walter e smithe daughters

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.. His sons, Walter, Tim, and Mark, joined the company in the 1970s and 1980s. and became working moms in different industries. ". Today. 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. Customers were more concerned with what we were selling versus the people who were selling it, she adds. Colleen Smithe, Director of Advertising 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Till your hair grows back."). 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. It's pretty surprising they are still playing on these tired sexist tropes in this day and age. Were a Chicago company that was given national exposure. The daughters took over the company. The Smithe boys started out in a tiny ranch house in Des Plaines, the children of Walter Jr. and Florence. The four women have been taking on bigger roles at the company and star in its new ad. "I was at Dulles Airport in Washington, waiting for a 9:30 flight at night," Mark says. Give yourself time to just be in a comfortable and beautiful outdoor space. From 5 to 8 p.m., select retailers will offer refreshments while highlighting unique designers. 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." Its unjust to think that women can somehow balance it all, Colleen adds. Sibling revelry; Their offbeat commercials have made the Smithe brothers cult heroes. They look hungry. That was the extent of his pitchman career. Tim, 41, is the vice president of sales; he and his wife have four kids and live in Winnetka. 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. 2023 Zoe Communications Group | 332 S. Michigan Ave., Suite #LL-M974, Chicago, IL 60604 | 708.386.5555 | Website by Web Publisher PRO, ParentEd Talks: Free Virtual Speaker Series, A Concerned Parents Guide to Gun Violence and Gun Safety. Shop now. 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. Smithe was born in 1936 to Margaret Slifka and Walter E. Smithe Sr., and grew up on the Northwest Side in Belmont Central. Bringing new and various textures into a room can take it from plain and lacking in interest to exciting and memorable. Even with little ones underfoot, the Smithe sisters make balancing their family furniture business and their growing broods look effortless. Smithe's three sons the Smithe brothers Mark, Tim, and Walter III became executives in the business and were regularly featured in the commercials. Press J to jump to the feed. The slogans "You dream it, we build it", or "That's Smithe, with an E" are commonly used. And they're not showbiz types. Edit: I have been informed that they are the daughters, not the wives. It stuck in your head. The original simple jingle and slogan was perfect. "We're dreamers and we have big ideas," Meghan said. "That is the top priority for the four of us," Meghan Smithe said. This article originally appeared in the April 2019 issue of Chicago Parent. It's all a part of an effort to hang on to the company's loyal customers while persuading younger shoppers that Walter E. Smithe isn't just their parent's go-to store. He began working in the . Cindy went to college in Iowa and settled there after school. Walter E. Smithe Jr. also earned a master's degree in Anthropology at Loyola University Chicago in 1980. Sometimes we present to our dad as a united front and other times we need him to be a tie breaker. "And I'd be yelling, `I can't breathe! 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. You could say that the Smithes are a bit obsessed with quality. Tomorrow, Hubbard Woods Design District (Green Bay Rd. Since 1945 the company has . Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86, his family said. But now a new generationsisters Meghan, Colleen, Maureen, and Caitie . E. Smithe sisters Caitie, Colleen, Meghan and Maureen were introduced to the business at a young age. 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. Currently, there are 3 generations involved in the business: Walter Smithe Jr is retired, but regularly visits the showrooms. I only hear them on the radio. - 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. Jamie Sotonoff. But when they finally decided to accept, they knew they needed to come up with a unique and effective way to introduce themselves to the Chicago market as the new faces of Walter E. Smithe. Further confused by the commercials now. Hauldren -- an advertising copywriter who created the character -- first appeared in the ads in 1973. Chicago, IL. Their advertising is creative, it's timely and it's interesting, so people remember it and they like it.". You want it to succeed and do well.". 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. 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. Trendwise, Caitie says the color gurus at Pantone were right on when they selected a bright shade of green as Color of the Year. - The Victory Auto Wreckers guy: Almost every night since 1981, on some channel, Bob Zajdel has barely escaped injury when the driver's door fell off his old Chevy. What she does: I use both sides of my brain: left for all the analytical spreadsheet stuff and right for the creative vision. To the Smithe sisters, the company has always been a piece of their identity, an integral thread of their childhood. We not only respect this, we embrace it.. For people who are in their 40s and have families, that's how brothers act around each other when they get together. 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. Visit Website (opens in new window) Walter E. Smithe. The sisters can measure the span of their careers by their childrens ages and development, so they clearly understand what its like to worry about furniture at the mercy of young, messy children. How could the Itasca-based company break the mold and reach a new audience while still carrying its message into a fourth generation? We all trickled back in, and it happened really organically, says Meghan of the industrious quartet, who collectively has 17 children. The sisters laughed at hearing this family adage, knowing that home furnishing has been woven into the tapestry of their lives. Then he and Thorson meet with his brothers and throw ideas around. The Smithes: (L-R) Colleen, Meghan, Walter III, Walter Jr., Mark, Caitie, and Maureen. 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. College was a turning point for the sisters, who now call one another their best friends. Were often building on what we see resonating in the market and what is interesting and beautiful at the moment., Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design is coming off a successful year of strategic partnerships with Bravo TVs Jeff Lewis and interior designer Cynthia Rowley. William Hageman and Tribune staff reporter. 1428, hollyhunt.com) has expanded its Great Plains textile offering with the Foreign Affair collection, which has a mix of warm and cool neutrals. 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. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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. As their father, the company president, has told customers for decades, Life is too short to sit on uncomfortable furniture.. With a 71-year history and 11 stores sprinkled throughout Chicago and the suburbs Walter E. Maureen in 2002 Meghan in 2014 Caitie in 2015 and Colleen in 2016. They decided on an ad campaign that would, simply, pitch their product. 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. The Smithe brothers used good-natured humor on countless TV commercials selling furniture. My sisters and I loved being a part of it.. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design advertising has featured everything from parodies of "The Price Is Right" to a 2013 classic in which the Smithe brothers got into a wrestling ring with Billy Corgan. 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. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_E._Smithe. 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. He received a Bachelor of Philosophy in Commerce from the University of Notre Dame in 1958. 443 were here. About. 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. The CBS Chicago team is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on CBSChicago.com. 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. Zajdel was a driver for Victory when he made the commercial a quarter-century ago. Weird. Favorite design style: Cozy and comfortableaka hygge ethos. Compare how recession-proof Walter E Smithe Furniture is relative to the industry overall. portalId: "6766057", 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 . "In a family business, everyone has to wear all hats at all times," Maureen said. But I never forget that these are my sisters and I completely respect them. Walter E. Smithe Jr's death was announced Thursday on the company's Facebook page. I'm a brand manager and their commercials make the brand seem like a discount bin. 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. They're not egomaniacs. 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. Anyone got a link to the current commercial? 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. 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. Nothing will be worse than the commercials they ran the last time the Cicadas were in season. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. But repeated airings of the ad have made him and his door legendary. 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. CHICAGO (WLS) -- Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86, his family said. As Caitie puts it, Theres no reason you cant use an entertainment console as a buffet in the dining room.. One spot was modeled after Apple's weird commercials. 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. The transition took place over the span of 12 years as key positions became available in the company, starting with Maureen who became a merchandise buyer. I love incorporating an unexpected element into a room. Walter has been known to take furniture for test drives, says Meghan. Spoken like the daughter of a true shop owner, as her father Walter E. Smithe III, president of the eponymous furniture retailer calls himself. "The brothers have no acting talent," Tim says. 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! [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). 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 Smithe brothers used good-natured humor on countless TV commercials selling furniture. Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, - Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, Paddock Publications, Inc. is an Employee-Owned Company. Receive a 20 percent discount on sofas, love seats, sectionals, chaises, and more at Cassona (5241 N. Clark St., cassona.com) through March 13. The store, which has 10 locations in the Chicago area, has been open for nearly 75 years and has faced all the challenges of . 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. 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. Walter E. Smithe Furniture is a company located in Itasca, Illinois, United States. Whether bringing in color as an accent or making a big statement with a lot of color, your home will feel instantly transformed and personalized. You may also light a candle in honor of Walter E. Smithe Jr. or send a beautiful flower arrangement to the funeral . Last edited on 17 December 2022, at 02:33, https://incfact.com/company/walteresmithefurniture-itasca-il/, Walter E. Smithe gives royal treatment to Royal Manner. And then fate gently tapped them on their shoulder. Who are the Walter E Smithe daughters? Their interactions were zany, their dialogue lighthearted, their catchy jingle -- "you dream it, we build it" -- recognizable throughout the region. For instance, finding that perfect piece of decorative furniture that creatively doubles as a toy box for kids games, toys and video devices. "And of course this summer's blockbuster is supposed to be `Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.' Caitie Smithe, Designer and Stylist. 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. We strive to bring our clients the best in home furnishings for every style, budget, and. "And a woman was there with her daughter, and she nudged her and I heard her say, 'That's the Walter E. Smithe guy.' The Smithe brothers have been described as "Chicago's most recognizable furniture purveyors", due to their ubiquitous television commercials starring themselves. We connect families with the best local resources, advice, stories, things to do with kids and much more. 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. Then they tie in pop culture it shows that they're sort of a with-it furniture company. Her sisters had fallen into their own specialties and were pursuing different paths at the time. Walter E. Smithe and Bill Shanahan founded the store anticipating a booming economy in the wake of World War II. The company makes, sells, and repairs furniture, . A new book offers a primer on how to spot, seize, and exploit and create lucky breaks More, Two new must-visit hotels from Austin to Houston More, Shop Patek Philippe timepieces, Oiya bracelets and a Miami-based skincare brand More, Plan a day of relaxation at Pressed Roots and The Spa at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas More, Raise a glass to our favorite new French-inspired bistros, charming piano bars and bold Italian eateries in Manhattan More, From shoes to handbags, here are the new boutiques to visit in New York City More, The best-selling author, entrepreneur and global philanthropist continues a push with Feeding America to provide 1 billion meals More, Were Over The Moon About This New Travel Registry, 2022 Holiday Gift Guide: The Best Edible Presents, Room Request! [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. 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.