It sounds pretty, but I would worry that splatters from cooking would damage the painting. I would also be concerned about making a hole in the stone, which in my opinion would devalue it if you ever sell your home.

Actually, you put the hole in the mortar and its pretty easy to patch if need be, Plus, considering we bought out house 18 months ago, have been renovating it ever since, gutted every room but two and added 2000 sq feet, and have yet to inhabit it, I am not thinking much about resale. One never knows, but I hope to grow old in our new home.

I would be concerned about the oil paint, unless you can put something over it, to protect it. I don't have oils, but if you could do something like a varnish, then you could wipe them off and they should be fine, although it might not do much for the value of the paintings :)

My mom has a cute print of lavender (like the old time hand drawn herbals) hanging over her stove. It's framed with glass over it, so very easy to clean. Stuff spatters up there all the time...and she's a much neater cook than I am.

My concern would be flammability.

Lavender lass --- is the frame wood?

How about if you reframe it into a metal frame (stainless, ORB, etc., maybe match your pot filler) and use museum glass or tempered glass. (Museum glass is glare-free.) Then you wouldn't have to worry about flamability so much. But I do think the picture would steam up and that could damage the painting.

If you have a Hobby Lobby near you, they do a pretty good job with custom framing (at least at the one near me), and they have 1/2 price on custom framing every few weeks.

I would not hang them behind the range. Of to the side or in another area, perhaps, but neither wood nor canvas should be behind/above the range unless you have a significant set back.

You can have the image copied and put onto tile.

This isnt my oil painting, but its from the same gallery where I bought mine and the look is so similar i think they are the same artist. My frame is a bit more ornate. I have three, and a place in my new kitchen for two in the breakfast area.

The look is really about the decadence of the fine frame against the stone, and having a real live, oil painting in an unexpected place. I know I have seen this in european kitchens, just dont know how close to a range.

The stone wall behind the range is open on both sides, with openings to the family room. Maybe i can put one on each side of the stone wall, and another on the range hood somehow?

Here is a link that might be useful: similar to my paintings

Mtnrdredux,
I am a visual artist, a painter, in oils. Oil paintings, once dry, are amazingly robust. If your paintings are on stretched canvas, the biggest risk to them is wounding by puncture or denting with some other kitchen implement. Most dust and dirt can be removed by gentle efforts. I hope no art conservators are listening, but if these are paintings you will enjoy everyday in your kitchen, and that you purchased for pleasure rather than investment, then I'd bet even the original painters would prefer you enjoy them in a risky location (to them, not you--inflammability is a risk with any combustible material), even temporarily, rather than tuck them away somewhere. The comments I get from individual owners of my paintings mean more to me than any I have had from gallery owners or curators. I love to know they have an audience.

Thanks, Sandn!

I think i would get great pleasure seeing it behind my range. And no, i certainly did not buy for investment. I bought them over 8yrs ago, and don't recall the exact price but maybe it was about $6000 for three of them. I doubt i could sell them for a third of that, if anything. They are lovely little paintings and I feel they are very painterly, but I have no delusions about the "value" of a small still life by an unknown painter.

Most welcome, Mtnrdredux,
Alas, neither do I!

I put "value" in quotes because I mean the cold hard cash someone might be able to part with! Of course, I personally put a much greater value on it than cold hard capitalism might force!
And i so envy people who have talent!

If you don't mind the ventilator sucking grease over them, possibly having one of the frames scorched, hit by spaghetti sauce or having the oil crack from heat then do what you like. They would need to be professionally cleaned after a year or two, I suspect.

I personally think good art deserves more respect. Then again, some people don't cook very much so it wouldn't matter.

Yes, it is a narrow wood frame, but it's an electric range. It's not a very big picture, and she has it centered, between the two upper cabinets, and between the range and the standard vent hood.

If you're going to have a gas range, I don't know if you have to worry more about flammable materials.

Thanks, Lavender, that is good info to know.

And Rococo, I will take that as a "yes, it's a crazy idea". : )

It really sounds like a pretty idea, but I beg you to put safety first. Even though you have an electric stove, have you ever started a fire in a frying pan by accident? Well, I sure have and I don't think having a flammable item behind it would have done me any favors. Have you seen any of the videos of how quickly fire spreads?

lascatx had a great idea about transfering the print to tile. lascatx - can you give us suggestions about how to go about that? I really LOVE that idea and might use it myself.

" My main concern is not if it gets ruined" - nope obviously not

"The look is really about the decadence of the fine frame against the stone"- oh and the artist too

" I bought them over 8yrs ago, and don't recall the exact price but maybe it was about $6000 for three of them"- I have a hard time too remembering spending 6K on art

"I love to know they have an audience"- firemen love artistic endeavors

" the biggest risk to them is wounding by puncture or denting with some other kitchen implement" - or fire axe

"And i so envy people who have talent!" - firefighters will really appreciate the donation you make to their station.

"I personally think good art deserves more respect. Then again, some people don't cook very much so it wouldn't matter." - thank you rococogurl...

" My main concern is not if it gets ruined" - nope obviously not.
REtranslation: In responding, know that I am not interested so much in whether it might harm the painting - clearly heat, steam etc are not optimal. I like the painting but it is not of such great sentimental or economic value that damage to the piece is a disaster.

"The look is really about the decadence of the fine frame against the stone"- oh and the artist too.
REtranslation: Suggestions of alternate ways to get the same image are not really what I am after. I like the idea of using something beautiful in an unexpected place. The beauty comes from the texture and dimensionality of a framed oil painting.

" I bought them over 8yrs ago, and don't recall the exact price but maybe it was about $6000 for three of them"- I have a hard time too remembering spending 6K on art.
REtranslation: They are pretty nice paintings. They are not paint-by-numbers or stuff I did in night school. But... they are decorative, and not something any collector would be serious about. They are small potatoes in the art world, meaning extraordinarily high mark ups and no resale value. I have no delusions about it and hopefully it helped the artist do something they probably felt was more important!

"I love to know they have an audience"- firemen love artistic endeavors.
REtranslation: I'd rather it was enjoyed than in storage.

" the biggest risk to them is wounding by puncture or denting with some other kitchen implement" - or fire axe.
REtranslation: The painting probably won't be harmed by heat alone.

"And i so envy people who have talent!" - firefighters will really appreciate the donation you make to their station.
REtranslation: And I so envy people who have talent!

"I personally think good art deserves more respect. Then again, some people don't cook very much so it wouldn't matter." - thank you rococogurl...
REtranslation: We have had one artist opine, and they did not see it as "disrespectful". The point is well taken, but it's a judgment call.

And, by the way, I forget who but someone on GW has a lovely kitchen and they use an old wooden box to hold utensils, right next to their range, if I recall. That may be more of a fire hazard than a painting hung above the range on a stone wall.

Well I have a really cheap piece on the wall behind the induction cook top. Its from Home Goods but it looks like an oil painting. I also like the art in an unexpected place. I cook a lot.

My cooking style is such that I would not have a fire on my cooktop. Particularly difficult to do with an induction cook top. If I am making something really messy I remove the art until I am done. It does get some grease splatters which I wipe off. I use my hood all the time and its set back enough that I don't get too much grease. I've never deep fried. If I make potatoe latkas, the picture comes down.

I don't think its crazy.

Thanks for the insight Chinchette.

I don't think I would get it too messy either. We don't deep fry at all. I was thinking about my tile backsplash in my old kitchen, and the only times I remember it getting messy was with wayward beaters and cake batter ... not actually cooking. Oh, and a butternut squash soup once that was percolating with great force.

So it's probably not the most practical idea in the world, but refined gilt-framed art plus rustic stone wall equals: ahhhhh! Well, in my humble opinion, anyway.

omg, how did you find that! i love love love it

I applaud your idea to bring art into the kitchen.
I paint in oils and can tell you, dried oil paint is very durable. I have often picked up a tube of paint and found the cap dried on. I keep a lighter handy for just this reason and will hold the flame under the dried paint to try and get it the soften up so that the cap will come off. I've never had the paint flare up. The heat just softens it. The frame may show wear from repeated cleanings but you could have a new frame made easy enough if that happens.

I need to do a backsplash behind my induction cook top. A couple of weeks ago I thought about doing an oil painting for the spot. I held up a wrapped canvas (no frame needed) and started playing with the idea in my head.

And, by the way, I forget who but someone on GW has a lovely kitchen and they use an old wooden box to hold utensils, right next to their range, if I recall. That may be more of a fire hazard than a painting hung above the range on a stone wall.

That would be me, but it is not "right next to their range." You might have seen the original article I did called Repurposed Wooden Boxes. You can see below I moved it to the other side of range... but now it's back to the first side, but on the outer edge of counter.

I have antique etchings on either side of range/hood. Why don't you do something like that instead? You'll still enjoy seeing them.

Here is a link that might be useful: my wooden box - 4th picture

It's hard not to love the entire house at Maus Park and particularly the kitchen. Believe it belongs to a legendary antiques dealer and is a national historic home in Canada.

I would point out the stainless steel back guard behind the La Cornue Chateau, which is not crazy.

That little painting next to the range is obviously charming and while perhaps not an ideal spot from a conservation/preservation standpoint it's not an issue in the same way as the OP's original query. Still, oil paintings don't do well near heat. The photos are very heavily propped.

Surely there is another wall to be found for art in the kitchen. And so much gorgeous tile on the market it seems a shame not to plan a spectacular wall behind a range. Small scale and paintings in a large scale room, not so much.

Aesthetically, your idea of juxtaposition has some merit--which is why you often see elaborate tile "frames" around a tile picture backsplash. (Tile CAN look like gilded wood, etc.) Like a chandelier over a bath tub though, it needs to pass some basic safety issues in order to be accomplished. If it were in a recessed niche of 6" or more behind the rear of the cooking surface, or 6" to the side of the cooking surface (like the pic above) it would pass fire codes. It would NOT pass fire codes directly behind a range or closer than 6" to the side of the range. Those are the legal and safety concerns. And those are concerns that your insurance company would be interested in if indeed a kitchen fire originated in your home.

Thanks for everyone's input on what you were all forewarned was likely a "crazy idea". And thanks for the new link to play with (the one with the Maus Park home). I'm wondering if the stainless was an aesthetic choice --- we passed inspection with stone and no other backsplash material. Too bad we are pretty much done, that link has amazing kitchens.

I am heartened that the two painters are in favor. I haven't decided yet what I'll do. I'm, pretty sure code does not apply to things that are not fixtures or structural. That said, it is good to know the 6".

Funny you mention the chandy over the tub ... we are doing that, too. It may be a short life, but it will be scenic. : )

PS Yes, Allison, it was your kitchen! Th etchings look great, I hadn't noticed them before. I dont have room to the left and right though, my range wall is the back of my family room fpl and flanked by two 5' wide openings to the family room.

I forgot Nutherokie ... i looked at all your photos on photobucket .... we have a lot of the same photos saved. Very much the same taste. Love your project.

And, not sure where you got the photo but while looking for more of the same kitchen I found this link. IN case others havent seen it, great stuff.

Here is a link that might be useful: a great site with tons of kitchens

The thing about putting a painting over the range is, you know it's a fire hazard. But you do it anyway. If your kitchen catches on fire due to the paintings, the insurance company will investigate and would most likely not pay a penny. Technically, if they do catch on fire, you should be home and should be able to put out with a fire extinguisher - not sure if that's good news or not. At least the stone won't burn.

It's like if you have a dead tree near your house that is a hazard, but you don't cut it down. A storm comes through and the tree falls on your house. They will ask you why you didn't cut the tree down since you knew it was dead? They will investigate and most likely would not pay. (This info from an insurance agent.)

Chandy over tub does not equal "for wet area use" (UL label) fixture. Best to put something in that qualifies, then replace with chandelier after you move in. I had two antique sconce rewired (with grounding wire) for our powder room. Inspector still would not pass due to no UL label. I had to install two of the cheapest/ugliest outdoor fixtures to pass inspection, then DH replaced with the sconces.

Maybe you can find something else to collect that is fire proof to hang on the stone wall. Better safe than sorry.

Yes, in re chandy, that is how we are doing it, too. I paused a bit over that decision, but my GC said she has chandys over her tubs and thinks its silly not to. That said, it is only in my bath.

I have an Onzen tub, but decided to skip a fancier fixture over it. I have a 3 light fixture in another area of the bath, and two like that one in the MBR closet.

Don't know why I didn't think of this earlier - even if my box was next to range (on the right side, as in the wooden box article), we don't use those two burners (4/griddle/2) on a regular basis. The only time I turn either of those on are holidays.

mtnrdredux, you certainly launched a great discussion on this topic. I'd love to see a picture of your stove, stone wall, and painting when (not if) you hang it.

Thanks, Rayle. I was just on site earlier this evening and I am dying to get my paintings from my old house and just see what it will look like. Maybe I will only put it up when I entertain, lol

Allison! I was thinking about what you were saying about which burners you used... and it occurred to me, my range is not all burners. My configuration has 2 burners, a hob/plate, then two burners, then a stainless steel work surface. I will center the painting (im only using one)over the stainless! That will certainly reduce risk.

thanks for the idea

Brilliant compromise, mtnrdredux. Add me to the masses clamoring to see your sure-to-be-fabulous kitchen! And thanks for the kitchens link. Great pics!

Rococo, thanks for the additional pictures of Maus Park! I've bee ogling that kitchen for ages without knowing where it came from.

rflmao "a short but scenic life"!

to echo missmuffet, I had a skillet fire once that I put out with a lid (yeah, ok, so I forgot just how much more alcohol is in limoncello compared to white wine called for in the recipe...) but those flames were *really* impressive. I'm a worrier and worst-case-scenario kind of person, so with that picture I would be thinking about possible disasters every time I cooked. but maybe *you* aren't like that (sounds like you aren't, anyhow) and you'll be blissfully happy every time you go to cook and you look at your picture.

maybe you could keep a (quite) large salt pig next to the range but put baking soda in it?? :)

cheers

lol. but whats a salt pig?

a salt pig is an earthenware, open container that sits by your cook surface and has --you guessed it!-- salt in it for seasoning as you cook. So, you could have a, uh, decoy? salt pig with baking soda that would help put out a backsplash picture fire.

hm, I guess then with three oil paintings, you'd have a "gallery" kitchen??

hth

Here is a link that might be useful: Emile Henry Salt Pig

I love the idea of a fancy framed piece in the kitchen. One each, either side of the range?

April 2011 Country Living Page 114
Lighted painting and other stuff over range. I tried to find it on line but coudn't. Maybe after that issue is old it will be on there.

Thanks, pinch_me, I think I saw that. But I wasn't going to kick that dog again!

And, as it turns out, I have decided on something else for now. (The paintings are still in our old house, which is going back on the market in a week or so and I want to keep it staged).

Anyway, I bought this (actually i think my eggs are a little bigger) a few months ago with no thought of where to put it. It will now go on my stone chimney wall behind my Lacanche range, above the stainless countertop (it's built in to the range).

Here is a link that might be useful: For the stone wall above my range

If I were a guest in your house, and saw a well done painterly oil on the wall behind your range, I would disrespect you for having no regard for art. It is like buying a "sofa painting".

As you can tell, I am also a painter, an oil painter. And I too have used a lighter, altho plyers work better for me, to open stuck old tubes of paint.

I know that this whole gw respects 'decor' over 'art' and that is an endless subject.

I think that 8 years ago, 6k for 3 small oils is a very decent price. Neither flea market nor museum. Have it appraised.

Please don't put art over your range. It diminishes you.

Westsider -

I appreciate your perspective as a painter.

It's not that I respect "decor" over "art", it's that I don't have the expertise to know which is which. I rather suspect that what I bought is the equivalent of sofa paintings, but I like them anyway.

In any event, I like the quail eggs better for this purpose. And, technically, it will go over the stainless counter not the range per se.

The Museum of Contemporary Art(MCA) in Chicago, where I live, says that if the maker of the art, calls it art, then it is 'art'.

You doubt and second guess the paintings you bought. At one time you liked them, enough to spend 6k. They are described as french still lifes and are painterly. It is not important whether they would be considered 'valuable' but at one time they were quite pretty to you. So trust your gut. They sound very, very, nice.

That said, we all tire of stuff. "What was I thinking?" moments. The placement of an oil painting over a range, is, what I said.

Paintings belong everywhere, and certainly in a kitchen. Probably the room where most 21st c ppl spend their lives. Not necessary to be Cezanne apples.

Quail eggs won't roast over the counter.

somewhat Off Topic...

As for me and my house, we have bottles of soy sauce and oil behind our range. Not very artistic, I know, but very functional.

We tried to design some "art walls" within our new addition so there would be large enough spaces to mount framed pieces. But...one spot on kitchen hall is on a wall with a pocket door. Can't pound into it, although DH has detected the horizontal framing within the pocket and we're mounting on that--no option for creative placement. Also, we've found that pieces on this hall wall may be knocked off the wall by a clumsy person entering the kitchen--aargh!--so we're avoiding glass-fronted pieces there (oils, fabrics, etc. are more forgiving). Another designated art spot has a light switch plate smack dab in the line of fire--unavoidable I was told because of the stud pattern--so our workaround is to offset the hanging hook to the side and mount a smaller piece. Another spot is over and behind the refrig and has proved to be problematic because of the angle for viewing--can't put etchings or small-figured pieces there, only grosser designs. Another spot is pretty good except there's now a pendant in front of it. So it goes.

We had intended to run picture hook molding all around the ceiling edge in kitchen hall, lobby, and eating nook areas so we maximize the flexibility of art placements, but that may be abandoned. Hanging wall art on long pieces of transparent fishline from this molding would solve the problem of changing out the art frequently, before we tire of an image and stop looking at it, but this week we impatiently banged some regular picture hooks into the walls and put up a few favorite pieces. Good to see the old friends again. Maybe we'll just get a spare bucket of our paints and plan to respackle and paint as pieces get rotated about.

Once we get our minimal 4-inch backsplash in place, we can decide whether we'll put small framed pieces on the paint areas above the backsplash and below the uppers. We've used Command hooks to temporarily mount framed pieces there during the remodel, for morale. Again, it's fun to have the old friends on the wall.

You either live with art or you don't. The kitchen is yours and the art pieces are yours. You get to do what you want. Have fun stormin' the castle!

Thanks, Florantha.

We have a stupidly long hallway (there was no way to renovate around it) and have put picture hook molding along it. Our kids (8,9,11) are still at the stage where we get cool artwork, so we will probably use it for that. It is a lot better than "committing" to a hanging spot. Ditto shelves, but the only ones ive seen are from Exposures and they look kind of chintzy (sp?) in the catalogue?

fyi
Just looking at House Beautiful online archives. Here's a minikitchen with two pieces of framed art flanking range.

Here is a link that might be useful: framed pieces flank range