He received a Bachelor of Philosophy in Commerce from the University of Notre Dame in 1958. 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 . It's fun to be part of Chicago in that way.". 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. The Smithe boys started out in a tiny ranch house in Des Plaines, the children of Walter Jr. and Florence. The Smithe brothers used good-natured humor on countless TV commercials selling furniture. Walter Smithe III and Mark Smithe (the Smithe Brothers) are the sons of Walter Jr, and serve as President and VP/Legal Counsel, respectively. Walt and Tim mocked Mark's new haircut. Lewis teamed up with Smithes merchandising team to create in-store vignettes, and also featured the store on his show. 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 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. You may have noticed a change lately in those Walter E. Smithe (smithe.com) siblings-on-a-couch commercials. 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. 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. '", "The business steadily increased since we started the commercials," Walt says. Smithe brothers aim for 'Sex' appeal in latest quirky commercial, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Walter_E._Smithe&oldid=1127865487, This page was last edited on 17 December 2022, at 02:33. Getting the Smithes in front of the camera wasn't easy. "That's F-A-M-E, with an E". This is useful in estimating the financial strength and credit risk of the company. Whoever said brick-and-mortar is dead hasn't met the Smithe sisters. 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. The Smithe brothers have been described as "Chicago's most recognizable furniture purveyors", due to their ubiquitous television commercials starring themselves. "As furniture commercials go, what the Smithes are doing is great," he says. Relevant. Favorite design style: Clean and neutral. I gave up sleep and TV, Maureen jokes. To their delight, the reaction to that initial campaign was primarily positive, as has been the case for every commercial they've produced since. "Staying fresh, young and relevant is how we're going to sustain the brand into the next 75 years," Meghan said. The daughters took over the company. Not as long as they keep the commercials clever and topical, O'Neil says. You could say that the Smithes are a bit obsessed with quality. [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. Who are these guys? Then they brought in the wives. But always start from a place where we love each other and enjoy working together., Between the ages of 10 and 18, former Barrington High School soccer, For Olympian Patrick Gasienica, ski jumping has been a part of his, Dr. Rekha S. Rajan has devoted her personal and professional life to, One of the most prestigious dance companies in the world, The Joffrey, Saint Anne Catholic Community Churchs Project Hope ministry, A night of sequin-studded disco fever, the 5th Annual Hoosier Ball was. Warehouse workers go over every piece of inventory awaiting delivery with a fine-tooth comb, looking for things an untrained eye would never see. The sisters laughed at hearing this family adage, knowing that home furnishing has been woven into the tapestry of their lives. walter e smithe furniture - inc. walter e smithe furniture. The girls got the bedrooms; the three boys shared a room in the basement. The best commercial -- at least the one viewers relished -- featured this grating kid getting hit in the face with a pie. When the boys took over from their father, there were about a half-dozen stores. 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. "So that drove us, I think, to be successes.". 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. Caitie Smithe, Designer and Stylist. They're not egomaniacs. Even with little ones underfoot, the Smithe sisters make balancing their family furniture business and their growing broods look effortless. "We take that very seriously, and we have so much passion for it.". The company makes, sells, and repairs furniture, . I only hear them on the radio. "We're dreamers and we have big ideas," Meghan said. The Bob's puppet is a far better actor than the Smithe girls though. 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. "KFC dances to beat of familiar drummers". He attended the University of Notre Dame and earned a bachelor 's . It stuck in your head. Currently, there are 3 generations involved in the business: Walter Smithe Jr is retired, but regularly visits the showrooms. Through March 16, enjoy savings of up to 20 percent on select rugs (hopscotch, anyone?) It took the mother of six children a few years to figure out how to juggle her demanding career and busy home life. View info about Walter E. Smithe Furniture (smithe.com). They've spruced up their styles, selling more contemporary pieces among their traditional designs. ", Says Tim Smithe, "Pop culture is always changing and so are we.". There's a certain time and simplicity factor, so from the time of the idea to the time we shoot it can be as short as a week.". The Smithes: (L-R) Colleen, Meghan, Walter III, Walter Jr., Mark, Caitie, and Maureen. ("You should keep that hat on for about three weeks. Were not trying to portray an image that working mothers can pull off everything without something falling through, Maureen says candidly. Nah, I know a few of them. It takes work and sacrifice.. Now, there are 12, a 115,000-square-foot headquarters in Itasca and more than 550 employees, and this year Walter E. Smithe Furniture will do $100 million in sales. 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. 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. 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.. There have been more than a thousand of them since, and thanks to the magic of cable TV he is now a national celebrity. Smithe's wife of 64 years was by his side when he passed, and he . We understand that customers see a certain look on, say, Instagram and they want it replicated in their own home, Colleen says. The new generation of Smithes are featured in the company's new advertising. "And they've been able to personalize a retail chain through the use of the brothers. So I'm speaking, and they're half listening, you know. One by one, each sister began working in the family business. Her sisters had fallen into their own specialties and were pursuing different paths at the time. / CBS Chicago. It worked really well for a long time, but post-recession, we saw peoples sensibilities had changed, says Meghan. Hauldren -- an advertising copywriter who created the character -- first appeared in the ads in 1973. 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. Industry: Home Furniture & Housewares Stores. Also would somebody please feed them? 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. The company began in 1945 as Tone Appliances and Furniture, a single store on Belmont Avenue in Chicago. 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. Darvin is always yelling about discounts. We've got the radar out for that," Tim Smithe says. My sisters and I represent the viewpoint of our younger clientele, Meghan says. 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. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Opening Day is March 30. 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. 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. Explore. Im stunned when people watch one of our makeovers and are surprised that Smithe carries so much of what they like, says Caitie. "They've done a wonderful job building a distinctive brand," says Tim Calkins, a professor of marketing at Northwestern University. Since 1945, the company has established itself as a reliable family-run retailer, with the second- and third-generation Smithe men at the helm. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . Mark admonished Walt to keep his feet off the furniture. And in between the entertainment were his folksy commercials for Courtesy Motors -- his cars were "honeys" and "sweeties" -- which at one point was the world's largest Ford dealer. At-a-glance. "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's Best Furniture and Expert Design. 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. Nothing is left unchanged, Meghan notes. 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. 1251 West Thorndale Avenue. Zajdel was a driver for Victory when he made the commercial a quarter-century ago. But the truth is, I love coming to the office. From 5 to 8 p.m., select retailers will offer refreshments while highlighting unique designers. Smithe says that doing everything in-house allows them to be quick on their feet. "We're not your parents' furniture company," Caitie said. 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. "By being so close and meeting so regularly, we're all in the loop with what's happening in each other's sphere. "Instead we did it on the turn of a dime. Meghan and Colleen spent several years working at advertising agencies in Chicago. Then when I plugged it in, the place went up for grabs. "That was the best part," she said. Or "Hardrock, Coco and Joe." hbspt.forms.create({ Please enter valid email address to continue. Walter E. Smithe is a furniture company based in Itasca, Illinois. Read on to find out more about pelvic floor therapy and how it's growing in popularity among postpartum women. [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). 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. Watch. But it wasn't long before he approached his youngest daughter with a proposition. In 2002 they brought in director Bill O'Neil to help them. Who are the Walter E Smithe daughters? Bloomingdale Plaza. 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. 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 was at Dulles Airport in Washington, waiting for a 9:30 flight at night," Mark says. Most recently, she was at . And Amy is a singer and songwriter. "An hour and a half. This article originally appeared in the April 2019 issue of Chicago Parent. walter e smithe. 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. The inky accents create a sleek statement against the white walls and lend a streamlined look to the space. Walter E. Smithe Jr. Obituary. Revenue: $100 to $500 million (USD) Competitors: Linly Designs, Rieke Office Interiors, 57st Design. Jeff Lewis's collection of vignettes is available at Walter E. Smithe's 11 showrooms in Chicago, and online. What are they up to?' Their grandfather, who is in his 80s, remains active in the company, frequently visiting showrooms and making connections with clients. 9615 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, IL 60077. That collective experience comes in handy ahead of any major decisions. He also hosted telethons. Plus, they seem like nice guys. My hope is to inspire people to slow down enough to talk with a designer and hopefully buy something.. 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.