Personally, I dont want to stare at ugly furniture for all those years, Meghan says. We can be real nimble when we're this tight and this spread across the business.". The brothers spend most of their time in the company's Itasca headquarters, which also serves as a warehouse, customer service center and point of departure for the fleet of Smithe trucks. They brought in real clients, worked with real designers and demonstrated each sister's essential role within the business. My sisters and I represent the viewpoint of our younger clientele, Meghan says. "It's a big responsibility. 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. Compare how recession-proof Walter E Smithe Furniture is relative to the industry overall. It worked really well for a long time, but post-recession, we saw peoples sensibilities had changed, says Meghan. It's pretty surprising they are still playing on these tired sexist tropes in this day and age. View info about Walter E. Smithe Furniture (smithe.com). Check out the new collection. 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 . (847) 933-1481. "KFC dances to beat of familiar drummers". The 3rd brother, Tim Smithe, retired in 2016. Happy Hour With Jeff Lewis + Walter E. Smithe - fountainof30.com Lewis Lazare. 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. walter e smithe, furniture stores near me, ballinger vase buy, gold side end table, tall mirror, walter e smithe daughters, furniture . 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. 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. At Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, we are committed to helping our clients love their homes through expert design, quality furnishings, and exemplary service. You can still be a fun premium brand (Virgin, for example) but this is Family Dollar-type schtick. The best commercial -- at least the one viewers relished -- featured this grating kid getting hit in the face with a pie. The 86-year-old patriarch of the Smithe family, Walter Edward Smithe Jr., "died . Walter E. Smithe and Bill Shanahan founded the store anticipating a booming economy in the wake of World War II. A wake will be held at Ryan-Parke Funeral Home in Park Ridge on Friday, Oct. 21, and a funeral mass will follow on Saturday, Oct. 22, and St. Paul of the Cross Church in Park Ridge. The sisters laughed at hearing this family adage, knowing that home furnishing has been woven into the tapestry of their lives. For the most part, that relationship translates well in the business world, they say. Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture, dies at 86 Were now getting calls from all over the world., Under Colleen and Meghans direction, Smithe now has a beautiful new lookbook in its marketing toolbox and a stable full of breathtaking photography, as they become the exclusive distributor for Ellen DeGeneres new furniture collection from Thomasville. First there were the brothers. Now the Walter E. Smithe - Pinterest There's a preconceived notion that furniture stores are stuffy and tired, run by men in suits and catering to older generations. The Smithes stand out because they're doing silly things. There's a lot of blurred lines, and we have to learn when to defer to each other.". "They go a long way with a limited budget through the use of creativity," he says. The seven pieces featured in the Quincy Master Bedroom vignette below (chair, trunk . Find out where to go, what to eat, where to live, and more. Meghan was hired in 2013 and now serves as director of sales strategy. What happened to the Walter E Smithe guys? - Cowetaamerican.com CHICAGO (CBS) -- Walter Edward Smithe Jr., the founder of Chicago's Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86. ("Did you notice he used the wide-angle lens when he shot your [rear end]?"). From 5 to 8 p.m., select retailers will offer refreshments while highlighting unique designers. But they still manage to get out to their stores about once a week, touching base with their employees, surprising customers or hosting events such as book signings or wine tastings. Anyone got a link to the current commercial? I also think, coming from a family business myself, to see how they interact with each other just gives you the feeling that they're good people, that you'd want to do business with those people.". "Case in point, I was just this morning sketching out my first ideas for The Three Tenors, featuring, of course, the Smithe brothers in a coliseum. In recent years, Smithe enjoyed his time with extended family. Haute Living is a network of luxury publications with bimonthly regional editions in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco. 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. Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design (Old Orchard) 17 miles. The founder of well-known Chicago-area furniture company Walter E. Smithe has died, his family announced Wednesday. The Smithe sisters, all in their thirties, worked in the family business as teens but pursued different career paths in adulthood. In 2002 they brought in director Bill O'Neil to help them. Hope, once a Smithe designer and store manager, now lives in Colorado with her husband. Get 5 free searches. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). Last year there aas a commercial where the puppet quickly moved to close his laptop when someone came in the office. It couldn't have gone more perfectly, Maureen said. Meet The Walter E. Smithe Furniture Sisters - Luxe - Design The Chicago native attended Fenwick High School and the University of Notre Dame. Postpartum bladder leaks are common but there's help. The Smithe boys started out in a tiny ranch house in Des Plaines, the children of Walter Jr. and Florence. "In a family business, everyone has to wear all hats at all times," Maureen said. But shes quick to point out that the business is still very much a multigenerational effort, noting that their 81-year-old grandfather still regularly meets with clients. The girls got the bedrooms; the three boys shared a room in the basement. 74% of employees would recommend working at Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design to a friend and 70% have a positive outlook for the business. Others have been parodies of reality television shows, such as The Apprentice and The Bachelor. "An hour and a half. Plus, they seem like nice guys. "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. Pinterest. 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. "As needs within the business grew, positions opened up organically," Maureen said. That was the extent of his pitchman career. Caitie Smithe is aDesigner, Design Coordinator + Stylist atWalter E. Smithe Furniture + Design. Sibling revelry - Chicago Tribune Jeff Lewis's collection of vignettes is available at Walter E. Smithe's 11 showrooms in Chicago, and online. So is there a `Wally and the Sofa Factory' in our future?". Born in the heart of Chicago, we're a family owned and operated local business since 1945, now four generations strong. Mark admonished Walt to keep his feet off the furniture. We dont always agree on things, Colleen says. Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. Marketing Contacts Contacts (5/9) Name Title State; Walter S. President & Chief Executive Officer . Over the last 13 years, one by one, Walters daughters have been hired on at Smithe as the jobs became available. "It's been about reworking how we approach visually what we want to convey about the product that we're selling," Meghan said. Oct 2012 - Apr 20152 years 7 months. A matte black bathtub, vanity mirrors and hardware pop against the airy walls in this modern primary bathroom. Most recently, she was at . I think people felt sorry for me, assuming that I wasnt getting any sleep and having to come to work every day, says Maureen. Edited to add: Looked them up and gee, it's one of the daughters managing the marketing. Caitie Smithe, Designer and Stylist. One of my friends used to live near Fullerton and Western, and she would always tell people she lived near Tile Outlet. A family affair: How four sisters are bringing a 75-year-old store into What she does: I use both sides of my brain: left for all the analytical spreadsheet stuff and right for the creative vision. "They were loved," said Colleen Smithe, the youngest daughter of Walter Smithe III. Our lives can be overrun with technology, commitments and schedules. Favorite design style: Modern mixed with traditional. 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. "If you think of furniture commercials, it's always just panning a showroom with obnoxious graphics," says O'Neil, who has directed all the Smithe commercials. "They've done a wonderful job building a distinctive brand," says Tim Calkins, a professor of marketing at Northwestern University. 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. We feel like we can now speak to the multitude of generations who shop with us, she says. And Mark, 40, is Smithe's general counsel; he and his partner live in Lincoln Park with Petey, a 4-year-old bulldog. Relevant. 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. Hauldren -- an advertising copywriter who created the character -- first appeared in the ads in 1973. But now a new generationsisters Meghan, Colleen, Maureen, and Caitie Smitheis shaking things up in a big way. Assuming your a dude your not supposed to understand the commercials. formId: "acc781a7-d0b4-433d-bc7f-c5bac12f3766" Tim, 41, is the vice president of sales; he and his wife have four kids and live in Winnetka. That's a galaxy away from the current "Star Wars" parody. Here, get to know this powerhouse quartet. The campaign was inspired in part by a partnership with designer/house-flipper Jeff Lewis of the Bravo show Flipping Out. Find employees, official website, emails, phone numbers, revenue, employee headcount, social accounts, and anything related to Walter E. Smithe Furniture. Meghan is director of marketing, Caitie is a designer and stylist and Colleen is director of advertising. "We're all rolling up our sleeves and getting dirty. They're going to be the ones buying furniture for the next 50 years, so we have to be ready to serve them the way they want to be served," said Walter Smithe, 57. Cindy went to college in Iowa and settled there after school. The Smithe brothers used good-natured humor on countless TV commercials selling furniture. Be sure to visit Sawbridge Studios, which will showcase sustainably harvested, live-edge furniture by David Stine. Shop the label. In some of the footage, youll see my dad installing a dimmer or my uncle driving a truck. walter e smithe. And they represented Walter E. Smithe with a sense of drive and zeal that can only exude from the third-generation stakeholders of what has become a household name. Then the commercial came on. 22 miles. Smithe says that doing everything in-house allows them to be quick on their feet. Billy Corgan and Walter E. Smithe Wrestling. 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. If you grew up in Chicago, you can probably hum it. "It's always positive, and it's nice to be part of it. Three generations are involved in the family-run Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, including Walter Smithe Jr. (far right); his sons Walter III (far left) and Mark; and his four granddaughters, from left, Maureen, Caitie, Colleen and Meghan. The four women have been taking on bigger roles at the company and star in its new ad. "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. This began a long series of lighthearted television commercials, which became increasingly elaborate over the next few years. 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.. Young. "With a strategy to continue Smithe parodies of relevant topics, really, the future is limitless," he says. College was a turning point for the sisters, who now call one another their best friends. They can really do great things. Walter E. SMITHE: Employee Directory | ZoomInfo.com The store, which has 10 locations in the Chicago area, has been open for nearly 75 years and has faced all the challenges of . Like their brothers, the four Smithe sisters were all in the business when they were in high school. Smithe was born in 1936 to Margaret Slifka and Walter E. Smithe Sr., and grew up on the Northwest Side in Belmont Central. This style is out there and we need to respond and get it on our floor. [4][5] In 2008, they filmed and edited a takeoff of the Sex and the City franchise, with the brothers sipping "Smithe-o-politans". They pointed out how affordable the pieces are. Also would somebody please feed them? My sisters and I loved being a part of it.. Tomorrow, Hubbard Woods Design District (Green Bay Rd. The Smithe brothers used good-natured humor on countless TV commercials selling furniture. Kneen & Co. (399 W. Fullerton Pkwy., Ste. Growing up, she and her sisters held various roles at the furniture and design firm, earning their first paychecks and gaining job experience and exploring interests that would later launch their careers. Subscribe to one or more of our free e-mail newsletters to get instant updates on local news, events, and opportunities in Chicago. "We're custom, so we can create everything, but we need to get the right mix out there to give people ideas," said Meghan Smithe, the company's director of marketing. But repeated airings of the ad have made him and his door legendary. CHICAGO (WLS) -- Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86, his family said. While their father and grandfather are still actively involved in the day-to-day, the women have taken over the companys marketing, design, advertising and buying effortsand immediately went about altering brand perceptions. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. This has been our priority since we first began serving the Chicago area back in 1945. They have a younger brother, who lives out of state, and plenty of younger cousins who have yet to join the team, though the sisters say there's still time. One spot was modeled after Apple's weird commercials. The original simple jingle and slogan was perfect. 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. The Feldco guy creeps me out more. Favorite design style: Cozy and comfortableaka hygge ethos. No surprise why the quality is so crap. Spoken like the daughter of a true "shop owner," as her father Walter E. Smithe III, president of the eponymous furniture retailer calls himself. Press J to jump to the feed. "And a woman was there with her daughter, and she nudged her and I heard her say, 'That's the Walter E. Smithe guy.' 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. 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. What she does: "I make spaces beautiful for clients' homes, our catalogs and showrooms, and play couples' therapist for clients who can't agree on a sofa." Favorite design style: Modern mixed with traditional. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). We've got the radar out for that," Tim Smithe says. About. While they took breaks from the biz to make their own way after college, each came back when the right positions opened up. Were not trying to portray an image that working mothers can pull off everything without something falling through, Maureen says candidly. 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. Walter E. Smithe ads, famous for their jingle, now featuring next During a stint in the Army, Smithe attained the rank of captain and became an expert in the field of computers. As they grew into their teens, there were the usual summer jobs -- caddying, yard work, selling ice cream from a motorized three-wheeler. The company gained national exposure from Lewis' collection, and each sister was able to shine in her own specialty. "[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". 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. Chicago Furniture | Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design | Meet the Smithes Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, - Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, Paddock Publications, Inc. is an Employee-Owned Company. Smithe's wife of 64 years was by his side when he passed, and he . walter e smithe. Introduced to the family business at an early ageI can recall pigtails in my hair, getting a penny or nickel for every clearance tag we pulled, says Meghanthe four daughters of Walter Smithe III have embraced their own roles for the Itasca, Illinois-based company; Meghan is director of marketing, Colleen is director of advertising, Maureen is a buyer, and Caitie is a designer. 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. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_E._Smithe. The Smithe brothers commercials Chicagoans are used to were great for getting the Walter E. Smithe name out, but the new ads put the focus back on the furniture and design services, said Meghan Smithe. Walter E Smithe Daughters - Aniya Hendrix Trends Start shopping. 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. 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. "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. The commercial included the tagline "Change the Name, Change the Luck", a reference to the Cubs' decades-long struggle to reach the World Series. Since 1945, we have been Chicago's local source for quality furniture and expert design. 1251 West Thorndale Avenue. The company offer of a free DVD generated a huge response, and more than 60,000 were given away.). They've relaunched catalogs showcasing their furniture in fully designed spaces. Walter E. Smithe Furniture: Contact Details and Business Profile My hope is to inspire people to slow down enough to talk with a designer and hopefully buy something.. "Staying fresh, young . "Instead we did it on the turn of a dime. 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. Still, the Smithes have had to weather various challenges since joining the company, including the retirement of their uncle, Tim. The Smithe sisters are working to expose the brand to a new customer base Photo credit: Robin Subar. In the 1970s Walter left Smithe and Shanahan (His brothers remained with the original company) to start his own company - Walter E. Smithe. 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. Business Profile for Walter E. Smithe Furn-Itasca. Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design - Home - Facebook She has a few ideas for how to add a little spring to your home. As the fourth generation to run their family-owned Chicago furniture store, Walter. But they do have a business. Ask how we can add diversity to your supply chain. Industry: Home Furniture & Housewares Stores. "We're not your parents' furniture company," Caitie said. Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design Reviews - Glassdoor They've transitioned into the spotlight. That collective experience comes in handy ahead of any major decisions. Working at Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design | Glassdoor
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