Sure it’s only September, but Thanksgiving is actually right around the corner. This may seem scary to those of us in charge of planning the meals. This may also seem scary for those who swore to lose that extra 10 pounds going into the holiday season so they don’t have to worry about what they eat this year! But your friends at Walter E. Smithe are here to say no worries, there’s still time. Here’s a checklist to get your planning for the holidays started!

Stock your cabinets

If you’re anything like the Smithe brothers, you probably make close to the same meal every year – turkey, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, and of course pumpkin pie. So start looking now for sales on these items to save yourself a couple bucks and the headaches that go along with shopping the week of Thanksgiving!

Get the dining room ready

If you’re hosting, do you have enough chairs and table space to accommodate everyone? With a new dining set from Walter E. Smithe you certainly will have enough space! Consider the Montauk Bay 7-piece dining set. There’s a great furniture sale going on now that can help this table be yours for even less!

Make sure you living room is set

What does everyone do before, after, and sometimes during the meal? Watch football. What does everyone like to watch football on? A comfy couch. Where can you find the best deals on the comfiest couches around? Walter E. Smithe! Consider the Beckett sofa for your living room. Your guests will love it’s plush cushions but this piece lasts for longer than just the holiday season. You’ll enjoy its comfort all year long! We also have some great entertainment centers that make the viewing experience even better. Consider the Catalonia Entertainment Center, which is picture with this post. It’s truly remarkable!

Head in now to take advantage of our holiday delivery sale! You can get a coupon that offers you big savings:

• $100 off when you spend $500
• $250 off when you spend $1000
• $500 off when you spend $2000

Stop in soon so you can take advantage of these savings! The sale ends September 30^th! All of us here at Walter E. Smithe – your favorite Chicago contemporary furniture experts –hope to see you soon!

We are proud to feature a great number of collections here at Walter E. Smithe, but one that we would like to showcase today is the Turning House collection. We are especially excited to share these pieces because we are confident that when you choose them for your home, you will be able to turn heads!

When someone lays eyes on Turning House furniture, they will instantly recognize the uniqueness that extends to each piece. Two of the most defining trademarks of the collection are the fresh designs and the unique and high-quality wood.

The wood from this collection is especially unique because in includes aged beams and flooring from old buildings that are rich in history but beyond repair or restoration. Once reclaimed, this wood is then transformed from beautiful aged timber into environmentally conscious, solid wood creations of the highest quality. Like the ancient craft of woodturning, they preserve the integrity and spirit of the wood’s history to showcase its distinct character. The result is stunning!

Here’s a look at a few of our favorite pieces in the collection.

For a dining room set, Chicago customers can consider the Old Bloomfield Harvest Table. It comes in solid pine with a burnished auburn finish. Its dimensions are 84” x 44” x 30”. To match the table, we also have Old Bloomfield Dining Arm Chairs and Side Chairs available. Both are Solid Maple in an autumn brown finish and measure 24″ wide x 22″ deep x 42″ high.

To complement the table and chairs, we also recommend the Old Bloomfield Secretary. This piece is also made of solid pine and is finished in a burnished auburn, while the hutch interior is finished in blue-grey. The piece features a drop lid work surface and many storage options. It is perfect for storing important documents or for sitting down to send out notes to your friends!

One of the more unique pieces in the collection is the Lille Bunching Cocktail table. Again, this small table is made of solid pine and is finished in burnished auburn. The wood is nested in a metal frame which is oiled bronze on metal. The small table measures 16″ wide x 16″ deep x 16″ high.

To learn more about the Turning House collection or any of our other Chicago contemporary furniture, we hope you will stop into one of our convenient locations! Our friendly sales staff can’t wait to assist you!

At Walter E. Smithe, we understand that the task of decorating a room in your house can be overwhelming. There are so many collections and pieces to choose from that even the best decision maker can find the process overwhelming. Rather than torturing yourself with trying to decide how you want to decorate, let the knowledgeable folks here at Walter E. Smithe do the work for you. We have the experience and know-how to make sure you walk away happy and today we’d like to recommend some furniture for you. One of our matching sets that we think you’ll really love is the Seville furniture set, which consists of an Armoire, Desk, and Sleigh Bed.

Armoire

This piece will bring a classic British traveled charm to your bedroom or living room. The Armoire features two doors; behind these doors are two adjustable shelves, as well as a removable clothing bar. It is the perfect piece to help you store your clothes and keepsakes.

Desk

Not only will this piece look good in a bedroom, but it can complete your office furniture as well. The Seville desk features a center flip down front and one locking file drawer, and brings a classic and timeless look to any room. It is pictured in a dark Walnut finish.

Sleigh Bed

Who wouldn’t want to spend eight hours a night in this bed? It’s so inviting you might be tempted to spend eight hours a day in it! The bed also features a classic British traveled look that lends charm and sophistication to any room. It is available in many finishes, but we especially love the Weathered Black finish pictured here.

To see the Seville furniture pieces in person, stop into and of our conveniently located showrooms. In addition to these great pieces, we also have a diverse selection of Chicago contemporary furniture. Our knowledgeable and dedicated sales staff members are on hand to help you sort through the options and to help you find the pieces that are perfect for your tastes and lifestyle. We know you will find just what you’re looking for and we look forward to serving you soon!

The first time day of spring is right around the corner and we all know what means – spring cleaning! Normally I don’t LOVE cleaning, but when it means that we can put winter behind us, I am all about it. Your leading furniture retailer, Walter E. Smithe, wants to remind you to not neglect your furniture during your spring cleaning this year! Whether it’s your leather couch, your reupholstered dining room chairs, or your dining room table, they all need to be cleaned. Today we’ll focus on your Chicago leather couch.

When you do set out to clean your leather furniture, it is of the utmost importance that you follow our cleaning guidelines in order to be eligible for your warranty coverage. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to call us but here’s a look at what our guidelines for cleaning leather consist of.

Damage

While we hope this never happens, we do have some good news. Major stains, minor cuts, and abrasions can often be removed for a fee. If you have questions regarding damage to your furniture, contact your warranty services representative for assistance.

Smooth leathers

If you use your couch a great deal, smooth leather is the best choice because it is easier to clean. You should remove dust and minor soiling with a damp cloth once a month, but never use saddle soap.  Contact your warranty services supervisor for further cleaning instructions.

Nubeck and Suede leathers

These are the most absorbent leathers and as a result are the most difficult to clean. Because of this, extreme care should always be practiced! If there is a stain, we have special stain eraser cloths available, but even these can’t remove all stains from suede. In general, suede can’t be washed or cleaned and you should never use a liquid cleaner on your suede leather! To maintain your piece, gently vacuum once a month with the appropriate tool or brush.

For more helpful tips to assist you during your spring cleaning this year, stop into any one of our locations! Not only do we want to sell you the best Chicago contemporary furniture, but we want to make sure that furniture continues to look its best throughout its long life. We hope to see you here soon!

I’m sure you’ve all heard the statistics about the fact that we spend a third of our lives sleeping. With that much time spent in one place, why would you sacrifice on the quality of bed you choose? At Walter E. Smithe we have a great selection of beautiful pieces that you’ll feel good about sleeping in and that will add to the look of your bedroom. Whether you’re looking for Chicago contemporary furniture, or pieces that are more classical, we have you covered! Here’s a quick look at just a few of the beds we think you’ll like.

Postobello Byron Bed

After a long day, nothing welcomes you home quite like the Postobello Byron Bed. This piece is both elegant and beautiful. It includes tall and short posts that are interchangeable on the footboard and the bed can be paired with our Monaco dresser and Gina nightstand. The bed is available as a Queen, King, or California King.

Doors of Dublin

This collection takes its cues from the architecture on Dublin’s Abby Street. It features classic lines and intricate carvings and will add character to any room. The Mansion House Bed, which is made of richly stained and knotted Mahogany, is the centerpiece. Consisting of exquisite finish and wood, it features heavy rope carvings as well as nicely paneled friezes on both the headboard and footboard. You can add accents to your Doors of Dublin room with the St. Patrick’s chest, Abbey Street Dresser, or Burdock Round End Table.

Manhattan Slat Bed

This bed is a beautiful piece of Chicago contemporary furniture. The bed’s simple style allows it to blend with many room styles and its curved headboard and low footboard give it a casual contemporary feel. The Manhattan Slab Bed is available in two finishes and in the Queen or King size. You can complete the look of your room with a Manhattan Chest or Night Stand.

Don’t spend another night in a bed and a room you don’t love! For beautiful and high quality Chicago furniture for your bedroom, come to Walter E. Smithe. Our talented design team can help you create the perfect look so call for an appointment or stop into one of our showrooms today.

At Walter E. Smithe, we are proud to offer a diverse selection of collections and designers. No matter what your styling tastes may be, we are sure to have exactly what you’re looking for! One collection that we would like to showcase today is Avalon, a part of Lauren by Ralph Lauren.

When some people hear “Ralph Lauren” they immediately think of apparel, but for nearly ten years the company has also been creating pieces for the home. Like their line-up of apparel, Ralph Lauren’s home collection redefines American style and exudes a relaxed elegance. Lauren by Ralph Lauren is classic and traditional yet also contemporary. It is made up of four unique collections: Avalon, Laurel Drive, Langholm, and Mitchell Place. The Avalon collection which we are showcasing here stands out because of its timeless glamour.

The Avalon collection is composed of Chicago contemporary furniture pieces that have dramatic architectural lines and art-deco touches. Whether you’re decorating a bedroom, living room, or dining room, the Avalon collection is perfect to create just the look you’ve been wanting!

The bedroom collection includes a king bed, a double dresser, a night stand, a marcel club chair, a cocktail ottoman, and a tri-fold mirror. All of the pieces complement each other beautifully and create the perfect space for comfort.

The dining room collection features a beautiful pedestal dining table, a buffet, and Colette dining arm and side chairs. The expandable dining table is solid wood with a rosewood veneer. A nailhead trim frames the top and adds emphasis to the angled corners. Chairs are covered in pale blue/green silk and also have a nailhead trim that echoes the border of the table. The buffet is versatile with two doors, one drawer, and six adjustable shelves!

The living room shown here completes and rounds out the Avalon collection. This contemporary room features a classic lounge chair and a unique tulip table. The chair is accented with stainless steel trim while the table has a rosewood finish as well as an inset dark smoke colored glass. The pair goes together perfectly!

All of the Lauren by Ralph Lauren collections are available exclusively at Walter E. Smithe, your leader when it comes to furniture retail. Chicago customers have trusted us with their decorating needs for years, and we hope you will too! Come into a Walter E. Smithe showroom to talk to one of our friendly sales associates and view the entire exclusive Avalon collection!

That funky, modular furniture that we made fun of from the 70s is back and it’s more popular than ever. Not only are vintage pieces hot, but they are getting scarce. Furniture makers are smart enough to know what buyers want and have reproduced many of these popular modular styles.

Designers have been sprinkling in egg and tulip chairs for years to add a whimsical touch or vintage feel, but Chicago contemporary furniture retailers now have large selections of modular furniture. The designs are edgier and more nature-oriented these days. I saw one take on the egg chair that looked like a hollowed-out coconut with a small hole in the back and throw pillows that mimicked river rocks. Very eco-chic!

So the good news is that these styles have been updated and upgraded from the 70s acrylic and Brady Bunch orange. Buyers can find these styles in more modern colors and even made from eco-friendly materials.

If it’s a clean, modern look you desire, you will want to consider the hot colors for the season. Bright is in: splashes of pink, yellow and green are all the rage whether in upholstery, wall color or accent pieces. Furniture stores in Chicago like Walter E. Smithe not only have a wide variety of contemporary pieces, but can custom design a piece just for your home.

If you just want to jazz up a room with a more modern feel, add some brightly-upholstered chairs to a neutral palette or buy some patterned throw pillows for a solid sofa. The modular furniture does make sense, though with many homeowners downsizing, and baby boomers heading toward retirement and smaller retirement homes. Not to mention urban populations growing – right into small apartments. This furniture is versatile in its uses and streamlined enough for small spaces.

So when you’re shopping Chicago contemporary furniture stores, look for something unique and comfortable. That’s another bonus to this redone retro – it’s not as stiff and unwelcoming as the styles from 40 years ago.

Walter E. Smithe is the furniture store Chicago buyers can count on to help furnish and style a living space of any size. With a large selection of pieces in all styles and a full design department, customers will find more than they imagined.

Formal dining may seem to be a bit old-fashioned, but with families striving for more time together and today’s movers and shakers realizing that dinner parties can go beyond the stilted business affairs of decades past, dining rooms are in again.

Your Chicago contemporary furniture retailer has a selection of dining sets that can fit your decorating style, whether that be traditional American or ultra-contemporary. A comfortable dining set that fits your space is essential to enjoying large dinner gatherings. It’s also a fun excuse to break out the fine china and crystal, which gets very lonely sitting in the cupboard for months at a time.

If you are choosing a complete dining set, start by finding a general style that you like and then try out the chairs. We have all suffered through dinners where the chairs were so hard, ill-shaped, or bulky that we could barely digest. Make sure your dining chairs will be conducive to enjoyable eating and good conversation.

When you compare dining sets at furniture retailers in Chicago, buyers should think about how well the set will mesh with not just their lifestyle, but their space. What shape of table is best? (Round or oval ones tend to be more informal.) Is there room to expand the table? (You may want to consider a table with drop-down or insert leaves to allow for bigger gatherings.)

When you visit your Chicago contemporary furniture dealer, the design experts there can help you with choices like chair coverings and wood stain. Many of these things can be customized to coordinate with pieces you may already own.

With so many choices in creating your perfect dining space, customers of furniture retailers Chicago will appreciate the professional staff at Walter E. Smithe and their many years of experience in styling Chicago-area homes for entertainment and living.

Remember, your dining area should be a space you feel comfortable using and enjoying, so putting time and thought into designing it just makes sense. Bring your room measurements and ideas and visit the Walter E. Smithe showroom to create the dining room of your dreams.

If you love travel, are drawn to exotic décor or just want to liven up a room in your home, you might consider the ethnic trend that has become all the rage. Of course, you have to be careful to keep it simple so you don’t end up with a room that look too over the top, but your Chicago contemporary furniture dealer can help you choose what you need.

If you’ve collected pieces in your travels, this is the perfect way to showcase your favorites. Again, be careful not to overdo. Asian and African furniture have been in vogue lately, but you can find just about any flavor you want.

Your Chicago leather couch retailer can help you blend your traditional or contemporary pieces with your international pieces. Whether you want to simply have ethnic accents or go all out with Chinese tables or carved African chairs, stick to what you love.

Accent pieces can go a long way toward dressing up your room. If you love music, African drums and woodwind instruments can double as wall décor and even end tables or lamp bases. Bright Mexican tea sets can be a beautiful addition to a sitting room or kitchen,. Chicago leather couch buyers can easily complement their basic pieces.

Don’t’ forget about travel photos. Whether they are beautiful landscapes, cultural commentaries or just posed shots with friends, they can be framed and mixed into your room. If you have a favorite photo, why not have it enlarged on canvas and make it a focal point?

Elegance rules when it comes to this type of décor and clutter is a no-no. If you have several collections of items and it’s just too much, consider scattering them throughout your home in strategic locations or change out your collections with the seasons.

Chicago contemporary furniture buyers can find all the help they will need to pull off an ethnic theme from the designers at Walter E. Smithe. Let them know what your vision is, what you collection includes and they can help you pull it all together.

We all know our closets and cubbies can hold only so much. Often they are reserved for seasonal decorations, extra items we use only on occasion or items we never use but just can’t bear to part with. Walter E. Smithe is not only your retailer for Chicago contemporary furniture, but has solutions for storage in every room of your home.

For the bedroom, an armoire can hold seasonal clothes, bedding, jewelry or help hide your electronic components. Most importantly, though, your closet won’t be crammed full and you will have easy access to things you use frequently.

Similarly, in a space like a formal dining room where there likely isn’t a closet, unless you have built-in cabinetry there is little place to store your china, table clothes or serving pieces. Consider a buffet. It can be short with a cabinet below or tall with a glass-display area above to show off your favorite pieces.

In spaces like living rooms, family rooms, bathrooms and kitchens, you may want to think outside the box a bit. Your Chicago office furniture dealer is an expert at organizing your business space and can do the same for your home. Unless you are very contemporary in your décor plan, baskets can be a wonderful way to organize and store.

From towels in the bathroom to magazines and throws in the family room to utensils and potatoes in the kitchen. Baskets lend a warm touch to any room and can be found a almost any shape, size or color. They are a wonderful way to eliminate clutter by designating them for a purpose. One for keys and loose change, one for the mail, and even individual homework baskets for the kids will keep your paper trail to a minimum.

Your Chicago contemporary furniture dealer also has a selection of storage benches that can be an attractive accent in a kitchen or entry way while holding umbrellas, boots, and anything else that might accumulate by the back or front doors. In the family room you can store extra throw pillows or blankets, board games or photo albums.

Visit Walter E. Smithe, your Chicago office furniture dealer, for more ideas on beautiful storage solutions.