walter e smithe daughters

Visit . "The brothers have no acting talent," Tim says. In some of the footage, youll see my dad installing a dimmer or my uncle driving a truck. My sisters and I represent the viewpoint of our younger clientele, Meghan says. 443 were here. Ellen is very serious about design and had a definite voice in what this modern-rustic-meets-farmhouse collection would be. With a 71-year history and 11 stores sprinkled throughout Chicago and the suburbs, Walter E. Smithe is a local furniture icon. Am I the only one who just thinks he looks like Louis CK? He attended the University of Notre Dame and earned a bachelor 's . You have this sense of passion and responsibility for it. Then they tie in pop culture it shows that they're sort of a with-it furniture company. walter e smithe. To see these serious, stuffy guys laughing and having fun someone yelled out, `You should use that as a commercial. Then they brought in the wives. The Smithes: (L-R) Colleen, Meghan, Walter III, Walter Jr., Mark, Caitie, and Maureen. 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. Around the same time, Caitie was ready to return to the workforce as a designer and stylist, a skill she had honed early in her career. The Smithe family announced that their patriarch died this past Sunday with his wife of 64 years, Florence Flynn Smithe, by his side. [4][5] In 2008, they filmed and edited a takeoff of the Sex and the City franchise, with the brothers sipping "Smithe-o-politans". View a map of participating First Friday locations. [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. Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. is headquartered in Itasca, IL. walter e smithe furniture inc. 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. Smithe then went into the computer industry working for General Electric and IBM in 1967, according to his obit. "I said, `Let's get you guys on camera.'". "Some dabbled and moved on and others just weren't interested.". There's a lot of blurred lines, and we have to learn when to defer to each other.". The seven pieces featured in the Quincy Master Bedroom vignette below (chair, trunk . We simply never had that conversation, Meghan says. It worked really well for a long time, but post-recession, we saw peoples sensibilities had changed, says Meghan. She had been a buyer for Abercrombie and Fitch for a few years after college when a job opened up in the Smithe merchandising office. It's partnered with celebrity designers and broadened the mix of products carried in stores, online and in its resurrected catalog to include more current trends and a wider range of price points. "Pam, Bill and I are always on the watch for pop culture. The Smithe sisters now serve as the face of the firm, offering a female perspective that better reflects the company, the industry and the country today. 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. 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. Tim offered Walt brotherly support after a just-completed scene. Give yourself time to just be in a comfortable and beautiful outdoor space. 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 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. Timothy Smithe Jr. (m. 2013-2018) Kyla Lynn McCarthy (born October 8, 1986) is the daughter of politician and former Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy. A matte black bathtub, vanity mirrors and hardware pop against the airy walls in this modern primary bathroom. I only hear them on the radio. "It's always positive, and it's nice to be part of it. We take inspiration from the world of interior design to curate customized . Its very much in line with our desire to offer the most beautiful pieces that are of the highest quality. 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. 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. Hope, once a Smithe designer and store manager, now lives in Colorado with her husband. 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. walter e smithe. The commercials were being shot at a studio in Northfield and would result in enough footage for dozens of TV ads to appear over the next six months. Only a year apart in age, the lively, fast-talking Smithe sisters consider one another best friends. One by one, each sister began working in the family business. walter e smithe furniture - inc. walter e smithe furniture. Check out the new collection. "Case in point, I was just this morning sketching out my first ideas for The Three Tenors, featuring, of course, the Smithe brothers in a coliseum. As their father, the company president, has told customers for decades, Life is too short to sit on uncomfortable furniture.. Pinterest. We understand that customers see a certain look on, say, Instagram and they want it replicated in their own home, Colleen says. My sisters and I loved being a part of it.. 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. ", Instead they talk about the U2/iTunes takeoff, the brothers' version of "The Apprentice" or the Olympic parody from last year. 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. Regarded as top performer within the account and the Agency, as a result of consistent over-delivery, passion to grow the business . I think people felt sorry for me, assuming that I wasnt getting any sleep and having to come to work every day, says Maureen. getting a penny or nickel for every clearance tag we pulled," says Meghanthe four daughters of Walter Smithe III have . Let's go Cubbies! Smithe's three sons the Smithe brothers Mark, Tim, and Walter III became executives in the business and were regularly featured in the commercials. Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, - Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, Paddock Publications, Inc. is an Employee-Owned Company. 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. "And I'd be yelling, `I can't breathe! When the boys took over from their father, there were about a half-dozen stores. 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. Today. And yet, as they went off to college and moved into the next phase of life, they were never expected to someday return full time. How, they wondered, would longtime customers respond to four new female faces on their television screens? "They're having a lot of fun. First published on October 12, 2022 / 3:27 PM. Since 1945, the company has established itself as a reliable family-run retailer, with the second- and third-generation Smithe men at the helm. Walter Smithe, president of the furniture company, climbs the stairs March 21, 2017, at the Walter E. Smithe furniture store in Oak Brook, alongside his four daughters, Colleen, from left, Caitie, Maureen and Meghan. Find out where to go, what to eat, where to live, and more. Their grandfather, who is in his 80s, remains active in the company, frequently visiting showrooms and making connections with clients. Along the way, they got married, had children (17 in all!) I presented my ideas for this two weeks ago and it will be out on the floor in three weeks. 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. Im stunned when people watch one of our makeovers and are surprised that Smithe carries so much of what they like, says Caitie. Tim recalls Walt trying to smother him -- repeatedly, apparently -- with a bean bag chair. Home Cities Chicago Meet the Smithe Sisters, The new generation is shaking things up at furniture icon Walter E. Smithe. Explore. 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. 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. 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. Anyone got a link to the current commercial? Tim, 41, is the vice president of sales; he and his wife have four kids and live in Winnetka. For decades, the public faces of the privately owned company have been the sisters' father, Walter E. Smithe IIIthe 59-year-old grandson of the business's namesakeand the sisters' uncles, Mark and Tim. As Caitie puts it, Theres no reason you cant use an entertainment console as a buffet in the dining room.. Jamie Sotonoff. No surprise why the quality is so crap. We dont always agree on things, Colleen says. It's pretty surprising they are still playing on these tired sexist tropes in this day and age. It said he passed away peacef Since 1945 the company has . About. 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. Last year there aas a commercial where the puppet quickly moved to close his laptop when someone came in the office. 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 . 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. The brothers are recognized on the street, in grocery stores and coffee shops ("I got a free Starbucks latte once," Tim says). 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. The slogans "You dream it, we build it", or "That's Smithe, with an E" are commonly used. There's a preconceived notion that furniture stores are stuffy and tired, run by men in suits and catering to older generations. The inky accents create a sleek statement against the white walls and lend a streamlined look to the space. Walter E. Smithe and Bill Shanahan founded the store anticipating a booming economy in the wake of World War II. Chicago's Best Furniture and Expert Design. Or "Hardrock, Coco and Joe." What she does: I use both sides of my brain: left for all the analytical spreadsheet stuff and right for the creative vision. Tags: Design Controls - Facebook Instant Article, Home & Garden, Interior Design. Unlike their brothers, they chose other careers. "It almost feels like the business is, in a weird way, a member of the family. Sometimes it does not pay to work with family. The Smithe sisters now serve as the face . 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. We learned so much from these relationships, Colleen says. You may have noticed a change lately in those Walter E. Smithe . "We take that very seriously, and we have so much passion for it.". "It's made us focus on what we do best, which is designing our clients' homes," he said. Sometimes we present to our dad as a united front and other times we need him to be a tie breaker. The 86-year-old patriarch of the Smithe family, Walter Edward Smithe Jr., "died . Walt (actually Walter Smithe III), 45, is president and general manager of the company; he and his wife have five kids and live in Barrington Hills. Edit: I have been informed that they are the daughters, not the wives. 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. Even their more than 250 employees are treated like family. between Scott Ave. and Tower Rd., Winnetka, shophwdd.com) hosts a First Friday event on the North Shore. 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 answer -- and the sisters' secret to success -- can be summed up in three key words: Fresh. /r/Chicago is the place to discuss and stay updated on the daily happenings of Chicago, Illinois, USA. He received a Bachelor of Philosophy in Commerce from the University of Notre Dame in 1958. "It's been about reworking how we approach visually what we want to convey about the product that we're selling," Meghan said. But even as likable as the brothers are, do they run the risk of oversaturation or going to the well too often? How could they ensure the 75-year-old brand would be sustainable for decades to come? 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. "We have wonderful clients who are my generation or older, but we have to figure out how we cater to this new generation that's setting up households now. ". Meghan and Colleen spent several years working at advertising agencies in Chicago. Here, get to know this powerhouse quartet. Chicago magazine newsletters have you covered. I can't breathe!' "We're not your parents' furniture company," Caitie said. Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design. 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. . The four women have been taking on bigger roles at the company and star in its new ad. 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. Reaching a younger demographic and expanding their clientele has required some creativity, the sisters said. Currently, there are 3 generations involved in the business: Walter Smithe Jr is retired, but regularly visits the showrooms. As they grew into their teens, there were the usual summer jobs -- caddying, yard work, selling ice cream from a motorized three-wheeler. Dont burden yourself with the boredom of a matching wood set. Its unnerving. That sentiment applies to their lively commercials, too, which frequently feature the sisters chatting on a stylish couch or gathering with family members in a beautifully staged home. What she does: "I make spaces beautiful for clients' homes, our catalogs and showrooms, and play couples' therapist for clients who can't agree on a sofa." Favorite design style: Modern mixed with traditional. 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. Now, a lot more people know about us than knew a few years ago.". Shop the Sofa Sale. Walter E. Smithe is a family business in every sense of the word, the sisters say. "There was some physical violence between the brothers," Walt says with that satisfied look of a big brother who got to dish it out. Her sisters had fallen into their own specialties and were pursuing different paths at the time. Nah, I know a few of them. "By being so close and meeting so regularly, we're all in the loop with what's happening in each other's sphere. And Amy is a singer and songwriter. "It's a big responsibility. (He's now semi-retired, having turned the business over to his sons about 10 years ago.). Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design is a family-owned furniture retailer, founded right here in Chicago, back in 1945. They've spruced up their styles, selling more contemporary pieces among their traditional designs. Then he and Thorson meet with his brothers and throw ideas around. It couldn't have gone more perfectly, Maureen said. "And a woman was there with her daughter, and she nudged her and I heard her say, 'That's the Walter E. Smithe guy.' It was an organic transition for each of us, says Colleen, the youngest sister. For people who are in their 40s and have families, that's how brothers act around each other when they get together. [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]. The chemistry among this familial foursome is something parents can only hope for from their children. You can still be a fun premium brand (Virgin, for example) but this is Family Dollar-type schtick. 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. High School," Walter says. - Linn Burton: He started selling appliances in Polk Bros. ads in 1953, but the majority of his 35-year TV career was spent hawking cars -- Kaisers, Frazers, Joe Rizza's Pontiacs and, most famously, Bert Weinman's Fords.

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