Make the air clean and your kitchen beautiful. Make the air clean and your kitchen beautiful.
The venting system in your kitchen needs to be functional. But wouldn’t it be great if it was also beautiful? Although invisibility has its virtues, the latest trend in kitchen design is all about making range hoods into showstopping centrepieces.
There are several different ways of whisking smoke, grease and odours out of your kitchen. Range hoods, also called hood vents or hood fans (though each works slightly differently), can be inserted into a cabinet or mounted underneath it, suspended over an island or attached to a wall. Downdraft ventilation is another option — these vents pop up behind a cooktop to whoosh away hot air when needed, then close flush to the countertop when the cooking is done.
Most use ducts to vent the hot air outside through the wall or roof, though some recirculate the air instead. These days, range hoods are also getting quieter, more powerful and smarter, with LED lighting and advanced sensors to detect heat, smoke and humidity levels.
All get the job done, but none are as beautiful as the hot new-old range hoods. These dramatic, sculptural pieces evoke a more gracious era, whether they are made in traditional or contemporary style. They can be wood or metal, linear or curved, convex or concave, plain, patterned or trimmed with scalloped edges, crown moulding or brass strapping. They can be places to display works of art, or be a work of art themselves.
Stainless steel, patinated brass and hammered copper all make for lovely range hoods, especially with contrasting metal trim. So do custom-designed hoods that are painted to match kitchen walls, countertops or statement appliances like a blue La Cornue oven or Matador red Hestan range.
Now that’s a case of form following function, beautifully.
