The company makes, sells, and repairs furniture, . Kneen & Co. (399 W. Fullerton Pkwy., Ste. 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. What The Walter E. Smithe Daughters Do . There's a preconceived notion that furniture stores are stuffy and tired, run by men in suits and catering to older generations. But now a new generationsisters Meghan, Colleen, Maureen, and Caitie . [1] The 4th generation (the Smithe Sisters), all daughters of Walter III, are Maureen Smithe (buyer), Meghan Smithe (director of marketing), Caitie Smithe (designer, design coordinator and stylist) and Colleen Smithe (director of advertising). Smithe was born in 1936 to Margaret Slifka and Walter E. Smithe Sr., and grew up in the Northwest Side's Belmont Central neighborhood. 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. "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. 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. The chemistry among this familial foursome is something parents can only hope for from their children. She sounds annoyed that the spill isn't absorbing, like there's some insurance scheme that hinges on being able to stain this white couch. 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. Its unjust to think that women can somehow balance it all, Colleen adds. "An hour and a half. Updating your home theater? 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. Since 1945, we have been Chicago's local source for quality furniture and expert design. Smithe says that doing everything in-house allows them to be quick on their feet. This style is out there and we need to respond and get it on our floor. Here, get to know this powerhouse quartet. But they still manage to get out to their stores about once a week, touching base with their employees, surprising customers or hosting events such as book signings or wine tastings. But it wasn't long before he approached his youngest daughter with a proposition. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. To their delight, the reaction to that initial campaign was primarily positive, as has been the case for every commercial they've produced since. 443 were here. I think people felt sorry for me, assuming that I wasnt getting any sleep and having to come to work every day, says Maureen. The Smithes stand out because they're doing silly things. "It's a big responsibility. Revenue: $100 to $500 million (USD) Competitors: Linly Designs, Rieke Office Interiors, 57st Design. Smithe's three sons the Smithe brothers Mark, Tim, and Walter III became executives in the business and were regularly featured in the commercials. The first change I noticed was it became all about the sons. After college, all three gravitated back to the family business, which was founded by their father. It was a natural fit, she said. Caitie Smithe, Designer and Stylist. Three years later, she recruited Colleen to become advertising director -- a position she accepted without hesitation. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. "We were kind of like dorks, geeks, growing up," Mark says. "That's F-A-M-E, with an E". Last year there aas a commercial where the puppet quickly moved to close his laptop when someone came in the office. Caitie was a manufacturers' representative before becoming a stay-at-home mom. Also would somebody please feed them? We've got the radar out for that," Tim Smithe says. [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]. Since 1945, the company has established itself as a reliable family-run retailer, with the second- and third-generation Smithe men at the helm. If you find the right furniture, it will last even through your kids, Colleen says. Tags: Design Controls - Facebook Instant Article, Home & Garden, Interior Design. Trendwise, Caitie says the color gurus at Pantone were right on when they selected a bright shade of green as Color of the Year. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). 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. 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. Be sure to visit Sawbridge Studios, which will showcase sustainably harvested, live-edge furniture by David Stine. 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. "And a woman was there with her daughter, and she nudged her and I heard her say, 'That's the Walter E. Smithe guy.' The campaign was inspired in part by a partnership with designer/house-flipper Jeff Lewis of the Bravo show Flipping Out. While we still have traditional pieces, our showroom appeals to a number of different lifestyles. The transition took place over the span of 12 years as key positions became available in the company, starting with Maureen who became a merchandise buyer. Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. Marketing Contacts Contacts (5/9) Name Title State; Walter S. President & Chief Executive Officer . Unlike their brothers, they chose other careers. First published on October 12, 2022 / 3:27 PM. Now, the Itasca-based furniture and interior design company wants you to get to know the Smithe sisters. Only a year apart in age, the lively, fast-talking Smithe sisters consider one another best friends. '", "The business steadily increased since we started the commercials," Walt 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. 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. Spoken like the daughter of a true shop owner, as her father Walter E. Smithe III, president of the eponymous furniture retailer calls himself. - Lynn Hauldren: Who? "They've done a wonderful job building a distinctive brand," says Tim Calkins, a professor of marketing at Northwestern University. 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. . Our dad always put an emphasis on hard work, and it stuck with us.. "That was the best part," she said. "We wanted to entertain people first, so then when we wanted to inform them they'd already be paying attention," Tim says of their advertising philosophy. Edited to add: Looked them up and gee, it's one of the daughters managing the marketing. Industry: Home Furniture & Housewares Stores. walter e smithe furniture & design. Jamie Sotonoff. Meghan can recall her pigtails bouncing as she ran through the Walter E. Smithe warehouse as a young girl, pulling sales tags in exchange for a nickel or dime from her grandfather, Walter Smithe Jr. Find employees, official website, emails, phone numbers, revenue, employee headcount, social accounts, and anything related to Walter E. Smithe Furniture. 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. "Smithes have fun at the old ballpark". "It's been about reworking how we approach visually what we want to convey about the product that we're selling," Meghan said. "Staying fresh, young and relevant is how we're going to sustain the brand into the next 75 years," Meghan said. Primary Address. "There are still people who ask us, 'Where are the brothers? In 2002 they brought in director Bill O'Neil to help them. Ask how we can add diversity to your supply chain. "And they've been able to personalize a retail chain through the use of the brothers. Edit: I have been informed that they are the daughters, not the wives. 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 . "We take that very seriously, and we have so much passion for it.". Weird. Compare how recession-proof Walter E. Smithe Furniture is relative to the industry overall. with Maureen Smithe Brusznicki and Caitie Smithe Jisa at Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design. From 5 to 8 p.m., select retailers will offer refreshments while highlighting unique designers. He received a Bachelor of Philosophy in Commerce from the University of Notre Dame in 1958. They've transitioned into the spotlight. Or "Hardrock, Coco and Joe." 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. And it's those commercials, always informative and usually silly, that have the Smithe brothers walking in the footsteps of Linn Burton and the Empire Carpet Guy as Chicago TV commercial icons. Meghan is director of marketing, Caitie is a designer and stylist and Colleen is director of advertising. 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. They've been able to weather the unexpected storm of the coronavirus pandemic. For example - my favorite large upholstered dining chairs are under $200. 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. [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. 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. We can be real nimble when we're this tight and this spread across the business.". High School," Walter says. You may have noticed a change lately in those Walter E. Smithe . "There was some physical violence between the brothers," Walt says with that satisfied look of a big brother who got to dish it out. Then the commercial came on. 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 . As their father, the company president, has told customers for decades, Life is too short to sit on uncomfortable furniture.. 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What she does: Come up with ideas that get people off their couch and into our storesand put my sisters in awkward positions (see our commercials)., What she does: Whether were working or just hanging out, my Type A personality keeps us organized and on track.. Even if you weren't sure that Walt, Tim and Mark Smithe were brothers -- yep, those Smithe brothers, of "Walter E. Smithe, you dream it, we build it" fame -- their banter at a recent commercial shoot was a dead giveaway. 70 reviews of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design "This is a really good store for when you hit age 40 or so and realize your house still resembles a college dorm. Sometimes it does not pay to work with family. Or using a new high-tech application to keep couch fabric truly worry free from childrens spills, everything from spaghetti sauce to Kool-Aid. While it may not be usable 365 days a year, the days that your outdoor space are in fact usable should be embraced. "He'd come up from behind and drop in it on us," Tim says. And youll see each of my sisters doing what they do best.. Tim, 41, is the vice president of sales; he and his wife have four kids and live in Winnetka. They got on each other's nerves and learned to talk quickly at the dinner table if they wanted to get a word in. The Smithes had been encouraged to air their outtakes on television after Tim Smithe screened them at an interior design seminar and received a positive reaction from the crowd. Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86, his family said. In the late '60s, the growing family -- there are also four sisters, Cindy, Margie and . My sisters and I represent the viewpoint of our younger clientele, Meghan says. Watch. Favorite design style: Clean and neutral. 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