Kitchen Hoods: Make it a Venti

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Hoods. You gotta' have it, so you must love it! The kitchen hood does an important job. They should supply the proper ventilation to remove steam, smoke, grease, and more from the air to make your kitchen comfortable and clean. And of course, it has to look good while doing it.

According to Vent-A-Hood, there are three major components to an effective kitchen ventilation system:

a. Hood Canopy

Your holding capacity, overlap, and projection must be considered when sizing your canopy.

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• Hoods do not pull or draw, they only collect. Holding Capacity is needed to collect cooking vapors so the blower units can exhaust them to the outside.

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• Whenever possible, the hood should overlap the cooking equipment by 3" on each side.

  

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• The hood should project out to the front edge of the front burners in order to properly capture cooking vapors.

b. Blower System

While the canopy captures the vapors, the blower system moves them out of the house. You must consider what kind of cooking area you have to figure out what kind of blower system you need and the appropriate amount of CFMs you will need. According to Today's Homeowner, the basic rule of thumb when determining the fan size, is that it should move a minimum of 100 CFM of air for every 12" of stove width. So if you have a 30" wide stove, you need a fan that moves at least 250 CFM of air. But, you will need more if it is a gas stove.

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c. Ducting

Never restrict the duct size. A single blower unit requires at least 6" round duct or equivalent, and a dual blower needs at least 8" round duct or equivalent. And it is important to make the duct run as short and as straight as possible with as few turns as possible. 

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Now when it comes to the style and design of the hood, you can either have it blend in with the cabinetry or you make it stand out! Here is a great selection of hood styles that are trending today.

a. Blend It With the Cabinets

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b. Make It Stand Alone

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c. Box It In

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d. Put Some Wood On It

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e. Make It All Wood

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f. Just Keep It Simple - Match Your Stainless

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g. Get Custom With The Metal

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Trend Alert: Smart Lights

The "smart home" is a quick term to describe something that's quite complex. Smart home systems allow you more control, comfort and security from your home appliances. You can see who rang your doorbell, dim your lights, or control the speakers in every room simultaneously.

This is overwhelming at first, and you might be reluctant to allow a phone app complete control over your home's security functions. It's a good idea to start small. Super small. Lightbulb small.

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Smart lights are a great way to start upgrading your home into a smart home. Most products allow you complete control over the color and intensity of your light fixtures, while more advanced products allow you to sync your lights up with your music or video. 

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Perhaps the most advanced smart lights available are from Nanoleaf, who manufacture highly customizable lighting panels, giving you creative freedom over your design. They can also sync up with your music. On the other hand, starter-level bulbs are great if you just want to dim or change colors. Just as an example, these bulbs can be installed in any compatible lamp or hanging light. 

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While it may not seem like a big deal at first, control over your lighting is a simple and cheap way to improve your health and comfort significantly. Ketra manufactures lights that can replicate the natural progression of the sun indoors, better for sleep patterns and keeping track of time. 

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So if you're looking to make your home a little more smart, look to the lights. It's a great first step into the world of smart home technology. Just by changing one lightbulb, you can change the way you live. 

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