Really the question should be Does it bother you? It is functional. I don't think I would have noticed walking into the entire kitchen. If you had asked me to find something... Maybe. But I doubt it. If it bothers you add to it. I know I wouldn't.

Jen

What a pretty kitchen this is. Love it.

Your range hood looks fine to me at it's current height. If anything, I thinking running it higher could compromise the room aesthetics.

I don't have an opinion on the hood, but I have to say that I love your granite!

It is a lovely kitchen!!!

I don't know if running the stack to the ceiling is the answer, but it does look a little unfinished, somehow. maybe it is the white hood between dark cabinets. Could there be a way to connect the two dark areas? Then the eye keeps running down the line instead of studying the ceiling for the rest of the story.

I think it looks like it doesn't "go anywhere" and chimneys, which a traditional hood is, essentially, go up and out of the house. It looks non functional to me even though it is functional.

I say yes. It's a chimney hood with no chimney. If the top were the same level as the cabinet tops you could do a soffit or bridge to give it a terminus. As it is, running it up to the ceiling and putting the molding there makes more sense. If the molding on the top of the hood is integrated, you can echo that molding at the ceiling, and do an applique with the same feeling as on the lip of the hood in the middle of the tall stack to tie it all together.

But if you leave it the way it is, once you get into the living phase and out of the my kitchen is something I'm designing phase, you'll stop noticing it, and no one who isn't a design weenie will ever notice that it isn't what you intended.

I have to say yes, too.
Simply because it looks like a stairway to no where.

Your counters really compliment your cabinets -- and visa versa!

Just lovely.

I've looked at pictures of your lovely kitchen before & never thought "Oh, that chimney should go to the ceiling." Do a photoshop mockup first. I'm afraid it might look too tall in relation to the cabinets. I'm having trouble envisioning it up to the ceiling. Maybe once you get your backsplash in & the cabinets & chimney are connected to the countertops, it will be a non-issue.

Thanks, I appreciate the opinions. And thank you for the compliments! Jreag, the granite is Magna Gold, an impulse buy which I absolutely love.

Jen, the hood doesn't really bother me and my husband is quite happy to leave it the way it is. And I'm not sure I really want to add more "weight" to that wall. It is the smallest wall in the kitchen and already feels weighty enough compared to the opposite wall, which is open to the ceiling above the cabinets.

In isolation, I can see how the hood looks unfinished, but in the context of the whole kitchen, I'm just not sure how a stack to the ceiling will work.

I have to take new photos, the green wall on the left and under the bar are now the same color as the opposite wall, but this lets you see how open the other wall is.

Thanks Romy, a photoshop mock-up is a great suggestion! Maybe Oldbat2be will see this and have a moment to play with it. The backsplash will go up to the base of the hood all the way across, so I am hoping that will help to tie the components together. I am hoping to get my tile ordered this week, still waiting for a couple of samples.

Through the ceiling. And you need to cover that pantry side with stainless. It's a fire hazard and would not pass inspection as it exists.

Photo does not show it clearly, but the side clearances have been met, but thanks for the heads up!

Lovely kitchen!!

Because the wall and the cabinets are tall and skinny, I'd worry that more *up* stuff would not be helpful aesthetics - wise. I almost wonder if some horizontal element above the hood and going across the upper cabinets would finish things off - kind of create a visual barrier that "explains" things?

I like it the way it is. In this case, "less is more".

I think once you put a backslash in it will pull it all together and it won't look so out of place. The two tone is throwing me off a little, so the hood kind of looks lonely sitting there being the only thing cream colored in that area. The backsplash will help that.

You may not realize it, but reading your second message it's clear you've already decided for yourself. :) Sometimes you just need to defend it to know you have an answer.

Seeing the rest of your kitchen, however, I'm thinking similarly to Feisty, that some kind of horizontal element with the empty space above will work better. Even though the hood itself looks like it wants a chimney, that would break through the imaginary ceiling that the trim line on the uppers on the other side form against the void and put your kitchen out of balance. Additionally, people might see the chimney by itself through the void. It would be fine from a distance if the whole hood were in view, but the chimney in view by itself, considering it would be an nonfunctional addition, would just be odd.

This is all just chatter since you asked. I really do think you have a firm grip on what you need to do. :)

(This is goofy, and since you've just invested in a fairly formal kitchen, it's probably not your style, but it just occurred to me that what I'd do with it, myself, is paint a giant bouquet of Spring flowers on the wall above, using the hood as the vase.)

Plllog, I think you're right! I just cannot envision another vertical element on that wall. My husband and I were discussing ways to add a horizontal element to tie everything together. We are considering bringing the backsplash tile up to the top of the cabinets, with a frame style finishing tile versus just a bullnose. I am going to see if I can get some photoshop help to visualize it both ways, stopping backsplash at the bottom of the hood, as well as stopping at the top of the cabinets.

Funny about painting the hood! I have actually debated removing the Fleur de Lis element from the hood. The hood was part of the kitchen display that we started with and is much more traditional than I would have chosen, although my husband loves it.

I agree with the previous poster that recommended a backsplash. I think if you choose a tile that works with all the elements (probably in a lighter tone) it will bring the whole together and finish it off. The eye won't be as inclined to wander up following the vertical lines.

Fishymom,

Do, definitely, Photoshop it, but I can tell you right now that what you said about continuing the backsplash up and using a molding tile to finish it at the cabinet tops, will absolutely work. It'll tie the cabinets and the hood together, and mirror the imaginary ceiling line you have on the other side, with the top of the hood peeking through for interest. That will also make it look more like staggered cabinets than floating elements. Floating is fine, but doesn't go as well with the other legs of the kitchen.

Re the hood applique, you're right about the lines, but what it does for you (besides your husband liking it, which is a good enough reason for it), is it breaks up expectations. I know someone who always wears a black spot, but never a black outfit. It might be a pin, or a narrow belt, or button cover--but it could be an old plastic clip earring clipped to the corner of a sideseam pocket on a dress. She throws in the black spot for interest, to disrupt the expectation of unity, and it works. She always looks chic, even in the most boring clothes. :) Similarly, your flourish applique breaks up all the clean lines in just the right way, even though it's not specifically in with the style of your kitchen. :)