"By being so close and meeting so regularly, we're all in the loop with what's happening in each other's sphere. "I was at Dulles Airport in Washington, waiting for a 9:30 flight at night," Mark says. It couldn't have gone more perfectly, Maureen said. The Walter E. Smithe + Jeff Lewis showcase certainly fits the bill. 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. 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. Their dad, the company's president, continued filming his signature ads with his brother, Mark, for a short period of time, Colleen said. "It almost feels like the business is, in a weird way, a member of the family. Additional partnerships with the likes of Cynthia Rowley and Ellen Degeneres have exposed the company to a new customer base. Over the past 76 years, the company has grown to include 10 Chicago area showrooms. Revenue: $100 to $500 million (USD) Competitors: Linly Designs, Rieke Office Interiors, 57st Design. So is there a `Wally and the Sofa Factory' in our future?". Walter E. Smithe Jr. Obituary. 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. 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. 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. Chicago Parent, as a Zoe Communications Group company, is certified as a Womens Business Enterprise by the Womens Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nations largest third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women. Take dress up and glam up a notch with a self-care day at this luxurious spa for kids and tweens. It's partnered with celebrity designers and broadened the mix of products carried in stores, online and in its resurrected catalog to include more current trends and a wider range of price points. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. }); Chicago Parent is Chicagolands trusted parenting hub since 1984. 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. However, Lewis Lazare, the Chicago Sun-Times' advertising critic, has defended the commercials. We are sad to announce that on October 9, 2022 we had to say goodbye to Walter E. Smithe Jr. of Chicago, Illinois. The Bob's puppet is a far better actor than the Smithe girls though. Visit Website (opens in new window) Walter E. Smithe. One spot was modeled after Apple's weird commercials. It was a natural fit, she said. Hotel Mousai Puerto Vallarta, Room Request: Four Seasons Hotel Bogota Casa Medina, New Restaurants and Bars in New York City, Clare V., Mulberry and More New Retail Openings in NYC, Tony Robbins Challenge to Provide 1 Billion Meals Nears its Goal, Get behind-the-scenes pictures on Instagram. "We take that very seriously, and we have so much passion for it.". "Smithes have fun at the old ballpark". As teens, the four sisters worked only part time in their fathers showroom or outlet store, selling furniture and earning their first paychecks along with other eager, cash-strapped teens. 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. Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86, his family said. 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. You may have noticed a change lately in those Walter E. Smithe (smithe.com) siblings-on-a-couch commercials. 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. First published on October 12, 2022 / 3:27 PM. Were not trying to portray an image that working mothers can pull off everything without something falling through, Maureen says candidly. His daughters were hesitant at first, questioning whether they were ready for such a responsibility. Favorite design style: Cozy and comfortableaka hygge ethos. 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. Walter E. Smithe Jr. died peacefully at age 86, his family said in a prepared statement. 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 . We connect families with the best local resources, advice, stories, things to do with kids and much more. But the sisters also know they can always turn to the leaders who came before them. The Smithes stand out because they're doing silly things. "It's always positive, and it's nice to be part of it. 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. The store, which has 10 locations in the Chicago area, has been open for nearly 75 years and has faced all the challenges of . By last year, though, each had returned to the company their great-grandfather founded. Business Profile for Walter E. Smithe Furn-Itasca. Spoken like the daughter of a true "shop owner," as her father Walter E. Smithe III, president of the eponymous furniture retailer calls himself. There is no rule book that says they all need to matchmetals always compliment one another. - 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. She is a celebrity who is genuinely interested in how her furniture will do and be perceived, Maureen says. How could they ensure the 75-year-old brand would be sustainable for decades to come? 9's "Garfield Goose" and "Ray Rayner" shows. Smithe was born in 1936 to Margaret Slifka and Walter E. Smithe Sr., and grew up in the Northwest Side's Belmont Central neighborhood. Lewis teamed up with Smithes merchandising team to create in-store vignettes, and also featured the store on his show. She has a few ideas for how to add a little spring to your home. You may have noticed a change lately in those Walter E. Smithe . That was the extent of his pitchman career. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. 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. 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. 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. I dont think anyone in the furniture industry does advertising well. "Staying fresh, young and relevant is how we're going to sustain the brand into the next 75 years," Meghan said. portalId: "6766057", Anyone got a link to the current commercial? Brothers Walt, Tim and Mark Smithe -- the faces of Walter E. Smithe Furniture -- seem to have hit on something with their ubiquitous ads. For instance, finding that perfect piece of decorative furniture that creatively doubles as a toy box for kids games, toys and video devices. 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. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_E._Smithe. Who are these guys? How could the Itasca-based company break the mold and reach a new audience while still carrying its message into a fourth generation? walter e smithe. With 10 years of advertising industry experience, Smithe Parker, daughter of President Walter E. Smithe III, has worked with high-profile advertising agencies in Chicago. Regarded as top performer within the account and the Agency, as a result of consistent over-delivery, passion to grow the business . "It's made us focus on what we do best, which is designing our clients' homes," he said. As their father, the company president, has told customers for decades, Life is too short to sit on uncomfortable furniture.. "They were loved," said Colleen Smithe, the youngest daughter of Walter Smithe III. Walter E. Smithe also is changing up its ads. Shop the clearance. Is she OK? The Smithe sisters are working to expose the brand to a new customer base Photo credit: Robin Subar. Their interactions were zany, their dialogue lighthearted, their catchy jingle -- "you dream it, we build it" -- recognizable throughout the region. "That's F-A-M-E, with an E". So much misogyny in these comments, their commercials have always been cheesy and annoying. "There are still people who ask us, 'Where are the brothers? Then they brought in the wives. Walter E. Smithe, Jr. joined the business in the 1960s with his brothers Gary and Tomm, and began phasing out appliances to focus on custom upholstery. They've transitioned into the spotlight. This initiative calls for all hands on deck. 1251 W. Thorndale Ave. Itasca, IL 60143-1149. You may also light a candle in honor of Walter E. Smithe Jr. or send a beautiful flower arrangement to the funeral . 443 were here. It said he passed away peacef We all trickled back in, and it happened really organically, says Meghan of the industrious quartet, who collectively has 17 children. Walter Smithe III and his brothers Mark and Tim helped make the furniture store a household name with clever commercials -- a tradition that's continued with Smithe III's four daughters, Colleen . I'm a brand manager and their commercials make the brand seem like a discount bin. "Staying fresh, young and relevant is how we're going to sustain the brand into the next 75 years. CHICAGO (CBS) -- Walter Edward Smithe Jr., the founder of Chicago's Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86. 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. In the late '60s, the growing family -- there are also four sisters, Cindy, Margie and twins Hope and Amy, none of whom is involved in the family business -- moved to a slightly larger home in Park Ridge. Chicago, IL. Shop the label. The two renamed the store Smithe and Shanahan, but Bill Shanahan eventually sold his share to Smithe's brother Charlie. "We wanted to entertain people first, so then when we wanted to inform them they'd already be paying attention," Tim says of their advertising philosophy. 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. Mark admonished Walt to keep his feet off the furniture. Main Telephone (630) 285-8000. My sisters and I represent the viewpoint of our younger clientele, Meghan says. 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. Postpartum bladder leaks are common but there's help. Find out where to go, what to eat, where to live, and more. "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. "They took different career paths," Tim says. hbspt.forms.create({ It turned out so well that Tim carried along a copy to a speaking engagement. [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. It was like the empire jingle. 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. I'm so annoyed that I won't buy anything from there. Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design (Old Orchard) 17 miles. 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. "We're all rolling up our sleeves and getting dirty. E. Smithe sisters Caitie, Colleen, Meghan and Maureen were introduced to the business at a young age. Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design is a family-owned furniture retailer, founded right here in Chicago, back in 1945. Explore. A few bucks later, the clunker is off to Victory's Bensenville lot. Lewis Lazare. Contents. (Last year, Walter E. Smithe resurrected the 1950s-era cartoon that was a holiday staple on WGN-Ch. 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. 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. Im stunned when people watch one of our makeovers and are surprised that Smithe carries so much of what they like, says Caitie. A matte black bathtub, vanity mirrors and hardware pop against the airy walls in this modern primary bathroom. 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. The Smithe boys started out in a tiny ranch house in Des Plaines, the children of Walter Jr. and Florence. If you are ready to get grown-up furniture, this place has a very nice selection, with helpful staff who can guide you toward the proper colors, scale, and what looks nice together. Our lives can be overrun with technology, commitments and schedules. "And there's 10 televisions, all tuned to the same station. Explore more of the publications in our portfolio here. Weird. 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. "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. Chicagoans came to know and appreciate the three Smithe brothers who starred for years in quirky TV commercials touting their family-run furniture company. After college, all three gravitated back to the family business, which was founded by their father. Some ways to do this include mixing fabrics and leathers such as pairing linens with velvets, shag rugs, fur throws, organic elements such as rattan and bamboo even the reflective-ness of chrome can add texture to a room! The Smithes: (L-R) Colleen, Meghan, Walter III, Walter Jr., Mark, Caitie, and Maureen. We not only respect this, we embrace it.. But one by one, they followed Maureen's lead and rejoined the family business. The CBS Chicago team is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on CBSChicago.com. 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. While it may not be usable 365 days a year, the days that your outdoor space are in fact usable should be embraced. That's why when she and her three sisters -- Maureen, Meghan and Caitie -- were asked a few years ago to transition into the role their father and uncles held for so long, they weren't immediately receptive. But now a new generationsisters Meghan, Colleen, Maureen, and Caitie . You can still be a fun premium brand (Virgin, for example) but this is Family Dollar-type schtick. 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. I love the attention I get as a local celebrity," Mark says. Reviews on Outlet Walter E Smithe in Glendale Heights, IL 60139 - Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, Toms Price Home, The Dump Furniture Outlet, Ashley HomeStore, The RoomPlace, Roy's Furniture, Domicile The new generation of Smithes are featured in the company's new advertising. That collective experience comes in handy ahead of any major decisions. What are they up to?' There's a preconceived notion that furniture stores are stuffy and tired, run by men in suits and catering to older generations. "Some dabbled and moved on and others just weren't interested.". They're nice folks. "They've done a wonderful job building a distinctive brand," says Tim Calkins, a professor of marketing at Northwestern University. There's a lot of blurred lines, and we have to learn when to defer to each other.". Who are the Walter E Smithe daughters? Were a Chicago company that was given national exposure. Or "Hardrock, Coco and Joe." 1428, hollyhunt.com) has expanded its Great Plains textile offering with the Foreign Affair collection, which has a mix of warm and cool neutrals. "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. CHICAGO (WLS) -- Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86, his family said. Since 1945 the company has . We can be real nimble when we're this tight and this spread across the business.". 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. The founder of well-known Chicago-area furniture company Walter E. Smithe has died, his family announced Wednesday. 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. Dazzling Divas Glam Mansion Offers the Ultimate Diva Experience, Family Guide to Attending a Chicago Cubs Game at Wrigley Field, Pelvic Floor Therapy Growing in Popularity for Women, 10 Non-Candy Items for Your Kids Easter Basket. 9615 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, IL 60077. It worked really well for a long time, but post-recession, we saw peoples sensibilities had changed, says Meghan. At-a-glance. We get that question all the time, and that was to be expected," Colleen said. Find employees, official website, emails, phone numbers, revenue, employee headcount, social accounts, and anything related to Walter E. Smithe Furniture. Nothing is left unchanged, Meghan notes. This led to the development of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design. "And of course this summer's blockbuster is supposed to be `Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.' I havent seen the Tile Outlet lady in a while!! The Smithe family announced that their patriarch died this past Sunday with his wife of 64 years, Florence Flynn Smithe, by his side. between Scott Ave. and Tower Rd., Winnetka, shophwdd.com) hosts a First Friday event on the North Shore.
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