"The majority of what we run is informational and tells about the company, but those aren't the ones people are talking about at the water cooler. The Smithe sisters are working to expose the brand to a new customer base Photo credit: Robin Subar. Billy Corgan and Walter E. Smithe Wrestling. 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Smithe Furniture & Design, Toms Price Home, The Dump Furniture Outlet, Ashley HomeStore, The RoomPlace, Roy's Furniture, Domicile Ellen is very serious about design and had a definite voice in what this modern-rustic-meets-farmhouse collection would be. "I think it's time for us to get out of these TV commercials," Walter said. Our lives can be overrun with technology, commitments and schedules. . The Smithe sisters now serve as the face . 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. [4], Many of Walter E. Smithe's commercials have been pop culture parodies. Am I the only one who just thinks he looks like Louis CK? - Timmy: Dressed as an old-time newspaper boy, 10-year-old Timmy appeared in dozens of commercials in the '70s for his uncle's Long Chevrolet dealership in Elmhurst. It takes work and sacrifice.. 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. USA. The brothers are recognized on the street, in grocery stores and coffee shops ("I got a free Starbucks latte once," Tim says). The first change I noticed was it became all about the sons. Walter E. Smithe is a furniture company based in Itasca, Illinois. 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. The boys' first ventures into the working world included Walt's daily paper route -- 70 Tribunes, three or four Sun-Times and a couple of Wall Street Journals -- that Tim helped him with ("I got 1 cent per paper, and I'd give Tim 10 cents for helping me"), and collecting beer cans that they resold at a Park Ridge flea market. The Smithe sisters have always been close -- and growing up, it wasn't always by choice. [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. "And I'd be yelling, `I can't breathe! Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, - Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, Paddock Publications, Inc. is an Employee-Owned Company. officially retires, although he still enjoys visiting showrooms and meeting clients. Lewis teamed up with Smithes merchandising team to create in-store vignettes, and also featured the store on his show. Or "Hardrock, Coco and Joe." Ask how we can add diversity to your supply chain. He entertained the youngest generation of the family playing banjo and singing folk songs such as "The Rock Island Line," and telling stories of Tiny Tim and the Magic Gumball Machine, his obit said. The Chicago native attended Fenwick High School and the University of Notre Dame. "It's always positive, and it's nice to be part of it. Their interactions were zany, their dialogue lighthearted, their catchy jingle -- "you dream it, we build it" -- recognizable throughout the region. Favorite design style: Modern mixed with traditional. But now a new generationsisters Meghan, Colleen, Maureen, and Caitie . When they get a topic, Smithe says, he tries to figure a way to blend it into an ad. 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. 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. 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. Kneen & Co. (399 W. Fullerton Pkwy., Ste. '", "I was at a gym on a treadmill," Mark says of the first time he caught one of the commercials. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). From 5 to 8 p.m., select retailers will offer refreshments while highlighting unique designers. 1 Early life; 2 Television; 3 Personal Life; 4 References; . While it may not be usable 365 days a year, the days that your outdoor space are in fact usable should be embraced. Colleen loved being able to point out that her dad and uncles, Mark and Tim, brainstormed and executed the ideas themselves. There have been more than a thousand of them since, and thanks to the magic of cable TV he is now a national celebrity. But I never forget that these are my sisters and I completely respect them. At that age, it was very exciting to come home and brag that we sold maybe hundreds or thousands of dollars in furniture, Meghan recalls. In 2002 they brought in director Bill O'Neil to help them. Caitie, Colleen, Maureen and Meghan Smithe represent the fourth generation helping run their Chicago-based family furniture store, Walter E. Smithe, and they're determined not to be the last. The fourth generation of Smithe leadership is hoping that this young, fresh approach to advertising and marketing will resonate with a consumer base that hasnt yet shopped with Smithe before. ", Instead they talk about the U2/iTunes takeoff, the brothers' version of "The Apprentice" or the Olympic parody from last year. Its a tough balance, but I like figuring out the retail puzzle.. Walter was the first of the third generation to join the family business in 1981 . While a new recession may strike a particular industry, measuring the industry and . About. (He's now semi-retired, having turned the business over to his sons about 10 years ago.). She sounds annoyed that the spill isn't absorbing, like there's some insurance scheme that hinges on being able to stain this white couch. And then fate gently tapped them on their shoulder. "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. His line was, `If you can talk you can breathe.'". 22 miles. That cartoon of Bob has BDE and you can't deny it. 9615 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, IL 60077. Indian Trail, High Street intersection work approved in Aurora, Suspect in high-speed chase crashes into, kills veteran Indiana State Trooper trying to stop him: officials, Educators get peek at Paramount play about artificial intelligence which is set to tour schools, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. "So that drove us, I think, to be successes.". Walter E. Smithe also is changing up its ads. The Smithe sisters have heard it all before, and they've set out to dispel those misperceptions. The company makes, sells, and repairs furniture, . Find locations. - Nick Celozzi and Maury Ettleson: Starting in the early '70s, they waved fistfuls of cash at TV viewers and reminded everyone that Celozzi-Ettleson Chevrolet in Elmhurst was "Where you always save more money!". Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. Marketing Contacts Contacts (5/9) Name Title State; Walter S. President & Chief Executive Officer . When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. What she does: I make spaces beautiful for clients homes, our catalogs and showrooms, and play couples therapist for clients who cant agree on a sofa.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_E._Smithe. I presented my ideas for this two weeks ago and it will be out on the floor in three weeks. Mix together different, but complimentary, elements such as woods, metals and stonesand feel free to mix various metals together. ". The sisters laughed at hearing this family adage, knowing that home furnishing has been woven into the tapestry of their lives. But repeated airings of the ad have made him and his door legendary. Warehouse workers go over every piece of inventory awaiting delivery with a fine-tooth comb, looking for things an untrained eye would never see. "[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. "It almost feels like the business is, in a weird way, a member of the family. Still, she never dreamed of working full time for Walter E. Smithe Furniture, even while growing up in Barrington with her three sisters, Maureen, Caitie and Colleen. Postpartum bladder leaks are common but there's help. Colleen, Caitie, Meghan and Maureen Smithe, all between the ages of 33 and 37, represent the fourth generation of the family business and are daughters of company President Walter Smithe, the grandson of the business's namesake. Furniture Stores. "We're all rolling up our sleeves and getting dirty. They seem very pretentious I think. Is she OK? But the sisters also know they can always turn to the leaders who came before them. 1E, kneenandco.com) continues to add to its Robbe & Berking assortment with the new Martel Bar collection, which features bar cart staples like handmade silver tumblers and cocktail coupes as well as bottle openers and nutcrackers. Weird. Then they brought in the wives. All three attended St. Mary's College in Winona, Minn. Walt got an MBA at Notre Dame, Tim got one at Northwestern, and Mark got a law degree at Loyola. The company has become known over the years in particular for its quirky TV commercials Chicago TV viewers have long known the jingle, "Walter E. Smithe, you dream it we build it." formId: "acc781a7-d0b4-433d-bc7f-c5bac12f3766" Watch. As the fourth generation to run their family-owned Chicago furniture store, Walter. 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. Sisters Colleen, Meghan, Maureen and Caitie Smithe, from left, say three key words have helped them carry their family-run furniture company into a fourth generation: fresh, young and 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. Walter E. Smithe wants to create a series of similar videos to give customers a behind-the-scenes look at their services and the company. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . The Smithes had been encouraged to air their outtakes on television after Tim Smithe screened them at an interior design seminar and received a positive reaction from the crowd. [7], Chicagoans have had mixed reactions to the Walter E. Smithe commercials. What she does: I use both sides of my brain: left for all the analytical spreadsheet stuff and right for the creative vision. "If our specialties fit those needs, then we were invited to have a conversation and explore the opportunity, but it was never a demand placed on us.". "Pam, Bill and I are always on the watch for pop culture. 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. And it's not uncommon for their kids to make cameo appearances in advertisements or to help sort through fabric samples, "which would technically make it a five-generation business," Maureen says. As they grew into their teens, there were the usual summer jobs -- caddying, yard work, selling ice cream from a motorized three-wheeler. We connect families with the best local resources, advice, stories, things to do with kids and much more. Chicagoans came to know and appreciate the three Smithe brothers who starred for years in quirky TV commercials touting their family-run furniture company. And I thought, `makeup and lighting. The 86-year-old patriarch of the Smithe family, Walter Edward Smithe Jr., "died . I gave up sleep and TV, Maureen jokes. It also featured an appearance by Dutchie Caray, wife of the late Cubs announcer Harry Caray. One by one, each sister began working in the family business. We can be real nimble when we're this tight and this spread across the business.". 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. Holly Hunt (222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza, Ste. 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. Young. Plus, they seem like nice guys. Bringing new and various textures into a room can take it from plain and lacking in interest to exciting and memorable. The Smithes: (L-R) Colleen, Meghan, Walter III, Walter Jr., Mark, Caitie, and Maureen. 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. 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. Instead of starring third-generation brothers Walter III, Tim, and Mark, the new ones put the spotlight on fourth-generation sisters Caitie, Meghan, Maureen, and Colleen. "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. "We're not your parents' furniture company," Caitie said. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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.. Chicago's Best Furniture and Expert Design. Its very much in line with our desire to offer the most beautiful pieces that are of the highest quality. Favorite design style: Cozy and comfortableaka hygge ethos. Tomorrow, Hubbard Woods Design District (Green Bay Rd. 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. The girls have all worked elsewhere before they came to work here, says Walter of his daughters who have had careers ranging from merchandising to advertising. Smithe then went into the computer industry working for General Electric and IBM in 1967, according to his obit. "Staying fresh, young and relevant is how we're going to sustain the brand into the next 75 years," Meghan said. walter e smithe furniture - inc. walter e smithe furniture. Smithe guy Walt actually Walter Smithe III 45 is president and general manager of the. One of the first opportunities to test their compatibility was through a partnership with interior designer and TV personality Jeff Lewis. First published on October 12, 2022 / 3:27 PM. "And there's 10 televisions, all tuned to the same station. We simply never had that conversation, Meghan says. 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 Smithe brothers used good-natured humor on countless TV commercials selling furniture. 443 were here. This led to the development of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design. Reaching a younger demographic and expanding their clientele has required some creativity, the sisters said. Walter E. Smithe III, is the President of family owned and operated Walter E. Smithe Furniture + Design. Contents. Explore. 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. Bloomingdale Plaza. Check out the new collection. getting a penny or nickel for every clearance tag we pulled," says Meghanthe four daughters of Walter Smithe III have . "We're kind of strategically positioned in different departments," Meghan said. But now a new generationsisters Meghan, Colleen, Maureen, and Caitie Smitheis shaking things up in a big way. The announcement was merely an early April Fools' Day prank, although the Smithe brothers said they had received about one hundred emails from viewers who were not sure what to think. Its a constant toggle between work and family talk, notes Colleen, but at the end of the day theyre focused on creating a furniture company that helps clients truly curate a home. Personally, I dont want to stare at ugly furniture for all those years, Meghan says. Tim offered Walt brotherly support after a just-completed scene. "We have wonderful clients who are my generation or older, but we have to figure out how we cater to this new generation that's setting up households now. It turned out so well that Tim carried along a copy to a speaking engagement. [4][5] In 2008, they filmed and edited a takeoff of the Sex and the City franchise, with the brothers sipping "Smithe-o-politans". We learned so much from these relationships, Colleen says. Take dress up and glam up a notch with a self-care day at this luxurious spa for kids and tweens. This is useful in estimating the financial strength and credit risk of the company. "We take that very seriously, and we have so much passion for it.". You can still be a fun premium brand (Virgin, for example) but this is Family Dollar-type schtick. "In a family business, everyone has to wear all hats at all times," Maureen said. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. 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. Get Eric Clark's email address (e*****@smithe.com) and phone number at RocketReach. That's a galaxy away from the current "Star Wars" parody. The Smithe sisters, all in their thirties, worked in the family business as teens but pursued different career paths in adulthood. Compare how recession-proof Walter E Smithe Furniture is relative to the industry overall. Thats fast, but it shows what we can do. It was founded by Walter Edward Smithe and Bill Shanahan in 1945. The spot showed the brothers at a news conference announcing that they had purchased Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, with plans to rename it Walter E. Smithe Field. Start shopping. Colleen Smithe, Director of Advertising Walt and Tim mocked Mark's new haircut. View a map of participating First Friday locations. "An hour and a half. Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. is headquartered in Itasca, IL. This article originally appeared in the April 2019 issue of Chicago Parent. "It's a big responsibility. "It was kind of a neat way to kick off our involvement in the business as a group.". Last year there aas a commercial where the puppet quickly moved to close his laptop when someone came in the office. Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design is a family-owned furniture retailer, founded right here in Chicago, back in 1945. For the most part, that relationship translates well in the business world, they say. Tim, 41, is the vice president of sales; he and his wife have four kids and live in Winnetka. walter e smithe furniture & design. The sisters left for college with a few prized furnishings and a work ethic that became a permanent fixture in their lives. 177 East Army Trail Road, Glendale Heights, IL 60139. Walter E. Smithe is a family business in every sense of the word, the sisters say. There's a lot of blurred lines, and we have to learn when to defer to each other.". Those early Smithe commercials were straight-forward affairs, with each brother talking about his area of expertise -- Walt discussed the merchandise, Tim the company's designers, and Mark Smithe's delivery system and customer satisfaction -- and, of course, the furniture. "As needs within the business grew, positions opened up organically," Maureen said. We get that question all the time, and that was to be expected," Colleen said. Only a year apart in age, the lively, fast-talking Smithe sisters consider one another best friends. 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. Caitie Smithe, Designer and Stylist. Born in the heart of Chicago, we're a family owned and operated local business since 1945, now four generations strong. Some have criticized the spots for underemphasizing Walter E. Smithe's actual furniture products. "What about you and your sisters?". CHICAGO (CBS) -- Walter Edward Smithe Jr., the founder of Chicago's Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86. Walter e smithe daughters. 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. At-a-glance. 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. It was like the empire jingle. They got on each other's nerves and learned to talk quickly at the dinner table if they wanted to get a word in. Who are these guys? 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. Only a year apart in age, the lively, fast-talking Smithe sisters consider one another best friends. October 12, 2022 / 3:27 PM They can really do great things. We understand that customers see a certain look on, say, Instagram and they want it replicated in their own home, Colleen says. The Walter E. Smithe + Jeff Lewis showcase certainly fits the bill. Assuming your a dude your not supposed to understand the commercials. We not only respect this, we embrace it.. 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. And Mark, 40, is Smithe's general counsel; he and his partner live in Lincoln Park with Petey, a 4-year-old bulldog. I was probably in elementary school when I would come in to work in the warehouse sweeping for a nickel Colleen says. They pointed out how affordable the pieces are. Like most mothers, whether theyre working or staying at home, we do what we can, she says. I'm so annoyed that I won't buy anything from there. Tags: Design Controls - Facebook Instant Article, Home & Garden, Interior Design. But learning how to work together while also juggling their busy personal lives -- they have 18 kids among the four of them -- can be a delicate balance. "But we've also gotten some really nice feedback from people who are happy to see four working women on their TV.". The commercials were being shot at a studio in Northfield and would result in enough footage for dozens of TV ads to appear over the next six months.
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