Mesa area · A custom kitchen focal point
A Stone Hood Inspired by the Fireplace Across the Room
Stone veneer, a brown pine mantel, and a fitted stainless-steel underside bring the kitchen hood into the home’s rustic material palette.
Residential Interior Element Under $30,000Historical award category, not current remodeling pricing.
In an open living space filled with warm wood and stone, the existing kitchen hood felt out of place. Its lighting and fan also fell short of what the homeowners wanted.
The solution began across the room. A stone fireplace with a rich brown pine mantel offered a direction for the new hood: repeat the home’s established materials, then work out the details that would make them fit between the kitchen’s two windows.
This was a focused improvement within the existing kitchen. A new induction cooktop was part of the work, along with the replacement hood, upgraded vent unit, and lighting over the cooking surface.
Before and after
A new surround within the same footprint
The homeowners wanted the hood centered and aligned without changing the wall footprint. With windows on either side, the proportions had to be resolved within a fixed space. The tapered stone surround gives the cooking area a stronger presence, while the projecting pine mantel provides a horizontal line across the face.
The finished hood relates to the room’s wood cabinetry and existing stonework. The new stainless-steel panel and vent unit sit beneath the surround, keeping the working components integrated with the rustic exterior.
The design reference
Following the fireplace’s lead
The fireplace directly opposite the kitchen combines natural river rock and concrete with a brown pine mantel. Stone accents around the television and exposed ceiling beams extend that palette through the living area. Those existing features guided the hood design; they were inspiration for this project rather than new work in its scope.
For the hood mantel, the team selected a substantial pine beam and sanded it smooth while retaining the visible grain. A medium Van Dyke Brown stain drew on the fireplace mantel’s color. The custom 6-by-6 beam was positioned to keep its projection visible after the stone veneer went on.
Behind the stone
Rebuilding the support from the ceiling down
Removing the old hood revealed inadequate attachment: its framework separated from the wall as a single piece during dismantling. The new surround required a fresh support assembly before any finish work could begin.
The team built notched, interlocking blocking tied into the ceiling trusses, then framed down from those attachment points. Midspan blocking stiffened the framework, and plywood sheathing provided the surface for the stone installation. Concealed fasteners secured the mantel from behind while leaving room for the stone buildout.
Coordinating the finishes
One removable frame, two useful jobs
The transition beneath the stone needed particular care. The project manager made a removable wood frame for the underside of the apron and supported it temporarily during the masonry work. It established the lower edge of the stone and mortar.
Once the stone was complete, that same frame became the fabrication template for the brushed stainless-steel panel and its vent opening. Using the built opening as the pattern helped coordinate the metalwork with the finished masonry. The result is a clean underside surrounding the vent unit, below a much more textured exterior.
Design records
Resolving the proportions and metalwork
AutoCAD elevations communicated the tapered profile, mantel position, and stone faces to the homeowners and trades. A separate underside drawing located the vent opening and the panel’s dimensions. These drawings document the proposed construction details and are distinct from the project photographs.
View the hood elevation and stainless-steel underside drawing
The homeowner’s response
“It looks like it was always supposed to be this way”
That response, recorded in the project’s award submission, captures the aim of this remodel. The hood now draws on materials already familiar in the home, with the framing, mantel installation, stonework, and metal fabrication coordinated behind the finished appearance.
The project received a 2019 NARI CotY award in the Residential Interior Element Under $30,000 category. This historical classification is not a statement of current remodeling prices.
Planning a distinctive feature for your kitchen?
A custom element starts with how it will relate to the room around it. Explore our kitchen remodeling services and design-build process to see how design decisions connect with construction planning.
For a broader scope, see whole-home remodeling. The Path to Remodeling Clarity™ can help you prepare for the first conversation.
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