Easter is coming up this weekend!  We have several family traditions for Easter.  One of my favorite Easter activities is making pineapple upside down cake.  It’s so easy & my daughter loves to place the pineapple rings & cherries to help out.  I found this recipe years ago from Better Homes & Gardens.  I use a cast iron skillet to bake it in & it always turns out so moist & yummy!

Ingredients:
Batter:
1 package yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup Sour Cream
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup water

Topping:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted, divided
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar, divided
2 cans pineapple rings, drained
7 maraschino cherries, halved
1 cup toasted flaked coconut

Directions:
Beat cake mix, eggs, sour cream, oil & water in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed just to moisten, scraping the side of the bowl often.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Topping:
Pour 1/4 cup of the melted butter into the cast iron skillet.  Sprinkle with 2/3 cup of brown sugar.  Arrange pineapple rings over the brown sugar to cover the entire skillet.  Place a half of a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring.  Sprinkle coconut over the pineapple rings.  Pour batter over the pineapple rings & topping into the cast iron skillet.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.  Immediately invert onto cake stand or serving platter.

Just a reminder that there will NOT be a 1st  Saturdays in Celina Warehouse Sale this weekend because of the Easter holiday.  Enjoy your friends & family this weekend & have a fabulous Easter celebration!

IBB’s next 1st Saturdays in Celina Warehouse sale:

When:  Saturday, May 1, 2010
Where: IBB’s Celina Warehouse
200 S. Louisiana
Celina, TX 75009
Time:  10:00-4:00

Directions:  Take Preston North approximately 8 miles past Hwy 380, turn left on Pecan, left on Louisiana

Cash & Carry.  Cash, check or credit cards will be accepted.  Space is limited, so please do not bring strollers.  All sales final.  Absolutely no refunds, returns or exchanges.

Almost every day I see an item or fabulous home furnishing that arrives at IBB & my mind starts rolling on where & how to use it.  So, I’m creating a new section on the blog called “Scene Stealers”.  Let it serve as inspiration to you for your home or interior project.  I’ll start with one uber-fabulous piece that steals the show & give you my “suggested pairings” to create a sensational interior around it.

Today’s scene stealer starts with a sensuous sofa.   I have literally been drooling over this stunning leather sofa by Hancock & Moore ever since I saw their ad featuring it.  Isn’t it just delicious?  I’m not sure what sends my heart racing more; the fabulous shade of teal that gives it an edge or the tufting that gives it a classic feel.   This sexy sofa is what all other sofas should aspire to be ~ a real statement piece.

Suggested Pairings:

How about pillows or even a pair of chairs out of this botanical fabric by Schumacher?  You’ve just kicked your color palette into high gear!  From tangerine to canary, we now have  lots of room to play!

Time to add a casegood.  This French Key secretary by Global Views adds style & workspace to your room.  This piece is perfect for your great room or formal living area.  Depending on how your room is laid out, this could go on a wall opposite the sofa or even angled in a corner.

Brass Fleur de lis wall sconce by Global Views.  Yes!  Brass is back & in a beautiful way!  These sconces are stunning and at 42.5″ tall they have a great large scale.  I’d place one on each side of the secretary in this room.  Or, how about one on either side of a fabulous piece of art above the sofa?

Let’s add a fun chair to sit with the secretary.  This is one of my absolute favorites.  It’s the Alexandra chair from Hickory Chair.  I don’t mind mixing finishes, so I think the chippy white finish would work great.  However, if you want to go darker use a similar dark oak finish to that of the secretary.  If you want to play with one of my favorite color combinations, I suggest using one of Kravet’s fabrics for the chair back & cushion.  The top linen fabric is 27591 – 12.  The bottom Damask pattern is 24205.24.

Voila!  Now, you have a few key pieces to begin to make your room into something quite remarkable.

Look what just came in to IBB for one of my clients!  I’m a huge fan of adding small benches & ottomans to a room.  They give you additional seating & can also be a fun way to add some style through great fabrics.  Today’s sneak peek is from a project I am working on in California.  The home belongs to a young hip single man who requested the home be done in layers of neutrals.  We’re primarily using taupes, blacks, shades of white & gray.

The X bench by Century.  I’m using two of these on either side of a fireplace in the formal living room with some very cool art above each one.  The chrome base will add a sleek look  to the room.  The cushions are made out of a rich velvet stripe by Barclay Butera for Kravet.  I am a HUGE fan of Barclay’s fabrics!  I’m using several of them for this project.

This is one of my all time  favorite ottomans.  It’s by Hickory Chair.  I’m using two of these at the foot of the bed in the master bedroom.  The cushions are out of a soft supple gray velvet.  The bottom fabric is out of a small herringbone print in gray & white.  I added chrome nail heads to highlight the beautiful shape of the ottomans.

I’ll be installing the home in a few months, so stay tuned to see a few of the finished shots of the home!

Today on Good Morning Texas, I gave a few quick tips for choosing the perfect coffee table for your room.  It’s important that you select a coffee table for your home that not only has form & function, but also makes a statement in the room.  Watch the segment here.

Rectangular leather tray coffee table (pictured left) by John Richard.  4 upholstered bunching ottomans by Design Guild.  Both available at IBB Design Furniture Showroom.

Tips for selecting the perfect coffee table
1.  The standard height for a coffee table  is 17”-19”  (Contemporary designs often use lower tables.)

One of my all time favorite coffee tables!  This eglomise stunner is by John Richard.  I especially love the shape & legs on this table.

2.  Positioning your coffee table:
Place at least 18” away from your chairs or sofa ~ you want it to be within reach but you need to have enough clearance to easily walk by without feeling like the space is cramped.

I love this leather ottoman coffee table by Century.  The nail head detail is to die for!  The tufting & rich chocolate leather invite your guests to kick up their feet & relax.  Do you remember seeing this on GMT recently?

Determine what size & shape is best for your room.  Ask yourself these questions:

1.  Will the coffee table align with a pair of chairs, a sofa or a sectional?
2.  What shape works best for my room/furniture layout?  Do I need a round, square, rectangular, or irregular shaped coffee table?  Rounds & squares work well with sectionals.  Use an oval shaped coffee table when a rectangular would work, but the space is a bit cramped.  The rounded edges help you gain a few extra inches & open up the space.
3.  What surface do I prefer?  Wood top, glass top, stone top, or upholstered?  Glass & other transparent tops can make a smaller room feel bigger.  An upholstered coffee table can help create a more laid back feel that will invite your guests to kick their feet up.

This glass top rectangular beauty is by Century.  Using a glass or transparent top can help open up a room.  Rectangles align well with sofas.  A good rule of thumb is to have your coffee table be 1/2 to 2/3 the size of your sofa.  This helps create visual proportion & allows access to the coffee table from each seat on the sofa.

Dear Designer Detective,

I often hear you refer to a welt cord when pointing out things on the furniture you showcase on Good Morning Texas.  What exactly is a welt cord?

~Tina D.
McKinney, TX
Dear Tina,

Great question!  A welt cord is simply a fabric covered cord that follows the seam of a chair cushion, sofa cushion, or pillows.  A welt cord helps give upholstery a more finished tailored look.  The two types of welt cords are a self-welt & a contrasting welt.  A self welt is when the cord is done out of the same fabric.  A welt cord that is done out of a different fabric is called a contrasting welt cord.  Contrasting welt cords add lots of style & pop to your upholstery.  I just love to use them!

On this Sherrill chair, we used a contrasting welt cord out of a rich chocolate brown velvet.

On this Century sofa, we’ve used a contrasting welt cord out of the same leather used on the frame of the sofa.

It was a trunk show like no other.  Last night I had the very fun privilege of co-hosting the Cynthia Rowley “Truck” show with my good friend Shelly Rosenberg at her gorgeous home in Dallas.  You know I love to throw a party & entertain.   I think I’ve found a new friend who shares in that passion & perfectionist attention to detail.  The party was a blast.  We were invited to peruse Cynthia’s fabulous new Spring line & shop ’till we dropped while sipping champagne & cocktails by Firefly vodka.

Me with my co-hostess with the mostest, Shelly!

The eye catching fashion boutique on wheels

You see, the genius marketers behind Cynthia Rowley decided it would be fun to convert an old DHL delivery truck into a fashion show/boutique on wheels.  The Truck travels all over the country bringing the stellar style that Cynthia is known for to private homes & swanky shopping areas.  Shelly & I had met Cynthia while on a design trip in New York last November.  After expressing our enthusiasm in hosting the truck show, we were thrilled when they called & told us they were heading to the Big D!

Shelly’s daughter, Shelly & Amy from Cynthia Rowley (have you ever met a truck driver this cute & stylish?  She is such a doll!)

Although Shelly & I have become fast friends over the last few months, I had never been to her home.  Let me tell you ~ it’s nothing short of amazing!!!  This fellow designer & fashionista’s home is as stylish as Shelly herself is in person.  I also realized that, like me,  she also shares an obsession with cocktail table books.  Above is a photo of her to die for dining room complete with hand blocked wallpaper from Schumacher.  We set up goodies & munchies for the guests to enjoy in there.

The drinks were set up on the kitchen table.  We served Firefly Vodka “Arnold Palmer’s”, white wine & Pomegranate champagne cocktails.  I’m really hoping I can talk Shelly into writing a guest blog post for us with an inside peak at her fabulous abode.  What do ya think girl?

A few of our fabulous guests:  Holly Haber, Shelly, Nicole Cullum Horn, & me.

Our future fashionistas.  Shelly’s daughter & my daughter loved every bit of Cynthia’s spring collection.  They put outfits together & tried to persuade us to buy them ~ LOL!  Very cute girls, but I think your days of wearing designer duds are still ahead of you.  Bravo on the outfit selections, though!  The sequin cardigan that Shelly’s daughter (left)  is wearing was my absolute favorite piece & Shelly actually bought the one that Jaylie is wearing.

My always fashionable friend Molly Nolan taking a peak inside the boutique.

A HUGE thank you to everyone who came last night!  We also want to give a big shout out to Cynthia Rowley for being such a rockstar in the fashion world & continuing to give us fun, flirty, feminine designs to jet set the world in!  And, of course a huge hug for my fabulous friend Shelly for being such a wonderful co-hostess!

I’ve got answers!!!  I will be answering viewer questions on an upcoming GMT segment.  Post your questions here on the Designer Detective  blog now!  If your question is used on the show, you’ll get a $100 gift certificate to IBB Design Furniture Showroom.

Today’s Sneak Peek Saturday is from a super fun project I’m working on right now.  We’re converting this vintage claw foot bathtub into a fun reading area for the family’s kiddos.  The adjoining bedroom is being set up as an uber-cool playroom.   Since the bathtub will never be used for its genuine purpose, we felt conflicted to let something so fun just lie there useless.  So, I had an artist paint the exterior of the tub in a British flag motif & we’re making a huge comfy cushion to line the interior of the bathtub.  Finally, we’ll add lots of plush pillows to ensure lots of comfort for hours of lounging & reading in a totally cool space.  I can’t wait to show you the finished product!

Today on Good Morning Texas, I featured a sofa by Century that has everyone around IBB white hot!  With style that seems to channel Chanel, this beauty will have you swooning when you see it in person.  The hand painted white chairs & leather cocktail ottoman are also by Century.

Watch the video for the segment here.