Ever since we moved in I have been wanting to transform the kitchen. It’s slowly getting there… I have a long list of things to do and they all include very expensive things like appliances, so I am chipping away at the list and eventually it will get there!

Removing the microwave was a less expensive fix. I only had to buy the wood and a hood fan which was about $45 from Home Depot. I didn’t like having the microwave so high because my kids would climb on the counter to use it. Or they would push over a stool and use it and it always made me nervous having them reaching over the stove to use it. I will show you our plans for the microwave later-right now it’s on the counter.

To make the fireplace I really just made three pieces. The first was the front panel. I wanted to use planks like I did on my fireplace to create some consistency since the rooms are right next to each other. I used a piece of 1/4 inch plywood and cut it the size I wanted and then nailed on the 1/4 inch thick planks that were cut to 2 1/2 inches wide.

I made a sort of mantel to go underneath the main box. This is where the fan sits. 

And then I made the box that is the main part of the hood. I just used scrap wood on the back since no one will see it. 

My husband took apart the fan to make it fit inside our mantel. We had to pretty-up the underside of the hood a little after mounting it, but it works just great and fits perfectly. 

First we installed the main wooden box to the wall. It went all the way to the ceiling and fit snug between the cabinets. Then we attached the mantel. Then we attached the planked board. Once it was all screwed in to the wall and attached to each other, I added some trim pieces including crown molding. I used caulk to fill in any cracks and painted it white. Then I added more of the subway tile backsplash all the way up to the bottom of the hood.

Some things to remember: When installing a hood, you need to hang it at least 30 inches above your stovetop. And 18-20 inches out from the wall. That’s to insure that the fan will capture the steam from the stove. 

And just so you can see what it looked like before, here is a picture of our kitchen right when we moved in.