His signature line: "Linn Burton for certain!". getting a penny or nickel for every clearance tag we pulled," says Meghanthe four daughters of Walter Smithe III have . How could the Itasca-based company break the mold and reach a new audience while still carrying its message into a fourth generation? Compare how recession-proof Walter E Smithe Furniture is relative to the industry overall. 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 86-year-old patriarch of the Smithe family, Walter Edward Smithe Jr., "died . "It almost feels like the business is, in a weird way, a member of the family. The new generation of Smithes are featured in the company's new advertising. Along the way, they got married, had children (17 in all!) Additional partnerships with the likes of Cynthia Rowley and Ellen Degeneres have exposed the company to a new customer base. 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. '", "I was at a gym on a treadmill," Mark says of the first time he caught one of the commercials. 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. 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 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. Contents. Caitie Smithe is aDesigner, Design Coordinator + Stylist atWalter E. Smithe Furniture + Design. In one of their most memorable ads, the four women get into a food fight -- spaghetti and red wine included -- and seemingly destroy a bright white couch, which is then scrubbed clean. Walter E. Smithe Jr. died peacefully at age 86, his family said in a prepared statement. My sisters and I loved being a part of it.. 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. So I'm speaking, and they're half listening, you know. Visit . That cartoon of Bob has BDE and you can't deny it. Hope, once a Smithe designer and store manager, now lives in Colorado with her husband. Darvin is always yelling about discounts. Smithe then went into the computer industry working for General Electric and IBM in 1967, according to his obit. Sometimes we present to our dad as a united front and other times we need him to be a tie breaker. View a map of participating First Friday locations. Nothing will be worse than the commercials they ran the last time the Cicadas were in season. Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design (Old Orchard) 17 miles. 1 Early life; 2 Television; 3 Personal Life; 4 References; . "We had a common agreement that we had the best furniture in Chicago," Tim says, "but not enough people knew about it.". 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. 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. "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. What she does: I use both sides of my brain: left for all the analytical spreadsheet stuff and right for the creative vision. [2] Today, the company has ten showrooms in Illinois and Indiana and is listed by Furniture Today as one of the top one hundred furniture retailers in the United States. He NEVER blinks. 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. Who are these guys? Three years later, she recruited Colleen to become advertising director -- a position she accepted without hesitation. While a new recession may strike a particular industry, measuring the industry and . To the Smithe sisters, the company has always been a piece of their identity, an integral thread of their childhood. "They were loved," said Colleen Smithe, the youngest daughter of Walter Smithe III. Then they tie in pop culture it shows that they're sort of a with-it furniture company. There's a lot of blurred lines, and we have to learn when to defer to each other.". The CBS Chicago team is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on CBSChicago.com. - Lynn Hauldren: Who? Even with little ones underfoot, the Smithe sisters make balancing their family furniture business and their growing broods look effortless. For instance, finding that perfect piece of decorative furniture that creatively doubles as a toy box for kids games, toys and video devices. 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. The chemistry among this familial foursome is something parents can only hope for from their children. 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. 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. Anyone got a link to the current commercial? They brought in real clients, worked with real designers and demonstrated each sister's essential role within the business. As mothers, theyve learned its not only possible, but preferable, to have a functional yet beautiful home. 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. Hauldren -- an advertising copywriter who created the character -- first appeared in the ads in 1973. Tomorrow, Hubbard Woods Design District (Green Bay Rd. They've spruced up their styles, selling more contemporary pieces among their traditional designs. Determine whether Walter E. Smithe Furniture grew or shrank during the last recession. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). Opening Day is March 30. Favorite design style: Modern mixed with traditional. The girls got the bedrooms; the three boys shared a room in the basement. 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. "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. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. Corporate Profile - Winmo Jeff Lewis's collection of vignettes is available at Walter E. Smithe's 11 showrooms in Chicago, and online. 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. One of my friends used to live near Fullerton and Western, and she would always tell people she lived near Tile Outlet. Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86, his family said. 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. "Smithes have fun at the old ballpark". 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. To see these serious, stuffy guys laughing and having fun someone yelled out, `You should use that as a commercial. Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Smithe Furniture, dies at 86 "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. That was the extent of his pitchman career. 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. That's a galaxy away from the current "Star Wars" parody. Happy Hour With Jeff Lewis + Walter E. Smithe - fountainof30.com Cindy went to college in Iowa and settled there after school. Customers were more concerned with what we were selling versus the people who were selling it, she adds. Shop the clearance. Walter E. Smithe and Bill Shanahan founded the store anticipating a booming economy in the wake of World War II. Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, - Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, Paddock Publications, Inc. is an Employee-Owned Company. Today. The founder of well-known Chicago-area furniture company Walter E. Smithe has died, his family announced Wednesday. While we still have traditional pieces, our showroom appeals to a number of different lifestyles. We strive to bring our clients the best in home furnishings for every style, budget, and stage of life. Our lives can be overrun with technology, commitments and schedules. But it wasn't long before he approached his youngest daughter with a proposition. Am I the only one who just thinks he looks like Louis CK? 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. Take dress up and glam up a notch with a self-care day at this luxurious spa for kids and tweens. It also featured an appearance by Dutchie Caray, wife of the late Cubs announcer Harry Caray. The Sisters Behind the Walter E. Smithe Furniture Company - DuJour 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 This led to the development of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design. I was probably in elementary school when I would come in to work in the warehouse, sweeping for a nickel, Colleen says of the brand, which first opened in 1945.
Did Gotham Garage Build A Second Xnr, Articles W