Air in the Kitchen: Heating, Cooling and Ventilation as Design Elements
Fresh, clean air is a necessity in a kitchen where cooking smells, heat and waste all contribute to an atmosphere that must be vented out of the house. This ventilation becomes a design consideration because the vents themselves can represent a considerable presence in the budget and the room, often contributing architectural interest along with function. In kitchens featuring restaurant-style high BTU ranges, proper ventilation is necessity because of the tremendous heat these burners generate.
Kitchen Venting Systems as Architectural Elements
How about a hammered copper range hood with an integrated pot rack? A stainless steel cone descending from a loft ceiling? A jazzy powered down-draft vent that silently elevates into position when you turn on your cooktop? These are just a few of the ventilation options that, from a design point of view, can pack a strong visual punch and create architectural interest in your new kitchen. Both functional and sculptural, vent hoods and systems can be an important design element to consider when creating your new kitchen. Just make sure you consult your budget as these systems can be very costly including installation, ventilation to the outdoors, filtration and air handling systems hidden beneath those cool exteriors.
Radiators, Covers and Cold Air Returns
Heating and cooling systems don’t materially effect design decisions except where a large radiator or vent must be visible. Fortunately there are a very large range of radiators and vent systems available in many colors and styles. You may have to search your area to find sources or go to national suppliers but it’s worth it to be able to replace a clunky and noisy radiator with a well-designed modern counterpart. Even if you’re creating a period kitchen consider upgrading existing visible elements of these systems to bring up the function and appearance of your kitchen.
There are also safety issues involved with reuse of old radiators. Homes with small children should plan on building protective coverings for these large hot objects or upgrading to a baseboard system that has its own integral enclosure.
