What style is the home? Curving the edges of a ceiling or a curved soffit sounds like it would be contemporary (and look cool if it fits the look.) If the home is traditional, would it work to add some beams and hide the duct in a beam? Got pics?

You are one of the most creative folks on this board so I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

Its an old (1850s) workman's house that has been stripped of any real character with a contemporary-transitional kitchen. If I had known my trainer when he did the kitchen, there are a number of things I would have done differently. He got some bad design advice, unfortunately--the downdraft being only part of it.

I am looking forward to see what I come up with too. I can come up with some awfully expensive ideas seem so simple:)

Pics of sketches would be helpful, but my guess is option 2 or 3.

I think 1 or 2, in that order. I would not want an off-center (to the window) "soffit" in the middle of the kitchen.

There are some good downdraft options I would have used had he not already bought the range that work way better than the one built into the Jenn-Air (like the one in the pic below) that wouldn't require a massive change to the ceiling. But even with the range in place, if it's a slide-in or drop-in type without a control panel at the back, you can use a telescoping downdraft vent that rises from behind the range when in use. These are not as effective as a large overhead hood (or the swiveling extractor that can be placed in the middle of a cooktop), but they work well for the rear burners and usually adequately for the front ones.

{{gwi:1395480}}

#2 but run duct to the side wall up between joists (no side to side soffit), then a soffit along side wall to rear of house.

Definitely not #1. I would not give up a nine foot ceiling just to conceal a duct. I'd have an exposed, industrial-looking duct before I'd do that.

for #3, could you make the soffit/beam/coverup wide enough that it could be centered over the range and window, with the duct in one side? or would that end up being most of the ceiling...

Here are two cropped shots of the problem.

This is the ENTIRE first floor. The steps start a few feet from the front door to give you an idea.

The range is (not quite) :/ centered under the current pendants.

There are so many things I would have done differently had this been my project.

The whole first floor looks like a kitchen with a staircase in it.

I think I would not only drop the kitchen ceiling but create an opening, cased or not, to hide the sides of the uninspiring cabinets from the LR and create a sense of identity for it. The place would actually look bigger. The side walls do not need to be very wide.

The first one I had thought of was JohnLui's to the right and soffit over those cabs.

However, right outside that corner is the flue and the external plumbing stack. (Old houses)

So it has to go to the left and then it can't go in the joist space because it runs into the stairs, it would have to go below.

I would originally have done with Marcolo said, some kind of large opening as a psychological separation. That would have masked the current issue.

Any more feedback based on the existing conditions?

I think my first preference is the large opening. You could try just getting a price for it, what the heck.

Second preference is going to the side mimicking the peninsula. The off-center straight shot would drive me nuts, especially in a small space that's already a visual jumble.

Is it absolutely impossible to move the range? Those island hoods are pretty expensive, and just moving a gas pipe isn't that bad.

Is it possible to go straight up? Thru the ceiling, second floor & out thru the attic & roof?

The kitchen isn't old, maybe 6 years, and he wanted the range in that location for very specific reasons. He's not really going to go for juggling cabinets and getting new counters.

The middle of the U, underneath the deeper set of shelves is only that deep, about 18 inches.

The entire house is only 12'wide, so the inside is 11' and the kitchen is partially encroached upon by the stairs so it is about 8 feet wide through much of its depth.

That middle, extra-deep shelf holds the microwave. It was supposed to be at the near end of the wall cabinets except the designer somehow forgot that 99%+ of microwaves are hinged on the left, so in order to use it you would have to be standing in the LR to get things in and out. The decision was made to put it there, (Rather than having the designer eat it) and it's a bad spot too. I suggested moving it or eliminating it "while we are at it", and he was not up for that.

Unfortunately no, that was my first thought. It's the middle of a room and even skirting the wall is a problem because the room is 6'6" wide. These walls are nailers on masonry, no stud space.

What is the distance from top of cabinets to ceiling? Any steal-able space above the ceiling?
What I'm getting at is...is the depth available from cabinet top to ceiling adequate for the vent size needed if the ceiling was dropped down to meet the tops of the cabinets? If so, then I think some sort of dropped area, either partial or in whole, would be best.

However, if you don't have enough space to do that, then it is tricker, because the symmetry is off.

You will likely need a 7 or 8 inch round duct.

There is six inches between cabinet top and ceiling, and probably minimal to no steal-able space above, but we should be able to transition to a 5x12 rectangular duct.

Then I vote for a full ceiling dropped to meet the cabinet tops. Just a cleaner look.

You certainly could add a curve to the ceiling edge facing the front door for visual interest.

Otherwise, I vote for fully exposed ductwork added to existing space, with dropped tray soffit in the exact shape of the island Hang the vent from that and add pot lights as needed. I assume the vent will be lighted.

Did I miss this answer, or can you not use the telescoping downdraft mentioned earlier? I think any of the ceiling options are going to look a little odd; a hood hanging down in the middle of that small space will be the first thing you see coming through the door.

So my first choice would be a downdraft (if architecture allows for the venting), and I know it isn't considered ideal but perhaps there is one that will work adequately. My second choice would be to just let the ceiling ductwork be exposed. Surely the industrial look would fit in a rowhouse? Perhaps the ducting could even be painted. I am not sure what's possible... I have seen painted ceiling ductwork in public buildings, though possibly we are talking about different kinds of ducting material.

NorthCarolina--If I understood correctly, the old downdraft JennAir range has been replaced with a different range. The cooktop solution posted above is probably a no-go in such a tiny kitchen...Where would you put the oven?

Back to problem at hand...What about doing a 'tray' around the perimeter of the kitchen to conceal the duct (transitioned to rectangular) and tuck in some linear lighting to make it look like it was purposely designed like that from the get-go?

What I don't like about the tray is having to do a lot of sharp 90's in the ductwork.

Otherwise, I'm with Julie in dropping the entire ceiling the 5-6'' necessary for the duct.

Yes the range was replaced with a range, so there is no room for a separate downdraft.

Gaggenau no longer sells the telescoping rotating one shown above. Their only above the counter type is a backsplash-shelf downdraft.

As for looks I think it is going to be a matter of "least odd" or "least cobbled". I wouldn't have opened the entire first floor to this degree, but because of current layout, closing it up a bit is not very viable because of the position of those doors at the left. The whole thing is very tight. (the original kitchen was a 24" range, no DW and an apartment sized refrigerator)

See the link below for a thread from last year on possible separate downdraft vents for use with island ranges. If you could get one to work, that would be my first choice. I would avoid lowering ceilings or adding visual clutter to such a small space at all costs. That could turn it from too-cozy to claustrophobic.

Here is a link that might be useful: Separate downdraft for island range

Pal, is even considering routing the ductwork across the living room and out the front of the bldg. a no-no?

That's a possibility that I will look at. The old downdraft went out the front under the floor.

Remember though that the house is small enough that lowering the ceiling in the kitchen would not have much effect on the overall "feeling". Smaller rooms don't have that feeling of the ceiling pressing down like a broad expanse can, with low ceiling height, it's a matter of proportion.

Yes, about lowering the ceiling. At almost nine feet currently, lowering it a few inches to conceal the duct will still result in a higher than normal (8') ceiling. The big prob I see w/ lowering (the entire ceiling) is having to remove the cabinetry and then dealing with the lights. And the awfulness of drywall install. Lots of labor & lots of mess involved there. Going out the front, if possible, would be a lot less expensive in terms of labor, materials & mess.