My favourite fireplace

I am not a person of great style patience. Winter fabrics make an appearance even when it's not that cold, and new summer peep toes are combined with bright opaque tights in late spring, just so I can wear them out early. In short, I'm not a person who can wait.

Which is why I'm posting this picture of the fireplace in my kitchen when the room is not quite finished. Everything might be new and shiny, with flash appliances and freedom from the ground-in grime of my old kitchen, but it doesn't quite have the lived-in look just yet, still lacking a chair in the corner, a wire mesh basket with the remnants of the weekend papers, a flip-flop calendar clock, and some kind of vintage storage unit or shelves to display an off-white collection of Conran designed dishes.

Nevertheless, I think it's time for the fireplace's first public outing. I wanted to make a feature of the hearth, and I found these brushed steel mosaic tiles on the internet. I still need to paint the cast iron black.

BBC chef Ching-He Huang has filmed a series of videos for Times Online in my kitchen - to see more, click here.