- 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. '", "The business steadily increased since we started the commercials," Walt says. As mothers, all of us have cleaned up a childs spill, or even their vomit, from our furniture, Colleen jokes. The Chicago native attended Fenwick High School and the University of Notre Dame. This initiative calls for all hands on deck. Smithe says that doing everything in-house allows them to be quick on their feet. They seem very pretentious I think. (847) 933-1481. Multi Location Business. The Smithe sisters have heard it all before, and they've set out to dispel those misperceptions. I love the one where they are drinking what looks like Tang out of wine glasses. 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. After college, all three gravitated back to the family business, which was founded by their father. I love the attention I get as a local celebrity," Mark says. And Amy is a singer and songwriter. Sip A Negroni While Exploring This Stunning New Home Boutique, Peruse Artisan-Crafted Collections At This Chicago Boutique, Fresh And Feminine Vibes Rule This Winnetka Boutique, Whats In Store At Chicagos New Must-See Surface Destination, 3 Things To Know About The Latest RH Gallery, Do Not Sell Or Share My Personal Information. Warehouse workers go over every piece of inventory awaiting delivery with a fine-tooth comb, looking for things an untrained eye would never see. 1428, hollyhunt.com) has expanded its Great Plains textile offering with the Foreign Affair collection, which has a mix of warm and cool neutrals. Nah, I know a few of them. Since 1945, the company has established itself as a reliable family-run retailer, with the second- and third-generation Smithe men at the helm. The girls have all worked elsewhere before they came to work here, says Walter of his daughters who have had careers ranging from merchandising to advertising. "They're having a lot of fun. portalId: "6766057", Subscribe to one or more of our free e-mail newsletters to get instant updates on local news, events, and opportunities in Chicago. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). Mix together different, but complimentary, elements such as woods, metals and stonesand feel free to mix various metals together. His line was, `If you can talk you can breathe.'". Holly Hunt (222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza, Ste. It's not included in a shorter version now airing on TV. Now, the Itasca-based furniture and interior design company wants you to get to know the Smithe sisters. Mark admonished Walt to keep his feet off the furniture. Additional partnerships with the likes of Cynthia Rowley and Ellen Degeneres have exposed the company to a new customer base. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Explore. 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. "They were loved," said Colleen Smithe, the youngest daughter of Walter Smithe III. It's fun to be part of Chicago in that way.". Hotel Mousai Puerto Vallarta, Room Request: Four Seasons Hotel Bogota Casa Medina, New Restaurants and Bars in New York City, Clare V., Mulberry and More New Retail Openings in NYC, Tony Robbins Challenge to Provide 1 Billion Meals Nears its Goal, Get behind-the-scenes pictures on Instagram. My sisters and I loved being a part of it.. "And of course this summer's blockbuster is supposed to be `Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.' Meghan was hired in 2013 and now serves as director of sales strategy. Customers were more concerned with what we were selling versus the people who were selling it, she adds. 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 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." The brothers are recognized on the street, in grocery stores and coffee shops ("I got a free Starbucks latte once," Tim says). Building upon the Smithe family legacy is a big responsibility, the sisters said, one they've embraced with fervor. 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. 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. I only hear them on the radio. I was probably in elementary school when I would come in to work in the warehouse sweeping for a nickel Colleen says. The founder of well-known Chicago-area furniture company Walter E. Smithe has died, his family announced Wednesday. Shop now. 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 was a natural fit, she said. "I said, `Let's get you guys on camera.'". The commercial, Colleen's brainchild, aimed to show off the company's new "worry-free" performance fabrics that repel stains, a trend Maureen recognized at a major industry trade show and brought back to the Chicago market. College was a turning point for the sisters, who now call one another their best friends. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). 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. "He'd come up from behind and drop in it on us," Tim says. His sons, Walter, Tim, and Mark, joined the company in the 1970s and 1980s. The Smithe brothers used good-natured humor on countless TV commercials selling furniture. Hope, once a Smithe designer and store manager, now lives in Colorado with her husband. Walter E. Smithe is a furniture company based in Itasca, Illinois. Since 1945 the company has . The Smithe brothers have been described as "Chicago's most recognizable furniture purveyors", due to their ubiquitous television commercials starring themselves. Caitie was a manufacturers' representative before becoming a stay-at-home mom. "And there's 10 televisions, all tuned to the same station. What are they up to?' - 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. We had no grand plan.. Smithe was born in 1936 to Margaret Slifka and Walter E. Smithe Sr., and grew up on the Northwest Side in Belmont Central. While we still have traditional pieces, our showroom appeals to a number of different lifestyles. Kneen & Co. (399 W. Fullerton Pkwy., Ste. 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. Receive a 20 percent discount on sofas, love seats, sectionals, chaises, and more at Cassona (5241 N. Clark St., cassona.com) through March 13. There's a preconceived notion that furniture stores are stuffy and tired, run by men in suits and catering to older generations. USA. We strive to bring our clients the best in home furnishings for every style, budget, and stage of life. Billy Corgan and Walter E. Smithe Wrestling. We take that very seriously, and we have so much passion for it.". He was still spending weekends at Smithe furniture showrooms until recently and he volunteered for many years for Habitat for Humanity, building houses in the U.S. and Central America. Chicago's Best Furniture and Expert Design. walter e smithe. Three years later, she recruited Colleen to become advertising director -- a position she accepted without hesitation. Whoever said brick-and-mortar is dead hasn't met the Smithe sisters. I havent seen the Tile Outlet lady in a while!! 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. "We're not your parents' furniture company," Caitie said. between Scott Ave. and Tower Rd., Winnetka, shophwdd.com) hosts a First Friday event on the North Shore. 74% of employees would recommend working at Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design to a friend and 70% have a positive outlook for the business. 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. The Smithes: (L-R) Colleen, Meghan, Walter III, Walter Jr., Mark, Caitie, and Maureen. Spoken like the daughter of a true "shop owner," as her father Walter E. Smithe III, president of the eponymous furniture retailer calls himself. Here, get to know this powerhouse quartet. But it wasn't long before he approached his youngest daughter with a proposition. Sibling revelry; Their offbeat commercials have made the Smithe brothers cult heroes. 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. The Empire Carpet Guy, of course. Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design is a family-owned furniture retailer, founded right here in Chicago, back in 1945. - 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. When they get a topic, Smithe says, he tries to figure a way to blend it into an ad. View a map of participating First Friday locations. Shop the clearance. 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. They were each only a year apart, at one point covering all four grade levels at Barrington High School. "We take that very seriously, and we have so much passion for it.". No outside agency required. Trendwise, Caitie says the color gurus at Pantone were right on when they selected a bright shade of green as Color of the Year. Our lives can be overrun with technology, commitments and schedules. Walter E. Smithe is a furniture company based in Itasca, Illinois. Favorite design style: Cozy and comfortableaka hygge ethos. In recent years, Smithe enjoyed his time with extended family. Walter E. Smithe Jr. Obituary. The slogans "You dream it, we build it", or "That's Smithe, with an E" are commonly used. Tim, 41, is the vice president of sales; he and his wife have four kids and live in Winnetka. 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. It stuck in your head. If you grew up in Chicago, you can probably hum it. 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. Relevant. CHICAGO The founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design has died. It said he passed away peacef "I was invited to speak to 300-some designers in Oak Brook," he says. Since 1945, the company has established itself as a reliable family-run retailer, with the second- and third-generation Smithe men at the helm. 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. . I can't breathe!' 9615 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, IL 60077. The new generation of Smithes are featured in the company's new advertising. "It almost feels like the business is, in a weird way, a member of the family. We refer to Smithe.com as our 12th store, since many of our clients are doing their research online before coming to see us in person.. 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. "We're custom, so we can create everything, but we need to get the right mix out there to give people ideas," said Meghan Smithe, the company's director of marketing. The Smithes stand out because they're doing silly things. "If our specialties fit those needs, then we were invited to have a conversation and explore the opportunity, but it was never a demand placed on us.". I presented my ideas for this two weeks ago and it will be out on the floor in three weeks. }); Chicago Parent is Chicagolands trusted parenting hub since 1984. Walter Smithe III and Mark Smithe (the Smithe Brothers) are the sons of Walter Jr, and serve as President and VP/Legal Counsel, respectively. Compare how recession-proof Walter E. Smithe Furniture is relative to the industry overall. This began a long series of lighthearted television commercials, which became increasingly elaborate over the next few years. We get that question all the time, and that was to be expected," Colleen said. 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. Subscribe for free today! Get 5 free searches. She is a celebrity who is genuinely interested in how her furniture will do and be perceived, Maureen says. Getting the Smithes in front of the camera wasn't easy. One spot was modeled after Apple's weird commercials. We connect families with the best local resources, advice, stories, things to do with kids and much more. People are buying a look, but they want it to feel curated and personal., Its up to Maureen and Caitie to monitor the market, make sure the showroom reflects current palettes, while staying a few steps ahead of what is currently trending. 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. And in between the entertainment were his folksy commercials for Courtesy Motors -- his cars were "honeys" and "sweeties" -- which at one point was the world's largest Ford dealer. 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. Oct 2012 - Apr 20152 years 7 months. 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.. "People really did love seeing them on their TVs.". 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.

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