Above the cook top is the greasiest place in a kitchen so your forward look on that, is spot on. I don't know if "wood" will 'go out of style' but these over sized, too much for a home hoods will. Is your kitchen as LARGE as the one in your inspiration picture?

If a wood hood has a protective layer, it should not be too difficult to clean. That being said, stainless is in commercial kitchens for a reason.

I would add to the above comments that a wood hood is more of a challenge to purchase - you have to make sure you buy the proper liner and motor for it. We've also seen some pretty bad carpentry on this forum when it comes to hood cabinet surrounds. Meanwhile, the stainless steels hoods come already with everything. In addition, wood hoods we see on this forum are most of the time too shallow and don't cover the front burners. It is more expensive to get one the proper depth, so people get a cabinet surround that is 19" deep or less, and the front burners are not covered by the hood. Alternatively, you can shop for a stainless steel hood that has the exact specs you want.

hm what does proper liner mean? I’m thinking of getting the Thermador VCIN36GWS custom insert (https://www.thermador.com/us/products-list/ventilation/ventilation-pairing-ranges-36/VCIN36GWS) and the blower will be mounted outside. In terms of kitchen size, similar to that picture I think. I don’t have my own pictures yet because we’re breaking some walls and moving the location of the kitchen.

I am going to copy from another post, because the separate parts of a custom hood are often cause for confusion:

”The hood liner is the fabricated metal housing that the hood insert is mounted into and to which the vent duct is attached to,. Sometimes this comes as a complete package which we commonly call a "range hood". The picture you posted has a hood surround (the custom cabinet that makes it look pretty). It has a hood liner that makes the transition to the vent duct and it has a hood insert (exhaust fan, motor, lights, controls, filter) that is mounted into the liner.......all together this is commonly referred to as a "range hood"”

I do not like wood hoods and yes they get greasy and are hard to look after they also discolor over time even with a good venting system . IMO just like stainless appliances a good quality stainless hood is IMO a good choice .

I like my stainless steel hood; so easy to clean. I think a wooden hood would not be easy to clean❣️

I would say that especially with an 8' ceiling, the wood hood pictured will look massive, it needs more ceiling height for the right scale. I have a stainless chimney hood and love its efficiency (1200 cfm) and ease of cleaning.

Stainless steel.

There's a functional reason that hoods are made of non-combustible material. Anything that can be set on fire has no business on a hood / above something generating a kabillion BTUs and random flames ON PURPOSE! Ultimately - that kind of form / function misalignment will cause something to go out of style, IMO - because someone will say, sometime in the future, "who thought THAT was a good idea?"

Using materials that make sense usally have longer lifespans for "in style" because they appeal to a common sense aesthetic. Stainless, built in masonry arches / alcoves, etc.

Thank you all! Sounds like the overwhelming response is stainless steel. I am rather surprised as most of the pro pictures I’ve seen have custom hoods. I think I may be swayed by your opinions and advice to go stainless steel. :)

It's personal preference as to which look you like better. Stainless steel is a bit more industrial looking, and wood more traditional, but it all depends on the whole design and the look you're going for. As far as cleaning goes, I would agree that stainless steel is easier to clean.

In either case I'd avoid placing a chimney-style hood between two cabinets. If you're going to have a configuration as shown above, then have a hood that butts up against the sides of the cabinets, avoiding that awkward space on either side of the hood. It can either be wood to match or contrast with your cabinetry, or stainless steel.

Stainless steel hood:

Bellevue House · More Info

Wood hood with insert:

Kitchen Range · More Info

A stainless steel chimney hood looks good between two windows:

Warm Hickory Delight · More Info

Thanks for the pictures, it helps visualize! The style is traditional , I’m going for warmth. If it makes a difference, the living room will have wood beams on the ceiling. I was hoping to the in some wood accents with the kitchen which will share a space with the living room. This was why I originally gravitated towards the picture of the hood I had posted.

If you want warmth, then go for wood. It can be a contrasting wood as shown in your inspiration photo, but maybe a bit smaller and without the spaces. Or you could design a hood with a wood beam similar to the beams in the living room.

Here are some ideas:

Light Farm-Kitchen · More Info

My Houzz: English Cottage Style Graces a Home Bathed in Light · More Info

Summit Residence · More Info

You might want to post the layout to show how the kitchen will be configured. Just note that you may get comments on anything and everything in addition to the range hood :(

Visually I like a wood, cabinet type hood.
Was thinking the same as a few above points:
The hood design makes a big difference.
The hood in your inspiration picture is a drop squat looking. I like the inspiration pictures that @Diana Bier posted.
....

Stainless may be easier to clean. Ye.
But that’s the only pro I have :)
....
The other idea I’m thinking is something that might compromise both.
There are many Custom hoods that aren’t wood. You can get a stainless, metal, decorative hood that is both stylish as well as easy to clean.
.....

Regardless, i think the decision is going to be based on what’s more important to you. Aesthetics or practicalities.

"Stainless steel is a bit more industrial looking, and wood more traditional"

I disagree. In any case, a cabinet surround hood is a modern invention.

“Sounds like the overwhelming response is stainless steel. I am rather surprised as most of the pro pictures I’ve seen have custom hoods.”

Stainless hoods can be custom/customized...and, depending on style, do not look industrial. They can fit nicely into a traditional style. Here’s ours:

Agree with above. A metal hood can be both stylish and practical. You are not limited to stainless. Or even a metal color.

I'd also say not being able to start on fire is a pro for stainless / metal.

I think wood would look more "custom"....it would be a warmer look. Stainless steel is my "go-to" for clean, easy to purchase, ready-made when doing a remodel. Do you want cuteness or easy to clean?

I like the look of a wood vent hood, but the finish on the wood must be easily washable and the vent fan must be powerful enough to pull greasy cooking fumes up and out of the house through the roof or side wall. Most “recirculating” vent fans are just not powerful enough for the job.

Many of the stainless steel hoods that darbuka and Shannon_WI posted are very nice and true, not particularly industrial looking! However, I'll bet that they are not run-of-the-mill SS hoods you can get ready-made, but custom hoods. If you have the budget for a custom hood that may be your best bet.

I don't think grease would be a problem for wood as long as it's well sealed. we had a wood shelf above our stove for three years, no hood at all. so if you could imagine, things got really greasy up there. wiping it clean was really no problem. just be sure to do it on a semi-regular basis so it doesn't build up.

“Many of the stainless steel hoods that darbuka and Shannon_WI posted are very nice and true, not particularly industrial looking! However, I'll bet that they are not run-of-the-mill SS hoods you can get ready-made, but custom hoods.”

@Diana Bier Interiors, LLC…true, they're not ”run-of-the-mill”, off the shelf hoods…but neither are the custom wood hoods the OP is considering.

Of the many wood hoods I’ve seen on this forum, and in real life, they tend to be very heavy looking, overwhelming, and get dated very quickly.

Thank you everyone! This has been truly helpful. I am not a huge fan of the custom metal hoods, or at least I like them the same as a run of the mill SS hood. In the end, I put in an order for a chimney style SS hood. As much as I like the wood look, I’m afraid I will get it dirty because I do some heavy cooking! So function over form for me 🙂. I’m still putting together the layout of my kitchen but will definitely ask for input on that as well. Thanks all!

Wood hoods look stylish, but they can be impractical if you're doing a lot of greasy cooking. You mentioned that you're worried about the wood getting dirty, and that's understandable. Wood can be tough to keep clean, especially in a kitchen where a lot of cooking happens.

So, in terms of functionality, I'd say go with the stainless steel. It's easier to clean and won't show wear and tear as much as a wood hood.

If you can't make up your mind, why don't you look at these premium custom range hoods? That way, you can have the best of both worlds: a functional and stylish hood built to your specifications.

The word 'stylish' keeps cropping up in these posts. To be clear this entire HOOD development is the latest FAD in kitchen design, in what HGTV has decided to try and sell home owners on. I have no idea what one of these costs but before you spend that money really think about how the money could be better spent. This fad will pass and future home owners will marvel at the massive feature for a pretty simple need--a stove vent.

The OP made her decision last year, as you can see from the last post she made.

Yes, the OP likely made this decision some time ago, but I do question some of the information given here, that I suspect may have influenced the OP’s decision.

Certainly, raw stainless steel is better than raw wood, but we don’t usually leave wood raw on hoods. Conversion varnishes and 2k polyurethanes are the current coatings of choice. Both are coatings developed for, and used on, automobiles.

Maybe stainless steel is easier to clean, but a properly coated hood will not be difficult to clean.

Yes, that's the risk one takes when requesting advice from strangers on the internet.

The key takeaway is to be able to sift through the information and try to verify it before you make the decision.