The sisters laughed at hearing this family adage, knowing that home furnishing has been woven into the tapestry of their lives. In 2002 they brought in director Bill O'Neil to help them. You could say that the Smithes are a bit obsessed with quality. Then when I plugged it in, the place went up for grabs. Caitie Smithe, Designer and Stylist. 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. Itasca, IL 60143. The brothers are recognized on the street, in grocery stores and coffee shops ("I got a free Starbucks latte once," Tim says). As teens, the four sisters worked only part time in their fathers showroom or outlet store, selling furniture and earning their first paychecks along with other eager, cash-strapped teens. The seven pieces featured in the Quincy Master Bedroom vignette below (chair, trunk . 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. ", Says Tim Smithe, "Pop culture is always changing and so are we.". 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Its very much in line with our desire to offer the most beautiful pieces that are of the highest quality. The sisters left for college with a few prized furnishings and a work ethic that became a permanent fixture in their lives. Newlyweds can now register for exclusive honeymoon stays and experiences at 23 of Auberge Resorts Collections luxury hotels and resorts worldwide More, With two movies out this winter, the actress and producer Salma Hayek Pinault is at the top of her game More, The star of A Beautiful Noise, which just opened at the Broadhurst Theatre, is a big Neil Diamond fan More, The writer and actor makes his Broadway debut in his just-opened play Aint No Mo More, After flying high in the hit sequel Top Gun: Maverick, Glen Powell stars in the new film Devotion, out now More, It's not enough to just be smart. Primary Address. And Amy is a singer and songwriter. 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. The slogans "You dream it, we build it", or "That's Smithe, with an E" are commonly used. 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. So much misogyny in these comments, their commercials have always been cheesy and annoying. 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. Then they tie in pop culture it shows that they're sort of a with-it furniture company. We dont always agree on things, Colleen says. While they took breaks from the biz to make their own way after college, each came back when the right positions opened up. "And I'd be yelling, `I can't breathe! 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. - Lynn Hauldren: Who? Get 5 free searches. Mark admonished Walt to keep his feet off the furniture. Please enter valid email address to continue. I also think, coming from a family business myself, to see how they interact with each other just gives you the feeling that they're good people, that you'd want to do business with those people.". Bringing new and various textures into a room can take it from plain and lacking in interest to exciting and memorable. To the Smithe sisters, the company has always been a piece of their identity, an integral thread of their childhood. So, somewhat reluctantly, they let themselves become the public face of Walter E. Smithe Furniture. 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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. Since 1945, the company has established itself as a reliable family-run retailer, with the second- and third-generation Smithe men at the helm. With a 71-year history and 11 stores sprinkled throughout Chicago and the suburbs, Walter E. Smithe is a local furniture icon. 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. At Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, we are committed to helping our clients love their homes through expert design, quality furnishings, and exemplary service. 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. [6], One of Walter E. Smithe's most discussed commercials aired in late March 2006. 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. Walter E. Smithe, Jr. joined the business in the 1960s with his brothers Gary and Tomm, and began phasing out appliances to focus on custom upholstery. The store, which has 10 locations in the Chicago area, has been open for nearly 75 years and has faced all the challenges of . Chicago, IL. "If we'd done that with a large agency, it would have been flying people in from New York and storyboards and approvals along the way," he says. When I first came on board, our industry was very much a good old boys club, says Maureen, who regularly travels to marketplaces around the country to buy merchandise. Woven Roman shades, a jute rug and a blonde wood vanity usher texture and warmth into the otherwise minimalist design. 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. 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. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). Press J to jump to the feed. "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. Chicago magazine newsletters have you covered. The Smithe boys started out in a tiny ranch house in Des Plaines, the children of Walter Jr. and Florence. Over the past 76 years, the company has grown to include 10 Chicago area showrooms. "They were loved," said Colleen Smithe, the youngest daughter of Walter Smithe III. This initiative calls for all hands on deck. The two renamed the store Smithe and Shanahan, but Bill Shanahan eventually sold his share to Smithe's brother Charlie. But one by one, they followed Maureen's lead and rejoined the family business. Reaching a younger demographic and expanding their clientele has required some creativity, the sisters said. 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. Brothers Walt, Tim and Mark Smithe -- the faces of Walter E. Smithe Furniture -- seem to have hit on something with their ubiquitous ads. Main Telephone (630) 285-8000. This style is out there and we need to respond and get it on our floor. First published on October 12, 2022 / 3:27 PM. portalId: "6766057", But they do have a business. The Smithe boys started out in a tiny ranch house in Des Plaines, the children of Walter Jr. and Florence. The fourth generation of Smithe leadership is hoping that this young, fresh approach to advertising and marketing will resonate with a consumer base that hasnt yet shopped with Smithe before. Maureen Smithe and Caitie Smithe had the pleasure of working with Chicago's own Mr. FixIt, Lou Manfredini.Such a nice guy and a true Chicagoan! In the 1970s Walter left Smithe and Shanahan (His brothers remained with the original company) to start his own company - Walter E. Smithe. 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. Timothy Smithe Jr. (m. 2013-2018) Kyla Lynn McCarthy (born October 8, 1986) is the daughter of politician and former Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy. 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. The implication was that he was doing/looking at something inappropriate. '", "The business steadily increased since we started the commercials," Walt says. Pinterest. This began a long series of lighthearted television commercials, which became increasingly elaborate over the next few years. How, they wondered, would longtime customers respond to four new female faces on their television screens? "We're kind of strategically positioned in different departments," Meghan said. Even with little ones underfoot, the Smithe sisters make balancing their family furniture business and their growing broods look effortless. October 12, 2022 / 3:27 PM "We're all rolling up our sleeves and getting dirty. - 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. Were now getting calls from all over the world., Under Colleen and Meghans direction, Smithe now has a beautiful new lookbook in its marketing toolbox and a stable full of breathtaking photography, as they become the exclusive distributor for Ellen DeGeneres new furniture collection from Thomasville. It was like the empire jingle. Their interactions were zany, their dialogue lighthearted, their catchy jingle -- "you dream it, we build it" -- recognizable throughout the region. They pointed out how affordable the pieces are. "And there's 10 televisions, all tuned to the same station. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). "They go a long way with a limited budget through the use of creativity," he says. 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.". Sometimes you have to act fast. getting a penny or nickel for every clearance tag we pulled," says Meghanthe four daughters of Walter Smithe III have . The Bob's puppet is a far better actor than the Smithe girls though. A new collection at Holly Hunt, discounts at EuroFurniture, a First Friday event at Hubbard Woods Design District, and more. 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. View info about Walter E. Smithe Furniture (smithe.com). 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. The founder of well-known Chicago-area furniture company Walter E. Smithe has died, his family announced Wednesday. Today, they help oversee 10 showrooms, the warehouse and headquarters, working together (generally) perfectly. I think people felt sorry for me, assuming that I wasnt getting any sleep and having to come to work every day, says Maureen. It also featured an appearance by Dutchie Caray, wife of the late Cubs announcer Harry Caray. We feel like we can now speak to the multitude of generations who shop with us, she says. We connect families with the best local resources, advice, stories, things to do with kids and much more. 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. Our dad always put an emphasis on hard work, and it stuck with us.. The Smithe sisters, all in their thirties, worked in the family business as teens but pursued different career paths in adulthood. An added factor in the commercials' success are the brothers, who come across as regular guys. The Itasca-based company has 10 locations across Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, where the sisters ply their fourth-generation talents. As mothers, theyve learned its not only possible, but preferable, to have a functional yet beautiful home. 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. In one of their most memorable ads, the four women get into a food fight -- spaghetti and red wine included -- and seemingly destroy a bright white couch, which is then scrubbed clean. Warehouse workers go over every piece of inventory awaiting delivery with a fine-tooth comb, looking for things an untrained eye would never see. Take dress up and glam up a notch with a self-care day at this luxurious spa for kids and tweens. It turned out so well that Tim carried along a copy to a speaking engagement. "I was at Dulles Airport in Washington, waiting for a 9:30 flight at night," Mark says. This has been our priority since we first began serving the Chicago area back in 1945. Home Cities Chicago Meet the Smithe Sisters, The new generation is shaking things up at furniture icon Walter E. Smithe. Kneen & Co. (399 W. Fullerton Pkwy., Ste. The Smithe brothers have been described as "Chicago's most recognizable furniture purveyors", due to their ubiquitous television commercials starring themselves. Favorite design style: Modern mixed with traditional. We strive to bring our clients the best in home furnishings for every style, budget, and.