Design Strategies for Kitchen Hood Venting | Build Blog

Posted on: October 8, 2013 by Build LLC

Having built up a healthy number of kitchens in our portfolio, we’ve got an accurate sense of the cost-effective, modern details that make them functional and aesthetically pleasing. With that said, there are always specific kitchen details that we’re working to finesse and advance. One such item is the venting for kitchen range/cooktop hoods, and today’s post tackles it head on. While it may seem like a trivial detail, the way in which a kitchen hood is vented commands an un-proportionally large amount of the kitchen’s aesthetics. The method of venting a kitchen hood can frame (or block) views, it can determine the cabinet geometry, and it can influence the character of the space. A carefully considered kitchen hood can look masterful, whereas ignoring this detail jeopardizes the success and congruence of the overall kitchen design.

We’ve been thinking about kitchen hood venting a great deal lately — so much so that we’ve gone full archi-nerd on this one. We’ve organized the various kitchen hood venting methods into the categories that most heavily drive the design decisions; namely whether the hood vents to the ceiling, the walls or the floor. This decision, more than any other, governs the remaining design decisions which are further broken out below. We’ll wrap up today’s post with our newest and most favored method for venting kitchen hoods.

[House A by Dietrich | Untertrifaller]

2B. Fully exposed duct to ceiling

[Risley Residence by BUILD LLC, cabinets by SPD]

At island applications, the fully exposed ducting becomes a prominent feature in the kitchen. Accommodations should be made for an aesthetically pleasing wrap to the ducting. In the case below, a custom stainless steel housing hides the vent while complimenting the surrounding stainless steel appliances. Occasionally the hood will be sized larger than the range/cooktop below to compensate for the lack of a wall to contain steam and aromas.