walter e smithe daughters

After college, all three gravitated back to the family business, which was founded by their father. "We're kind of strategically positioned in different departments," Meghan said. "The brothers have no acting talent," Tim says. It takes work and sacrifice.. This rating has improved by 10% over the last 12 months. Compare how recession-proof Walter E. Smithe Furniture is relative to the industry overall. Walt and Tim mocked Mark's new haircut. Over the past 76 years, the company has grown to include 10 Chicago area showrooms. No surprise why the quality is so crap. It was like the empire jingle. High School," Walter says. Favorite design style: Modern mixed with traditional. "And they've been able to personalize a retail chain through the use of the brothers. Here, get to know this powerhouse quartet. Tim offered Walt brotherly support after a just-completed scene. 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 Cindy went to college in Iowa and settled there after school. Let's go Cubbies! Check out the new collection. 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. We can be real nimble when we're this tight and this spread across the business.". Smithe says that doing everything in-house allows them to be quick on their feet. 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. "In a family business, everyone has to wear all hats at all times," Maureen said. ("You should keep that hat on for about three weeks. We strive to bring our clients the best in home furnishings for every style, budget, and stage of life. (Last year, Walter E. Smithe resurrected the 1950s-era cartoon that was a holiday staple on WGN-Ch. Sisters Take Smithe Spotlight, More High-End Barware, and a Sofa Sale, 2020 Chicago magazine / A Chicago Tribune Media Group website, map of participating First Friday locations, Design Controls - Facebook Instant Article. - 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. We are a 4th generation family-owned business, and our employees are an integral part of . Walter E. Smithe Jr. died peacefully at age 86, his family said in a prepared statement. hbspt.forms.create({ 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. Walter E. Smithe told me they work with many designers but Jeff was really able to get a lot of value into the pieces in his collection and that its why . Meghan and Colleen spent several years working at advertising agencies in Chicago. With a 71-year history and 11 stores sprinkled throughout Chicago and the suburbs, Walter E. Smithe is a local furniture icon. He NEVER blinks. 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. Main Telephone (630) 285-8000. Hauldren -- an advertising copywriter who created the character -- first appeared in the ads in 1973. Their dad, the company's president, continued filming his signature ads with his brother, Mark, for a short period of time, Colleen said. 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. 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. [4][5] In 2008, they filmed and edited a takeoff of the Sex and the City franchise, with the brothers sipping "Smithe-o-politans". Favorite design style: Cozy and comfortableaka hygge ethos. Like their brothers, the four Smithe sisters were all in the business when they were in high school. While a new recession may strike a particular industry, measuring the industry and . While we still have traditional pieces, our showroom appeals to a number of different lifestyles. "There are still people who ask us, 'Where are the brothers? Bob's proudly proclaims that it sells cheap garbage, Walter E looks like they're trying to sell you viagra and Penny Mustard radio commercials are justweird.. Till your hair grows back."). 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. The brothers spend most of their time in the company's Itasca headquarters, which also serves as a warehouse, customer service center and point of departure for the fleet of Smithe trucks. If you find the right furniture, it will last even through your kids, Colleen says. walter e smithe furniture & design. 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. I dont think anyone in the furniture industry does advertising well. 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. Smithe was born in 1936 to Margaret Slifka and Walter E. Smithe Sr., and grew up in the Northwest Side's Belmont Central neighborhood. 1251 West Thorndale Avenue. Through March 7, EuroFurniture (2145 W. Grand Ave., eurofurniture.com) is offering 15 percent off BDI media cabinets and consoles available in-store, online, and by phone. 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. 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. Nothing will be worse than the commercials they ran the last time the Cicadas were in season. 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. Dont burden yourself with the boredom of a matching wood set. Falling asleep. In the 1970s Walter left Smithe and Shanahan (His brothers remained with the original company) to start his own company - Walter E. Smithe. You can still be a fun premium brand (Virgin, for example) but this is Family Dollar-type schtick. Along the way, they got married, had children (17 in all!) If you are ready to get grown-up furniture, this place has a very nice selection, with helpful staff who can guide you toward the proper colors, scale, and what looks nice together. Calkins says that by minimizing production costs and media costs and doing those quick turnarounds, Smithe gets a bigger bang for its advertising buck. Lewis Lazare. There's a lot of blurred lines, and we have to learn when to defer to each other.". Its unnerving. "It almost feels like the business is, in a weird way, a member of the family. 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. Since 1945, the company has established itself as a reliable family-run retailer, with the second- and third-generation Smithe men at the helm. Explore. They got on each other's nerves and learned to talk quickly at the dinner table if they wanted to get a word in. [7], Chicagoans have had mixed reactions to the Walter E. Smithe commercials. Jeff Lewis's collection of vignettes is available at Walter E. Smithe's 11 showrooms in Chicago, and online. 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! Walter was the first of the third generation to join the family business in 1981 . View info about Walter E. Smithe Furniture (smithe.com). Itasca, IL 60143. This style is out there and we need to respond and get it on our floor. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. There's a preconceived notion that furniture stores are stuffy and tired, run by men in suits and catering to older generations. (He's now semi-retired, having turned the business over to his sons about 10 years ago.). A matte black bathtub, vanity mirrors and hardware pop against the airy walls in this modern primary bathroom. Their grandfather, who is in his 80s, remains active in the company, frequently visiting showrooms and making connections with clients. Through March 16, enjoy savings of up to 20 percent on select rugs (hopscotch, anyone?) "Some dabbled and moved on and others just weren't interested.". The 86-year-old patriarch of the Smithe family, Walter Edward Smithe Jr., "died . Postpartum bladder leaks are common but there's help. 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. The seven pieces featured in the Quincy Master Bedroom vignette below (chair, trunk . 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. Subscribe for free today! Sometimes its the only quiet I get.. 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. They decided on an ad campaign that would, simply, pitch their product. Oct 2012 - Apr 20152 years 7 months. Chicago, IL. The inky accents create a sleek statement against the white walls and lend a streamlined look to the space. 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Walter Smithe III and his brothers Mark and Tim helped make the furniture store a household name with clever commercials -- a tradition that's continued with Smithe III's four daughters, Colleen . It's not included in a shorter version now airing on TV. 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. They hammer out a script, call in O'Neil and start filming. Revenue: $100 to $500 million (USD) Competitors: Linly Designs, Rieke Office Interiors, 57st Design. 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. We get that question all the time, and that was to be expected," Colleen said. His sons, Walter, Tim, and Mark, joined the company in the 1970s and 1980s. "So that drove us, I think, to be successes.". Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, - Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, Paddock Publications, Inc. is an Employee-Owned Company. Sometimes we present to our dad as a united front and other times we need him to be a tie breaker. He also hosted telethons. But they do have a business. 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. (847) 933-1481. The new generation of Smithes are featured in the company's new advertising. Walter E. Smithe wants to create a series of similar videos to give customers a behind-the-scenes look at their services and the company. Later, both Tim and Mark were night managers at competing convenience stores, Tim at a 7-Eleven in Niles and Mark at a Park Ridge White Hen. As mothers, all of us have cleaned up a childs spill, or even their vomit, from our furniture, Colleen jokes. The founder of well-known Chicago-area furniture company Walter E. Smithe has died, his family announced Wednesday. It turned out so well that Tim carried along a copy to a speaking engagement. I think people felt sorry for me, assuming that I wasnt getting any sleep and having to come to work every day, says Maureen. Its nice to see when a family is ready to replace a well-loved piece that they come back to Smithe to do it. To date, there are 10 Smithe stores scattered throughout Chicago, and one in northwest Indiana. But now a new generationsisters Meghan, Colleen, Maureen, and Caitie . ("Did you notice he used the wide-angle lens when he shot your [rear end]?"). Three years later, she recruited Colleen to become advertising director -- a position she accepted without hesitation. So is there a `Wally and the Sofa Factory' in our future?". - 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. 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. Someone really needs a new marketing director/CMO/agency because they do not know what they are doing. 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 Smithe brothers used good-natured humor on countless TV commercials selling furniture. He received a Bachelor of Philosophy in Commerce from the University of Notre Dame in 1958. The slogans "You dream it, we build it", or "That's Smithe, with an E" are commonly used. Smithe's wife of 64 years was by his side when he passed, and he . Receive a 20 percent discount on sofas, love seats, sectionals, chaises, and more at Cassona (5241 N. Clark St., cassona.com) through March 13. "It's been about reworking how we approach visually what we want to convey about the product that we're selling," Meghan said. 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. But shes quick to point out that the business is still very much a multigenerational effort, noting that their 81-year-old grandfather still regularly meets with clients. 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. "It's made us focus on what we do best, which is designing our clients' homes," he said. Its a tough balance, but I like figuring out the retail puzzle.. The sisters laughed at hearing this family adage, knowing that home furnishing has been woven into the tapestry of their lives. However, Lewis Lazare, the Chicago Sun-Times' advertising critic, has defended the commercials. What she does: I use both sides of my brain: left for all the analytical spreadsheet stuff and right for the creative vision. The Smithe sisters are working to expose the brand to a new customer base Photo credit: Robin Subar. The Bob's puppet is a far better actor than the Smithe girls though. But it wasn't long before he approached his youngest daughter with a proposition. Even with little ones underfoot, the Smithe sisters make balancing their family furniture business and their growing broods look effortless. Regarded as top performer within the account and the Agency, as a result of consistent over-delivery, passion to grow the business . Im stunned when people watch one of our makeovers and are surprised that Smithe carries so much of what they like, says Caitie. "It was kind of ingrained in us," Caitie Smithe said. Like most mothers, whether theyre working or staying at home, we do what we can, she says. So, somewhat reluctantly, they let themselves become the public face of Walter E. Smithe Furniture. She has a few ideas for how to add a little spring to your home. "[5] Of the commercials, Tim Smithe has said, "We wanted to entertain people first, so then when we wanted to inform them they'd already be paying attention".

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