The 86-year-old patriarch of the Smithe family, Walter Edward Smithe Jr., "died . 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 . Were not trying to portray an image that working mothers can pull off everything without something falling through, Maureen says candidly. We feel like we can now speak to the multitude of generations who shop with us, she says. The first order of business: ditch the longstanding, highly recognizable ad campaign featuring their father and two uncles. Trendwise, Caitie says the color gurus at Pantone were right on when they selected a bright shade of green as Color of the Year. 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. Even with little ones underfoot, the Smithe sisters make balancing their family furniture business and their growing broods look effortless. "Staying fresh, young . The Smithe boys started out in a tiny ranch house in Des Plaines, the children of Walter Jr. and Florence. 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 seven pieces featured in the Quincy Master Bedroom vignette below (chair, trunk . Caitie was a manufacturers' representative before becoming a stay-at-home mom. You could say that the Smithes are a bit obsessed with quality. I'm a brand manager and their commercials make the brand seem like a discount bin. Meghan and Colleen spent several years working at advertising agencies in Chicago. 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. Young. The Bob's puppet is a far better actor than the Smithe girls though. If you grew up in Chicago, you can probably hum it. "That was the best part," she said. 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. Be sure to visit Sawbridge Studios, which will showcase sustainably harvested, live-edge furniture by David Stine. Read the rest of the issue. The Smithe boys started out in a tiny ranch house in Des Plaines, the children of Walter Jr. and Florence. His line was, `If you can talk you can breathe.'". "That is the top priority for the four of us," Meghan Smithe said. 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. They're nice folks. "I was at Dulles Airport in Washington, waiting for a 9:30 flight at night," Mark says. Find locations. [4], In March, 2017, daughters of Walter E. Smithe III became the fourth generation of the Smithe family to be featured in the commercials.[8]. "In what seems to be their unending and over-the-top zeal to self-promote, they just may be helping drive traffic," he wrote, adding, "If nothing else, the advertising suggests the chain has some suits with personality attached. For instance, finding that perfect piece of decorative furniture that creatively doubles as a toy box for kids games, toys and video devices. 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. Sometimes its the only quiet I get.. Meghan is director of marketing, Caitie is a designer and stylist and Colleen is director of advertising. Smithe's three sons the Smithe brothers Mark, Tim, and Walter III became executives in the business and were regularly featured in the commercials. Walter E. Smithe is a family business in every sense of the word, the sisters say. 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. In the 1970s Walter left Smithe and Shanahan (His brothers remained with the original company) to start his own company - Walter E. Smithe. getting a penny or nickel for every clearance tag we pulled," says Meghanthe four daughters of Walter Smithe III have . Additional partnerships with the likes of Cynthia Rowley and Ellen Degeneres have exposed the company to a new customer base. No outside agency required. Along the way, they got married, had children (17 in all!) She has a few ideas for how to add a little spring to your home. To their delight, the reaction to that initial campaign was primarily positive, as has been the case for every commercial they've produced since. One spot was modeled after Apple's weird commercials. "As furniture commercials go, what the Smithes are doing is great," he says. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. It takes work and sacrifice.. For example - my favorite large upholstered dining chairs are under $200. Assuming your a dude your not supposed to understand the commercials. The company makes, sells, and repairs furniture, specializing in custom upholstery, and operates ten showrooms throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. Draftfcb. Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design (Old Orchard) 17 miles. Shop now. We take inspiration from the world of interior design to curate customized . This rating has improved by 10% over the last 12 months. Then when I plugged it in, the place went up for grabs. We learned so much from these relationships, Colleen says. Zajdel was a driver for Victory when he made the commercial a quarter-century ago. 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 Itasca-based company has 10 locations across Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, where the sisters ply their fourth-generation talents. Billy Corgan and Walter E. Smithe Wrestling. walter e smithe. The daughters took over the company. Darvin is always yelling about discounts. The new generation of Smithes are featured in the company's new advertising. "As needs within the business grew, positions opened up organically," Maureen said. 1251 West Thorndale Avenue. Subscribe for free today! "KFC dances to beat of familiar drummers". Business Profile for Walter E. Smithe Furn-Itasca. Were a Chicago company that was given national exposure. Walter E. Smithe and Bill Shanahan founded the store anticipating a booming economy in the wake of World War II. Favorite design style: Modern mixed with traditional. between Scott Ave. and Tower Rd., Winnetka, shophwdd.com) hosts a First Friday event on the North Shore. There are so many cool and unique materials being used to manufacture furniture these dayssuch as capiz shells, bone inlay, faux shagreen, concrete, rope and slate. 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. Instead, the Smithe sisters Colleen, director of advertising; Maureen, a buyer; Caitie, a designer; and Meghan, the marketing director help a Chicago couple with tastes that sometimes clash give their town home a new look before relatives show up for a visit. No surprise why the quality is so crap. Jamie Sotonoff. It worked really well for a long time, but post-recession, we saw peoples sensibilities had changed, says Meghan. We've got the radar out for that," Tim Smithe says. 1 Early life; 2 Television; 3 Personal Life; 4 References; . "So that drove us, I think, to be successes.". It was like the empire jingle. The original simple jingle and slogan was perfect. He attended the University of Notre Dame and earned a bachelor 's . Shop the clearance. I only hear them on the radio. Jeff Lewis's collection of vignettes is available at Walter E. Smithe's 11 showrooms in Chicago, and online. Lewis Lazare. And it's those commercials, always informative and usually silly, that have the Smithe brothers walking in the footsteps of Linn Burton and the Empire Carpet Guy as Chicago TV commercial icons. Oct 2012 - Apr 20152 years 7 months. 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. and runners at CB2 (800 W. North Ave., cb2.com). E. Smithe sisters Caitie, Colleen, Meghan and Maureen were introduced to the business at a young age. His four daughtersMaureen Megan Clarke Caitie Jisa and Colleen Parkerare now the new faces of this historic Chicago brand a spot he and his brothers held for decades. She is a celebrity who is genuinely interested in how her furniture will do and be perceived, Maureen says. Her sisters had fallen into their own specialties and were pursuing different paths at the time. Rocketreach finds email, phone & social media for 450M+ professionals. As mothers, theyve learned its not only possible, but preferable, to have a functional yet beautiful home. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . with Maureen Smithe Brusznicki and Caitie Smithe Jisa at Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design. "They're having a lot of fun. If you find the right furniture, it will last even through your kids, Colleen says. There's a lot of blurred lines, and we have to learn when to defer to each other.". 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. 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. 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. 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. They pointed out how affordable the pieces are. 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. Now, a lot more people know about us than knew a few years ago.". We get that question all the time, and that was to be expected," Colleen said. The inky accents create a sleek statement against the white walls and lend a streamlined look to the space. Its no longer that way.. The company gained national exposure from Lewis' collection, and each sister was able to shine in her own specialty. The first change I noticed was it became all about the sons. CHICAGO (CBS) -- Walter Edward Smithe Jr., the founder of Chicago's Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86. 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. About. "We're all rolling up our sleeves and getting dirty. Mark admonished Walt to keep his feet off the furniture. My hope is to inspire people to slow down enough to talk with a designer and hopefully buy something.. "It's a big responsibility. We understand that customers see a certain look on, say, Instagram and they want it replicated in their own home, Colleen says. Or using a new high-tech application to keep couch fabric truly worry free from childrens spills, everything from spaghetti sauce to Kool-Aid. All three attended St. Mary's College in Winona, Minn. Walt got an MBA at Notre Dame, Tim got one at Northwestern, and Mark got a law degree at Loyola. And now with the company's 75th anniversary approaching in August, they're ready to push forward plans to expand and evolve.
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