Top Stories

• Casual Living Conference Ritz-Carlton rate extended to Feb. 6
  
  Casual Living Staff, January 30, 2012
  The groundbreaking and rapidly approaching Casual Living Conference, to be held Feb. 22-24 at the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, Fla., has extended the $200/night Ritz-Carlton special rate for the conference to Monday, Feb. 6.
  
• Pride Family Brands launches YouTube channel
  
  Casual Living Staff, January 30, 2012
  Pride Family Brands, designer and manufacturer of award-winning cast aluminum casual furniture, announces the launch of its Pride Family Brands YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/PrideFamilyBrands.
  
• Jon Huntsman to speak at International Home + Housewares Show
  
  Casual Living Staff, January 30, 2012
  Jon Huntsman Jr., former ambassador to China, governor of Utah and recent presidential candidate, will be the featured speaker during the annual Industry Breakfast at the 2012 International Home + Housewares Show.
  
• A Super Bowl Sunday recipe, courtesy of Weber
  
  Casual Living Staff, January 30, 2012
  According to the new 23rd annual Weber GrillWatch Survey, grilling for the Big Game ranks as one of the top 10 most popular "holidays" of the year to grill - with an impressive 32% of U.S. grill owners firing up their grills.
  
• Great American Woodies hires three sales reps
  
  Casual Living Staff, January 27, 2012
  Great American Woodies has announced the appointment of three new sales representatives. Clayton Brown will service the West, Jeff Hagedorn will cover the Mid-South region, and Sherry Yarborough will oversee the Carolinas.
  
• Patio Living Concepts taps PR firm
  
  Casual Living Staff, January 27, 2012
    Patio Living Concepts has named Laurie Rudd Public Relations and Marketing to provide marketing and public relations services for its lines of decorative outdoor lighting and accessories.
  
• Book signing to be held in JANUS et Cie showroom at DCOTA winter market
  
  Casual Living Staff, January 27, 2012
    The JANUS et Cie showroom at the upcoming Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA) winter market will play host to a book signing of Four Florida Moderns, written by design journalist Saxon Henry. The book signing will take place Feb. 1 from noon until 2 p.m.
  
• 23rd annual ARTS Awards winners named
  
  Casual Living Staff, January 26, 2012
  Dallas Market Center and the Accessories Resource Team announced the winners of the 23rd annual ARTS Awards during a gala event held on Saturday, Jan. 21, at the ARTS Awards' new location, the Hilton Anatole Hotel.
  
• Capel giving away Kindle Fire tablets in Las Vegas promotion
  
  Casual Living Staff, January 26, 2012
  Capel Rugs is giving away one Kindle Fire tablet computer each day during the Las Vegas Market from Monday, Jan. 30 through Wednesday, Feb. 1 in its showroom, A-220, 226.
  
• IMAX, Surya, others announced as Las Vegas ART Card participants
  
  Casual Living Staff, January 26, 2012
  Accessories Resource Team, the association for the decorative accessory segment of the home furnishings industry, has announced the 13 vendors participating in the organization's ART Card Program during the 2012 winter Las Vegas Market, Jan. 30-Feb. 3.
  
• Casual Living's tour through Glen Raven's Anderson, S.C., manufacturing plant, in pictures
  
  Nicole Crews, January 26, 2012
    Glen Raven Custom Fabrics' highly automated, vertically integrated, sustainability-geared, 1-million-sq.-ft. manufacturing center in Anderson, S.C., is not your grandfather's textile mill. Casual Living Publisher Norman Hamilton and Executive Editor Nicole Crews recently got the insider's tour.
  
• Three Coins Cast lowers prices
  
  Cinde W. Ingram, January 25, 2012
  Three Coins Cast got a warm reception at the Atlanta market as buyers responded to both its new designs and its price decreases on cast -aluminum product, Owner Susie Powell said.
  
• Summer Classics obtains trademark for Dream Cushion
  
  Casual Living Staff, January 25, 2012
    Summer Classics' Dream Cushion, which debuted at the 2010 Casual Market in Chicago, is now an official registered trademark, according to a press release from the company.
  
• Troutman Chair makes rockers for recovery
  
  Casual Living Staff, January 25, 2012
  Troutman Chair Company is providing rocking chairs for a Waterbury Hospital study of rocking as part of the recovery process for surgical patients.
  
• Solair promotes Haigler
  
  Casual Living Staff, January 24, 2012
    Solair Shade Solutions, a line of residential shade products from Tri Vantage, has promoted Rett Haigler to business manager of shade solution products.
  
• High Point Market Authority adds new board members
  
  Casual Living Staff, January 24, 2012
  The High Point Market Authority has added new members to its board of directors, including a new seat to represent the design community.
  
• Casual Living Conference to include golf outing sponsored by TUUCI
  
  Casual Living Staff, January 23, 2012
    The groundbreaking and rapidly approaching Casual Living Conference, to be held Feb. 22-24, 2012, at the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, Fla., will feature a golf outing sponsored by shade manufacturer TUUCI. The $200/night Ritz-Carlton special rate for the conference expires Wednesday, Jan. 25.
  
• Ikea's profits jumped 10.3% in latest fiscal year
  
  Larry Thomas (Furniture/Today), January 23, 2012
  Swedish retailer Ikea said worldwide sales increased 6.9% in the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, while profits jumped 10.3% despite higher raw materials costs.
  
• Dallas Market Center launches mobile app
  
  Casual Living Staff, January 23, 2012
  Dallas Market Center has released its comprehensive mobile application now available for download from the iTunes and Android App Stores.
  
• Sanrio partners with Exhart for Hello Kitty garden décor
  
  Casual Living Staff, January 20, 2012
  Sanrio has partnered with garden décor manufacturer Exhart, to develop a line of garden décor and accessories featuring the iconic Hello Kitty. The agreement is effective immediately.