IMO in an 8' ceiling they look too heavy and I find over time they get greasey and discolor from both heat and steam and I aslo find them hard to clean and so much depends on your style too. If at all possible with a gas cook top a 42" stainless hood is the way to go .I think simple is always the best choice and the hood needs to first be the best one you can afford to do the job it is meant to do. I love Vent-a-hood if that helps

@Patricia Colwell Consulting real quick - what about paneled fridges? Planning for a stainless steel 42" SZ, rethinking whether I should have it paneled? I am not doing inset cabinets....and want the fridge to be flush with the cabinets...is this an option with a panel ready SZ that is not integrated?

I would go for a paneled dishwasher, but not the frig. Keep the panels stainless for a more current look.

@Kate Thanks! Thoughts about the hood cover? Timeless or dated in 5 minutes?

I would stick with a hood style like in your picture. It looks very much like the one in my mother's late 1950's kitchen. Bonus is that there is some storage if you route the vent thru a cabinet with doors. (We stored dried pasta up there.) Good advice to step up from 36" to 42" hood.

@ci_lantro Thanks for confirming that it is timeless - although not sure I am trying to go for a 1950's look. We are doing a cabinet panel above, not cabinets.

There are many beautiful stainless steel hoods available, photos below. The 2nd pic below shows an alternative to an undercabinet design.

Think about a 42“ wide hood for your 36” cooktop. It’s better for capture area, and it looks good too. If you can’t fit 42” wide hood, you can’t, but it’s a suggestion.

If you are renovating your kitchen, check the size of the duct that goes from the hood to outside. In older kitchens it is often too small which is a problem. It needs to be 8” diameter. Switch it out while you are doing the renovation.

This is the hood design I like and regret not doing it!!

Looks like you have a large kitchen, I think you could go bigger if you want more of a statement hood. I do think a simple stainless hood is timeless, but herhaps not as much of a statement you are looking for.

If you are doing a SZ Integrated (Designer) fridge, panel it.

If you are doing a SZ Built-In (Classic) fridge, do the stainless steel.