Choose function over look. A couple things stuck from other threads I read on Houzz (gardenweb in the day) and have proven invaluable advice in my kitchen rennovation: the hood should be larger than the range and the hood is as important as the range. Do not underestimate the value of ventilation in a kitchen. A 36" range should have a 42" hood.

Surely you weren't thinking of a 26-inch wide hood over a 36-inch wide range, or is there a typo in the subject title?