they were great will be coming back again pricing was reasonable not a scam for the qaulity.

I can't say enough how much I love my new couch from Walter E. Smithe and how painless the experience was for me. We had a very expensive Swedish design couch, chair and ottoman from back in the day before ergonomics was a thing. While it served its purposed and look great, me getting in and out of it was becoming a hassle as it was designed to be low, which required me and The Queen to have to rock to get out of it. I am not much for the brick and mortar shopping experience unless I have to. I was all ready to go on Amazon or Overstock to order a couch, but The Doctor said if we going to purchase one, we needed to think long term in terms of keeping it, delivery of said item and the removal of our old couch, chair and ottoman. The Doctor recommended Walter E. Smithe, so that is where we went. To understand how I shop when I in the real world, I have in my mind's eye what I am looking for and I zero on what I see that matches it in the real world. I do not like people trying to upsell me or do a hard sell. I know what I want and want to get out of the store as fast as possible. Rick Sword, Designer, assisted us in our purchase. I think I might have shocked him on how quick the sell went. As I walked into the store, I had already spotted several couches I want to look at further before settling on the one we went with. Rick was amazing and helped to move the process along quickly. Because what I saw and wanted was larger than what our area would accommodate, I would say that the process to enter the information into their system to order the custom couch took longer than me saying "I Do" to the couch I picked. Rick was very thorough in getting us through the process pretty quickly, from selecting the leather/color/texture for the material to setting up the deliver of the new couch and pick up of our old stuff. Rick was professional and very helpful, following up with us after the sale. In addition to Rick, Cory Carmelle (Order and Warranty Agent) reached out to us as well to let us know when the couch would be delivered. And on the day of deliver, the two gentlemen making the delivery were very quick, professional and nice :-) We also got a follow up email from Rick to make sure everything went well. I am very happy with the purchase and experience. Not sure what we will purchasing next, but Rick and Smithe will most definitely be on the short list. read more

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I had a couple of recliners delivered and I have a sofa on the way... They scratched my floor when they delivered the recliners...it was right by a metal support under the chair. I have a big 1500 square foot floor for which I paid $10,000 when it was refinished... I also moved out so they could do the work, as an additional expense. Lindsey said that since the delivery guys didn't report it, then they weren't responsible for the damage (what?) I mentioned it when I saw it (I'm handicapped). Because it was in the middle of the floor, I wasn't going to say anything since you cannot "spot refinish" a floor, but I was upset... I didn't even ask for anything... The damage was under a sofa until the sofa was removed...so it was never exposed to wear and the scratch is a bit deep. My salesman said I should include it in the report, so I did. Lindsey called and tried to "over-talk" me...wouldn't listen and basically treated me as if I had done something wrong and was trying to scam her. She never even apologized!! I would be hard pressed to recall being talked to in such a rude manner. I certainly wouldn't unleash her on a customer service project. They did wave a change order fee...but remember, I didn't ask for anything. read more

I am hoping for a resolution, I have left a VM with Walt this am. Before I place my order I expressed my concerns with delivery dates. The salesman Daniel and I have a text to prove said delivery 7-10 weeks, I asked for reassurance that this would not creep into more 10 weeks or more. Daniel said he called the manufactures and that they had all supplies and 7-10 weeks would be good. Now the manufacturer does not have the supplies and I'm looking possibly 18 weeks or so. I was obviously misled/lied to. I have texted Daniel and he made the sale so not at all brothered that what he assured me of is not the truth. I emailed Lindsey 9/10 saying the delivery dates she is stating were not what i had been told and I am still waiting on a reply. Disappointed had been a happy customer with WES with my past experiences but I am regretting this purchase. I was misled to make a sale. read more

Poor customer service from designer I was so excited to get furniture from Walter e smith store it was nothing like what commercial said there was no after follow up after I purchased this product and paid in full so disappointing and I will not back again after this read more

After writing this review last fall, WES reached out to me and has satisfactorily taken care of all of my concerns. They went above and beyond, over several conversations and visits. They repaired the dining chairs, replaced the cushions in all of the pieces I was concerned about. I feel confident these cushions will last much longer than the original ones had. They replaced the fabric sofa seat cover that was not fitting correctly. While it took some time to work all this out, I was grateful for their attention to detail. It's nice to know that they will do what is needed to truly make the customer happy. I can't help but feel like a satisfied customer when they work so hard to make everything right. read more

I bought a couch and daybed from a Walter E. Smithe location out in the suburbs. I've also visited another suburban location when I was furniture shopping so I've been to at least three of their stores. If not for those other experiences, I would probably never go to WES again. I arrived here on a Friday evening a couple hours before closing. I needed to purchase an ottoman for the aforementioned couch. The Lincoln Park location is the closest one to me and also just about a mile from the theatre I was visiting later that night, so I decided to visit here. I came in and walked through the store looking at some of the other furniture here (it's considerably smaller than many of its suburban counterparts). For over five minutes I walked through the showroom, going down one side and coming back up the other. Whilst doing so I passed the center area where 3-5 employees were sitting around chatting. The entire time I was in there, no one even acknowledged my presence let alone asked if I needed help. I was about to walk out when one of the employees, Dawn, found me and said that the person I had come with was sitting on the other side. I'm not kidding when I say I was seconds from walking out the door when she found me; I simply couldn't believe that everyone in the place would totally ignore you. This is not a store where you can just pick your item and leave--they HAVE to help you in order to place the order. It's simply astounding to me that these folks would not even say hello to people, choosing to continue talking to one another instead. Dawn helped me find fabric that I wanted. I knew about what ottoman I wanted since I wanted it to match the couch. I didn't realize that she was off about 30-45 minutes before I finished (I take a long time to make a decision), so I appreciated that. She was the only thing that kept me in this store. I will say that parking was fantastic; I expected to have to park along Clybourn, which has the potential to be difficult, but they have a large parking lot in the back of the store. It's probably a good thing I didn't know that before since I might have come here earlier and experienced this poor service (with the exception of Dawn). Apparently they changed around their system since January 1... and may or may not be able to find my couch purchase that I made January 1, 2022? This makes me pretty nervous since they have warranties that obviously would be in effect depending upon the purchase date. In addition, I ordered my couch with the Smithe Coat but never got a kit with it--the woman who helped me here gave me one since I ordered the fabric protection with my ottoman too. So now I don't know if the couch was properly protected as I ordered. I have plenty of furniture I want; I wouldn't mind a new dining table and chairs, maybe bed, armchair, outdoor furniture. Someday, not immediately, but these are things I'll eventually purchase. I won't buy anything from this store again, if I look to Walter E. Smithe for them at all. I'm just not confident that what I order would be what I received (since I'm not sure if my couch was coated as it was supposed to be), and service at their store can run the gamut. read more

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My goodness! When i first walked in I was greeted, assisted, given a tour of the store and raided the refrigerator! My salesperson was patient, and informative. I selected and reselected. Great instore experience. Then Adina! Great handler. Great customer support and service. And the delivery team! Hardworking. Conscientious. Friendly. My furniture is permanently attached to this great purchase experience. read more

While the customer experience was OK in the store and getting our order prepared, the online customer experience and especially the woman who handled all the delivery notification and set up, Adrina was awful. She was accustory and rude, not having read our purchase order fully she asked me to do a trade in even though I knew that we didn't have a trade in. read more

Ok, I am finally going to provide an update to my previous extremely dissatisfied review. First off, I do want to reiterate that my sales experience there was awesome. Taylor was great to work with and I would recommend working with her for sure! The store did come through in a very honorable way as well. The sofa did finally get delivered in early June and they also replaced the cushion in the chair that I had reupholstered with the correct cushion material. They also gave me a very steep discount on the sofa to make up for the issues with the delivery delays which were very generous and greatly appreciated. In the end, they made a great effort to make it right It and it was more than fair. I'll also add that I will give them my business again in the future! Also, the fabric recommendations they made regarding my issues with my two cats destroying furniture in the past were spot on. Neither cat has had any interest it scratching only laying on both of them. Now if can train my 70lbs doberman/pit to stay on his little section of the couch I'll be happy. read more

Fine job done on furniture Perfect size. Designer very helpful. Would use again. Would use again read more

UPDATE: They refunded (or said they cut a check, rather) the delivery fee after I threatened legal action and wrote this review. However, they sent an email to my mom saying that "they normally don't refund services [the delivery fee] provided" (I guess it's our fault they delivered the wrong item?) and they are "making an exception" in our case after "your daughter called yesterday" - totally ignoring the many times my mother herself called and had been told they would refund the delivery fee. I also got a message in my yelp mail from what seems like a manager. Please - leave us alone now. You all had so many chances to make this right, and chose to lie to my mom and ignore us instead. I want nothing more to do with you, and please stop gaslighting my mom, who you apparently think is an idiot. It's not that hard to just apologize, for people with any sense of ethics, anyway. DO NOT GO HERE. They sent us the wrong item, treated my elderly mother like crap, and it's been a nightmare trying to get a refund. We are considering legal action. I am about to send an email to the company demanding interest. They've had our money for weeks. They refunded us partially (took way too long, after several promises broken), but decided to keep the delivery fee. They told my mother over and over again they would refund that too, after she called yet again (many times, and spoke to three different people). Nothing. The lack of integrity and incompetence at Walter E. Smithe is pervasive at every level. Do not be fooled by the showroom and the nice salespeople. You will regret it. I am so disgusted. Someone recommended them to us. Now they are having problems also. They also were sent the wrong item, were promised the right one would be coming. Two months later, it hasn't. I don't know what's going on with the place, but steer far and wide of it. read more

amazing from shopping to delivery. cate the sales lady was amazing and patient with us. we had just ordered from another company and had a bad experience. this was heaven. delivery was fast and careful. they took great care of the furniture and my home. thank you. would order again from here!!!! read more

This is regarding the experience I had with Walter E. Smithe and their salesman from their Vernon Hills store: Talea Bloom. I met her last June when I came in to that Vernon Hills store. I was shopping for a poly patio set for my work. Talea gave me a TON of information, options, and things to consider. We had a great chat about a lot of miscellaneous topics. She was an amazing help in deciding which set to buy, and from which manufacturer/retailer. I had done quite a bit of research prior to coming in to the store, including traveling to retailers to see their product(s) firsthand. I ultimately decided upon a set from Walter E. Smithe, manufactured by Polywood. Talea was amazing helping set up assembly and delivery, and checking in after the set was delivered. I was amazed that for a reasonable delivery fee the furniture was not only delivered, but also delivered it fully assembled! From my experience Talea was amazing as was the overall service. I would gladly refer any and all business to her, and to Smithe in general. You guys do an amazing job! read more

My wife and I went to the Skokie store and were greeted by the sweetest and most helpful person named Mary Fitzgerald. We were swept away with her energy and her knowledge. We have a need to redo our bedroom and excited to get started! Mary gave us the design and knew exactly what we wanted! Stop looking and go here!!! read more

I wanted this update to be so positive and a happy outcome. It really isn't. Within about 2 weeks of my previous review, Walter E Smithe kicked into high gear and agreed to replace our couch! After several phone calls, & emails to customer service and a few follow up visits to our wonderful salesperson Jim in Skokie we had a brand new version of our original couch on order. Plus, as a generous offer to compensate for the inconvenience - $1000 to put toward an upgrade. We used this on upgraded seat cushions. We were told it would be several months before the new couch arrived but we could keep the first one until then. We were assured that the couch would be carefully inspected before it was shipped. The couch was delivered sooner than expected. Yay! The construction, while more uniform (cushions are the same size!) is still sloppy. The casing on the center seat cushion of the sectional is too big for the cushion and is puckered and sloppy compared to the other cushions. I could call again, ask to have Walter E Smithe deliver on their promise of satisfaction guaranteed but I am over it. It is what it is. Bottom line. 1. The couch IS super comfortable. 2. It takes some work to get Walter E Smithe to follow through on their guarantee, but our experience is that they do try to. 3. If you want a truly well made piece of furniture, Walter E Smithe is not the place to go. read more

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Walter E Smithe has promised to correct the problem with my order. I am very satisfied now.

I now have my dream living room and dining room set up thanks to Walter E. Smithe and the best designer on the planet Ted at the Clybourn Store! I have to say I was a nervous wreck making my first big investment in our home furniture! Seriously, I was like a bride again planning my wedding! Ted eased my nerves every time and delivered the most beautiful design plan. The furniture is well made as well! It's worth the investment. High quality for sure! And delivery day, it's truly special! Not only because you're getting what you ordered, but the service! Ted was there to make sure everything was set up like his vision and that there were no damages or anything! I'm so grateful for him and will be back. I hope he can deal with me again! I also have to say thank you to Adrina for handling all the logistics and making sure we're knew what the timelines were for delivery, especially since our delivery got a little delayed with Covid! Thank you! Thank you again Ted, Adrina, and Walter E. Smithe! read more

5 stars for Delvin at the Lincoln Park location. He was diligent in getting our order delivered. He listened to our wants and concerns. Teamwork makes the dream work. I told him that if we see something we like, we'll definitely work with him again read more

My two stars go to Wanda Hunt at the LP store and for the delivery drivers. I had great interactions with them and appreciate their professionalism. That being said I can't recommend this store to others. The customer service I experienced for an exchange of a sofa that didnt fit into my entryway was very poor. Im not blaming them for the no fit, but I wish their sales staff had been trained in measuring and ensuring fit prior to sale. My salesperson admitted to me after the failed fit delivery "math is not my strong suit." If its not your strong suit, ask for help when selling a piece of furniture to a customer that is not eligible for return. I did receive an exchange item; a more expensive(i had to pay for the upsell) less attractive sectional that I will have to live with. At that point id waited 6 months for a sofa that was supposed to take 3. You'd think they would have been more concerned about the customer being happy than an upsell but my salesperson couldn't be bothered. She gave me inaccurate price quotes making me believe this exchange item was a similarly priced sofa then called me after an agreed on price to tell me it was nearly 1500$ more(again that I had to pay difference for). When I went to WES for feedback about the many problems along the way in this process, Wanda was very receptive and at least tried to help me. Another employee named Colleen, was not. She sent me a very unprofessional email without even speaking to me first to hear about my experience, saying she was sorry "the process was not to my liking but non of this was their fault and she was glad WES stepped up to accommodate me." By providing me an exchange (that I was entitled to by terms of original sale btw) for a more expensive item? That arrived 8 months after original purchase that was supposed to take 12-16 weeks? Im unsure how that's stepping up, but seems in line with the character of the company. Less customer service more profit. I originally provided this feedback via their private survey and email as I truly hoped it could be constructive. After Collen's strange email I had to post this here as well in an effort to save others the headache and undue stress. Buying furniture should be a fun and pleasant experience. Not one that leaves you feeling sick. Go elsewhere!!! read more

Excellent product - horrific service. I bought 2 couches.....love them. I had them delivered (Delayed - but ok given supply chain challenges) 5 months later I get a random email from someone saying I still owed $1K on them....and should be happy that they haven't charged me interest. "Their billing/collection mistake at time of delivery". Took awhile to even verify this was the actual company...had to dig out my credit card bill and find the invoices. Get your billing correct. Worst customer experience I have had in a long time. They won't see another dollar from me. read more

I posted a negative review about my sofa, and an employee who had no contact with wrote a response filled with lies about things I never said with an obsessive listing of my supposed phone calls and email dates (to my initial review). I had a problem with a sofa, yet she managed to never mention the sofa's defects anywhere in her response whatsoever! She replied again (a year later) still never addressed the sofa. Seriously. The woman who responded reports to Mark Smithe, so I guess this message comes from "the top" - where they completely avoid all responsibility for the numerous errors and defects shown in photos in my last review, writing "we are sorry Aaron was not happy". Oh really? Would anyone bbe happy with that mess for $4400? Where is the apology for the mistakes, defects, and massive inconvenience? Nobody has acknowledged the headache you caused since day one, and it continues online now. Tami, you'll be interested to learn that it was your own designers Pam & Jessica who told me to call and email so frequently. They said that your warranty people are very slow, don't understand furniture, and never acknowledge problems. They might deny it now, but it's true. Your last response showed your true colors. You took no responsibility and tried to make me look like the problem. I guess this how people act in a lawyer-owned company. You're still ignoring my sofa's issues despite photo proof and a refund? Re: VOCs - You never addressed the actual VOC issue. Nobody wants toxic fumes in their house. What caused that? I had a migraine the night after the sofa came and wanted it removed due to the chemical smell, but I decided to open the windows for a few more days rather than inconveniencing your delivery team (you're welcome). I see half your reply is dedicated to me cancelling this pickup. I'm sorry I'm such a misbehaved customer trying to save everyone the inconvenience. But, let's focus: Why did it smell like that? What is in there? Is your furniture toxic? Is it safe for little kids or asthmatics? Re: "Options" Nobody offered me any options. All Sarah would say was "we'll get back to you". I offered her those 3 options after discussing this with people in the furniture business & lawyers in my family. I saw a sale on floor models was advertised, and it was my offer to look at them. But, the stores had nothing I was looking for on the floor. In normal stores, it requires 1 call to schedule pickup and refund - not endless days of calling, vmails, emails, negotiating, and sending 50 pictures in a powerpoint. I never declined an inspection. On Pam's advice, I was waiting for one. Pics were faster in the interim. It's not 1945 still. After the refund was confirmed, a Manager from LP called me for 40 min to get me to do an exchange. You denied this? That's why I sent 2 emails reiterating my return because I needed to be clear that I wanted this VOC-emitting, uncomfortable mess of a sofa gone. I said I might come back & buy from another vendor after I got the refund, but this needed to go asap. You claim that you offered to get my designer James to "confirm" his errors? He left for London for a month and couldn't do anything about the sofa. The pillow style he ordered is on my grandmother's sofa but the pillow I asked for was from a sofa 10 feet away. He also wrote the dimensions down wrong, which I left out of my initial review. So you wanted me to live with this smelly, off-gassing, uncomfortable, cushion-sinking sofa for 2-4. until you could replace it with a sofa without the defects from the same vendor? So, I'd wait all this time & gamble with your store & Norwalk for $4400 vs. buying something reliable & faster elsewhere? Why? Why do you think I owe you something after this mess and utter refusal to take responsibility? Another lie: Resmi said the truck could not pick up until 11-27 for the return approved 11-13. When I previously asked her to hold onto it & let the odor air out, she could take it the next day. But, a refund is 2 weeks? I couldn't take the odor & how it spread through the house. I don't understand why this is so complicated. She did finally move the date up but it wasn't easy. Basically, your "good faith to make [me] happy" only happened when I threatened to sue you. That is not"good faith" - please google it. read more

Walter E Smith Furniture has been a nightmare to deal with! They pulled the bait and switch. Incompetent. I recommend anyone who has good quality furniture and competent service expectations seek furniture elsewhere. Their designers have poor listening skills, their delivery drivers damage your property when they install, their warranty department does not follow up when required and their warranty techs no call-no show, and when I spoke to several people in leadership it comes with a condescending tone and no resolve to issues. Today I spoke to Shannon in the warranty department who advised my headboard issue is not repairable. She explained to me my king size headboard that has loose tufted upholstery "is a manufacturer vendor issue" she suggested I look at other beds with a higher price tag to avoid loose upholstery/defects specific on this bed with this manufacturer. I calmly explained to Shannon that I wouldn't be willing to spend more money for another bed. I explained I want them to send me the headboard I paid Walter E Smithe for and to ensure it's not damaged and it meets quality expectations in their photos I looked at when I met with designers at the Clybourne location. This is our second headboard. The first one they delivered was damaged and we were forced to wait for a replacement several months later. Shannon's response : "Walter E Smithe caters to all walks of life we have furniture priced to ensure people from all walks of life can afford to buy furniture from Walter E Smithe. - trying to understand where this prejudicial comment came from or why. At this point during the conversation I was done speaking with Shannon. I wasn't quite sure if my name Maria and my Latina accent was triggering her to ignorance and assuming I couldn't afford a more expensive bed. I didn't communicate during the phone call that price points were an issue. But the manner in which she spoke down to me, I am certain her choice of words were intentional. I asked she have her manager Lindsey call me. I also called their direct customer service number to leave Lindsey a message requesting a call back. As of a now hours later, I am still awaiting a call back. In October of 2020 when my husband and I walked into the Clybourne location we didn't express we had a budget. We PAID in full for the furniture both designers recommended. At no point in the process was it ever disclosed to us Walter E Smithe sold below sub-par furniture dependent on vendor/manufacturer and/or that we should pay more money if we didn't approve of such defects. read more

They only delivered one piece of my 5 piece sectional. Customer service gave me the run around when I called to located my other pieces. I had to speak with 5 different people before someone located my missing pieces. With the exception of one very professional supervisor, everyone else attempted to rush me off the phone, talk over me, or was downright dismissive. There was no urgency to accommodate my needs or correct their error. The remaining pieces were delivered the following week and the supervisor gave me a generous gift card. However, I used the gift card to purchase a bed and mattress from another Walter E. Smithe location and once again experienced dismissive customer service when I called to address a concern about the mattress. I expect superior customer service from a "luxury" furniture company, yet I've been treated much better in bargain furniture stores. Maybe the quality of customer service depends on how much money you spend. read more

To all future shoppers of Walter E Smithe.....I didn't need a discount on my couch. I wanted my couch to be delivered at the end of this month,As I Was Told by Daniel!! The miscommunication is between management and the sales team! Shop somewhere else!! read more

Couldn't get anyone to even help us let alone acknowledge us. Will not shop here. Went straight to Pottery Barn where we bought everything we needed. read more

When I purchased my sleeper couch and Chase on clearance I was totally pleased with my purchase and MS.Doris Marziani Geneva warranty supervisor was relentless in getting me a new air bladder when she found out the one that came with my matress had a hole. Thanks solely to her efforts I'm a true believer that Walter E. Smithe backs up their furniture and I hope she receives a promotion and raise. read more

I have been a loyal customer of Walter E Smithe for about 15 years. When I recommend Smithe to friends and colleagues, they are pleasantly surprised to learn that semi-custom furniture can be available at a reasonable price point. I have been working with Janet on my second project now, and I cannot sing her praises enough. She's very good at learning a client's taste very quickly, and I am always amazed how well she understands my aesthetic. She also understands the idea of a budget, so be open and honest with her about that from the start. A second shout out to Adrina, the delivery coordinator. I cannot imagine how she possibly keeps track of so many pieces of furniture and clients, but she does so flawlessly. I had to reschedule delivery a few times because of construction delays, and she was always there to help make a difficult situation a little better. Adrina has one of those jobs that you don't necessarily notice when things are running so smoothly, but you certainly notice if their job isn't done well. Adrina is top notch, and I think you will agree. So give Smithe a try, it's more affordable than you probably realize. Ask them about their Smithe Card too! They often have very compelling finance deals. And no I'm not a paid spokesman, just a very happy customer. read more

Hi Mark, While I certainly appreciate your help and willingness to make things right, I want to make you aware of something I feel you are overlooking. I was past the point of frustration when you stepped in. The communication, expectations set by your staff, and customer service skills all had fallen so short by the time you rolled around that it didn't seem to make it right. I was already upset and had undergone numerous frustrating conversations with your team with no resolution. In my opinion, it shouldn't have gotten that far before you stepped in. That is the main reason why I did not change my review to a more positive one per your request. I love my couch, but I don't love what it took to get my couch. read more

TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE! - Instead of spending the money on cheesy, low-production commercials, they should spend it on infrastructure to actually fulfill orders correctly and on time. We had a terrible experience. Three deliveries, all three times they did not call with a time, they just showed up. 2/3 deliveries had the wrong piece and/or fabric. 1/3 they were more than a month late in delivering. Also, they had one of their "designers" come out who measured our room incorrectly and didn't return calls on time. Say what you want about Crate & Barrel, but at least they bother to return a call and deliver the goods on time. read more

After cancelling a couch that never got delivered from Ashley Homestore 4 months after we ordered it, we went to Darvin in Orland Park, and they too couldn't give us a definitive delivery date for a couch we liked. We made the decision to go across the street to WES and boy am I happy we did. Not only did they have a couch that was WAY better than the one we purchased at Ashley and the one we were considering at Darvin, but they also had a great sale on the couch. I'd like to commend our sales associate, Sean, who had impeccable customer service and made the process of buying our couch go as smooth as possible after feeling deflated about going without a new couch for so long in our new house. To top all of that, our couch was delivered right on time, almost exactly a week to the day that I walked in to the store. Immediately after our couch was delivered, Sean gave me a call to see how my delivery went. Thank you Sean for helping us to get this amazing couch in our house after not being able to sit in our living room for almost 5 months now! read more

When I first moved to Chicago a couple of years ago, I came here looking for a couch. Wow!! They were way out of my price range. They do have some really well made and beautiful furniture, so was seriously thinking of dropping a chunk of change for a well made sleeper sofa. But in the end, I couldn't afford it. One of the things that I liked is that you can mix and match the style of the furniture (i.e. different arms) and pick your own fabric for the couch and throw pillows (different fabrics if you like...even two toned pillows with matching piping.) The "room" of fabric is a little intimidating, but my sales person just said to start looking and pick out some styles that I liked and then she helped me narrow it down to some things I really liked. One of the best things that Walter E. Smithe offered (and I'm not sure if they still do this) was the in-home consultation. For $100 you can have a designer come to your home and help you select furniture and arrange it in your house. The $100 then gets refunded toward the purchase of your new furniture. It's a nice service for people like me who are interior design challenged. Walter E. Smithe is a great place to shop if you want to invest in some quality furniture. The sales people are very nice and the services that they offer can't be beat. read more

We bought a sectional, chairs, and footstools. Steve was very helpful and patient. My husband and I took a long time to choose exactly what we wanted and exactly what color we wanted. Steve stuck with us, and now we have some very nice furniture. Delivery came sooner than expected on all the pieces, and the delivery guys were very friendly and fast, too. My small issue with Walter E. Smithe is their Smithe Coating pricing. We got the Smithe Coat protection on our sectional. I would have liked to get the two chairs and footstools coated as well, but each piece was quoted the same price as the large sectional. That drastically increased the cost of the already pricey furniture. We turned the coating down on those pieces because of the high cost. I understand that is how they price the protective coating, but from the customer's perspective a footstool should not be charged the same price as a sectional. read more

I was told my order will be ready in 3-4 weeks and it has now been 6 weeks already, I am told it will be another 6 weeks at least. I received one piece - the bed - but the wrong size so now they need another 2 months for that. It's just ridiculous that I'm stuck and they are doing nothing to expedite or make good. read more

I have bought my first furniture for Walter Smithe in 2002; a dining table and 4 chairs, a t.v. storage cabinet, an Oriental rug and an ottoman. The dining table still looks great, no scratches from the wear and tear as I use the dining table for everything. The chairs are still in great condiion all of the legs are still firmly attached, the cushions are still plush. The storage cabinet is still great, doors and knobs are still firmly in place. The otoman is in front of the sofa and has been a victim of spill, books, pens, etc. b/c of the coating they put on their fabric the ottoman still looks great almost ten years later! I went back six months ago to buy four additional chairs to go with the original chairs I bought in 2002. They no longer carried the style of the origial chair ; but the designer solved the problem by choosing chairs that complemented what I already had. I love the new chairs! I gave them 4 stars instead of 5 because I was delivered the wrong chair covers. The problem was fixed I got an email from one of the Smithe brothers (after complaining about a lack of communication about the replacement covers) and I got about $50 bucks returned to me that I was not expecting. By the way, the delivery guys were great, they came when they said they would, they professional and friendly. If you want furniture that will last Walter E. Smithe is a great option. read more

I have made multiple calls to schedule an appointment to hire them to re-cover pieces in my living room and to select guest bedroom furniture. I have not received ANY response from them once they were advised that I do not want to hire their designers . read more

The Oak Brook store is the worse as far as customer service. Tonya and Corey were awful! Tonya is a manager. I was shocked after learning this. Managers usually understand the mission and vision. Tonya nor Corey understood the assignmen! I sat three feet from Corey he looked me up and down, turned his head, and sat down at the front desk. If you are melatoninated, you may want to reconsider visiting this location. I've shopped at Walter E. Smithe since 2004. Great customer service in Lincoln Park and Orland Park. I once met the grandfather who was extremely kind, hence why I kept giving them my business and the reason I didn't give one star! read more

I recently purchased two sofas from Delvin at the Clybourn location and I gotta tell you, these sofas are awesome! These matching leather Henredon sofas are bench-made in North Carolina which as a consumer is exactly what I was looking for. Next time you're furniture shopping just look at the labels and see how many pieces are made in China. Chinese furniture is well known for toxic chemicals in the glues, paints and dyes. Delvin listened to my desire for US-made and suggested Henredon. Bench-made assures that there are solid joints, tight stitching and real hardwood. You do get what you pay for and a sofa like this will last for DECADES- do not be disenchanted by the pricing. I have had my sofas for a week and a half and have put them to the test! Each one weighs approx 225 pounds and the construction is rock-solid. The arms will not flex or budge at all. The leather is thick and the color and texture is consistent throughout. At all stages of the sales process Delvin kept me informed and during the eight week build time Smithe HQ sent me emails with projected delivery dates. I followed other reviews on Yelp about Mr. Molden and Walter E. Smithe in general- yes they have some pieces made in China and if that's what you want and it fits your budget then go for it. Otherwise they feature many other manufacturers and have all their catalogs and fabric samples. I highly recommend this store and Delvin for the attention and concern paid to me and as you just read am very very satisfied with my purchase! read more

I am frankly shocked by the low reviews this store is getting. We used their design consulation services this fall and had Michael come out to our house to pick some furniture. He gave us great suggestions for the two rooms we were looking to furnish and we ended up buying a couch, coffee table and side table. They were delivered promptly with no problems and we get so many compliments on them! While this store is a little smaller than some of the suburban ones, but they can get anything the other stores had, so you're certainly not limited to their selection. As we continue to furnish our home, we keep going back! Walter E Smithe is competively priced with any of the other large furniture stores in the city, but they always have sales, cash discounts, etc... that makes their stuff even more affordable. read more

Even as I write this I'm receiving bad news about this fiasco that is my sofa delivery. I was told the sofa I was ordering, in its stock fabric, was most likely in stock. After placing the order the sales person informed me that the sofa was not in stock and the wait would be 6-8 weeks. After falling in love with the sofa I agreed to the wait, even though my new apt was empty. Fast forward to the 7th week (this week), after several non-returned calls from a warehouse manager by the name of Mullins and several missed emails due to an incorrectly recorded email address, I was informed by the service rep that my sofa wouldn't be in for another MONTH! It will be 3 months before this basic model, stock fabric cigar club sofa will see the inside of my house. Since I'm starting from decorating scratch, I've been sitting on my living room floor patiently waiting for a call to schedule delivery. I've been offered a loaner sofa, but I don't know where that sofa's been or who's been on it! If every stitch is not being blessed by the hands of a virgin from the southern isles of Never Never Land, and every piece of wood carried from the depths of a secluded forest on the backs dodo birds I don't understand WTF! is taking so long. And G-d forbid the sofa comes in and a stitch is out of place... I'll keep you all posted on where this experience goes. read more