Assuming your a dude your not supposed to understand the commercials. Walter E. Smithe Furniture is a company located in Itasca, Illinois, United States. For the most part, that relationship translates well in the business world, they say. Walter E. Smithe and Bill Shanahan founded the store anticipating a booming economy in the wake of World War II. 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. The Smithe brothers used good-natured humor on countless TV commercials selling furniture. To make up for it, she woke up early to make heart-shaped pancakes. 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. 1 Early life; 2 Television; 3 Personal Life; 4 References; . While we still have traditional pieces, our showroom appeals to a number of different lifestyles. Mark admonished Walt to keep his feet off the furniture. Walter was the first of the third generation to join the family business in 1981 . "With a strategy to continue Smithe parodies of relevant topics, really, the future is limitless," he says. Then he and Thorson meet with his brothers and throw ideas around. Whoever said brick-and-mortar is dead hasn't met the Smithe sisters. They brought in real clients, worked with real designers and demonstrated each sister's essential role within the business. You may have noticed a change lately in those Walter E. Smithe (smithe.com) siblings-on-a-couch commercials. Smithe guy Walt actually Walter Smithe III 45 is president and general manager of the. Tags: Design Controls - Facebook Instant Article, Home & Garden, Interior Design. Additional partnerships with the likes of Cynthia Rowley and Ellen Degeneres have exposed the company to a new customer base. 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. I dont think anyone in the furniture industry does advertising well. Compare how recession-proof Walter E. Smithe Furniture is relative to the industry overall. No outside agency required. Woven Roman shades, a jute rug and a blonde wood vanity usher texture and warmth into the otherwise minimalist design. "There are still people who ask us, 'Where are the brothers? 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. With a 71-year history and 11 stores sprinkled throughout Chicago and the suburbs, Walter E. Smithe is a local furniture icon. 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." Their interactions were zany, their dialogue lighthearted, their catchy jingle -- "you dream it, we build it" -- recognizable throughout the region. The Smithe brothers used good-natured humor on countless TV commercials selling furniture. They're nice folks. October 12, 2022 / 3:27 PM As the oldest sibling, Maureen was the first to officially join Walter E. Smithe in a professional capacity in 2004. The Smithe sisters have always been close -- and growing up, it wasn't always by choice. Our dad always put an emphasis on hard work, and it stuck with us.. "Staying fresh, young . ", Says Tim Smithe, "Pop culture is always changing and so are we.". Nothing is left unchanged, Meghan notes. Hope, once a Smithe designer and store manager, now lives in Colorado with her husband. 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. Three years later, she recruited Colleen to become advertising director -- a position she accepted without hesitation. Walter E. Smithe is a family business in every sense of the word, the sisters say. 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. And now with the company's 75th anniversary approaching in August, they're ready to push forward plans to expand and evolve. 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. Spoken like the daughter of a true "shop owner," as her father Walter E. Smithe III, president of the eponymous furniture retailer calls himself. Postpartum bladder leaks are common but there's help. 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 company began in 1945 as Tone Appliances and Furniture, a single store on Belmont Avenue in Chicago. 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. 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. A 2005 advertisement showed Mark and Tim Smithe dueling with CGI-enhanced lamps in an homage to the lightsaber duels of the Star Wars films. The Smithe sisters, all in their thirties, worked in the family business as teens but pursued different career paths in adulthood. Her sisters had fallen into their own specialties and were pursuing different paths at the time. And youll see each of my sisters doing what they do best.. }); Chicago Parent is Chicagolands trusted parenting hub since 1984. You have this sense of passion and responsibility for it. Opening Day is March 30. 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. Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. is headquartered in Itasca, IL. However, Lewis Lazare, the Chicago Sun-Times' advertising critic, has defended the commercials. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). Bloomingdale Plaza. 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. Falling asleep. 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. There is no true balance for moms in our situation., We cant be everything all at once, Meghan says. This style is out there and we need to respond and get it on our floor. There is nothing like a day spent soaking up the sun and a good book or an evening with friends and good food and drinks under the stars. Compare how recession-proof Walter E Smithe Furniture is relative to the industry overall. 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. Caitie Smithe, Designer and Stylist. They're not egomaniacs. - Lynn Hauldren: Who? Timothy Smithe Jr. (m. 2013-2018) Kyla Lynn McCarthy (born October 8, 1986) is the daughter of politician and former Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy. Or "Hardrock, Coco and Joe." Colleen loved being able to point out that her dad and uncles, Mark and Tim, brainstormed and executed the ideas themselves. Our lives can be overrun with technology, commitments and schedules. What are they up to?' We understand that customers see a certain look on, say, Instagram and they want it replicated in their own home, Colleen says. Walter Smithe III and Mark Smithe (the Smithe Brothers) are the sons of Walter Jr, and serve as President and VP/Legal Counsel, respectively. 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. Along the way, they got married, had children (17 in all!) Draftfcb. ". Nothing will be worse than the commercials they ran the last time the Cicadas were in season. 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. "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.". walter e smithe furniture inc. With a 71-year history and 11 stores sprinkled throughout Chicago and the suburbs, Walter E. Smithe is a local furniture icon. 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. Home Cities Chicago Meet the Smithe Sisters, The new generation is shaking things up at furniture icon Walter E. Smithe. We had no grand plan.. (He's now semi-retired, having turned the business over to his sons about 10 years ago.). PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBIN SUBAR, When Maureen Smithe returned from maternity leave after giving birth to identical twin daughters last August (children number five and six for those keeping count), she was puzzled by the pained looks she received from some of her colleagues. Warehouse workers go over every piece of inventory awaiting delivery with a fine-tooth comb, looking for things an untrained eye would never see. They look hungry. 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. walter e smithe, furniture stores near me, ballinger vase buy, gold side end table, tall mirror, walter e smithe daughters, furniture . Getting the Smithes in front of the camera wasn't easy. Brothers Walt, Tim and Mark Smithe -- the faces of Walter E. Smithe Furniture -- seem to have hit on something with their ubiquitous ads. It's pretty surprising they are still playing on these tired sexist tropes in this day and age. Create Comparison. between Scott Ave. and Tower Rd., Winnetka, shophwdd.com) hosts a First Friday event on the North Shore. First published on October 12, 2022 / 3:27 PM. Still, the Smithes have had to weather various challenges since joining the company, including the retirement of their uncle, Tim. He cites the U2 music video takeoff. CHICAGO (WLS) -- Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86, his family said. 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. Edit: I have been informed that they are the daughters, not the wives. 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. The Walter E. Smithe furniture jingle "you dream it, we build it" has been a longtime fixture in the firm's television ads, just as the Smithe brothers themselves have been. Lewis teamed up with Smithes merchandising team to create in-store vignettes, and also featured the store on his show. 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. His line was, `If you can talk you can breathe.'". Check out the new collection. This is useful in estimating the financial strength and credit risk of the company. You may have noticed a change lately in those Walter E. Smithe . We've got the radar out for that," Tim Smithe says. Walt and Tim mocked Mark's new haircut. 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. 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. They've been able to weather the unexpected storm of the coronavirus pandemic. It's fun to be part of Chicago in that way.". He began working in the . Cindy went to college in Iowa and settled there after school. Visit Website (opens in new window) Walter E. Smithe. The 4th generation (Walter III's daughters) join the business after careers in their respective fields; Maureen in 2002, Meghan in 2014, Caitie in 2015, and Colleen in 2016. It was like the empire jingle. Its unjust to think that women can somehow balance it all, Colleen adds. I love incorporating an unexpected element into a room. The company's commercials were originally straightforward descriptions of their products and services, but in 2003, the brothers decided to include outtakes from past filmings, which showed the brothers stumbling over words and laughing at each other. They pointed out how affordable the pieces are. Watch. 1251 W. Thorndale Ave. Itasca, IL 60143-1149. [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. One spot was modeled after Apple's weird commercials. Read on to find out more about pelvic floor therapy and how it's growing in popularity among postpartum women. The daughters took over the company. How could the Itasca-based company break the mold and reach a new audience while still carrying its message into a fourth generation? 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. But repeated airings of the ad have made him and his door legendary. For instance, finding that perfect piece of decorative furniture that creatively doubles as a toy box for kids games, toys and video devices. So I'm speaking, and they're half listening, you know.