Walter E. Smithe is a family-owned furniture retailer focused on high-quality, custom-made furniture and personalized design services, offering a versatile range of styles. In contrast, Ethan Allen is a well-established American brand known for its classic, timeless designs, durable solid wood construction, and a strong emphasis on sustainability.
Let's break down everything you need to know to choose the right home furniture brand for your space.
Walter E. Smithe: The Tailored Home Furnishings Expert
Walter E. Smithe is a Chicago-based, family-owned retailer that has built its reputation on offering a highly personalized shopping experience and customizable furniture. The brand caters to homeowners who want tailored pieces that perfectly match their individual style, bridging the gap between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary living.
- Product mix: A broad selection of home furnishings, including custom sofas and sectionals, dining sets, bedroom furniture, home office pieces, and accessories.
- Style/vibe: A versatile and eclectic mix of traditional, transitional, and contemporary designs. The brand’s strength is in its ability to adapt to a client’s personal aesthetic through extensive customization.
- Price point: Mid-to-luxury. Sofas typically start around $1,200, with more complex or high-end custom pieces exceeding $3,000.
- Customization: This is a core focus. Customers can select from a wide array of fabrics, finishes, hardware, and configurations to create truly unique furniture.
- Quality: Known for durable construction, solid hardwood frames, and high-quality upholstery designed to last for years.
- Services: Offers complimentary in-home or in-showroom design consultations with professional designers to create cohesive room plans.
- Delivery & Assembly: Provides in-home delivery with a professional team that handles assembly and placement, ensuring a seamless experience from start to finish.
Walter E. Smithe is an ideal choice for those who value personal service and want furniture that is specifically tailored to their home and style preferences.
Shop Walter E. Smithe: walteresmithe.com
Ethan Allen: The Classic American Furniture Brand
With a history spanning over 85 years, Ethan Allen has cemented itself as a leading American brand for high-quality, heritage-style furniture. It's recognized for a timeless classic aesthetic, masterful wood furniture, and a commitment to responsible, eco-friendly manufacturing, appealing to consumers looking for sophisticated and enduring home furnishings.
- Product mix: Comprehensive offerings for every room, including sofas, beds, dining tables, home office, and a curated selection of lighting, rugs, and decor.
- Style/vibe: Leans towards classic, traditional, and transitional elegance. The look is refined and timeless, emphasizing sophistication and quality that endures beyond fleeting trends.
- Price point: Mid-to-luxury, often positioned slightly higher than comparable brands. Sofas typically begin around $1,500 and can easily reach over $4,000 for custom or larger configurations.
- Quality: Renowned for its solid wood furniture, using traditional craftsmanship and high-performance fabrics. Many collections are designed for longevity and can be considered heirloom pieces.
- Sustainability: The company strongly emphasizes its commitment to sustainability, responsible sourcing, and using eco-friendly materials like FSC-certified wood.
- Services: Provides interior design services both in their numerous design centers and virtually, alongside free fabric and finish swatches to help decision-making.
- Delivery & Assembly: Offers flexible delivery options, including premier in-home delivery where items are assembled and placed in the room of your choice.
Ethan Allen is designed for shoppers in the market for sophisticated, well-made furniture from a heritage brand with a strong commitment to quality and classic style.
Shop Ethan Allen: ethanallen.com
Walter E. Smithe vs. Ethan Allen Comparison
Price Comparison
While both brands operate in the mid-to-luxury space, there are noticeable differences in their pricing structures. Walter E. Smithe generally offers more accessible starting price points, particularly for custom upholstery, with sofas starting around $1,200. Their value proposition centers on providing a high degree of personalization without a prohibitive price tag.
Ethan Allen’s prices are typically higher across the board. An entry-level sofa starts closer to $1,500 and can escalate significantly with fabric and finish upgrades. This reflects the brand's positioning as a premium, heritage choice that emphasizes solid wood craftsmanship and sustainably sourced materials.
Style & Aesthetic
The primary aesthetic difference lies in versatility versus curation. Walter E. Smithe prides itself on offering a broad palette of styles - from modern to traditional and everything in between. The ability to customize extensively means the final aesthetic is largely dictated by the customer, making it adaptable to almost any interior design scheme.
Ethan Allen has a more defined point of view. Its style is rooted in timeless American classicism, with an emphasis on elegance and formality. While there are modern influences in some collections, the overall feel is curated and sophisticated, appealing to those who want a harmonious, traditionally elegant home.
Quality & Construction
Both companies are respected for high-quality construction. Walter E. Smithe uses solid hardwood frames and durable materials intended for everyday use, with a strong focus on fine craftsmanship that stands up over time.
Ethan Allen has built its reputation on exceptional materials, particularly its solid wood furniture made from FSC-certified hardwoods. Its upholstery features premium cushions and high-performance fabrics. For many shoppers, Ethan Allen's name is synonymous with multi-generational durability and craftsmanship, positioning it slightly higher in perceived heirloom quality.
Customization Options
Customization is the core of the Walter E. Smithe business model. They offer an incredible depth of options, from hundreds of fabrics and leathers to different wood finishes, hardware, and component configurations. Their design service is centered around helping customers build one-of-a-kind pieces that perfectly fit their space and taste.
Ethan Allen also provides a solid range of customization, allowing customers to choose from a wide assortment of fabrics, leathers, and finishes for many of their products. However, the process feels more like personalizing a curated design rather than building an item from the ground up.
Shopping Experience
The Walter E. Smithe experience feels intimate and service-oriented, heavily based on working one-on-one with a professional designer, either in your home or in their primarily Illinois-based showrooms. It's ideal for someone who wants expert guidance through the customization process.
Ethan Allen offers a more traditional, upscale retail experience with a large network of beautifully appointed showrooms across North America. Their interior designers are readily available to assist, but the model also supports independent browsing and online customization. Its large physical footprint makes it more accessible to shoppers nationwide.
Sustainability & Ethics
Ethan Allen has made sustainability a forward-facing part of its brand identity. The company is transparent about its use of FSC-certified wood, responsible sourcing, and ongoing efforts to reduce its environmental footprint through its own manufacturing plants.
Walter E. Smithe focuses on durability, which contributes to sustainability by encouraging long-term ownership. They do prioritize responsibly sourced materials, but it's not as prominent in their marketing as it is for Ethan Allen, who leads in this area.
Which One Should You Choose?
Both brands offer excellent furniture for the discerning shopper, but they serve different needs and priorities.
Choose Walter E. Smithe if:
- You want furniture that is truly customized to your exact specifications, including fabric, finish, and size.
- You appreciate a highly personalized, hands-on shopping experience with a professional interior designer.
- Your personal style is eclectic, transitional, or a unique blend that doesn't fit a standard mold.
- You're located in or near their Chicago-area showrooms and want high-quality custom furniture at a competitive price.
Choose Ethan Allen if:
- You prefer timeless, classic, or traditional aesthetics that will not go out of style.
- Sustainability and the use of eco-friendly, certified materials are important factors in your decision.
- You're willing to invest more for a heritage brand renowned for its quality and lasting power.
- You value the convenience of a national network of showrooms for in-person viewing and shopping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Walter E. Smithe or Ethan Allen cheaper?
Generally, Walter E. Smithe is more affordable. Its sofas and other furniture pieces often have a lower starting price, and the brand is focused on delivering a high level of customization for a great value. Ethan Allen is positioned at a higher price point, reflecting its heritage status and focus on premium, sustainably sourced materials.
Which brand has better quality furniture?
Both brands are known for high-quality construction. Ethan Allen has a long-standing reputation for heirloom-quality solid wood furniture and durable upholstery, often making it a benchmark for quality. Walter E. Smithe also offers excellent, durable furniture with solid wood frames, and its quality is highly regarded, especially within the custom furniture market.
Which brand offers more customization?
Walter E. Smithe is the clear leader in customization. Their entire business model revolves around creating tailored pieces, with vast options for fabrics, leathers, finishes, and configurations. While Ethan Allen offers many customization options, they are more limited compared to Walter E. Smithe's made-to-order approach.
What style is Ethan Allen known for?
Ethan Allen is best known for its classic, timeless, American style. Its collections often feature refined, elegant pieces that blend traditional forms with transitional details, creating a sophisticated and enduring aesthetic.
Is Walter E. Smithe a luxury brand?
Walter E. Smithe occupies a space between mid-range and luxury price-point. They provide the luxury experience of custom-designed furniture and high-quality materials but at a price a bit more accessible to a wide audience than more exclusive luxury brands.
Does Ethan Allen use solid wood?
Yes, Ethan Allen is famous for their use of premium solid woods in their furniture. The company often highlights its use of sustainably grown and FSC-certified hardwoods, which contributes to the durability and a higher perceived long-term value of their furniture collections.
Which is better for families?
Both brands can be great for families depending on material selection. Each offers a wide variety of high-performance and durable fabrics suitable for homes with children and pets. The decision would likely come down to style preference and budget rather than a clear advantage in durability for one over the other.
Where are Walter E. Smithe showrooms located?
Walter E. Smithe showrooms are primarily located in Illinois and the greater Chicago area.
At Interior Insider, we're dedicated to curating the best in home decor, interior design, and home essentials to help you discover brands we think you'll love. Every brand we feature is independently selected by our editorial team based on quality, design, and craftsmanship. When you make a purchase through our links, Interior Insider may earn a commission - which helps support our small team and allows us to continue bringing you inspiration and expert advice for creating your perfect space.
Looking for more inspiration? Explore our curated design guides to find your next favorite piece.
