Advise Request: Vent Hood Retrofit

[lothian]

My GE JV960SCBR vent hood--aesthetically awesome though dubiously effective--has signaled imminent failure and I'm shopping for its replacement. I'm are not keen on the appearance of traditional under-cabinet vent hoods (UCVH) that jut out. I really dig the look of hiding the thing within a surround/cover (which I will build) that matches our cabinets.

UCVHs mount either to the wall or "blower insert" up into bottom of the cabinet. For folks (like me) planning a vent hood surround, the blower insert UCVH is purpose-designed for this application. Bummer is, there are comparatively few of this particular appliance--and they tend to be pricey. Wall mount and chimney-style UCVHs dominate.

So I'm kicking around the viability of going with a wall mount (or even chimney-style) and building my surround to conceal the thing. Problem is, the controls for these style appliances are typically accessed along the front panel. How might one go about boxing in a wall mounted UCVH without blocking access to its controls? I presume one builds the surround with an opening of sorts in the front to allow access the controls, but this seems kludgy and inelegant.

Bottom line is I'm not having much luck getting this quandary resolved. Thus, this post soliciting opinions and recommendations. Anyone have any experience with this sort of thing?

[mrcaptainbob]

Vent hood redesign...

Well, I've never had an aversion to cutting into stuff. Even new stuff just to get it to our needs. If the controls were an issue for me, I'd break out the handiy-dandy Dremel and remove the offending controls and sheet metal supporting it all so as to build the cabinet surround. Placement of said controls can be managed by consulting with chief kitchen user. Using some well placed extension wires, nicely soldered in place, can provide the needed distance for wherever these controls may need to be placed. Of coarse this will all void any warranties. But then...that's just me....

[lothian]

e'yup... I'm planning on moving the controls.

As it turns out, the hood manufacturer, Z Line, provides a video on removing the controls for the model vent hood I purchased. I'll simply cut the OEM ribbon cable, splice in some requisite length of aftermarket ribbon cable, and mount the panel wherever I choose. This discovery completely untethered my cover design ideas, and now my dilemma is simply focusing on building the thing--a good problem to have.