Opening Day is March 30. "We're kind of strategically positioned in different departments," Meghan said. The campaign was inspired in part by a partnership with designer/house-flipper Jeff Lewis of the Bravo show Flipping Out. I presented my ideas for this two weeks ago and it will be out on the floor in three weeks. - Lynn Hauldren: Who? 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.. Nothing will be worse than the commercials they ran the last time the Cicadas were in season. This is not how you attract a premium buyer or build a premium brand. Hope, once a Smithe designer and store manager, now lives in Colorado with her husband. 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 Smithe boys started out in a tiny ranch house in Des Plaines, the children of Walter Jr. and Florence. Thats fast, but it shows what we can do. It took the mother of six children a few years to figure out how to juggle her demanding career and busy home life. walter e smithe furniture & design. "Staying fresh, young and relevant is how we're going to sustain the brand into the next 75 years. The company makes, sells, and repairs furniture, . "Still hard for me to imagine.") Over the last 12 years, one by one, Walter's daughters have been hired on at Smithe in an official capacity. We all trickled back in, and it happened really organically, says Meghan of the industrious quartet, who collectively has 17 children. Walter Smithe, president of the furniture company named for his grandfather, is flanked by daughters, Maureen, left, and Caitie on March 21, 2017, as theywatch his other daughters Colleen, far left, and Meghan play pingpong at the Walter E. Smithe furniture store in Oak Brook. So I'm speaking, and they're half listening, you know. They hammer out a script, call in O'Neil and start filming. "Smithes have fun at the old ballpark". The store, which has 10 locations in the Chicago area, has been open for nearly 75 years and has faced all the challenges of . "As needs within the business grew, positions opened up organically," Maureen said. His sons, Walter, Tim, and Mark, joined the company in the 1970s and 1980s. 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. As mothers, all of us have cleaned up a childs spill, or even their vomit, from our furniture, Colleen jokes. Till your hair grows back."). 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. When the boys took over from their father, there were about a half-dozen stores. But I never forget that these are my sisters and I completely respect them. Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. is headquartered in Itasca, IL. 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. Then they tie in pop culture it shows that they're sort of a with-it furniture company. Walter has been known to take furniture for test drives, says Meghan. One of my friends used to live near Fullerton and Western, and she would always tell people she lived near Tile Outlet. The spot showed the brothers at a news conference announcing that they had purchased Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, with plans to rename it Walter E. Smithe Field. Its unjust to think that women can somehow balance it all, Colleen adds. 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. With 10 years of advertising industry experience, Smithe Parker, daughter of President Walter E. Smithe III, has worked with high-profile advertising agencies in Chicago. Chicagoans came to know and appreciate the three Smithe brothers who starred for years in quirky TV commercials touting their family-run furniture company. And Mark, 40, is Smithe's general counsel; he and his partner live in Lincoln Park with Petey, a 4-year-old bulldog. Tim, 41, is the vice president of sales; he and his wife have four kids and live in Winnetka. - 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. Walter E. Smithe Jr. Obituary. Explore more of the publications in our portfolio here. They decided on an ad campaign that would, simply, pitch their product. The company gained national exposure from Lewis' collection, and each sister was able to shine in her own specialty. Others have been parodies of reality television shows, such as The Apprentice and The Bachelor. Currently, there are 3 generations involved in the business: Walter Smithe Jr is retired, but regularly visits the showrooms. E. Smithe sisters Caitie, Colleen, Meghan and Maureen were introduced to the business at a young age. In the 1970s Walter left Smithe and Shanahan (His brothers remained with the original company) to start his own company - Walter E. Smithe. 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. Zajdel was a driver for Victory when he made the commercial a quarter-century ago. We not only respect this, we embrace it.. 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. "We take that very seriously, and we have so much passion for it.". But it wasn't long before he approached his youngest daughter with a proposition. And now with the company's 75th anniversary approaching in August, they're ready to push forward plans to expand and evolve. Smithe's wife of 64 years was by his side when he passed, and he . 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. Postpartum bladder leaks are common but there's help. They've transitioned into the spotlight. 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. Its a tough balance, but I like figuring out the retail puzzle.. As Caitie puts it, Theres no reason you cant use an entertainment console as a buffet in the dining room.. When Smithe makes a furniture delivery, Its not uncommon for our crews to bring a 25-year-old sofa with a Smithe sticker on it back to this warehouse, Meghan says. The new campaign, dubbed Smithe Family Makeovers, showcases Smithe furniture in the homes of actual clients, revealing the handiwork of the companys designers in HGTV-esque episodes. There's a preconceived notion that furniture stores are stuffy and tired, run by men in suits and catering to older generations. "It's made us focus on what we do best, which is designing our clients' homes," he said. /r/Chicago is the place to discuss and stay updated on the daily happenings of Chicago, Illinois, USA. For example - my favorite large upholstered dining chairs are under $200. CHICAGO (WLS) -- Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86, his family said. It takes work and sacrifice.. Chicago, IL. This style is out there and we need to respond and get it on our floor. [6], One of Walter E. Smithe's most discussed commercials aired in late March 2006. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The Smithes: (L-R) Colleen, Meghan, Walter III, Walter Jr., Mark, Caitie, and Maureen. The Itasca-based company has 10 locations across Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, where the sisters ply their fourth-generation talents. 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. Relevant. But repeated airings of the ad have made him and his door legendary. Since 1945, the company has established itself as a reliable family-run retailer, with the second- and third-generation Smithe men at the helm. It's all a part of an effort to hang on to the company's loyal customers while persuading younger shoppers that Walter E. Smithe isn't just their parent's go-to store. They're not egomaniacs. Shop the label. So, somewhat reluctantly, they let themselves become the public face of Walter E. Smithe Furniture. 1 Early life; 2 Television; 3 Personal Life; 4 References; . Timothy Smithe Jr. (m. 2013-2018) Kyla Lynn McCarthy (born October 8, 1986) is the daughter of politician and former Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy. walter e smithe. The Empire Carpet Guy, of course. Nothing is left unchanged, Meghan notes. 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." 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. Multi Location Business. Regarded as top performer within the account and the Agency, as a result of consistent over-delivery, passion to grow the business . In fact, none of the sisters seriously considered having a career in the company, founded by their great-grandfather in 1945. This began a long series of lighthearted television commercials, which became increasingly elaborate over the next few years. Our lives can be overrun with technology, commitments and schedules. Anyone got a link to the current commercial? Shop the Sofa Sale. For the most part, that relationship translates well in the business world, they say. 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. Get 5 free searches. 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. "With a strategy to continue Smithe parodies of relevant topics, really, the future is limitless," he says. And I thought, `makeup and lighting. I was probably in elementary school when I would come in to work in the warehouse sweeping for a nickel Colleen says. 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. Her sisters had fallen into their own specialties and were pursuing different paths at the time. You may also light a candle in honor of Walter E. Smithe Jr. or send a beautiful flower arrangement to the funeral . 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. After college, all three gravitated back to the family business, which was founded by their father. "They're having a lot of fun. 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. A wake will be held at Ryan-Parke Funeral Home in Park Ridge on Friday, Oct. 21, and a funeral mass will follow on Saturday, Oct. 22, and St. Paul of the Cross Church in Park Ridge. If you find the right furniture, it will last even through your kids, Colleen says. But always start from a place where we love each other and enjoy working together., Between the ages of 10 and 18, former Barrington High School soccer, For Olympian Patrick Gasienica, ski jumping has been a part of his, Dr. Rekha S. Rajan has devoted her personal and professional life to, One of the most prestigious dance companies in the world, The Joffrey, Saint Anne Catholic Community Churchs Project Hope ministry, A night of sequin-studded disco fever, the 5th Annual Hoosier Ball was. 1428, hollyhunt.com) has expanded its Great Plains textile offering with the Foreign Affair collection, which has a mix of warm and cool neutrals. - Nick Celozzi and Maury Ettleson: Starting in the early '70s, they waved fistfuls of cash at TV viewers and reminded everyone that Celozzi-Ettleson Chevrolet in Elmhurst was "Where you always save more money!". 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. ", Says Tim Smithe, "Pop culture is always changing and so are we.". Then when I plugged it in, the place went up for grabs. His daughters were hesitant at first, questioning whether they were ready for such a responsibility. 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. Getting the Smithes in front of the camera wasn't easy. 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. Visit . Walter E. Smithe and Bill Shanahan founded the store anticipating a booming economy in the wake of World War II. 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. "That is the top priority for the four of us," Meghan Smithe said. Press J to jump to the feed. The Smithe brothers are following in the footsteps of other memorable Chicago commercial icons: - Jim Moran: Starting in the late '40s, "The Courtesy Man" sponsored wrestling programs, late-night movies, a country-and-western music show and his own variety show.