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Our lives can be overrun with technology, commitments and schedules. Even with little ones underfoot, the Smithe sisters make balancing their family furniture business and their growing broods look effortless. A matte black bathtub, vanity mirrors and hardware pop against the airy walls in this modern primary bathroom. Walter E. Smithe is a family business in every sense of the word, the sisters say. While we still have traditional pieces, our showroom appeals to a number of different lifestyles. Sibling revelry; Their offbeat commercials have made the Smithe brothers cult heroes. Bargain-hunters, take note: Artistica (990 Green Bay Rd., Winnetka, artistica.com) has gotten a jumpstart on spring cleaning and updated its clearance selection to include more than 600 items (including custom-painted majolica backsplash panels) discounted by 50 percent. The Itasca-based company has 10 locations across Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, where the sisters ply their fourth-generation talents. "And there's 10 televisions, all tuned to the same station. In a new seven-minute "Smithe Family Makeover" video, you'll only see one Smithe brother and you'll only hear the new version of the familiar jingle if you watch all the way through to the credits. The Smithe sisters have always been close -- and growing up, it wasn't always by choice. Chicago's Best Furniture and Expert Design. This led to the development of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design. Hell stand on things, jump on them, do his best to break dining chairs. Nearby is a mangled lamp that will never find its way to a Smithe showroom floor. Find employees, official website, emails, phone numbers, revenue, employee headcount, social accounts, and anything related to Walter E. Smithe Furniture. "An hour and a half. We take that very seriously, and we have so much passion for it.". "And of course this summer's blockbuster is supposed to be `Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.' And it's those commercials, always informative and usually silly, that have the Smithe brothers walking in the footsteps of Linn Burton and the Empire Carpet Guy as Chicago TV commercial icons. What she does: I use both sides of my brain: left for all the analytical spreadsheet stuff and right for the creative vision. Industry: Home Furniture & Housewares Stores. "We take that very seriously, and we have so much passion for it.". Walter Smithe, president of the furniture company, climbs the stairs March 21, 2017, at the Walter E. Smithe furniture store in Oak Brook, alongside his four daughters, Colleen, from left, Caitie, Maureen and Meghan. The two renamed the store Smithe and Shanahan, but Bill Shanahan eventually sold his share to Smithe's brother Charlie. 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As they grew into their teens, there were the usual summer jobs -- caddying, yard work, selling ice cream from a motorized three-wheeler. Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. Marketing Contacts Contacts (5/9) Name Title State; Walter S. President & Chief Executive Officer . Last edited on 17 December 2022, at 02:33, https://incfact.com/company/walteresmithefurniture-itasca-il/, Walter E. Smithe gives royal treatment to Royal Manner. She also sees more demand for curation: Rather than walking into a store and getting an entire matching bedroom or dining set, people are mixing and matching and getting a look thats uniquely theirs., The new ED Ellen DeGeneres furniture collection (now available at all 11 Walter E. Smithe showrooms) allows for just thatand it includes versatile pieces that transcend their typical use. We all trickled back in, and it happened really organically, says Meghan of the industrious quartet, who collectively has 17 children. Plus, they seem like nice guys. The answer -- and the sisters' secret to success -- can be summed up in three key words: Fresh. The Smithe boys started out in a tiny ranch house in Des Plaines, the children of Walter Jr. and Florence. "The brothers have no acting talent," Tim says. "By being so close and meeting so regularly, we're all in the loop with what's happening in each other's sphere. Shop the clearance. The company makes, sells, and repairs furniture, . walter e smithe. And youll see each of my sisters doing what they do best.. View a map of participating First Friday locations. There is nothing like a day spent soaking up the sun and a good book or an evening with friends and good food and drinks under the stars. "They were loved," said Colleen Smithe, the youngest daughter of Walter Smithe III. His line was, `If you can talk you can breathe.'". officially retires, although he still enjoys visiting showrooms and meeting clients. In one of their most memorable ads, the four women get into a food fight -- spaghetti and red wine included -- and seemingly destroy a bright white couch, which is then scrubbed clean. (Last year, Walter E. Smithe resurrected the 1950s-era cartoon that was a holiday staple on WGN-Ch. CHICAGO The founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design has died. Primary Address. The commercial included the tagline "Change the Name, Change the Luck", a reference to the Cubs' decades-long struggle to reach the World Series. The Smithe sisters have heard it all before, and they've set out to dispel those misperceptions. What The Walter E. Smithe Daughters Do . The store, which has 10 locations in the Chicago area, has been open for nearly 75 years and has faced all the challenges of . "As needs within the business grew, positions opened up organically," Maureen said. But repeated airings of the ad have made him and his door legendary. Walter Smithe, president of the furniture company named for his grandfather, is flanked by daughters, Maureen, left, and Caitie on March 21, 2017, as theywatch his other daughters Colleen, far left, and Meghan play pingpong at the Walter E. Smithe furniture store in Oak Brook. In recent years, Smithe enjoyed his time with extended family. Check out the new collection. It also featured an appearance by Dutchie Caray, wife of the late Cubs announcer Harry Caray. One of my friends used to live near Fullerton and Western, and she would always tell people she lived near Tile Outlet. Colleen loved being able to point out that her dad and uncles, Mark and Tim, brainstormed and executed the ideas themselves. The Smithe sisters now serve as the face of the firm, offering a female perspective that better reflects the company, the industry and the country today. Woven Roman shades, a jute rug and a blonde wood vanity usher texture and warmth into the otherwise minimalist design. They're nice folks. 2023 Zoe Communications Group | 332 S. Michigan Ave., Suite #LL-M974, Chicago, IL 60604 | 708.386.5555 | Website by Web Publisher PRO, ParentEd Talks: Free Virtual Speaker Series, A Concerned Parents Guide to Gun Violence and Gun Safety. Walt (actually Walter Smithe III), 45, is president and general manager of the company; he and his wife have five kids and live in Barrington Hills. Its unnerving. Three years later, she recruited Colleen to become advertising director -- a position she accepted without hesitation. The commercial, Colleen's brainchild, aimed to show off the company's new "worry-free" performance fabrics that repel stains, a trend Maureen recognized at a major industry trade show and brought back to the Chicago market. She had been a buyer for Abercrombie and Fitch for a few years after college when a job opened up in the Smithe merchandising office. Shop now. Ellen is very serious about design and had a definite voice in what this modern-rustic-meets-farmhouse collection would be. Or "Hardrock, Coco and Joe." "[5] Of the commercials, Tim Smithe has said, "We wanted to entertain people first, so then when we wanted to inform them they'd already be paying attention". October 12, 2022 / 3:27 PM And I thought, `makeup and lighting. Explore more of the publications in our portfolio here. Then when I plugged it in, the place went up for grabs. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBIN SUBAR, When Maureen Smithe returned from maternity leave after giving birth to identical twin daughters last August (children number five and six for those keeping count), she was puzzled by the pained looks she received from some of her colleagues. With a 71-year history and 11 stores sprinkled throughout Chicago and the suburbs, Walter E. Smithe is a local furniture icon. My wife and I were just talking about this yesterday, we truly hate the Walter E Smithe commercials with the daughters. [1] The 4th generation (the Smithe Sisters), all daughters of Walter III, are Maureen Smithe (buyer), Meghan Smithe (director of marketing), Caitie Smithe (designer, design coordinator and stylist) and Colleen Smithe (director of advertising). "It's always positive, and it's nice to be part of it. Mix together different, but complimentary, elements such as woods, metals and stonesand feel free to mix various metals together. As the fourth generation to run their family-owned Chicago furniture store, Walter. The 4th generation (the Smithe Sisters), all daughters of Walter III, are Maureen Smithe (buyer), Meghan Smithe (director of marketing), Caitie Smithe (designer, design coordinator and stylist) and Colleen Smithe (director of . You can still be a fun premium brand (Virgin, for example) but this is Family Dollar-type schtick. "And I'd be yelling, `I can't breathe! 9615 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, IL 60077. The process starts with Tim Smithe, Pam Thorson (the company's director of advertising) and director/editor Bill O'Neil of O'Neil Productions of Wilmette. We learned so much from these relationships, Colleen says. Updating your home theater? The Smithe sisters, all in their thirties, worked in the family business as teens but pursued different career paths in adulthood. I'm a brand manager and their commercials make the brand seem like a discount bin. Bob's proudly proclaims that it sells cheap garbage, Walter E looks like they're trying to sell you viagra and Penny Mustard radio commercials are justweird.. But the sisters also know they can always turn to the leaders who came before them. One of the first opportunities to test their compatibility was through a partnership with interior designer and TV personality Jeff Lewis. Sometimes you have to act fast. The 3rd brother, Tim Smithe, retired in 2016. "In what seems to be their unending and over-the-top zeal to self-promote, they just may be helping drive traffic," he wrote, adding, "If nothing else, the advertising suggests the chain has some suits with personality attached. "There was some physical violence between the brothers," Walt says with that satisfied look of a big brother who got to dish it out. Since 1945, the company has established itself as a reliable family-run retailer, with the second- and third-generation Smithe men at the helm. "With a strategy to continue Smithe parodies of relevant topics, really, the future is limitless," he says. "I think it's time for us to get out of these TV commercials," Walter said. The journey from Point A to Point B started with an all-blooper and outtakes reel that O'Neil and Tim Smithe put together as a birthday gift for mom Florence. That sentiment applies to their lively commercials, too, which frequently feature the sisters chatting on a stylish couch or gathering with family members in a beautifully staged home. Relevant. Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design advertising has featured everything from parodies of "The Price Is Right" to a 2013 classic in which the Smithe brothers got into a wrestling ring with Billy Corgan. As mothers, theyve learned its not only possible, but preferable, to have a functional yet beautiful home. With 16 1/2 children among them (Colleen is due with her third baby this month), the sisters also find work as a time to be togethersans children. Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design has an overall rating of 4.0 out of 5, based on over 92 reviews left anonymously by employees. And they're not showbiz types. Visit Website (opens in new window) Walter E. Smithe. As Caitie puts it, Theres no reason you cant use an entertainment console as a buffet in the dining room.. His four daughtersMaureen, Meghan, Caitie, and Colleenare now the new faces of this historic Chicago brand, a spot he and his brothers held for decades. [4], Many of Walter E. Smithe's commercials have been pop culture parodies. Shop the Sofa Sale. Walter Smithe, president of the furniture company, climbs the stairs March 21, 2017, at the Walter E. Smithe furniture store in Oak Brook, alongside his four daughters, Colleen, from left, Caitie . Calkins says that by minimizing production costs and media costs and doing those quick turnarounds, Smithe gets a bigger bang for its advertising buck. People are buying a look, but they want it to feel curated and personal., Its up to Maureen and Caitie to monitor the market, make sure the showroom reflects current palettes, while staying a few steps ahead of what is currently trending. Falling asleep. They decided on an ad campaign that would, simply, pitch their product. Our learning curve has been steep and long, with a lot of challenges, says Colleen, flanked by her sisters at the familys Lincoln Park location, a 10,000-square-foot boutique store. 1 Early life; 2 Television; 3 Personal Life; 4 References; . The business grew in popularity as they approached adulthood, at which point friends would regularly sing the jingle and colleagues would ask about the creative TV ads. "KFC dances to beat of familiar drummers". Over the last 13 years, one by one, Walters daughters have been hired on at Smithe as the jobs became available. To the Smithe sisters, the company has always been a piece of their identity, an integral thread of their childhood. One spot was modeled after Apple's weird commercials. "And a woman was there with her daughter, and she nudged her and I heard her say, 'That's the Walter E. Smithe guy.' Walter E. Smithe Jr. died peacefully at age 86, his family said in a prepared statement. "It's made us focus on what we do best, which is designing our clients' homes," he said. The company began in 1945 as Tone Appliances and Furniture, a single store on Belmont Avenue in Chicago. Sisters Colleen, Caitie, Maureen and Meghan Smithe, from left, are breaking the mold as fourth-generation leaders of the 75-year-old Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design. The new campaign, dubbed Smithe Family Makeovers, showcases Smithe furniture in the homes of actual clients, revealing the handiwork of the companys designers in HGTV-esque episodes. Personally, I dont want to stare at ugly furniture for all those years, Meghan says. But he soon returned to the family furniture business that his father first started in 1945, and pioneered the concept of custom-order furniture in the Chicago area. The transition took place over the span of 12 years as key positions became available in the company, starting with Maureen who became a merchandise buyer. Additional partnerships with the likes of Cynthia Rowley and Ellen Degeneres have exposed the company to a new customer base. Then they tie in pop culture it shows that they're sort of a with-it furniture company. Even if you weren't sure that Walt, Tim and Mark Smithe were brothers -- yep, those Smithe brothers, of "Walter E. Smithe, you dream it, we build it" fame -- their banter at a recent commercial shoot was a dead giveaway. Hope, once a Smithe designer and store manager, now lives in Colorado with her husband. They're not egomaniacs. So as long as strangers keep serenading them with the company jingle instead of pelting them with "Hardrock, Coco and Joe" DVDs, and as long as the business continues to grow, they'll keep doing the ads. We take inspiration from the world of interior design to curate customized . His four daughtersMaureen, Meghan, Caitie, and Colleenare now the new faces of this historic Chicago brand, a spot he and his brothers held for decades. That collective experience comes in handy ahead of any major decisions. Dont burden yourself with the boredom of a matching wood set. My sisters and I represent the viewpoint of our younger clientele, Meghan says. While they took breaks from the biz to make their own way after college, each came back when the right positions opened up.
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