You know when you find the perfect inspiration that will be a focal point of a renovation? Well, plastered range hoods have been my architectural design crush for ages in kitchens. I mean, that arched silhouette? Swoon.
When it came time to redesign our Modern Colonial kitchen after we moved in, I was scrolling through Pinterest (as one does!) and found this amazing old French kitchen with the most incredible range nook. And suddenly, it was like, "Yep, that's it—that's my inspo!" With our large 60" range, we knew we had to go big. The project turned out even better than I could have imagined.
You all have been asking so many questions about our plaster range hood over the years, so I figured it was high time for a proper chat. Spoiler alert: we're still head-over-heels in love!"
What is the clearance between the top of the range and the arch? What is the spacing between the counters and bottom of the hood?
To come up with the spacing, we stood by the kitchen and kind of guessed at where we'd want the vent to go based on our height. There are distance guidelines for a range hood—they'll give you the minimum and maximum depending on what brand you buy. We are the upper end of how high it can be based on our comfort levels, and it works great.
What are the niches and niche shelves made out of? Is that area plastered as well?
Yes, the first approach taken was to frame the entire hood in with dimensional lumber and OSB, covering it all with drywall and finishing with plaster. I really wanted it to feel like one material.
Does the marble backsplash go underneath the hood or did they cut around it?
They installed the marble after the hood was in place. They cut the marble to size, and it was nerve-wracking watching the team get it into place, it was so large and awkward! You can see the video of them putting it into place below...I was holding my breath!
What was your reasoning for having the side walls instead of something just above your range?
It’s kind of a way of making something really large feel more intimate. I guess we did sacrifice some countertop space to do that. But with a 17’ island opposite it, we felt like we have the room! We saw some inspiration of other kitchens that had the nooks for a bit of storage, and we fell for that idea. The side nooks really make it a workspace range. The little storage pockets are so helpful for spices and oils. It's just a practical element for us—especially Chris who cooks all the time.
Do you mind the side walls breaking up the flow to your countertop?
It doesn't bother us. I've never had to move a pot or pan off the range for it to cool down. Because we have a gas range, when you turn the heat off the stovetop, there's not really too much residual heat. There's a flat top and a grill that are covered when we’re not using them so we use those as a worktop if we need to place a pot or pan off to the side. Plus, we have a 17-foot island right behind it, so that gives us plenty of counter space to work with if needed.
And we love the nook shelves. 10/10. They're great!
What is the cost of something like this?
It was built into the overall kitchen renovation so I don't have a broken-out estimate unfortunately!
Is your backsplash behind the range 2 centimeters or 3 centimeters thick?
It's 2 centimeters thick. We wanted it to be on the thinner side.
Does anyone know how Jerry was able to tint the plaster product to Sherwin-Williams Downy?
I wish we could share that, but we don't know. Tricks of the trade! Jerry was a sub-contractor through Kennon Construction. If anyone is a plaster expert, let us know your technique in the comments!
Is the plaster finish cleanable from cooktop splatters and other stains?
Jerry used an Italian plaster product Marmorino KS from Novacolor that is completely wipeable and stain-resistant! The way you burnish the finish gives it like a slight sheen that makes it really easy to clean. That step is done by the craftsman—how much he works the plaster determines how smooth it will be.
How often do you clean it?
I don’t remember the last time I cleaned it! I do have to clean the marble backsplash, and I clean around the bottom area for fingerprints. The actual plastered range hood, I’m not cleaning very often. Grease doesn’t stick because of what Jerry did to the finish—burnishing it to a slight sheen helps a great deal.
How has it held up overall?
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Really well! The past couple of years I've even hung a wreath or garland on it with a command hook. We had a contractor in the house around that time, and he was like "What are you doing! You can't do that!" But I'm of the mindset of whatever happens, happens.
I did just see last weekend that there's a little nick on the front of the range hood. Not sure how that happened! It doesn’t bother me...it's the size of a nail hole, really. We don't have any plans to fix the nick. If I'm styling my hood after a vintage kitchen, then I don't mind something that gives it real-life character!
Would you do anything differently, two years in?
I wouldn't change anything about the actual plastered hood!
There's only thing that I would do differently (and this is my fault, and I can still change it.) We plastered the crown molding that’s on the range hood, and I wish I would have painted it the same color as the trim of the cabinets. I still can. And maybe I will! It just hasn’t been high on my priority list...I'm full-speed ahead on the primary bathroom!
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The trim looks great the way it is, making the range hood monolithic. The trim blends into the ceiling and it doesn’t make my eye stop at the line that a different color would create. The cabinets on either side are built into the architecture and the range hood is part of the architecture.