I have one with VAH folding shelves and am very happy. Cannot speak to the light issue.

Could you post a pic?

They look nice. I wouldn't put spices anywhere where they would get hot/warm.

I'm planning on doing stacked stone, too and was worried about this.

My concern isn't with the cooktop area, since mine is on a peninsula, but I was trying to figure out what to do behind the sink. I have a 36" stainless farmhouse sink in front of a window that's the same width, but about 8" up from the sink. I was going to put granite backlash in that section instead of the stacked stone. Now I'm wondering if stainless to match the sink would work, as well.

I bought the Ancona range hood and stainless backsplash from costco.

Feisty - spices? Think you may have the wrong idea or thread, shelves are for keeping food warm, heat lamps above. Nothing to do with spices.

What is the make/model of your backsplash - that has the "warming shelves?"

I have the DCS one, it's awesome. Comes with fixed shelves. They are fantastic. Thing itself is easy to clean. Shelves are great for putting mise-en-place (chopped stuff) on, and then finished dishes stay warm, and/or plates like jakuval said. And after dinner, it's extra space to dry pots & pans on (small kitchen!).

10 foot ceiling. Hairball, ack, ack!! (She coughs jealously)

Our cooktop is pulled forward 6" and I don't think I've ever 'cleaned' the backsplash. The 30" inch countertops are so very useful. (Another option!)

Can work with dough easily with my canisters in place:

oldbat, do you ever cook bacon?? haha.

I have a stainless steel BS that I ordered with my Thermador 36 range. It's been as easy to clean as any other BS--I just clean it with my regular stainless steel appliance cleaning. There is no glare from light--mine gets afternoon sun, and it doesn't glare any more than another SS appliance would because it's a matte finish.

I'd like to add a warming shelf to mine like jakuvall posted above. They do not seem for function, I don't think--those shelves seem to be a knockoff of what a restaurant would use to keep plates warm. I don't really see a practical use for them in a home kitchen (unless I want to impress my dinner guests with really warm plates?). They are too far away from the heat source to keep a food dish warm, and I would not keep my oils and spices in direct line of my venting. But if anyone has one, and uses it for a purpose, let me know.

Aside from the lack of function, I do like the looks of a warming shelf to break up the expanse of SS on the BS. You can find this type of shelf on most range manufacturers' Web sites in their accessories list. They're called various names... warming shelves, keep-hot shelf, etc.

" if anyone has one, and uses it for a purpose, let me know...
They're called various names... warming shelves, keep-hot shelf, etc."

Name says it -heat lamps a foot above in hood, use em daily: egg sandwich ready before I am, chicken cutlets while making pan sauce, resting meat, veggies when main dish takes longer than expected, just warming serving dish or two...nothing impressive.

Thanks, Jakuvall. I'll need to see about an aftermarket heat lamp, then, if I'm going to invest in the warming shelf.

Thanks for the replies. It's something I may want to do, but am still on the fence about. I don't want to make it look too cold.