Kitchen Update, Tile, Vent Hood, and Hidden Shelves- Lawrence, KS

Sep 1, 2026

This homeowner wanted a small kitchen flip: subway tile carried all the way to the ceiling, a vent hood over the stove, and floating shelves on the wall. They hired me to find a clean place to start the tile and run it up to the ceiling, install the vent hood, and run the vent outside. I then cut down their butcher block shelves and prepped them to work as floating shelves with the hardware they had ordered, and installed them to finish the update.

Mounting the floating shelves on tile was the hardest part of this project. I could either tile over the hardware and cut the tile to fit around it, or mount the hardware after the tile was up and get it straight, plumb, and level. I went with mounting the hardware after the tile, which made the most sense, but getting it precise was still a challenge.

I am proud of how I handled the hidden hardware challenge. The floating shelves turned out great, and precise woodworking on the butcher block shelves is what made the hidden hardware work cleanly. The homeowners love it.

Before

Kitchen wall with partial subway tile backsplash and exposed drywall patches before the update.
Kitchen backsplash before the subway tile was carried up to the ceiling.
Kitchen corner with bare drywall above partial subway tile before the update.
Kitchen wall before the subway tile and vent hood work began.

The Work

Kitchen wall with fresh drywall skim coat above subway tile, countertop covered in plastic.
Drywall skim-coated and tile started up the wall, with the countertop protected during work.
Round vent opening cut through subway tile backsplash, taped off for the range hood duct.
Vent duct opening cut through the subway tile for the new range hood.
Black range hood mounted on tile wall with a level checking it and the flex duct connected above.
New range hood mounted and leveled with the duct connected through the tile.
Close-up of a flexible metal duct running from the range hood through the tile wall.
Flexible duct connecting the range hood to the wall vent opening.
Insulated vent duct strapped along a garage ceiling running toward the exterior wall.
Vent duct routed through the garage to the exterior wall.
New white vent cap installed in the siding above the garage entrance.
New exhaust vent cap installed on the exterior wall.
Black hidden shelf brackets mounted at varying heights on the subway tile wall above the range hood.
Hidden shelf brackets mounted along the tile wall ahead of the floating shelves.
Dark wood floating shelves being placed onto wall-mounted brackets above the kitchen counter.
Butcher block shelves being set onto the hidden brackets.

Finished

Finished kitchen with dark floating shelves and black range hood over white subway tile.
Finished floating shelves and range hood over the tiled kitchen wall.
Finished dark wood floating shelves on either side of a black range hood over subway tile.
Finished floating shelves flanking the range hood.
Close-up of the finished black range hood between floating wood shelves above the stove.
Finished range hood and floating shelf detail over the stove.

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