paired with black BS. With your painted cabinets and painted wood range hood a black BS range would be very elegant and most handsome. Forget painting the stove a custom color. I would spend the extra money on brass trim. That would pick up the stenciling on those lovely chairs.

Hey, I appreciate the confirmation from many that black might be the way to go. My husband would be thrilled. He loves black. Perhaps my mind can be changed! Here are a few picks of the Black Brown (RAL 8022) that John suggested. What are your guys thoughts on the shade of black as well as trim colors?

Black brown antique brass

Black brown brass

Black Brown Copper Trim

Black Brown Stainless

I hear you all on the suggestion to get a wood hood with insert if I go with the black range. If this were a larger kitchen I'd get a wood hood with insert in a heartbeat, but I think that 30" wood hoods look ridiculous. In my case, they really chop up the site lines of the short L. The wall is only 90", so the middle third of it will jut out and I think just looks really choppy and bulky.

Below are pics I have found of smaller wood hoods and I just don't like the look. With a blue star you really need a lot of surface coverage and then building a wood case around that just gets really bulky or has a huge slop all the way up to the ceiling, which is a lot of look in a smaller room.

So if I had a black range and still went with a metal painted hood to match the cabinets, hum, not sure what I think. Thoughts? Any less bulky examples of wood hoods?

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Did you look at what BlueStar can do with their hood designs? It seems like you can really dress them up into anything you can imagine. https://www.bluestarcooking.com/inspiration/image-gallery/custom-hood-gallery/

Do you have a photo or drawing of your design for that wall?

The deeper the upper adjacent cabinets, the easier it would be to integrate the hood surround so it wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb. Deeper surrounding upper cabinets also make the hood far more efficient by better capturing and directing the rising effluent into the hood insert. It's the opposite of an island hood, which is very difficult to make work well.

Here are some random links to illustrate -- not good examples for your home style or colors, but just to get an idea of some shapes:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61G6vw9qTqL.SL1000.jpg

http://www.designerhomesurplus.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/RANGE_HOOD_INSERT_2.jpg

http://www.woodenconcepts.net/Kitchen1.jpg

Here I what I learned when I installed my BS, you need three inches extra on each side of the range. For a 30" unit, that means a 36" wide hood. You need it as deep as possible. If at all possible you don't want to scrimp and use a 30" aperture. 36" is the right size for your application. I was reusing a Vent-A-Hood and it really should have been the larger aperture.

My KD suggested, and I agreed, to use a 17" deep wall cabinet, due to the larger size of dishes now days. It didn't cost any more with a custom cabinet, but it did create a lot more usable space. You may want to adjust your cabinet plans accordingly. It will make your hood appear smaller. Win, win.

I like the idea of the black with brass trim, which is an upcharge, and the wooden hood painted by your cabinet maker.

I like the black brown--it has a bit of an antiqued look compared to black. Even better--match it to a barrel hood with brass rib thingies.

ETA: Ventahood does custom colors. If you get a metal hood, get it powdercoated!

I agree 1000 percent with Fori about the hood. Also, i think antique brass accents on the range would be nice.

You could also try a plaster hood surround. We have a 1931 home and that is the direction we’re leaning.

Do a copper range. With stainless trim. And you will need the 36” hood. Powder coated. Not painted. Even automotive paints will not hold up to grease and scrubbing.

Sophie, I'm hoping for the hood to have more of a matte finish than a gloss finish. The kitchen woman says that powder coating is a glossy finish. Is this accurate or can powder coating be done in different sheens?

Copper range sounds gorgeous. As would a copper hood to match. I saw them early on in the process on Blue Star and they have not leapt out at me but now with our design in mind, it could be nice. Our dishwasher is stainless and only 5 years old Bosch, works perfectly fine, and cannot have a panel made for it. When it dies we will get a panel ready and the cabinet maker will make a matching panel. Until then, what are your thoughts on the look of a stainless dishwasher and copper range and hood?

Wolfgang, I have never heard of thought of a plaster hood. How large is your hood, is it going to be flush with cabinets on either side? Is it something more of a large visual impact piece? Our kitchen walls are plaster. I love the look and feel, but it is a pain in the butt having to deal with electrical and plumbing. I wonder if plaster hood would provide challenges if there are mechanical problems with the insert? If you have photos of plaster hoods, can you post here?

Our hood will be 36” wide without uppers on either side. Range is 31.5”. We share your concerns about having a big box sticking out from the wall and plan to design it to play down the bulk.

If your copper range has stainless trim I'd think it would play reasonably nicely with your stainless dishwasher.

I am going slightly bonkers and doing an about face, now considering stainless range, off-white knobs, brass trim around the knobs. Hood still to match cabinets. Is this coo-coo? I can't see how it would look because for some reason, the white knobs on the Blue Star site are not showing up as white.

I hate stainless and always loved the idea of redoing a kitchen with the ability to have paneled appliances and a colored range. But now in the midst of this, it all feels like over kill in my small-ish kitchen. And I'm noticing that while my hood and range ideabooks have all white hoods and ranges, my original ideabook of favorite overall kitchen looks all have stainless. These were my original inspiration before I got all crafty with the details:

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And, here is my kitchen currently - the L part is what is being redone with new cabinetry / range.

I think you are right to reconsider. I suggest you ditch the white knobs and go with stainless and brass trim on the Blue Star. White knobs don't seem very classic to me.

Here are some photos of my SS and copper kitchen.

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Jerry, your mobile island is awesome. Especially love the rack of trays on the bottom. So nice to see a kitchen on Houzz used for some serious baking! I cannot wait until I have a working oven again. I'm day dreaming about throwing a huge pie, torte, and tart party.

Thanks! I thought a bit about an island, but discarded it because the walkways would have been too narrow--even for one person. As you can see from the top picture, there is plenty of room for two people.

The mobile baking table has worked out very well. It now has over a year's use and I'm very glad I did it that way. Both the table and the rack are from Webstaurantstore.com.

A few different kitchen designers I interviewed insisted on making a few plans that included an island. We live in a narrow row house, I have no desire for one, and the space would have been tremendously awkward. Some people insist on islands even when they aren't practical. Seems you have found the perfect solution.

Designers appear to be taught that they must include checkbox items. It's why every home in Texas has a stupid fireplace.

@Kendrah I actually really like your original idea of matching the BS range to your cabinets-- it looks lovely. I also liked Sophie's idea of using copper. Both seem like they would provide a more airy and light ambiance to your kitchen. I don't know if you are still on this message board, but which did you end up doing? I'm looking at BS ranges, and excited/overwhelmed with the options when most of the other higher end range companies offer stainless steel only and the big whoop is getting different colored knobs =)