Choosing the Right Range Hood for a Kitchen

Choosing or designing a range hood is a great opportunity to take something that is all about functionality and make it beautiful and a focal point. In my opinion, the hood has evolved into one of the most important elements of a beautiful kitchen.

There are so many different directions you can go with your range hood. You can keep it clean and minimal, you can go industrial, or add warmth with stained wood.

We have had all kinds of range hoods in our past houses, from stainless to the wood farmhouse hood that we currently have. For me, choosing a range hood is one of the most exciting parts of the design process.

Things to Consider

It’s important to take into consideration the other elements in your kitchen. For example, if you have dark cabinets, you probably want to use a lighter hood to prevent your kitchen from being too dark. On the flip side, if you have white cabinets, it’s always good to create some contrast. You can do this with a stained wood hood.

Also consider what type of backsplash you will be using. If you’re using a dark backsplash tile, you probably want to go with white or stainless like this kitchen:

But the most important thing to consider is the over all look you are trying to create:

Rustic

If you’re tying to add some rustic elements to your home, the range hood is a good place to do that. Adding some reclaimed wood around the bottom of your hood can add just the right amount of rustic while still maintaining a bright white kitchen as seen here:

This look really works well if you have rustic ceiling beams in your kitchen as well.

Traditional

If you’re going for a traditional look, you probably want your hood to match your cabinets in both style and color.

Industrial

I’m a big fan of adding industrial elements to a home. It’s a great way to add modern touches. You can do this with lighting, and in the kitchen an industrial hood always creates a great focal point.