It's very impactful visually. Is it not just a bit high? Unless it's powered by a gas-turbine engine I don't think it will have enough suck. Lacking in "capture area".
Casey

Probably plaster, not drywall.

Thank you both for chiming in!
sombreuil_mongrel- It's hard to say if that hood is too high; it may be, but mine wouldn't be. I'm planning on a slightly wider hood than range set 30" above the cooking surface.

hollysprings, I hadn't thought of that. Plaster is more resilient, then?

If you actually cook I think it's going to get splattered with grease and be hard to clean.

Plaster yes is more durable than drwall. Tile is more durable still . Long subways to accentuate it's width.

gin_gin, yes I cook for 7 every day- hence my concern!

hollysprings- I am subway tiling the wall and have gone back and forth on tiling the hood, (see attached inspiration photo) but since there won't be any upper cabinets to define it, I was a little worried it would get lost. Plus, the drywall/plaster ones are just so compelling to me.

Functionality first, though!

I can assure you from experience that everything around the range will get greasy. It will only take one really heavy cooking session to get the mess started. You do not want to have to clean each time you cook. I recommend something that is easy to clean. I have not investigated high-gloss paint recently but the look you are selecting appears to be flat so I'm not sure that slippery paint would help. Much that I hate (hate hate hate) subway tile I would pick that over the wall....

I'm thinking that is a baked enamel metal surround, which would be quite easy to clean.

I'd also be concerned about ease of cleaning. Perhaps these images will inspire you.

Tiled hood

[{{gwi:2140535}}[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/tamara-mack-design-interiors-traditional-kitchen-san-francisco-phvw-vp~2096457)

[Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by San Francisco Interior Designers & Decorators Tamara Mack Design

[{{gwi:2140536}}[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/wellington-kitchen-victorian-kitchen-auckland-phvw-vp~7571553)

[Eclectic Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2104) by Auckland Kitchen & Bath Designers Andrew Cox

[{{gwi:2140537}}[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/kitchenlab-traditional-kitchen-chicago-phvw-vp~56748)

[Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Chicago Kitchen & Bath Designers Rebekah Zaveloff : KitchenLab

Wood trimmed hood
{{gwi:2140538}}

[

[Contemporary Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2103) by Birmingham General Contractors Structures, Inc.

Tile & wood trimmed hood

[{{gwi:2140539}}[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/arts-and-crafts-condo-traditional-kitchen-portland-phvw-vp~7212750)

[Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Portland Kitchen & Bath Designers Robin Rigby Fisher CMKBD/CAPS

[

[Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Edina Home Builders L. Cramer Designers + Builders
From the designers: "The mantel and side corbels are enameled wood and the sloped area above the tile and mantel is made out of sheetrock."

This one is a SS banded wood hood but I think you could add a SS band to a plaster or drywall hood. IIRC, Vent-a-Hood makes a rectangular, straight-sided hood.

[{{gwi:2140540}}[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/city-homes-transitional-kitchen-toronto-phvw-vp~1824637)

[Transitional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/transitional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2112) by Toronto Architects & Building Designers Jennifer Worts Design Inc.

Take a look at the Futuro Lombardy series.

Imagining myself scrubbing tile up high surrounding a hood, it doesn't seem that practical to me (for cleaning). It would be easier to slap on another coat of paint!

I like that look too. My hood will be quite high but stick out a lot for good capture area. And I don't have upper cabinets. I am thinking of getting a sheet metal surround fabricated, then powder-coated white. I got some pulls powdercoated recently and I was really pleased with the look and process. For $30 pulls it was $230 (most pulls were appliance pull sized) but that was for a special order coating colour, that I had to pay more for. I imagine powder coating in white would be fairly affordable.

Interesting. I would think, if you turn on your hood, it should capture the effluent so that steam is not an issue on the surround?

We have a wood surround on our hood, though we've only had it a few months, I haven't seen a need to clean the surround yet. We do some pretty heavy wok cooking on the stove and are very happy we went with the stainless backguard on the range. But we turn on that vent hood!