Here at Walter E. Smithe, we’re proud to offer a wide variety of furniture to meet all of your decorating needs – whether you need to spruce up a home or office, a bedroom or a, living room we can help! We have Chicago office furniture and bedroom furniture, we offer a wider range of designer furniture, and can even customize furniture for you. Today your friends at Walter E. Smithe are excited to present one of our newest designer collections – the Bob Timberlake Collection. Read on to learn more about this amazing collection!

The Bob Timberlake Home Collection is by Century and it follows the success of The World of Bob Timberlake. The collection captures your sense of style and it both comfortable and casual. It has a touch elegance and reflects all the comforts of home. Call it “relaxed formal” or “sophisticated casual,” Bob Timberlake furnishings are as contemporary as they are rooted in history, as inviting as they are beautiful.

High Rock King Bed

With rustic alder solids and alder veneer with metal hardware trim, this is a great addition to your bedroom furniture!

Winecellar Cabinet

Behind two doors are three adjustable and one fixed shelf with pull out tray, and an adjustable drawer box.

Bucks dining chairs

Featuring select Hardwoods with heavy distressing, both the side and arm chairs would perfectly complement your dining room table.

To learn more about the Bob Timberlake Home Collection stop in to one of the Walter E. Smithe showrooms. We think you’ll really love it! We have several locations to make shopping convenient for you! We hope to see you soon!

If you’re considering buying furniture from Walter E. Smithe, you have several choices in front of you. If you’re in the market for bedroom furniture, we have many options to choose from; if you want to re-do your dining room, our selections of tables and chairs are unmatched; if you’re decorating a living room, we have an amazing selection of sofas and chairs; we even have a great selection of Chicago office furniture – we have it all! When you make your selection, there are many options for you to make sure you and your purchases are protected down the road. One option we offer for your upholstered furniture is Smithe Kote. Today we’d like to share some information with you.

What is Smithe Kote?

This is our optional stain protector for upholstered furniture.

How is it made?

Smite Kote is a water based product made with certifiably Green organic compounds.

How is it applied?

Smithe Kote goes on prior to delivery, in a careful application process which consists of a fine pressurized spray.

What does Smithe Kote protect against?

• Food
• Beverage
• Pet bodily fluids
• Human bodily fluids

What do you do if a stain happens?

1. Treat stains immediately with the care kit provided at the time of purchase.
2. If the stain persists, contact us within 2 days to arrange for a free in-home cleaning.
3. If the stain cannot be removed, Smithe will replace the stained upholstered panel.
4. If the fabric or leather is unavailable, Smithe will reupholster the entire piece in a comparable grade at no additional charge.

Is there anything Smithe Kote doesn’t cover?

There are a few exclusions. The protector does not cover everyday soiling from normal use, multiple stains, repetitive soiling, or stains not attended to properly. It also does not cover aging such as fading or a general soiling over time. To be covered, stains must be on the above list, or reported within two days. For a full list of exclusions, consult your Smithe consultant.

How long does Smithe Kote cover you?

Smithe Kote is designed to protect against stains on fabric or leather for 5 years from the date of delivery. Protection is valid to original purchaser only.

To learn more, or to explore or selections of furniture, stop in to one of our showrooms! We look forward to seeing you soon!

Even if you’re a city slicker, you may enjoy a relaxing rustic atmosphere occasionally. So consider adding a touch of the country to your home, whether it’s a guest room with bright graphics or an entire lake house that blends with the view out the window.

Buyers of Chicago, Illinois furniture must remember that “country” doesn’t mean bunnies with gingham aprons perched on pegged pine shelves and lots of heart motifs. It can simply mean rustic and simple – a comfortable way to live.

It’s the relaxed chic you may find at your favorite lake resort or mountain getaway. It might be the friend who incorporates her great-grandmother’s kitchen gadgets into her own traditional kitchen. Country can mean a combination of faded and vibrant textiles and a mix of patterns – gently, though.

A wreath on the door is a must in a country home – no matter the season, and one made from organic items gathered from the area is just perfect. Comfortable furnishings – the kind that invite you to sit and welcome you when you do – are also a requirement.

Buyers of Chicago office furniture may not be familiar with the various subtleties of country decorating. Patterns like paisley, toile, gingham and plaid can be mixed and matched in moderation or used as the artwork in a room. Rather than a striking painting or vase, you may shift the focus of a room to a quilt on a wall or bed or even a collection of throw pillows on a sofa.

Adding organic touches throughout and bright dishware in unexpected places help create a homey feel and provide a way to display favorite family pieces. Your Chicago, Illinois furniture dealer can add custom upholstery to your new or old pieces to help anchor your country look.

The main advantage to country décor is that you can easily express your personal style through colors, patterns and favorite pieces. Your store for Chicago office furniture can help you find the perfect furnishings to relax in when you’re away from the office.

Have a room that’s just feeling a bit blah? Try a touch of color. This is the most affordable way to give any room a fresh look. You can paint an accent wall, the entire room, or even some of the furniture to get a pop of color and an updated atmosphere.

Your Chicago leather couch retailer not only has leather pieces in a variety of colors, but wood furniture in color finishes as well. If you don’t have any pieces you can paint – avoid the Chippendale chairs and the buffet your great-grandmother brought from the old country – Walter E. Smithe has beautiful color selections in every style.

Of course, painting the room can add a bold splash of color or just warm up a space. Think about your furnishings and the look you want to achieve before choosing a paint color. It’s not a bad idea to take some swatches of fabric from the room or an accent piece when you go to buy your paint.

Chicago office furniture buyers also should consider color to be a friend. Just because it’s an office doesn’t mean it has the look and feel like one. Whether you’re choosing décor for a home office or your business, think about how many hours you’ll spend in the space how you would like to feel while you work.

You can even go for a lighter touch with some stenciling. This can work in a traditional setting or with contemporary lines. You can stencil anything in any color and it’s inexpensive and easy to change when you’re ready to move on to another look. You can even paint a floor that’s not worth refinishing and really brighten a room.

But whether you seek Chicago leather couches in colors or just a bright accent on the wall, it’s all about what you like. Don’t copy the latest trend if it’s not your style and you won’t be comfortable in that room. If you tend to waffle in your design style, visit the experts at Walter E. Smithe for some advice.

Reflecting your personal style is paramount since you have to live with the space every day. Your Chicago office furniture store will help you find that style and build on it with beautiful layers of color.

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.

Have you ever seen an auction catalog or even read a novel where a chair is described by its style and you wonder what in the world it looks like? Unless you are an Antiques Road Show junkie, as I must confess I am, you may not be able to put a visual picture or even a description with a chair style.

Your Chicago furniture retailer has many of these styles in their showroom, but which one is right for your décor? Let’s discuss.

First we have the Queen Anne style chair, usually found in the dining room and about as traditional as you can get. Its name comes from its time period – the 18^th century. The design is English and can be discerned by the crest shape of the rail across the top of the chair, graceful legs, paw feet and an urn shape in the center of the back.

We’ve all seen one, but this may not be the style we yearn for unless we live in a 200-year old home and plan to decorate it to period. But if you want a bit of a Bohemian look, try upholstering one of these formal chairs in a whimsical fabric and it can blend with almost any décor.

Not to be confused with the Queen Anne style (although they are both named for English queens) the Victorian style also is usually found in the dining room. These chairs transition through several decorating periods, with semi-gothic gracefulness and lots of detail. Chicago office furniture stores probably won’t carry them, but Walter E. Smithe furniture can certainly set you up.

Windsor chairs can bridge the gap in most homes. Stemming from the pre-colonial and colonial era in the U.S. and again taking the style and name from the British, the Windsor chair can feel right at home in a rustic dining room, but really prefers the coziness of the kitchen. The backs feature multiple spindles and can be hoop-shaped or bow-backed. Adding cushions will lend comfort and color, although some are in painted wood.

Parsons chairs have been in vogue lately with their straight backs and upholstery. Skirted legs or full slipcovers can match them to your décor and they are perfect for the dining room because their arms don’t get in the way of eating a delicious meal. Your Chicago furniture retailer can help you select the perfect fabric to enhance your set of parsons chairs. They’re great for a vanity seat too!

Ladder back chairs are more popularly known as Shaker style and can come in many heights, but their simplicity is what defines them. They usually have woven or slatted seats and can be enhanced with a chair cushion. You will find them in less formal settings like kitchens or even halls and entryways for the most part.

Duncan Phyfe chairs may be a name you aren’t familiar with, but you will know it when you see it. This Empire style chair has 19^th century features like a lyre back splat and saber legs. These were very popular in the early-to-mid 1900s and were often sold as entire dining sets. If you don’t have one, you probably have an older relative who does. They are traditional, but not fussy.

If you like the vintage contemporary look (is that an oxymoron?), look for the Eames era and Mid-century style with cleaner lines. These used to be easy to find in thrift stores and at tag sales, but with a resurgence in popularity they are getting more scarce. Your Chicago office furniture dealer may be able to point you to one, as they are popular for retro office décor.

When it comes to buying bedroom furniture the process should be simple. You’ll need a bed (obviously), somewhere to store your clothes, and maybe a chair. So why do we get caught up in materials, and weighty issues, and “to nightstand or not to nightstand”?

When shopping for the best new furniture, Chicago buyers turn to their trusted retailer and thank goodness the expert staff includes designers who can help you find balance in your entire home. Since the bed is your key piece and the whole reason for having a “bed” room, let’s start there.

The bed should not take over your space. If you don’t have room for a king-sized bed, get something smaller. Small spaces will only look smaller if you cram them full of bulky, dark furniture. Your style and available space must be partnered to get a room you will love.

Think about what pieces are necessary. If you have a large closet, you may only need one small bureau. Depending on your available space and how you use the room, you may want to add a chair or two. If there’s room for a sitting area, this is the perfect way to add a reading nook with a wing chair and small table with lamp or a couple of occasional chairs with a table.

Your Chicago office furniture dealer can even help you if you want a small bookshelf or secretary tucked in the bedroom corner. Be careful, though not to assign too many purposes to your bedroom. It is meant to be a retreat, not an office.

Whatever material or style you choose for your furniture, remember that less is more. For the best new furniture, Chicago shoppers turn to the designers at Walter E. Smithe for advice on balancing a bedroom or selecting a sofa.

So when shopping in Chicago – office furniture, living room furniture or bedroom furniture at the top of your list – remember that what counts is that you love the finished room. Taking your ideas, perusing the showroom and consulting the designers at your favorite furniture dealer will help you get that result.

It really is a work of art when you consider all the precision needed to balance a rocking chair so it will rock smoothly and silently. Remember in the beginning scene of The Patriot where Mel Gibson’s colonial character is in the barn working on a rocking chair?. He puts on the finishing touch, sits down and it collapses. We then see the pile of broken chairs he’s built trying to perfect it.

Whether an heirloom of wood, a padded, comfortable old-world leather, or a sleek, contemporary piece of art, adding a rocking chair to your décor can make it more welcoming and comfortable. When looking for the best new furniture, Chicago buyers love the rocker.

Even if the kids are grown and you’re not ready for retirement, a rocker can offer a homey feeling and provides a place to relax after a long day. Chicago office furniture decorators are even putting rocking chairs in department store lounges and doctors’ waiting rooms because they represent comfort and a bit of home.

Just the shape of a rocking chair is soothing to look at and in a family room area or kitchen seating area, nothing could be more inviting. Since you can find rocking chairs in almost any wood finish, painted finish or upholstered fabric, you can work it into you design as an accent piece or even display it like a piece of art.

We’re not talking about your grandpa’s 1970s rocker/recliner. We’re talking about a chic, beautiful and comfortable addition to your home. Gliders became popular several years ago and may have their place in the nursery, but for form and tradition, stick with the traditional rocker that actually rocks. Chicago office furniture dealers and your favorite furniture retailer can help you select the perfect piece for your décor.

You can find a rocker to fit any style – antique, retro, mid-century modern, or old-world – then choose your color or covering and you have a versatile piece that can be easily moved from room to room when you feel that autumnal urge to rearrange. Even a wicker piece that might traditionally be used outside could be incorporated into a sunroom or a kitchen for a breezy feel.

For the best new furniture, Chicago buyers know that your favorite retailer will help you with selection every step of the way and even design a unique piece for your home.

When shopping for eco-friendly home furnishings, the best furniture Chicago customers can expect will be made of sustainable wood, recycled materials or some other combination of materials that can help save landfill space and old-growth forests.

When visiting your personal furniture retailer in Chicago, office furniture and home furnishings for every room can be found in many styles and materials that are good for the environment.

Sustainable wood pieces are one place to start. These may be made up of wood, metal, plastic, cloth or a combination of materials. Sustainable woods come from forests grown specifically for harvest and are usually of tree varieties that grow quickly and are then replanted.

Chicago office furniture shoppers wanting a really unique piece might opt for something made from reclaimed materials. This could range from older furniture pieces or buildings, to factory scraps or even lags rescued from the bottom of a river. Bamboo is another popular option, as it is sturdy and grows very quickly. The color range is wide, from greens to reds, and it can be molded or flattened into furniture or flooring. Most bamboo is grown pesticide free and comes from China.

Recyclable materials can be a fun alternative as well. Not only does this save landfill space, but the plastics and aluminum most common in this type of furniture can often be whimsical and unique. Materials can’t be the only criteria for buying furniture, though. Look for pieces that are well-made, can be easily repaired and are non-toxic or have very low toxicity. That means knowing the types of finishes and fabrics being used and how likely they are to give off chemical gasses in your home.

The most important thing is finding furniture pieces that fit your needs and the best furniture Chicago retailers will help guide you to pieces that will be good for the environment and good for your lifestyle.

You want your office, whether it’s at home or actually at the office, to be a reflection of who you are. It also needs to be functional, and professional to some extent. Your Chicago office furniture dealer can help you find a way to achieve all this at once and create a modern office in the process.

“Modern” does not mean it has to be contemporary in style, just that it incorporates all the functional items and technology that you need to be successful. When you visit your Chicago furniture dealer, have an idea of the style you want to create. Are you leaning more toward a traditional study with wood and muted colors or are you looking for something fun and colorful with geometric shapes and lots of light.

In choosing the pieces you want to incorporate, think about how much storage space you need, what type of work area will be the most efficient and how the furniture might be positioned so you can easily access what you need.

Forget those ugly metal file cabinets. You can hide your files in a beautiful credenza, display your art on a pedestal or even order custom pieces for your specific needs. Use a unique divider screen as a “bulletin board” or to display honors and awards. Your Chicago furniture dealer will help you incorporate your ideas into your dream office space.

There are materials that can help reflect your personal style – your desk doesn’t have to be oak or mahogany, glass and steel. You can choose from materials like brightly-colored plexi-glass or Lucite and you can even get them in geometric shapes.

Chicago office furniture buyers want to find something unique and by browsing catalogs and websites before you shop you can get a much better idea of what will work for you.