Inauguration diary: 5 days to go

* Barack Obama has always taken care to keep his many A-list celebrity fans in Hollywood at arm's-length for fear ordinary Americans begin to catch the whiff of liberal elitism. But that hasn't stopped Michelle Obama from gazing west towards Beverly Hills in choosing the person who will oversee the big, post-Bush refurbishment of the private apartments in the White House. We learn that she has settled on Michael Smith, who is well known for creating a modern panache while using antique pieces and whose clients in the past have included Steven Spielberg, Dustin Hoffman and the news magnate Rupert Murdoch. "Michael shares my vision for creating a family-friendly feel to our new home and incorporating some new perspectives from some of America's greatest artists and designers," the soon-to-be-first-lady said. She and the rest of the family will have to live with Laura Bush's taste for a while, however, as her first meeting with Smith won't be for another few weeks.

* As all of the northeastern United States braces for an unusually frigid snap, some of us who will be outside watching Obama's swearing-in next Tuesday are contemplating an investment in long johns and earmuffs. Fortunately, the worst may be over by then, with weather forecasters expecting temperatures in Washington DCto be hovering just a notch above freezing, with a 25 per cent possibility of snow on the ground on the Mall. Warmer, true, but thermal underwear may still be in order.

* If Michelle is sending ripples through the interior design community, she has left foodies across America feeling about as deflated as a sunken soufflé after resisting calls from some quarters to staff the kitchens at the White House with some new and up-and-coming whiz. But that is all good news for the incumbent White House chef, Cristeta Comerford, pictured below, who has been asked by the Obamas to stay exactly where she is. Anyone appointed to feed the Commander-in-Chief can't be half bad at the stove and there was another reason that Michelle favoured keeping the Philippines-born Ms Comerford. She is a mother of a young daughter and therefore, according to a statement from the Obama transition office, surely understands "the importance of healthy eating and healthy families". In Chicago, the Obamas were well known for enjoying some of the city's best reviewed restaurants and it will be Ms Comerford's job to understand quickly the different tastes of the Bush and Obama families. Late-night treats had better be of the Kuaii rather than the Crawfordvariety.