Since my sink in the island and I didn't need a backsplash behind it, I decided to tile only the area behind my cooktop. My kitchen is contemporary so I decided to use a mosaic combination of glass, stone and stainless placed vertically all the way to the ceiling. Here it is:
{{!gwi}}

I went through hood struggles. I lusted after, but couldn't afford, a gorgeously shaped Modernaire, like a barrel. I settled on a not-uber-attractive-but-completely-functional Kobe with high cfms. Just prior to purchase, another forum member revealed her new kitchen with a cool Rangecraft hood. An immediate visit to the RC website to check pricing stopped me cold when I saw this beauty, the Viser, on their clearance page.

(The lighting isn't the best here. The hood IRL is shiny stainless.) It was the oversized beast I needed in a very attractive package, albeit still costly even at the substantial discount.

Because I planned the hood between two window slivers, I knew I would need to do a Eurosplash to make it work. (Eurosplash is tile from counter to ceiling, more commonly seen in Europe.) Tile is still to be decided; however, I will use the same tile on both walls. (((sigh))) Some day!

This is not the best picture, but here's mine:

Ours tile is not installed yet, but here is the design we are going with. We're using Sonoma Stellar 3x6 subway tiles with 2x6 trim pieces surrounding 1x2's in an arched herringbone pattern. Everything will be the same color/style of tile.

I wasn't sure how big to make the framed piece and emailed The Tile Tramp my design and she was very helpful in offering suggestions. Might want to consider that.

My hood is a chimney style as well with cream cabinets on either side. My backsplash is an infinity subway tile (matte tile which matches the cabinets and seems to disappear) but behind the hood I did a counter to ceiling copper mosaic backsplash.

I'm fighting a cold, and am apparently goofy as a result. Anyway, I seem to see alternate meanings in all the posting titles today. I was imagining OP asking for the background stories... you know - "When my hood was a wee little tin can, it yearned for something bigger. Something that would give its life meaning."

Sorry for derailing, I have nothing to offer but Friday afternoon silliness.

One of my favorite all time gardenweb kitchens is thynes' kitchen. Gorgeous backsplash with a stainless chimney hood.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thynes' Finished Kitchen

twodogs,
I thought the same thing. Boy did I have a story, complete with a nail biting deadline of Thanksgiving, receiving damaged packaging, torrential rain (ok, not torrential, after all I'm in Ca.) but rain enough to prevent climbing on the roof without a safety net, last minute drive through rush hour traffic and torrential rain (really!) to see a craigslist external blower the exact same model as my damaged one (what are the chances of that?) and cajoling my contractor in to braving the rain and working the day before Thanksgiving to install my blower on a slippery wood shake roof. I spotted him the whole time.
So, since the op is just looking for stories about range hood backsplashes, and I don't have one, just plain sheetrock at the moment, and probably for many moments to come, I guess I don't have anything to contribute.
ps, I saved $800 on the blower!

Here's ours

Definitely look at catmom's glass backsplash hood wall. (You can probably google it). It's spectacular, my personal favorite on GW. Sadly, I had to go with an under cabinet hood for structural reasons :-(

Oh, I love seeing all these gorgeous hoods and backsplashes! Great thread!

thanks everyone! sorry if my question was confusing!
i did mean the actual background - meaning the wall behind the backsplash. I may be a little foggy too with everything going on right now...
thanks for all the ideas. still welcome any more!

Haven't "revealed" yet since we're not quite done, but since you are asking about ideas and photos here's a quick photo from my iPhone (sorry for the poor quality but hopefully you get the idea). Pardon the sticky notes ... we're moving in and deciding where stuff should go;)

Both tiles are faux marble, porcelain tile. The backsplash is 10x12 bricklayed and above the cooktop/behind the hood is 1.2" square stacked 3D mosaic (on mesh so no grout).

{{!gwi}}

hth, mmhmm

And for something other than stainless~

{{gwi:1596268}}