A Luxurious Kitchen Worthy of Rick Stein: Gail’s Story

30 Apr 2024

Chepstow, the quaint border town nestled between England and Wales, is truly a chocolate-box community. Built in 1067 and relaxed as a Sunday-night Rick Stein cooking show or Adam Henson farming documentary, it hosts oodles of smiling artisans and a thriving market.

If the community had a sound, it would crackle like warm bread. At least, that’s how our interviewer Tom puts it. In today’s article, he chats with Gail Jones, a Sigma 3 Kitchens customer, in her Chepstow farmhouse. Thriving as a panto actor and BBC extra, she exemplifies Chepstow: busy and wholesome.

Having made Tom tea, Gail explains how Chepstow and TV work inspired her to want a luxurious kitchen that makes her feel like a star but without being too flashy. After initially worrying it's impossible, she’s undergone a kitchen makeover worthy of any charming renovation show.

Gail’s Kitchen Remodel Plans

“Sigma 3 Kitchens – I saw something on Facebook – a video – and I thought, Oh, they look like they can do everything I want,” Gail explains to Tom in her new handleless kitchen. “I needed the whole kitchen gutted. So, I made an appointment for Newport, went down and had a chat with a lady.”

“There were lots of nice kitchens in the showroom.”

Ideally, Sigma 3 designers would recommend a kitchen island for those seeking cooking-show pizzazz but, due to space constraints, Gail knows that wasn’t possible in her space. As a result, she has a true handleless kitchen with a stylish kitchen peninsula, all in Lumina Light Grey and Sutton Heather Slate.

“I did have a sort of pre-conceived idea of what I’d like,” Gail admits. Though, she assures Tom her ideas weren’t fixed; she had an open mind. “Katie showed me all the designs that were available and it was great to be able to see other different ideas I could take onboard.”

“Interesting,” Tom notes. “So, your kitchen transformation came with a few surprises. What about the overall quality? Was that one of them?”

As if in answer, Gail gives Tom a whistle-stop tour, opening her near-white handleless kitchen wall cabinets and showcasing the integrated mod-cons that are integral to her kitchen upgrade, letting him judge for himself. Sporting a high-quality finish, they perfectly demonstrate the sort of sheen you’d expect from a celebrity kitchen.

Gail’s Glamorous Kitchen Fundamentals

Having shown off the finish, proud as a Labrador showing off pups, Gail whisks through a series of stunning kitchen storage features. First stop is her extra-wide LineaPlus drawers. An elegant solution, they provide unbroken lines in her sleek, handleless kitchen.

Designed to maximise storage without interrupting the seamless cabinetry, the drawers have internal Legrabox R Design drawer boxes complete with stainless steel sides. These kitchen drawer units are robust and ideal for a grey handleless kitchen – both practical and modern.

Anthracite Linen cutlery dividers, which are unrivalled in the market, also make an appearance, built into each metal kitchen drawer. Gail notes how they help her avoid plastic inserts in favour of a luxury kitchen aesthetic.

Side note: We offer walnut wood and oak timber cutlery organisers for more traditional kitchens.

Gail’s Unique Kitchen Storage Features

Nodding along, Tom asks about any unusual suggestions the Sigma 3 team offered Gail. "I chose quite a few elements of design and storage features I liked when I was shown in the showroom what was available,” she answers. Some of the ones she chose were unique Sigma 3 creations.

Take, for example, her VelaBins. Award-winning integrated kitchen cupboard bins – in this case double kitchen bins – they slide out of sight, filter odours, and lift out for easy cleaning. Baked into the design of their custom-built kitchen drawer unit, they provide flawless convenience.

“When it came to storage and design, there were quite a few that I liked, particularly not having bins out,” Gail says, beaming. “There’s a special drawer for that!”

There’s also her MagnaSpace pull-out larder to consider. Excited to show how much it can hold, Gail slides the kitchen unit pull-out storage system from a bank, exposing enough accessible space to hold an entire food shop. Shockingly, the larder glides on silent rails despite the weight it carries.

“I love my pantry drawer,” she explains, reaching into the pull-out kitchen cabinet. “I’ve just got everything there rather than having cupboards and things tucked behind. Pulling it out’s wonderful. [...] You’ve got things in your cupboards that you forget […] but this is brilliant for keeping everything so you know exactly where it is.”

Moving on, Gail presents her Sigma 3 Corner Solution – a drawer for cupboards in tight corners that helps users to see contents – and her kitchen peninsula, which she uses as a breakfast bar and “little work bench,” which, she declares, she “absolutely loves.”

Gail’s Kitchen Design Service Experience

“It’s all so convenient!” Tom agrees. “You’d never know there’s this much storage with everything hidden. But what about the service? How has Sigma 3 treated you?”

Gail relaxes on her stool just thinking about it. “The installation process was absolutely spot on,” she says. “I was a bit worried about not having a kitchen in for a few weeks but they gave me a timescale. All the work people were lovely – really, really accommodating.”

Gail’s Sigma 3 Kitchens Review

Asked to give a final verdict, Gail marvels at her quartz stone worktops and ponders on whether her kitchen achieves the TV-show glamour she originally wanted. “I’ve got the quartz worktop with the sparkle in it just to give it that little bit of lift,” she reasons. “And then with all the integrated lights. […] There was a comment that it could be like Blackpool Illuminations once I got it lit but it’s lovely.”

She recalls the early concern with amusement on her face, knowing now that the designer ensured her kitchen was destined to look elegant, not tacky at all. Indeed, the combination of the sparkly worktop and under-cabinet lighting, while vivid, are tastefully executed.

As she puts it, “It’s light and bright in here now. I’m just in awe of it, to be honest. It’s lovely. I feel like a celebrity chef now when I’m in my kitchen cooking; it was just feels so special.”

Want a New Kitchen Like Gail?

Designer Katie helped Gail get her dream kitchen. Why not have one of us do the same for you? If you need help then find your nearest showroom and book a consultation, or become a Sigma 3 Insider for free. As Sigma 3 Insider email subscriber, you’ll get exclusive design tips, plus resources to help you make the most of your kitchen.

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