LONGUEUIL, Quebec – Sico, the Canadian paint brand has chosen what it describes as “a sophisticated, stunning and unexpected neutral” as its Colour of the Year for 2018: Cast Iron (6173-83), challenging consumers to “go darker with this deep, grounding black hue that offers a respite from life’s worries.”

In a statement, the company said its colour experts believe black paint often highlights a perfect mix of modern yet timeless sophistication while offering flexibility in design that is often overlooked. “Similar to your favourite black handbag, Cast Iron pairs beautifully with almost any design style,” the company said.

“Cast Iron is a perfect choice for do-it-yourselfers (DIY-ers) who crave a grounded room that is enveloped in comfort and coziness, beginning with their paint colour selection,” said Mylène Gévry, senior marketing manager for the Sico paint brand by PPG. “This colour is hard to ignore and provides a certain grandeur or simplicity to a space because of its flexibility.”

While black commands attention on its own, Sico colour experts recommend pairing it with a variety of other tones. Layer this deep, rich midnight hue with a variety of trending softer neutrals, such as the new “millennial pink” called Vanilla Orchid (6188-21), a nutmeg-tone like Roma Antiqua (6231-63), a brown-grey like Flawless Grey (6212-31) or a warm white like Zen (6222-11) for a tranquil and minimal look.

To make a dramatic statement, they suggest pairing Cast Iron with a dark burgundy like Venetian Wine (6082-85); a mid-tone grey like Industrial Grey (6212-52); a soft beige like Gobi Dunes (6194-42); or, an off-white like Ground Coriander (6218-21). Combined with brass or gold accents, this colour palette will give the appearance of elegance and luxury.

The colour was unanimously selected by PPG Industry’s – Sico’s Ohio-based parent company – more than 20 global colour stylists, who specialise in industries that include consumer electronics, architectural, automotive and aerospace. These experts study consumer insights, building material trends, décor trends and more to select a colour forecast that resonates and is reflective of current consumer attitudes.

“Sico paint’s Cast Iron colour perfectly complements the various trending black building materials and home accessories that we’re seeing in the marketplace. From timeless black windows to matte black kitchen appliances, this hue will fit in perfectly with modern or traditional design elements,” Gévry noted.

“Black is often overlooked and underappreciated when choosing paint colours for the home, but its ability to refine, subdue and add strength to a space makes it a perfect choice,” said Misty Yeomans, colour marketing manager for Sico. “It brings solace and a peacefulness to any space, creating a haven in which to retreat from our always-connected, high-pressure society. Its versatility in pairing with other colours adds to its allure in home decorating.”

To view the Sico paint brand’s 2018 Colour of the Year, get design inspiration from top home decor bloggers, and use a leading-edge virtual painting tool to try colours in a photo of your own rooms, visit www.sico.ca.

VANCOUVER – Helping inspire and create beautiful spaces is something Urban Barn is passionate about. As part of its Shelter Rejuvenation Program, the retailer has transformed spaces in shelters for women and children in five different regions across Canada to help create a homier feel for visitors.

In a statement, the privately-held company noted its Shelter Rejuvenation Project is a community-focused initiative aimed at refreshing an area in different shelters across the country. To create a bright and inviting place for visitors and staff, select rooms were updated with new furniture and accessories chosen based on new room designs created by Urban Barn staff.

“It is important for us to give back and support the communities where our staff live and do business,” Urban Barn president Linda Letts said. “This initiative was developed to further engrain us into our community partnerships programs and to become an extension of our Blanket the Country in Warmth program, which is now in its sixth year.”

“Other companies see what Urban Barn is doing, and they want to take something on; they want to help out,” added Lisa Spinks-Smith of the Women and Children’s Shelter of Barrie, Ontario – one of the shelters it worked with as part of the program. “When people come through our doors, they've been through quite an experience. Having a warm, comfortable space really helps their healing.”

In addition to the Barrie shelter, the Shelter Rejuvenation Project provided furnishings to: Central Alberta Women's Emergency Shelter in Red Deer, Alberta; WIN House in Edmonton; Covenant House in Vancouver; and Eva’s Phoenix in Toronto.

In addition to its Shelter Rejuvenation and Blanket the Country in Warmth programs, Urban Barn also runs its Give and Take program in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. Through this partnership, Urban Barn removes old furniture from customers’ homes with the delivery new furniture from Urban Barn for a nominal fee. The old furniture is brought back to Urban Barn’s warehouse where it is carefully inspected to determine its condition.

Eligible items are then transported to Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore locations to be resold. All proceeds go directly into rebuilding homes around the community.

Based here and founded in 1990, Urban Barn operates just over 50 retail locations across the country.

LAS VEGAS – The organisers of the furniture, home décor and giftware market held twice a year at the World Market Center here have confirmed the dates for both the winter and summer 2018 events.

In a statement, they said the winter market would be held from Sunday to Thursday, January 28 to February 1, 2018 – it’s now typical five-day run.

It will be followed by the summer market which is scheduled for July 29 to August 2, also a Sunday to Thursday.

Owned and operated by the High Point, North Carolina-based International Market Centers (IMC), the operators say each event features more than 4,000 product lines across number product categories including casual and outdoor furniture, upholstery, case goods and mattresses as well as home décor and giftware.

Without divulging accurate figures, the organisers said the event held in August 2017 set new record for attendance by interior designers and gift ware buyers while attendance by home furnishings buyers was essentially flat when compared to August 2016.

However, the organisers noted the largest number of attending retail buyers and interior designers from outside the United States came from Canada, which is also home to the largest block of exhibitors from outside the U.S. Canadian resources showing include casual dining producer Canadel, upholstery house Décor-Rest, full-line suppler Magnussen Home, contemporary specialist Sunpan Modern Home and motion maker Palliser Furniture.

The organisers also said the preliminary dates for 2019 are January 27 to 31 for the winter market and July 28 to August 1 for summer. In 2020, the preliminary dates are January 26 to 30 for winter and July 26 to 30 for summer.

The market maintains a web site at www.lasvegasmarket.com.

HIGH POINT, North Carolina – Sleep accessory specialist Protect-A-Bed (PAB) will move into a new 5,000 square foot showroom in the International Home Furnishings Center (IHFC) here in time for opening of the Fall 2017 edition of the High Point Market.

It will be located in space M633. The market opens for its normal five-day run on October 14.

“We’re committed to our industry and this new showroom provides us a way to better connect with and serve our retail partners,” PAB president John Rachid said in a statement, which also noted that in recent years a number of bedding-related brands have left High Point. “High Point is still the seat of the furniture industry, and as we continue to rapidly expand our offerings, this new showroom provides an opportunity for us to walk retailers through the myriad of products and services we offer.”

The company said the showroom will feature a number of displays that focus on its offerings for both current and potential retail partners. They include:

Grow the Retail Basket: A walk-through of the six core strengths Protect-A-Bed provides to support and enhance retailer performance. These strengths include marketing, product, display, training, service, and trust.

Integrated displays: Multiple in-store displays will allow retailers to preview the look and feel of displays for their sales floors. The newest addition, the pillow stack, is designed to drive excitement on the sales floor, while increases sales through special pricing.

Quarterly promotions: New this year and believed to be unique in the industry, PAB’s quarterly promotions help retailers drive traffic, energise their sales staff, and increase sales. They are supported by a complete marketing tool kit including social media posts, advertising, in-store signage, and spiffs.

REM-Fit brand store: Designed to grow incremental sales by putting a complete bed-in-a-box program in the hands of bedding retailers, this concept is designed to deliver increased traffic and sales while helping traditional brick-and-mortar retailers take sales back from online brands.

Sleep Tailor: Utilising biometric models, this interactive pillow diagnostic device is designed to help consumers find their ideal pillow. Completely interactive, it combines choice selections with image and measurement data to narrow down pillow choices and engage both customers and sales staff. This program is expected to be made available to Canadian retailers next year.

ZEEQ Smart Pillow: Now available, the display will feature its latest updates including an integration that allows ZEEQ to communicate with other smart devices, as well as a new wholesale and MAP pricing. This pillow will be sold in Canada by Best Buy this fall.

“We are truly evolving as a company and digging-in at High Point is a way for us to anchor ourselves in the heart of the furniture industry as we continue to grow,” PAB chief executive officer James Bell added.

The showroom will also feature meeting areas and a lounge as well as multiple displays and demonstrations of the latest product and programs from both Protect-A-Bed and REM-Fit.