An Open Kitchen: See Rita’s Accessible Social Kitchen

04 Jun 2026

“Sorry, Jenny, I can’t make it.”

Sigma 3 interviewer Stella Baker sent the WhatsApp message, got out of her car and sighed. She loved her work but living away from home was hard sometimes. That was the third plan with friends she’d declined that month. She wished everything could come to her; that she could be more sociable.

Rita in her Highland Stone and New Forest Green Hatfield kitchen by Sigma 3 Kitchens Cardiff West

Luckily, her current interviewee Rita Stuttard understood. Having visited Sigma 3’s Cardiff showroom, Rita arrived wanting an open kitchen – open plan, socially open and accessible for cooking. She wanted to see her loved ones more, and for ingredients to come to her – and the Sigma 3 team had a solution.

“Okay, you’re in focus,” Stella said inside Rita’s welcoming kitchen, focusing her tripoded camera on the smiling woman at her Hatfield kitchen island. Next to Stella, a coffee billowed feathers of vapour into the air. “When you’re ready, tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to want a new kitchen.”

In response, Rita smiled. “My name is Rita. I live here with my husband, and we’ve been here about 18 months in this new home, and one of the big projects was the kitchen.”

Rita’s Open Kitchen Designer

“Such an exciting project!” Stella said, mulling over all the kitchen family room ideas on display. “So, where did Sigma 3 enter the picture? Did you hear about us online?”

“We were at a party,” Rita explained, “and somebody at the party had had a brilliant experience with Sigma 3.” She glanced around at her kitchen island and Portland Oak open shelving with relish. “And everybody else talked lovingly and positively about the company, so that’s how we contacted them.”

Stella allowed herself a knowing smile. Customers often started with a recommendation. It made sense – when you’re kitting out a kitchen and family room, you want someone trustworthy. And the company had a rich 50-year history. Early customers were still recommending Sigma 3 Kitchens.

“Our kitchen designer was absolutely brilliant,” Rita continued. “There’s nothing I would change. She listened, and she just did everything – tweaked and, yeah, it was brilliant.”

“Wonderful!” Stella beamed. “Our designers are always happy to adjust, and stay on top of trends, whether you want an open family kitchen or more of a hosting kitchen. Ed, the showroom manager, will be delighted to hear the team did so well. What about the kitchen itself? Any highlights?”

Rita’s Open Kitchen Storage

“I love the Hathaway pantry unit.” As if in explanation, Rita stood and opened the doors, revealing her Hathaway’s flagship combination of shelf space and internal drawers, all optimised for huge capacity and accessibility. “It’s like a kitchen on its own!

“It’s got all the storage for the bulky units. It’s got my appliances in there. Everything is out of sight but so easily accessible. I don’t have to wander around the kitchen to find stuff.”

“Wow, that’s so convenient!” said Stella. “And the drawers look great. It looks like you’ve got more shelf space than there are in the Hathaway’s standard variation, too.”

Rita nodded. “They tweaked so many things to make it work. I’m a great lover of drawers rather than cupboards, so everything comes to me instead of me having to go to it.”

“So useful!” Stella thought of how much these adaptations could help a lot of homeowners, especially those with health issues who could use the benefits of an ergonomic kitchen. Studies found that even little tweaks reduced the risk of “biomechanical stressers on users’ arms and shoulders.”

“And it hides so many utensils – so many ingredients,” Stella agreed. “All so neat! Now there’s a lot of open counter pace, and it all looks so bright in here.” She eyed a tasteful bank of windows and skylights attached to the diner portion of the open-concept kitchen. “Was that intentional?”

Again, Rita nodded. “Because we’re a north-facing kitchen, I wanted it to be light.”

“Wonderful. And I think you made a great choice with the cabinets – not just their accessible features, but the colour combination, too. The contrast is striking. What did you opt for in the end?”

“So, the Hatfield [cabinets’] Highland Stone is a light colour, but the island is the New Forest Green. They really complement each other,” Rita admitted. “And, as the sun changes during the day, the kitchen changes with it. It’s absolutely beautiful. It combines with nature on the outside.”

Stella mused at the range of cabinets as Rita gave her a tour, whirling between pullout drawers in her Portland Oak Connery cocktail cabinet and extra-wide Linea overhead cupboards.

“And no centre post on any of the cabinets, either,” Stella noted. “Did you know other kitchen manufacturers include the centre post, and it loses 30% of your usable space? This is so much better!”

“It’s absolutely perfect for my needs,” Rita agreed.

Rita’s Social Kitchen Features

“It’s all so clean and easy, which works well with your home’s open plan. You must be more sociable now, too, right? Any thoughts on that front?”

“We absolutely love the Connery cocktail cabinet,” Rita said with a grin. Opening the door to its main compartment, she presented a downlit presentation space inside it with a mirrored back, a Portland Oak wine rack, and glass shelves housing a whole panoply of glittering liquor bottles.

“It’s just a place where all the alcohol is stored. It’s got a display unit. It lights up. Not only do you put your alcohol in there, but it’s got a beautiful display for the glasses, and underneath is a storage unit of drawers. It’s great.”

Rita’s Delivery and Fitting Experience

“It’s a real showpiece, too. I bet that makes hosting a lot more fun. Definitely a conversation starter,” said Stella. “How was the installation process? Timing? Quality issues? Any surprises?”

“The installation process was excellent,” Rita chuckled. She pulled out a deep pan drawer, revealing a cache of heavy mugs. The whole collection glided on high-quality runners. It looked perfectly balanced. “We knew exactly when the units were arriving. We were given information beforehand.”

“Then, when the fitters came,” she continued. “They made sure that everything was here. And, once they started to fit, it just ran like clockwork.”

Rita’s Sigma 3 Kitchens Review

“I’m so glad to hear it,” Stella said, swigging her coffee. “I think I already know how you’ll react to this, but what’s the verdict? Did the kitchen change your life overall? Does it do what you want?”

“Our new kitchen has really changed the way we live in the kitchen because it’s got this place where you can sit and chat whilst I’m cooking.” Rita beamed. “It kind of flows with the rest of the house.

“So, for the first time, I’ve got a kitchen that doesn’t feel like I’m isolated in there. It feels like I’m part of the family. So, yeah, it’s really made a big difference.”

Stella let out a mock show of relief, and the two women shared a laugh. “So, are you taking up the mantle of recommending us at parties?”

“I would recommend Sigma 3 to family and friends – and people I don’t know,” Rita said with playful smile. “They are just an amazing company to work with.

“It’s about a partnership, and I really felt the partnership with Sigma 3. They really listened to all my needs and wants. And we’ve ended up with a kitchen that I’ve always wanted.”

Interview over, Stella thanked her host and finished her coffee. Then she packed up and left. As she got back in the car, her phone buzzed. A WhatsApp notification from Jenny. She clicked the app:

“You can’t come? But we miss you! You got blankets and a sofa, right?”

Stella smirked. Maybe everything could come to her after all. Tingling with excitement, she started her engine, pulled away from Rita’s home and set off to interview another Sigma 3 customer.

Meet Our Open Kitchen Designers

The Sigma 3 team were thrilled to work on Rita’s open kitchen. Need a similar service? Request our Sigma 3 Kitchens brochures. Available as downloads or luxury catalogues, they cover all the inspiration you’ll need. Also, why not book a meeting at your nearest showroom with a seasoned expert?

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