Turn an Antique Headboard into a Custom DIY Range Hood Cover

There's nothing quite like the thrill of transforming a secondhand find into a one-of-a-kind masterpiece!

In today’s post, I’m excited to show you how I turned a gorgeous antique headboard from FB Marketplace into a custom vent hood for my mother-in-law Daphne's new kitchen. The results were dreamy, and it was surprisingly easy to do!

Daphne's kitchen: Before DIY Range Hood Cover

Daphne recently moved into her new house, and there is a lot of construction happening everywhere! The kitchen renovation was almost finished at this point. There was new pine flooring and custom cabinets in a beautiful almond color. The island has a quartz stone top with gold faucets and hardware. The other countertops will be a cherry wood and the tile backsplash will be a light, creamy white color. The appliances are stainless steel. So, the kitchen itself is a neutral space with pops of color like the lights (green!), cafe curtains, and general decor. The effect of this kitchen makeover is a timeless space that will never go out of style. 

How to hide a range hood?

Daphne loved the idea of hiding a functional stove fan with something beautiful, because no one really wants to look at the fan, right? So, my job was to put the finishing touch on the room with this custom range hood and turn the stove area into something beautiful instead.

Can you cover an existing range hood?

Another way to ask this question might be, "Can you wrap a range hood?" And the answer to both questions is, yes! This is exactly what I had planned for this project. I wanted to cover the fan and ducting with a wooden frame and then wrap it with the antique wood from the headboard and footboard I found on Facebook Marketplace. This is an extremely doable DIY that you should not be afraid to try. 

Can a range hood be made of wood?

Maybe you're nervous about putting so much wood around a source of heat. I can assure you that as long as you follow the proper building codes regarding the distance of the hood from the surface of the stove, you have nothing to worry about. You can absolutely make a range hood out of wood! Just be safe about it. 

How to make a DIY Range Hood Cover

Besides a little creativity and patience, you don't need a whole lot for this project! Here's what I used to make this project come to life: 

Materials:

• Antique Bed Frame (buy-and-sell websites)

• Non-Slip Construction Adhesive - https://urlgeni.us/CAglue

• Fill Sticks - https://amzn.to/3UrUojm

• Wood Polish & Conditioner :https://amzn.to/3wsLdam

Tools:

Chop saw -  https://urlgeni.us/chopsaw

Measuring Tape

Circular saw (or jig saw works too!) - https://urlgeni.us/circularsaw

Rubber mallet - https://amzn.to/3UTfjgz

Table saw - https://urlgeni.us/sawstop

Orbital sander - https://urlgeni.us/festoolsander

Nail gun - https://urlgeni.us/bradnailer

Watch the Step-By-Step Instructions to Build a Custom Range Hood Cover

Framing for a new range hood fan cover

Before I could get going on the interesting part of this project, I had to build a frame for the vent to sit in. To do this, I made a frame out of 2x4s. Make sure to check the instructions for the hood vent and to follow all the building code rules for height above the stove, etc. Once I was sure of the measurements, I got to work and framed out the space between the upper cabinets where the fan needed to go. 

I first had to decide how wide the hood range cover needed to be from an exterior perspective. It can be as big as you want, without taking the fan into account (as long as it’s not smaller than your fan, you’re good!). From there I could construct a plan on how the 2x4 frame would be created, so that it had the width I needed but also would allow the fan to sit in the middle.

Using the provided size guidelines from the vent, I built two 2x4 boxes (doubling up 2x4 lumber where needed) using my chop saw, drill, and wood screws. One box sat at the bottom and one at the top for support. Four vertical connecting pieces of 2x4s were placed on either side to finish the frame. I also added angled brace pieces for extra support since there were no ceiling joists to attach the frame to. Once this simple frame was finished, it was time to get to the good stuff and start working with the beautiful antique wood to create my hood vent masterpiece. 

*Tip: To make the underside of the vent look finished, we cut left over pieces from the cabinets and secured them to the bottom of the frame.

Taking the headboard apart 

The first step was to take the headboard apart and see what kind of materials I had to work with. I was SO excited to find out that it would come apart easily. I used a manual screwdriver to take any screws out and a rubber mallet to bang the edges apart. The whole thing was built using a slot system where one board fit inside another, which meant if I was patient, I could bang the whole thing apart without much trouble. The slots were extremely dirty but other than that, everything was in great shape!

Because we also had the footboard, I took that apart too. I didn't know at this point exactly how much wood I would need and every last piece of authentic old wood was a bonus because once it was gone, there was no more. 

Making a plan

Now that I knew how much wood I had and what the pieces actually looked like, I made a plan for wrapping the pieces around the frame. There was a gorgeous decorative element at the top of the headboard that had come off in one piece and I knew it would be perfect at the bottom of the vent hood. It was even the exact right width to cover the entire front. It really seemed meant to be! I also decided to use the bed posts as the decorative corners running up either side, and then fill in the front and sides of the hood with cut-to-size pieces from the rest of the antique wood. I was feeling very optimistic as I visualized the whole thing coming together. 

Getting started   

The first thing I did was attach the bed posts to the two front edges of my frame. My goal was to have them sit into the corner of the frame so that they looked like they wrapped around the corner instead of sitting on it or beside it. I didn't have a lot of width to play with, so the best way to achieve the look I wanted was to remove a corner of the wood from each post. 

I used my chop saw to cut the posts to the the length I wanted. Then, I set up my table saw's blade depth to cut about 3/4 of the way through the post while leaving a 1/2" piece of wood at the front. I used my rubber mallet to bang out the piece I had just cut. Basically, I turned each post into an "L" shape that would wrap easily around the corner of the frame on either side. 

Once the "L" shaped posts were ready, I clamped them in place so I could plan out the front panel of my range hood. With the posts in place I was able to determine the exact width of the front inside the posts, which meant I could figure out exactly how much I needed to cut off the ends of my decorative piece for the front.

I also needed to add more support pieces to the frame. When I saw the corner posts in place, I realized there were would be nothing else to attach my wood to on the inside! So, I added some more 2x4s where I would need them. 

The last thing we needed to do before we really got into this project was install the ducting to the fan. Once the front of the range hood was finished, it would no longer be possible to do this without removing the wood pieces. I designed them to be removable, but it was just easier to install the fan at this point in the project.

Installing the antique wood

Now, it was time to start attaching things!

To match the surrounding cabinets and create a cohesive look in the entire kitchen, I added a piece of trim at top of the range hood. I decided to use a piece off the footboard that would wrap around the edges too.

Next, I moved onto adding the side pieces of trim, since I could access the space from the front this way. Then, I nailed the piece of trim in place in the front.

The decorative pièce de résistance

Once the top trim pieces were taken care of, it was time to install the beautiful decorative front piece from the top of the headboard on the bottom frame. I simply banged it into place with my hand and used my level to make sure it was placed properly. Then, I used some more brad nails to hold it in place.  

The front and side panel pieces 

The side pieces had to be installed first, since I needed access to the sides from the front. But the front boards were the most important part of the entire project since they would be the most visible and draw the most attention. So, I prioritized the pieces of the headboard that were in the best condition for this location.  This was like a giant puzzle, figuring out which pieces would go where and then executing the plan correctly!

I got to work measuring and cutting down the wood pieces I needed with my table saw. This included cutting a few of the slotted boards in half so I could double the material available to me.

I cut all the front board pieces and did a dry fit to make sure everything worked the way I wanted it to. It looked SO good! 

Then I went to work on the sides. While I did have enough reclaimed wood to finish this project off, some of the boards were in worse shape than others (mostly the back sides of the boards I cut in half) and would need some work. I would have to sand them down to smooth them out and then match the stain and finish of the other boards. Fortunately, I had planned the project out pretty well and these boards would be on the side and not front and center. 

Reaching the back of the sides was impossible due to the design. So, I used a powerful construction adhesive on the end of the board that went at the very back. Then, I put it in place and secured the front with my brad nailer.

Like I mentioned before, some pieces needed to be sanded and stained due to their poor condition. I sanded them with my orbital sander and played with some different stain colors. I tried four different browns in the Minwax line of stain: 

• Provincial 

• Puritan Pine 

• Early American 

• Special Walnut 

I stained both ends of two boards and compared the result to one of the original pieces. Puritan Pine was the clear winner! So, I stained the boards with that color and then when the stain was dry I added a protective Polycrylic Protective Finish on top. While I waited for those boards to dry, I stained the bottom edge of the trim piece I had cut for the top. 

Then, I cut these to size and installed them along the left side of the range hood. 

Next, I installed the front pieces! I had been waiting to do this since the very beginning of this entire project. I started at the bottom of the frame and worked my way up.

The last task I completed was using leftover piece of scrap wood to cover the seams on the bottom of the range hood cover frame for a truly finished look.

Finishing Touches

On the last day of construction I had just a few little touchups to do to make this reclaimed wood DIY vent hood look officially kitchen ready! 

I needed to fill in all the brad nail holes and cover them up. To do this, I used a Fill Stick product in a dark brown color. I didn't actually care that you could see where the holes were because I felt like it added to that vintage antique vibe. This meant I didn't need to bother with wood filler. But I really didn't want the little metal tips of the nails to show either. The waxy Fill Stick was perfect for achieving the look I wanted. I was also able to use it to fix some of the edges and any areas that were scratched or discoloured for an even, clean look. It's like makeup for your furniture!

I gave it all a good clean with a soft cloth and then I applied a wood polish and conditioning agent to give it a smooth, hydrated shine. 

The end result was so good it surprised even ME! I knew it was going to be beautiful, but I didn't expect it to be THIS beautiful. I think it completely transforms the entire room by warming up the neutral space and creating a gorgeous focal point.

Are wood range hoods hard to clean?

Let's finish up with some housekeeping items, shall we? Maybe you're wondering if a wooden range hood is difficult to keep clean. I assure you it isn't! All you need to remember is not to use harsh chemicals on it and avoid is soaking it in water when you clean it. I recommend making a solution of water and a few drops of liquid dish soap. Wet a soft cloth using the solution and then wring it out so that it is damp, not wet. Wipe down your range hood with the damp cloth and then go over it with a dry cloth to remove any liquid. That's it! Not hard to clean at all. 

I hope you enjoyed the process and the end result of this DIY adventure! Have you built a hood vent or anything else out of antique wood? Show me in the comments or tag me @diydanie. I would love to see!