While it may not be usable 365 days a year, the days that your outdoor space are in fact usable should be embraced. Walter E. Smithe Jr. also earned a master's degree in Anthropology at Loyola University Chicago in 1980. Tim offered Walt brotherly support after a just-completed scene. It's all a part of an effort to hang on to the company's loyal customers while persuading younger shoppers that Walter E. Smithe isn't just their parent's go-to store. The campaign was inspired in part by a partnership with designer/house-flipper Jeff Lewis of the Bravo show Flipping Out. Sisters Take Smithe Spotlight, More High-End Barware, and a Sofa Sale It stuck in your head. The sisters laughed at hearing this family adage, knowing that home furnishing has been woven into the tapestry of their lives. [3], The company has become well known in the Chicago area for its television commercials, which for decades starred the three Smithe brothers, and now star the four Smithe sisters. This has been our priority since we first began serving the Chicago area back in 1945. The company gained national exposure from Lewis' collection, and each sister was able to shine in her own specialty. They're nice folks. Meghan Smithe was on maternity leave when she began working part time in the family business, long known for its infectious jingle: You dream it, we build it.. The sisters left for college with a few prized furnishings and a work ethic that became a permanent fixture in their lives. "It was kind of ingrained in us," Caitie Smithe said. They've relaunched catalogs showcasing their furniture in fully designed spaces. Oct 2012 - Apr 20152 years 7 months. To see these serious, stuffy guys laughing and having fun someone yelled out, `You should use that as a commercial. 9's "Garfield Goose" and "Ray Rayner" shows. When Smithe makes a furniture delivery, Its not uncommon for our crews to bring a 25-year-old sofa with a Smithe sticker on it back to this warehouse, Meghan says. Dont burden yourself with the boredom of a matching wood set. Feb 20, 2022 - The 4th generation of Walter E. Smithe family stops by to visit Bob and Marianne. CHICAGO (CBS) -- Walter Edward Smithe Jr., the founder of Chicago's Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86. 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. Walter E. Smithe ads, famous for their jingle, now featuring next It also featured an appearance by Dutchie Caray, wife of the late Cubs announcer Harry Caray. Chicago Furniture | Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design | Meet the Smithes Reaching a younger demographic and expanding their clientele has required some creativity, the sisters said. With a 71-year history and 11 stores sprinkled throughout Chicago and the suburbs, Walter E. Smithe is a local furniture icon. No surprise why the quality is so crap. 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. Get Eric Clark's email address (e*****@smithe.com) and phone number at RocketReach. Opening Day is March 30. Whether bringing in color as an accent or making a big statement with a lot of color, your home will feel instantly transformed and personalized. Billy Corgan and Walter E. Smithe Wrestling. walter e smithe furniture & design. 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. ", Instead they talk about the U2/iTunes takeoff, the brothers' version of "The Apprentice" or the Olympic parody from last year. Sisters Take Smithe Spotlight, More High-End Barware, and a Sofa Sale, 2020 Chicago magazine / A Chicago Tribune Media Group website, map of participating First Friday locations, Design Controls - Facebook Instant Article. This is not how you attract a premium buyer or build a premium brand. Walter E. Smithe III, is the President of family owned and operated Walter E. Smithe Furniture + Design. Walter E. Smithe told me they work with many designers but Jeff was really able to get a lot of value into the pieces in his collection and that its why . Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. Corporate Profile - Winmo We can be real nimble when we're this tight and this spread across the business.". But one by one, they followed Maureen's lead and rejoined the family business. President - Walter E. Smithe Furniture + Design - LinkedIn Sip A Negroni While Exploring This Stunning New Home Boutique, Peruse Artisan-Crafted Collections At This Chicago Boutique, Fresh And Feminine Vibes Rule This Winnetka Boutique, Whats In Store At Chicagos New Must-See Surface Destination, 3 Things To Know About The Latest RH Gallery, Do Not Sell Or Share My Personal Information. Caitie was a manufacturers' representative before becoming a stay-at-home mom. Find employees, official website, emails, phone numbers, revenue, employee headcount, social accounts, and anything related to Walter E. Smithe Furniture. ", Says Tim Smithe, "Pop culture is always changing and so are we.". Ellen is very serious about design and had a definite voice in what this modern-rustic-meets-farmhouse collection would be. Sometimes you have to act fast. Let's go Cubbies! Walter E. SMITHE corporate office is located in 1775 W Rand Rd, Arlington Heights, Illinois, 60004, United States and has 382 employees. What she does: I use both sides of my brain: left for all the analytical spreadsheet stuff and right for the creative vision. The four women have been taking on bigger roles at the company and star in its new ad. Falling asleep. What she does: Come up with ideas that get people off their couch and into our storesand put my sisters in awkward positions (see our commercials)., What she does: Whether were working or just hanging out, my Type A personality keeps us organized and on track.. Now, the fourth-generation leaders of Walter E. Smithe are learning to balance their busy personal lives with the big responsibility of carrying out the legacy of their family-run business. Also would somebody please feed them? 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. Further confused by the commercials now. [4], Many of Walter E. Smithe's commercials have been pop culture parodies. Walter e smithe is a high end furniture store, no surprise their ads are geared towards middle aged women from high income households aka suburban moms. "They're having a lot of fun. The Smithe sisters now serve as the face . It was founded by Walter Edward Smithe and Bill Shanahan in 1945. The Smithe brothers used good-natured humor on countless TV commercials selling furniture. The sisters are making their official debut in a new campaign theyve recently launched called the Smithe Family Makeovers. Fielding countless applications, the Smithes choose a home where they redesign a space and showcase the full range of interior design services and furnishings Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design offers. Determine whether Walter E. Smithe Furniture grew or shrank during the last recession. 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. Only a year apart in age, the lively, fast-talking Smithe sisters consider one another best friends. There is no rule book that says they all need to matchmetals always compliment one another. They decided on an ad campaign that would, simply, pitch their product. hbspt.forms.create({ Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design - Maureen Smithe and Caitie Smithe My wife and I were just talking about this yesterday, we truly hate the Walter E Smithe commercials with the daughters. CHICAGO (WLS) -- Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86, his family said. It was like the empire jingle. Walter E. Smithe is a furniture company based in Itasca, Illinois. The CBS Chicago team is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on CBSChicago.com. [6], One of Walter E. Smithe's most discussed commercials aired in late March 2006. They pointed out how affordable the pieces are. But the truth is, I love coming to the office. The sisters get together at least twice a week, traveling from their homes in Chicago, Barrington and Riverside, leaving behind their children, husbands and home duties. "They were loved," said Colleen Smithe, the youngest daughter of Walter Smithe III. Is she OK? Its nice to see when a family is ready to replace a well-loved piece that they come back to Smithe to do it. To date, there are 10 Smithe stores scattered throughout Chicago, and one in northwest Indiana. Meet The Walter E. Smithe Furniture Sisters - Luxe - Design Mark admonished Walt to keep his feet off the furniture. Then when I plugged it in, the place went up for grabs. Their dad, the company's president, continued filming his signature ads with his brother, Mark, for a short period of time, Colleen said. Walter E. Smithe Furniture founder, Walter E. Smithe Jr., dies at 86 I think people felt sorry for me, assuming that I wasnt getting any sleep and having to come to work every day, says Maureen. Walter E. Smithe Jr's death was announced Thursday on the company's Facebook page. I dont think anyone in the furniture industry does advertising well. Meghan can recall her pigtails bouncing as she ran through the Walter E. Smithe warehouse as a young girl, pulling sales tags in exchange for a nickel or dime from her grandfather, Walter Smithe Jr. They got on each other's nerves and learned to talk quickly at the dinner table if they wanted to get a word in. 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. Around the same time, Caitie was ready to return to the workforce as a designer and stylist, a skill she had honed early in her career. Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, - Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, Paddock Publications, Inc. is an Employee-Owned Company. Newlyweds can now register for exclusive honeymoon stays and experiences at 23 of Auberge Resorts Collections luxury hotels and resorts worldwide More, With two movies out this winter, the actress and producer Salma Hayek Pinault is at the top of her game More, The star of A Beautiful Noise, which just opened at the Broadhurst Theatre, is a big Neil Diamond fan More, The writer and actor makes his Broadway debut in his just-opened play Aint No Mo More, After flying high in the hit sequel Top Gun: Maverick, Glen Powell stars in the new film Devotion, out now More, It's not enough to just be smart. For people who are in their 40s and have families, that's how brothers act around each other when they get together. "It's a big responsibility. There is no true balance for moms in our situation., We cant be everything all at once, Meghan says. As mothers, theyve learned its not only possible, but preferable, to have a functional yet beautiful home. "In a family business, everyone has to wear all hats at all times," Maureen said. "We take that very seriously, and we have so much passion for it.". 70 reviews of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design "This is a really good store for when you hit age 40 or so and realize your house still resembles a college dorm. Cindy went to college in Iowa and settled there after school. To their delight, the reaction to that initial campaign was primarily positive, as has been the case for every commercial they've produced since. An added factor in the commercials' success are the brothers, who come across as regular guys. 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 . Like most mothers, whether theyre working or staying at home, we do what we can, she says. Its unnerving. 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. "The brothers have no acting talent," Tim says. "Staying fresh, young . Chicago magazine newsletters have you covered. "The girls have all worked elsewhere before coming back to Smithe," says Walter of his daughters who have had careers ranging from merchandising to advertising. Later, both Tim and Mark were night managers at competing convenience stores, Tim at a 7-Eleven in Niles and Mark at a Park Ridge White Hen. A 2005 advertisement showed Mark and Tim Smithe dueling with CGI-enhanced lamps in an homage to the lightsaber duels of the Star Wars films. Thats fast, but it shows what we can do. "If we'd done that with a large agency, it would have been flying people in from New York and storyboards and approvals along the way," he says. Today, they help oversee 10 showrooms, the warehouse and headquarters, working together (generally) perfectly. In the 1970s Walter left Smithe and Shanahan (His brothers remained with the original company) to start his own company - Walter E. Smithe. 22 miles. For decades, the public faces of the privately owned company have been the sisters father, Walter E. Smithe IIIthe 59-year-old grandson of the businesss namesakeand the sisters uncles, Mark and Tim. '", "The business steadily increased since we started the commercials," Walt says. Create Comparison. I love incorporating an unexpected element into a room. We all trickled back in, and it happened really organically, says Meghan of the industrious quartet, who collectively has 17 children. 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. Favorite design style: Cozy and comfortableaka hygge ethos. 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. "[7] Maria Coons, a marketing teacher at Harper College, has also defended the advertisements, telling a Daily Herald reporter, "Some people who aren't in that [30 to 60 year old] demographic might consider them dorky, but for their target market, they're not. The company began in 1945 as Tone Appliances and Furniture, a single store on Belmont Avenue in Chicago. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_E._Smithe. McCarthy was married to grandson of Walter E. Smithe, Timothy Smithe Jr. in Paris, France in June of 2013. . Most recently, she was at . After college, all three gravitated back to the family business, which was founded by their father. You have this sense of passion and responsibility for it. Spoken like the daughter of a true "shop owner," as her father Walter E. Smithe III, president of the eponymous furniture retailer calls himself. "I said, `Let's get you guys on camera.'". His daughters were hesitant at first, questioning whether they were ready for such a responsibility. Check out the new collection. But now a new generationsisters Meghan, Colleen, Maureen, and Caitie . Timothy Smithe Jr. (m. 2013-2018) Kyla Lynn McCarthy (born October 8, 1986) is the daughter of politician and former Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy. Walter E. Smithe Near You in Vernon Hills, Illinois - furniture 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. The 86-year-old patriarch of the Smithe family, Walter Edward Smithe Jr., "died . In family businesses, thats the only way to ensure a companys continued success. Today, Maureen is a buyer, Meghan is the director of marketing, Caitie is a designer and assists the merchandising team, and Colleen is the director of advertising. This began a long series of lighthearted television commercials, which became increasingly elaborate over the next few years. Instead, the Smithe sisters Colleen, director of advertising; Maureen, a buyer; Caitie, a designer; and Meghan, the marketing director help a Chicago couple with tastes that sometimes clash give their town home a new look before relatives show up for a visit. So, somewhat reluctantly, they let themselves become the public face of Walter E. Smithe Furniture. [7], Chicagoans have had mixed reactions to the Walter E. Smithe commercials. One of the first opportunities to test their compatibility was through a partnership with interior designer and TV personality Jeff Lewis. Then they tie in pop culture it shows that they're sort of a with-it furniture company. Zajdel was a driver for Victory when he made the commercial a quarter-century ago. That collective experience comes in handy ahead of any major decisions. "Still hard for me to imagine.") Over the last 12 years, one by one, Walter's daughters have been hired on at Smithe in an official capacity. Itasca, IL 60143. I always suggest going with whatever color or colors are most pleasing to you, but some big color trends this spring are oranges, pinks, sage green and pastel blue. What are they up to?' The Smithe sisters Walter III's daughters Maureen, Meghan, Caitie, and Colleen are also now executives at Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design and appear in the ads. Currently, there are 3 generations involved in the business: Walter Smithe Jr is retired, but regularly visits the showrooms. They hammer out a script, call in O'Neil and start filming. He was still spending weekends at Smithe furniture showrooms until recently and he volunteered for many years for Habitat for Humanity, building houses in the U.S. and Central America. Walter E. Smithe - Wikipedia Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. - Linn Burton: He started selling appliances in Polk Bros. ads in 1953, but the majority of his 35-year TV career was spent hawking cars -- Kaisers, Frazers, Joe Rizza's Pontiacs and, most famously, Bert Weinman's Fords. Read on to find out more about pelvic floor therapy and how it's growing in popularity among postpartum women. "It's never gone completely crazy -- no one can say that one commercial will bring customers in -- but we kind of thought it re-established us in the marketplace.
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