Even though I’m sure you figured we’d just grow to love the look of our crazy exposed hood (“oooh, it’s so unfinished chic”) we were ready to get this hood-covering train in motion. Oh and as for the height of the range hood, we just followed the manufacturer’s recommendations (the JennAir website offered a range and we went right in the middle of that range at 34″ above the counter).
As for the hood cover, the first thing we did was use photoshop to mock up two different options to figure out what we thought would look best. This was our original thought, since it looks most like a lot of the hoods in our inspiration pictures. The squares on the front are supposed to be panels we’d make using trim.
But it looked a bit top-heavy to us, so we tried this version instead:
We liked that much better, so I took some measurements and drew up a “technical” drawing of the plan. I roughly sketched the hood to scale (using some graph paper under this white sheet) with pen and then used a thicker marker to design the cover around it.
And in the other corner you can see where I started to figure out what sort of wood I would need to actually build this thing. I’m not going to even try to explain what this means now, since it will become clearer as you see the actual cover come together. But just know my goals with this thing were to:
- Make it sturdy (and use moisture/steam/grease resistant plywood so it would last)
- Make it as light as possible (I didn’t need worry about another heavy thing falling off of the wall)
- Make it pretty
When I returned from the store with some plywood panels and 1 x 2″ boards in hand, I got right to building. I was going to build from the bottom up so I started off by building a frame and cutting some plywood panels to size:
The frame is basically three pieces of 1 x 2″ screwed together in a U-shape using my Kreg Jig. To attach it to the wall, I made a couple more holes with my jig so that I could screw it tightly to the wood plank that we used to mount the hood (see, I told you that weird overhang would make sense!).
It looked a little something like this. Note that it’s not touching the actual hood at all, so our cover will essentially float around the entire thing (our high-efficiency range hood should have no issue directing moisture/steam up into the hood and up the vent, and our wood surround should stand up to everyday use like many wood hood surrounds built by various cabinetmakers and handymen/handywomen). We’ve heard from a ton of folks in blogland who have built or hired out wood covers since revealing our crush on them and we’re happy to report that everyone seems to have had a great experience with them (no moisture or steam issues with the wood around the hood). It actually makes sense since non-covered range hoods usually have wood cabinets against either side of them and they don’t typically have issues with those sort of things either.
Note: these pics were taken before we realized we should use metal foil tape and not duct tape for those vent joints, but we’ve since swapped it out and will share those pics in another update post about other things we have to share, like how we patched our giant honking ceiling holes, etc).
With the frame in place I started nailing the thin plywood panels in place.
Here’s what it looked like with the first three sides done.
Remember the reason that there’s a small gap around the outside is to leave room for us to reach the control buttons on the front of the hood. There’s enough room for our fingers to slip in, without being a totally garish amount of space.
And if you’re Sherry’s height (or me slightly ducking) you can even see the buttons so you don’t have to wonder what you’re pressing (to see any buttons on the underside of a hood you usually have to duck a bit to see them, so we like that ours are just as accessible, albeit slyly hidden).
To add the next “tier” to our cover, I had to build a slightly smaller version of the previous 1 x 2″ frame. Since this would be the one against which the sloped part of the cover would sit, I ran it through my table saw at an angle to make it easier for the angled piece of plywood to lay against it. I didn’t measure or anything to make the angle perfect – it was just an educated guess since I figured anything would be an improvement over it meeting the original square edge.
Here it is attached to the upper portion of the hood.
Even though the next set of plywood panels would sit just fine on the top edge of the previous set, I did add a small piece of 1 x 2″ to give me a place to secure them with a nail. And yes, I gave it another guesstimated angled cut to help that sloped piece sit better.
This picture should help make more sense out of this. See the sloped plywood panel in place?
The next two sides would be on only non-rectangular pieces of plywood. Since this angle had to be exact, I held the piece in place so I could mark the exact line that I had to cut.
Then I ran them through my table saw to get these fun little quadrilaterals. Wow, I don’t think I’ve used that term since Mrs. Miller’s 9th grade geometry glass. That’s the class where I decided I should wear my glasses during tests because they would help me feel smarter (even though I just needed them to read the blackboard). Nerd alert.
Anyways, here are those two panels attached on the sides. It’s starting to look like something, no? Of course it’s still very clunky and unfinished looking without trim, but we’ll get there in a minute…
For the third and final tier, we had to cover the vent pipe with the section I affectionately called “the chimney.” First I cut my tiniest 1 x 2″ frame to date. Ain’t he cute?
And then I screwed him straight into the ceiling (hitting nice firm wood that I knew would hold it nice and snug – you never want to drill up into nothing- that hollow feeling is the worst). The only problem was that I hadn’t accounted for how gargantuan the hole was for that vent pipe. Guess we’ve got more patching to do (Sherry’s my spackling queen). And we’ll eventually be installing crown molding around all of this too, so it’ll look nice and polished in the end.
Here’s the chimney covered with the plywood panel, essentially completing the major construction phase of this project.
So here’s what it looked like at that point. Hood is sufficiently covered. We still have access to the buttons. It’s plenty secure and we’re happy with the shape of it. It’s just looking a smidge unfinished. Okay, maybe more than a smidge.
This is where trim comes in. And I’m telling you, it’s one of those “details make the difference” things. I decided to make the trimming portion on this fairly easy on myself. In keeping with the theme of “make it light weight” I decided to use some super lightweight plywood. And to minimize nail holes (and having to hammer against the cover) I opted to glue everything in place. This method should definitely hold up to heat and moisture and all other kitchen loveliness (grease!) – especially once it’s primed and painted with the same super durable Benjamin Moore Advance paint that we used on our cabinets – so we’ll keep you posted.
We also ditched the idea of doing panels across the front and sides (as shown in our original renderings) because we kinda liked the clean look better (and worried smaller boxy panels might not jive with our existing cabinets). It also made my job a bit faster, meaning I had the first row of trim cut and glued into place in no time.
I did like working with the LiquidNails because it gave you a bit of play for the first 10 minutes (hence the tape above to stop it from moving when playtime was over). But I ran out about halfway through (it was an old tube leftover from something else) so I started using this leftover tube of Loctite instead… and kinda wished I had used it from the start. I wasn’t able to wiggle things into place as much (I had to peel it off and restick it instead) but things really stayed in place – meaning no more green tape was needed.
The top portion of trim took me a bit longer (especially because I ran out of wood and had to run out for more in the middle of everything), but by the end of the day I had it looking like this:
The angled cuts on the side took a bit of time too. We opted not to put trim on the chimney part because it’s not really supposed to be a “decorative” part of the hood. Plus there weren’t any open seams between the plywood or anything that needed “finishing.” Once we patch that ugly ceiling hole and add crown molding around the entire top of that wall (and hood) we think it’ll look swankypants indeed.
It’s not 100% perfect. For one, it needs to be primed and painted (we’ll do that when we prime and paint the open shelves we’re about to build) and it needs some caulk in a few places just to make it 100% seamless. But I’m just proud that I accomplished my three goals. It’s sturdy and durable. It’s lightweight. And it looks pretty (if I do say so myself).
Now of course it doesn’t have some of the bells and whistles that a professional hood might have, but once it’s primed and painted it should perform just as well as a painted cabinet would next to or above a hood. And it certainly was cheaper than the $3 – 4K price tag we saw some places (check out this post to see a price that had Sherry spitting liquid at her laptop). In the end it cost me about $90 to complete, mainly because I didn’t realize how much wood/trim I’d need. So I think that brings our total for the hood up to $150 (since the hood itself was $60 thanks to craigslist). Wait, that doesn’t include brackets/wood to hang it, so make that around $175. Still not bad considering we paid $250 for our last kitchen’s stainless steel hood (and it wasn’t an industrial strength JennAir one like the beauty we scored this time).
Even though it’s still a big, tan-colored box on the wall – I did take some “after” photos of the kitchen for ya. Mainly because with book photoshoots starting in our house this week I wasn’t sure of the next time our kitchen would look this clean again. It’s definitely still looking pretty raw in there (we need crown molding, shelves, a ton of color that Sherry can’t wait to add with art and accessories, new floors, an installed dishwasher, a light over the sink, etc) but we’re getting there.
As much as it’s kinda weird for us to see something hanging from this wall that’s been empty for two months, we do like that we’re starting to break up the sea of tile a bit. In some ways it just draws your eye more to that wall so you can stand there drooling. Not that we do that. Much.
It mainly just makes us eager to get that thing painted, get the ceiling patches sanded and painted, and get those open shelves hung. Sounds like a good project to talk about next, eh?
In the meantime, let’s talk about range hoods. Ever built one? If not, I never had either until a few days ago, so you never know what you might find yourself doing down the road…
Mary says
I just moved in a house with an unfinished plywood banquette I’m about to trim, so it was good to see how much trim changes the look of a plain plywood box!
Kristen says
Great job! You are both very talented!
emily @ go haus go says
Is anyone else realizing how good John is becoming at this wood working stuff? I mean geez louise. If anything happens to YHL (god forbid!!!), you guys will make one hell of a decorating/DIY crew. Love seeing all the progress – it inspires me to move a little faster in my own home.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh thanks Emily. I’m blushing.
-John
tara says
It’s just awesome. I absolutely love everything you guys have done and am so impressed how you do it all with your bare hands!!
Lauren says
I’m so impressed! A hood seems like such a difficult project but you make it seem like it’s do-able! Thanks for the constant inspiration. It looks wonderful.
Paulina J! says
You guys have inspired me to get things done. It’s amazing what you guys get done. It’s not like you have family, a child, a dog, and a BOOK you’re working on!!!! :)
Ivette says
The hood cover looks great! You make it look so easy. Can’t wait to see your presentation here in PDX! I feel like I’ll be meeting the Angelina and Brad of home improvement:)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh, you’re making us blush. We’re the muuuuch less cool and attractive version. Hah.
xo,
s
elaine says
wonderful work! Great step-by-step and the ‘finished’ look is great. Can’t wait to see it all painted.
Brandy E says
I love your blog! It never gets stagnant. Never gets to be ‘kitchen this week, kitchen tomorrow, kitchen the days after that.” you guys always throw something random and fun in, and keeps it really fresh! I love how your kitchen is turning out! I am so jelly!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Brandy!
xo,
s
Barb says
Perfect!!!!
Brandy E says
Oh RANDOM ALERT, my daughter wanted to tell you she love ‘Burger’s’ name. Coming from a crazy 7 year old with a guinea pig named hot dog, and a chihuahua named Tuba.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- so cute!!
xo,
s
The Mrs @ Success Along the Weigh says
I REALLY wish I had that gene that would be like “sure, I can buy a range dohicker and build my own hood.” More to the point, I wish my hubby did. But I must say your confidence is rubbing off on me for smaller projects I never would’ve done before. Gotta start somewhere right?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! We started there too! Haha. Give it a few years and you’ll be building a hood and demoing a bathroom! Haha.
xo,
s
Sarah @ The Strength of Faith says
You guys are amazing. Seriously.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Sarah!
xo,
s
Meg@Green Motherhood says
Absolutely genius, John! I’m in awe.
Just wondering if putting trim on the top piece is totally out or if ya’ll are waiting to see how it looks painted. I’m thinking I would like the trim, but it’s definitely a personal choice!
YoungHouseLove says
We’re going to be adding crown molding up there so that would have interfered with trim we think! Of course there’s always tweaking down the road if we change our mind!
xo,
s
David says
I may be way off here, but did you think about fire when you built it the way you did? I say this because the wood you used seems quite light and…tinder-y? It would go up pretty quick if it ever caught…not sure if that’s standard, but just a thought!
You might think about a flame-retardant paint additive when you go that route!
YoungHouseLove says
We actually did some research and apparently light plywood is pretty standard for building cabinetry and hood covers (the cabinets over and next to a stove are typically made of wood too – a lot of a kitchen has wood going on – so once they’re primed and painted they should be good to go!
xo,
s
GreenInOC says
If John wants to live up to his “Captain Safety” moniker, could you use fire retardant paint?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I’m sure we could- although we want it to match our cabinets and have that paint on hand so we might put on our Captain Cheap pants. Haha.
xo,
s
Vicky says
Love your kitchen!! Great job on the hood!!
erin says
our kitchen currently doesn’t have a range hood which drives me crazy!! i really want to put one in, but i’m concerned about placement. our range sits in front of a half wall which was built butted up to the side of a fireplace so that they could put in an electrical box for the range. in order to put in a hood like you have, we’d have to attach it somehow to the brick of the chimney, but i’m afraid that the hood won’t be over the range very much. the brick that would hold the hood is probably 1-2 feet behind the very back of the range. i’m guessing we’d also have to put an electrical box up in the ceiling just to power the hood. any suggestions?
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, maybe get an electrician out for a free estimate to see what they recommend? Good luck!
xo,
s
Tiffany says
Wow – This really looks amazing! I am constantly in awe of you guys. It will look like you paid thousands once it is done. Your kitchen dreams are coming true!! YEA!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Tiffany! You’re so sweet!
xo,
s
Jenny says
It looks fab – didn’t even know you could do this! I’m interested to know how you will clean it / combat the grease build-up that can occur in the stove area of the kitchen… also on your shelves, and the stuff going on your shelves?? Good luck!
YoungHouseLove says
We had a range hood like this in our last kitchen (stainless, not wood) and a good fan is really the key to sucking grease and steam out of the room so it doesn’t collect on nearby cabinets or the hood itself! We never had an issue in our last kitchen so here’s hoping our luck holds out!
xo,
s
Allykristine says
Jboom ~ did you just use the word ‘swankypants’in your post??? Sherdog is definitely rubbin’ off on ya :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, he’s the king of made up words like hood-licious. Hahahah.
xo,
s
BrookeJ says
Wow John, you did some amazing work! How did you decide on how high to place the hood above the stove, it looks much higher than mine? Was it based on John’s height or manufacturer recommendation? The kitchen is looking absolutly fabulous!
YoungHouseLove says
Check out the first paragraph of the post for that info! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Jenny says
You guys are crushing it in that kitchen — it looks amazing. I am seriously so excited to see you guys put up and then style those open shelves. Crossing my fingers for some sort of ceramic animal teapot or something on them :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha thanks Jenny! You know I’m chomping at the bit to bring in my ceramic animals!
xo,
s
Deb says
Does it drive you guys crazy that when the recessed lights are on, it makes the stove/hood not look centered~not on the wall centered, but centered on each other? When the recessed lights are off it looks fantastic and centered! Fabulous job!! Love your material choices!!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- never noticed! Must be an in-pictures thing since in person it’s not something we ever see! Too funny. I think once the shelves go on with accessories and a new floor will totally make sense! Here’s hoping!
xo,
s
Chris says
John you are amazing….that hood looks great and you made it look so easy to build.
I don’t want to seem like a pest I know you guys have so much going on right now, but I can’t wait to see Clara’s next monthly photo.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh that happens on the 14th of each month (we did last month’s so click on that tab on the sidebar with Clara’s Photo Project on it to see it!).
xo,
s
Shannon says
You might find this snarky, but as an Architect, I find this design to be all wrong. The proportions are off and it’s really distracting in my opinion. I’m really sorry that I can’t stand behind you on this one. Construction wise/ability to plan ahead- you’ve done good, but aesthetically…you missed the mark on my target. Glad you like it though, that’s all that matters.
YoungHouseLove says
Ain’t no than Shannon! We’re sure no one is behind 100% of the things we do in our house! We think it’ll look perfecto once we add shelves and accessorize them (along with crown, new floors, etc) so seeing the hood alone on that wall can definitely throw ya!
xo,
s
Jamie says
Just throwing this out there: Maybe you should paint the hood the same plum color as your newly painted rooster! It would REALLY pop!
BY THE WAY!: I just googled “painted wood range hoods” to try and find some examples of painted range hoods and two pics from your blog were on the front page!! Check it out: http://goo.gl/sguFw
p.s. I almost didn’t post this comment just because I felt guilty from taking your time away from book stuff. Hope you guys are getting enough rest :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- no way!
xo,
s
Sheela says
Fantastic work John! That is super impressive, and it looks fantastic. I love that the whole structure is light, but looks solid and substantial. It will look beyond fabulous once it’s painted, and just think, you saved yourselves about $2,900! Great job!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahooo!
xo,
s
Sarah says
You are both so talented! It looks awesome – can’t wait to see the final product pics!
Paige says
Great build! And kudos on taking the photos during the day… this is the first time I’ve seen your kitchen flooded with all of that natural light that you worked so hard for!
Jennifer C. says
Love it! John I’m super impressed! You two never cease to amaze me! Keep up the great work; can’t wait to buy your book when it comes out!
Ariana says
Hi!! I love your blog and I am so impressed with the hood!!! I was looking at your progress pictures in your house tour and I noticed a gold flowered and green rug that was in your guest bedroom. I am moving into a rental home for two years– long enough to be frustrated by the ugly green countertops, but too short to really invest enough money to change them. I think if i put this rug in the dining space next to the kitchen it might look better. Do you remember where you got this rug, and do you have any other tips dressing up an ugly countertop or at least minimizing the horror?
YoungHouseLove says
It was from Pottery Barn Outlet a while back (called the Clara rug). Maybe try ebay?
xo,
s
Sarah @ OneCraftyHome says
Wow! That looks amazing!
cee cee says
Your kitchen looks absolutely beautiful and the hood frame looks fantastic! You’re definitely a talented duo :)
Just a question– I’m supposing the underside of the frame will be left unfinished since it is already built around the range hood–would that pose any problems of mold or bacterial growth since unfinished wood is porous? Just curious.
YoungHouseLove says
We don’t believe so since the range will draw up steam and moisture away from the wood frame and also since many other carpenters and cabinet makers build hoods in place like this (only painting or staining the outside when they’re done).
xo,
s
Seriously Sassy Mama says
You my dear, are crafty!
Tara says
I think I have been anticipating the range cover build just as much as you guys. I had a dream about it last night, however in the dream you had also completed the shelves! The kitchen looked great completed if you were wondering. haha!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I wish! Can’t wait for that moment!
xo,
s
Jenna at Homeslice says
Wow, I’m impressed. It looks so professional- (not that I’d expect anything less from you guys!) especially with the trim. That makes all the difference.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Jenna!
xo,
s
david says
I was hoping you’d leave the front curved part of the hood exposed. Would that be too modern-looking for your tastes?
YoungHouseLove says
That part of the hood was actually scratched up when you got close (hence the good deal on craigslist, it wasn’t looking mint when you stepped closer). So we like covering it so we still have the industrial strength hood but a clean and not-scratched look!
xo,
s
GreenInOC says
Looks great! I love the actual so much better with the simple lines!!
Perhaps you could make the controls super easy for everyone who uses it by putting notches on the underside of the cabinet that correspond with the control – they’d be super easy to find! $herdog could even use a fine sharpie to mimic the icon for the control there with a Sharpie. I would be hidden but possibly helpful.
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that could be fun!
xo,
s
Sonya says
Love the proejct. I also wanted to comment on how wonderfully bright it is now in your kitchen. With the light colours and the potlights. It must feel amazing in there now. Bravo……love you blog. Have been following it now for a year and it’s so wonderful to watch you and your family evolve. Love it.
Lots of Love to you both!!
Sonya :o)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Sonya! You’re sweet.
xo,
s
Amber says
This is totally unrelated to this link, but Lowe’s pinned your plum rooster on Pinterest today. Pretty neat!
YoungHouseLove says
No way! That’s too funny.
xo,
s
Gaidig says
Major progress! Looking forward to seeing it done. I think you made a good choice in eliminating the additional panels you were planning. It goes so much better with the clean look of the rest of your kitchen. I personally prefer a more monolithic look, with maybe angled-in sides to make it look smaller, rather than the stepped look. I suppose we’ll see the real result when you’ve painted, hung the shelves, and filled them with your stuff.
Pam says
I love what you guys are doing, keep up the great/awesome job!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Pam!
-John
Julie B. says
Is there a picture of your kitchen (current white cabinets, pretty current-ish…) from the angle of the laundry room door our into the kitchen?
I want to, but can’t, feel the distance between your largest cabinet and the peninsula. Is this a crazy question?
I love all of it, by the way. I’m just a visual person and can’t envision or remember seeing it from that angle.
YoungHouseLove says
We’ll have to share a pic like that soon! It’s about five feet from the inside of the peninsula to the closer side of the fridge. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
emily @ the happy home says
i do have to say, my favorite part is the parenthetical “(I didn’t need worry about another heavy thing falling off of the wall)”. oh, john. you are very patient. and quite handy with that table saw! looks great.
Lisa says
I didn’t realize 34 inches was standard height for the vent hood! Our kitchen has a microwave over the range, so I guess I’ve gotten used to thinking that the vent should be lower.
Have you shared what you will be putting on the open shelving on the right side of the range? Just wondering with the shelves being narrow and where I would want to store spices and seasonings.
YoungHouseLove says
Not sure what will go there… maybe pretty glasses and some spices? Will have to play around! Can’t waaaaiiiiit!
xo,
s
Emma says
Wow-wa-wee-wah! That looks great!
Paige says
I’ve been thinking this for a few days now but this “full room” shot really made it apparent- your “grellow” walls look so light now! I can’t believe the difference that lightening the cabinetry made to the other colors.
Can’t wait to see what’s next!
YoungHouseLove says
Isn’t it amazing! The new lighting helped so much! In person the walls have always been that light but they always photographed so dark and crazy!
xo,
s
Sherri says
Yay! Awesome job!
We’ve had intentions of building a wooden range hood cover for a few years now. But (with three kids) just haven’t found the time and energy.
Ours is open on all four sides though, so I had been looking for building plans…so was anxious to see how you did yours.
Very inspired by your just figure it out attitude! I guess that’s what we need to go do now!
Thanx for the inspiration!
btw, was that 1/8″, 1/4″ plywood you used for the boards?
YoungHouseLove says
I think it was 1/4″ plywood. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Joy says
wow, very nicely done. your kitchen is lovley! can you post a before photo again –or are you waiting for more? i guess i can wait.. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- you can check one out by clicking the Our House tab under our header! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Darlene Marquez says
I’M EXHAUSTED by reading this today! I’m 7months pregnant, and after yesterday’s book/project post, and the fact that you have a child, and you built a hood! Can’t. Catch. My. Breeeeaaath. Hope you have a great vaca planned for 2013! I have to go nap, man you guys kill me! ;-)