walter e smithe daughters

Walter has been known to take furniture for test drives, says Meghan. 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 are sad to announce that on October 9, 2022 we had to say goodbye to Walter E. Smithe Jr. of Chicago, Illinois. And Mark, 40, is Smithe's general counsel; he and his partner live in Lincoln Park with Petey, a 4-year-old bulldog. and runners at CB2 (800 W. North Ave., cb2.com). '", "I was at a gym on a treadmill," Mark says of the first time he caught one of the commercials. 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. "It's never gone completely crazy -- no one can say that one commercial will bring customers in -- but we kind of thought it re-established us in the marketplace. 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. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). 9's "Garfield Goose" and "Ray Rayner" shows. We get that question all the time, and that was to be expected," Colleen said. 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. [7], Chicagoans have had mixed reactions to the Walter E. Smithe commercials. 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 . (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). You could say that the Smithes are a bit obsessed with quality. You can still be a fun premium brand (Virgin, for example) but this is Family Dollar-type schtick. Walter was the first of the third generation to join the family business in 1981 . "As needs within the business grew, positions opened up organically," Maureen said. We understand that customers see a certain look on, say, Instagram and they want it replicated in their own home, Colleen says. McCarthy was married to grandson of Walter E. Smithe, Timothy Smithe Jr. in Paris, France in June of 2013. . But one by one, they followed Maureen's lead and rejoined the family business. Im stunned when people watch one of our makeovers and are surprised that Smithe carries so much of what they like, says Caitie. You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. Subscribe for free today! Jeff Lewis's collection of vignettes is available at Walter E. Smithe's 11 showrooms in Chicago, and online. Then they brought in the wives. 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 businesss namesakeand the sisters uncles, Mark and Tim. Let's go Cubbies! This style is out there and we need to respond and get it on our floor. The company makes, sells, and repairs furniture, . ". - 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. Personally, I dont want to stare at ugly furniture for all those years, Meghan says. During a stint in the Army, Smithe attained the rank of captain and became an expert in the field of computers. They can really do great things. "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. 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. "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. Favorite design style: Cozy and comfortableaka hygge ethos. walter e smithe. Main Telephone (630) 285-8000. That was the extent of his pitchman career. Brothers Walt, Tim and Mark Smithe -- the faces of Walter E. Smithe Furniture -- seem to have hit on something with their ubiquitous ads. 1251 West Thorndale Avenue. between Scott Ave. and Tower Rd., Winnetka, shophwdd.com) hosts a First Friday event on the North Shore. ", Instead they talk about the U2/iTunes takeoff, the brothers' version of "The Apprentice" or the Olympic parody from last year. 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. We can be real nimble when we're this tight and this spread across the business.". What are they up to?' (847) 933-1481. Since 1945, the company has established itself as a reliable family-run retailer, with the second- and third-generation Smithe men at the helm. "There are still people who ask us, 'Where are the brothers? Also would somebody please feed them? 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. 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. 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. One spot was modeled after Apple's weird commercials. I was probably in elementary school when I would come in to work in the warehouse, sweeping for a nickel, Colleen says of the brand, which first opened in 1945. It worked really well for a long time, but post-recession, we saw peoples sensibilities had changed, says Meghan. 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. Like their brothers, the four Smithe sisters were all in the business when they were in high school. Others have been parodies of reality television shows, such as The Apprentice and The Bachelor. Anyone got a link to the current commercial? In 2002 they brought in director Bill O'Neil to help them. "I was invited to speak to 300-some designers in Oak Brook," he says. The company's commercials were originally straightforward descriptions of their products and services, but in 2003, the brothers decided to include outtakes from past filmings, which showed the brothers stumbling over words and laughing at each other. Walter E. Smithe also is changing up its ads. He NEVER blinks. Not as long as they keep the commercials clever and topical, O'Neil says. Visit . Meghan is director of marketing, Caitie is a designer and stylist and Colleen is director of advertising. The chemistry among this familial foursome is something parents can only hope for from their children. Determine whether Walter E. Smithe Furniture grew or shrank during the last recession. Smithe was born in 1936 to Margaret Slifka and Walter E. Smithe Sr., and grew up in the Northwest Side's Belmont Central neighborhood. 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. "And they've been able to personalize a retail chain through the use of the brothers. "Smithes have fun at the old ballpark". 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. We take that very seriously, and we have so much passion for it.". "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. 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. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sometimes it does not pay to work with family. She has a few ideas for how to add a little spring to your home. Opening Day is March 30. "And of course this summer's blockbuster is supposed to be `Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.' Pinterest. Shop the Sofa Sale. The Smithes: (L-R) Colleen, Meghan, Walter III, Walter Jr., Mark, Caitie, and Maureen. They've spruced up their styles, selling more contemporary pieces among their traditional designs. This began a long series of lighthearted television commercials, which became increasingly elaborate over the next few years. We dont always agree on things, Colleen says. They have a younger brother, who lives out of state, and plenty of younger cousins who have yet to join the team, though the sisters say there's still time. "They took different career paths," Tim says. The Empire Carpet Guy, of course. My wife and I were just talking about this yesterday, we truly hate the Walter E Smithe commercials with the daughters. Read the rest of the issue. Who are these guys? Unlike their brothers, they chose other careers. Tomorrow, Hubbard Woods Design District (Green Bay Rd. Walter E. Smithe Furniture is a company located in Itasca, Illinois, United States. "An hour and a half. About. Take dress up and glam up a notch with a self-care day at this luxurious spa for kids and tweens. 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 the truth is, I love coming to the office. High School," Walter says. Colleen loved being able to point out that her dad and uncles, Mark and Tim, brainstormed and executed the ideas themselves. There's a lot of blurred lines, and we have to learn when to defer to each other.". Read on to find out more about pelvic floor therapy and how it's growing in popularity among postpartum women. We take inspiration from the world of interior design to curate customized . The CBS Chicago team is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on CBSChicago.com. She is a celebrity who is genuinely interested in how her furniture will do and be perceived, Maureen says. One of the first opportunities to test their compatibility was through a partnership with interior designer and TV personality Jeff Lewis. 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. USA. It's pretty surprising they are still playing on these tired sexist tropes in this day and age. The Smithe sisters, all in their thirties, worked in the family business as teens but pursued different career paths in adulthood.

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