Exciting! A downdraft is certainly an alternative. This kitchen has great circulation, so the pop-up downdraft style vent works. Consider how much you use your existing vent system and track that for a month + to gague the actual usage. Hoods, while beautiful (and functional) design element, are sometimes not the best fit for your space (and can be very pricey!) . This is an Electrolux Cooktop and vent, which the homeowner selected and are still very pleased with after a year of pretty intense usage (they entertain quite often). Happy planning!