Turn Cedar Picket Fence Posts Into A Stylish Vent Hood

Over the years, range hoods have gone from being necessary eye sores to bold statement pieces in the kitchen. Stylish vent hoods are certainly having their moment, and while we love the look, the price tag isn't as easy to embrace. A wooden range hood can cost over $1000, but luckily there's a hack to make your own using affordable fence pickets you can pick up at the hardware store.

Shiplap is a timeless style that can give your kitchen a gorgeous rustic look. While range hoods trend more towards metals like stainless steel or even copper, wooden hoods add to the cozy warmth of a farmhouse-style kitchen. Since vent hoods hang above the stove and collect steam, oil, and smoke from the kitchen, it's important to think about the durability and maintenance of any vent hood material. Cedar fence pickets are naturally rot-resistant, making them a good option for use around this appliance.

One DIYer shared via Instagram their love of shiplap vent hoods but was less enthusiastic about the nearly $2,000 price tag. They decided to create their hood instead, using cedar fence pickets. Fence posts are handy as they are already the perfect shiplap width and just need to be cut to the desired length for your range hood. 

Before you get started, you'll need to determine whether you need to replace your current range hood. Depending on its placement in your kitchen, you may be able to make a shiplap frame to simply cover your current vent. However, if you need to remove the range vent, consider whether you'll need a ducted or ductless range hood to replace it.

Wooden range hoods come in a few general shapes, including curved, angled, tapered, and box. A box-shaped hood is going to be the most straightforward, but an angled or tapered range hood is also fairly easy for an experienced DIYer. First, you'll need to plan a mounting frame to attach your DIY hood to the wall and cabinetry as necessary. Using your fence pickets, you'll frame out your range hood in the desired shape, using trim pieces to connect the sides. You can trim the bottom for an easy, smooth finish, and a popular trend is to stain the bottom trim a natural wood color and paint the shiplap above for a two-toned look.

If you use cedar pickets to create your own range hood, you might have some leftover planks that could be put to good use on other projects around the home. You can use them individually, as frame pieces for cabinet doors, or as you would any woodcuts for small projects. But when fixed together, fence pickets will add a trendy shiplap style to any room. Get creative with the places to use shiplap in your home, like building a shiplap kitchen island to match your new range hood or installing a shiplap backsplash.

If you want to cover a large area, such as an accent wall, privacy fence picket panels with pre-connected pickets can make the job easier. Look for flat-top panels as opposed to dog ear panels so you don't have to worry about mismatching ends, and make sure the pickets don't have any space between them. They could even work to cover a popcorn ceiling on a budget.