sam maloof tours

Sam Maloof Tour – A Glimpse into the Life of a Legend

February 11, 2021 By Paul Mayer filed under Blog .

Photos courtesy of the Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts

The late Sam Maloof was a world-famous designer and woodworker who provided some of my earliest inspiration, and his body of work continues to delight me to this day. He produced seemingly impossible organic designs and flowing curves, coated with a glowing finish that beg to be caressed and bold, rock-solid, mind-bending joinery that’s showcased rather than concealed.

So, when a recent vacation took me to southern California, I jumped at the opportunity to visit the Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for the Arts and Crafts to tour the home and workshop of the master craftsman.

The Maloof Property

The Maloof compound sits on a breathtaking, lush lot that’s nearly six acres large. Unobtrusively nestled in a quiet residential area near the foothills of a mountain range in the San Bernardino National Forest area, the site includes a large garden that can be toured, along with several buildings: the home, shop, gallery and Visitors’ Center. There’s also a building that was once used as Maloof’s woodshed, which has been repurposed as a workshop where woodworking and woodturning classes are offered.

There are two different tours offered: one is a one-hour, docent-guided journey through the Maloof home and private art collection, and the other starts with the home tour and adds stops into Maloof’s shop and wood storage room. I opted for the longer tour, and I highly recommend fellow woodworkers do the same.

The home was more inspiring than I had even imagined, and I had traveled there with heightened anticipation. Even without Maloof’s art collection, I could have spent hours examining the architectural details of the home itself, which was built by Maloof in an iterative fashion over the course of many years.

The home started as a tiny structure, begun in 1954 as Maloof’s business was beginning to outgrow its original shop in a suburban garage. With work beginning to appear in national magazines, Sam and Alfreda traded their suburban home for a parcel further from town. As their business continued to gain momentum, the home expanded one room at a time to its current span of 15 rooms, each one filled with meaning and beauty. Each room has a story, many of them reflecting an honoring reverence that Sam had for Freda.

The doors, each one unique, feature spectacular details with handcrafted latches, integrated stained glass, and even clever wooden hinges. I’ve never been in a home, or any manmade structure for that matter, that moved me as much as the Maloof home. I’ve read everything I could get my hands on over the years about Maloof and his extraordinary home, and then I was actually standing inside of it. I was awestruck, and frankly, “tingly.”

The Collection

The home is adorned with an art collection that includes hundreds of pieces from friends of the Maloofs, as well as a few beautiful selections that were created by Freda. The inspiring assemblage spans a variety of mediums, including pottery, painting, turned pieces and even a full-sized canoe that hangs from the ceiling.

But as a woodworker I was predominately drawn to, and utterly mesmerized by, the collection of Maloof-built furniture in the home. As you would expect, there were chairs (and lots of them!) in the Maloof style where they appear to have grown right up out of the ground as if fueled by a supernatural force. The chairs were as spectacular as I had imagined, but the range of other Maloof pieces was also delightful.

In addition to the infamous chairs, some of my favorite pieces included:

Dining Table

The massive walnut table is not only exquisitely beautiful, but the intricate handmade drop-leaf joint provides an ability to extend by a couple feet on each end. This was important to Sam and his wife, Alfreda, as they would frequently entertain groups of guests in their home.

In my opinion, the rocking chairs that made Maloof famous were not actually his masterpiece. To me, that designation goes to his cradles, which provide a flowing, curvaceous nest for a baby.

Music Stands

A small area of the home’s upper level contains music stands that were designed and crafted by Maloof in different styles.

While they serve a specific purpose of holding sheet music, these works are nothing short of spectacular sculptures.

Perhaps my favorite Maloof piece in the home is not actually furniture, but the spiral staircase that is an integral part of the home itself. This is not only impressive from an architectural standpoint, but it also encompasses the curvaceous feel and delightful textures of a Maloof piece of furniture, with beautiful sculpted and chiseled details throughout the massive structure. It was worth the price of admission just to see the staircase in person.

The Evolution of an Artist

As inspiring as it is to see the remarkable body of work on display in the Maloof home, it’s equally interesting to follow the progression of Maloof as an artist. While his mastery spanned a great repertoire of projects, he remained steadfast and loyal to the rocking chair throughout his 60+ years of woodworking. His rockers were beautiful from the very beginning, but in the tour you can observe the development of his design as the slats took a more sophisticated shape, the arms become more supportive, more contour emerged in the seats, and the joinery became more bold and visible.

As a woodworker, this evolution is inspiring. It makes me want to revisit some of my earlier designs and projects to further evolve them based on what I’ve learned over the years. Just as Maloof found himself coming back to his rocking chairs, I find myself returning to Maloof for inspiration. I’m now returning to my own shop with a reinvigorated passion and some “curvy ideas” to explore. If you ever find yourself in Southern California, I strongly encourage you to take this tour, and plan on a couple of extra hours to tour the gallery and gardens, which can be explored for no charge.

Pro-tip : Make a reservation because these tours routinely sell out.

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8 Responses to “Sam Maloof Tour – A Glimpse into the Life of a Legend”

Grossly underrated but gigantic talent. Most people think he made chairs!

As a hardwood lumber pro working only a few miles away in Fontana, I’m embarrassed to admit it took me years to visit the Maloof museum. Even if you aren’t a woodworker, his story and history is compelling. If you’re ever looking for something to do in the Inland Empire, make a reservation and go!

i am in awe of a craftsman who can transform the mediocre into a work of art.

Around 1982 I attended a three day work shop with Mr. Maloof. It was amazing to watch how he was able to take basic joinery in combination to create incredibly strong and attractive connections. I had the honor of sitting with him one day while we ate our brown bag lunches together. He was as genuine, and real a person as was his creations. It was one of the highlights of my 50 year career as a cabinetmaker.

I was told by Mallow's attorney that the reason the Maloofs moved out of town was because their house and woodshop was in the path of a planned freeway. They successfully sued the state and got the state to reimburse them for the cost of their move.

Attended one of Sam's workshops for woodworking teachers back in the late 80's at Sam'original shop and house before they moved it to make way for the 210 freeway. I have his book which he autographed for me. A real treasure. met Freida, could not find a more gracious lady.

What a talented man. I have a plan and video on making a rocking chair from one of his plans . I will make it out of heart rimu from New Zealand. A quietly pretty wood with nice contrasts through the colours in the grain. I intend to incorporate a couple of greenstone ( jade ) hand rests just where you would put your hands on the arm rests. A tremendous legacy Sam has left.

Ivisited there as well several years ago. They have a wonderful video presentation at the beginning as well. It should be a pilgrimage for every aspiring woodworker.

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Time Out says

Master woodworker Sam Maloof and his carpenters designed and built this lovely, thoughtful home piece by piece in his on-site workshop; no two door openings are the same here, and each joint is a wonder of craftsmanship. A MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, Maloof has had his iconic rocking chairs shown at the Smithsonian; he also designed the chairs that were used on-camera at the history-changing Nixon/Kennedy debates. Visitors can see some of this furniture, as well as the wide-ranging collection of arts-and-craft pieces that he and his wife of 50 years, Alfreda, amassed together. The garden, which he tended, and the house are both open for tours; if you ask, you might be able to peek into the workshop, where he continued building until his death in 2009 at the age of 93.

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

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Sam and Alfreda Maloof and the Maloof Historic Home: Artful Living in Mid-20th Century California

The stories of Ray & Charles Eames, Joan Didion, Frank Zappa, Sam Maloof and others come together in this off-beat introduction by  to the Maloof Historic Home, a California Modernist treasure. A Smithsonian Affiliate and part of the Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios consortium established by the National Trust, The Maloof Foundation holds the world’s largest collection of Sam Maloof design drawings and furniture and a remarkable collection of mid-20th century California art and craft. 

With mentors and friends including artist Millard Sheets, industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss, Navajo potter Maria Martinez and others, Sam and Alfreda Maloof lived for half a century in a lemon grove located midway between Palm Springs and Los Angeles, on property that is now listed in the National Register and open to the public. The Maloof’s extraordinary furniture would be acquired by major museums, private collectors and two U.S. presidents. Today, the Maloof’s extraordinary home and workshop welcomes visitors from around the world for home tours, exhibitions, woodworking, a six-acre drought-tolerant Discovery Garden and a Certified Wildlife Habitat. This is a story of artful mid-20th century living and two artists’ lasting impact on California design, craft and culture.

Jim Rawitsch is the Executive Director of the Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts, in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

The Maloof is currently hosting the exhibition Larry White | Equilibrium, featuring selections of furniture, drawings, paintings, sculpture and more from six decades of work by a remarkable California artist who got his start in Sam Maloof’s workshop. In 2024, The Maloof will host the exhibition Jack Rogers Hopkins: California Design Maverick , featuring sketchbooks, drawings, jewelry and furniture.    malooffoundation.org

Things to Know This event is for ages 12 and older. Ample free public parking is available. Enter at Hyatt on Palm Canyon Drive or in the multi-level public garage across from the Palm Springs Art Museum. Handicap parking is available. This event is wheelchair accessible. The organizer of this event is  Modernism Week .

Event Check-in Location   CAMP Theater, Hyatt Palm Springs, 285 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262 View Map  

Photo Credits:  All images courtesy of the Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts & Crafts 

©2023. All Rights Reserved. MADE is a California 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Privacy Policy

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The Maloof Home Inspires Artful Living... Help Preserve the Story!

SAM AND ALFREDA MALOOF FOUNDATION FOR ARTS AND CRAFTS

About the Maloofs

Their Home, Sam's Furniture, and the Foundation

Who were Sam and Alfreda?

Sam grew up in Chino CA, the child of struggling immigrant parents from the Middle East, and became one of America's best-known furniture makers. Alfreda and Sam met and married after Sam served in WWII. She gave up her art career to manage Sam's business, and more importantly, kept encouraging him to continue when the business was making little progress. Alfreda also included Sam in her lifelong friendships with the Pueblo Indians she worked with in the 1930s,  Click HERE to learn their story and how their home became a unique architectural landmark. Click HERE  for Sam's curriculum vitae.

Sam's furniture

Sam is probably best known for his chairs, especially his rockers.  Click HERE for pictures from an exhibit of Sam's chairs.

Click HERE for the Deep House videos that do a deep dive into individual pieces of Sam's furniture.

The Foundation

The 210 freeway threatened the Maloof home, which was on the National Register of Historic Places.  To preserve the home, a foundation was formed which continues to preserve the home and make it open to the public. Learn about the Foundation and its many activities and programs HERE . ​

Click HERE for videos about the Maloof Teen program.

Click HERE for videos about the site's relationship to the native Tongva people.

The Maloof Foundation campus is set at the base of the San Gabriel mountains in the Alta Loma neighborhood of Rancho Cucamonga, just two miles off the 210 freeway.

It contains Sam and Alfreda's historic home (open for public tours), Sam's workshop (still a working woodshop), the Jacob's Education Center holding art and craft exhibits, and the archive building housing parts of Sam and Alfreda's collection.  All set in five and a half acres of native and other Mediterranean zone water-wise gardens.

Sam and Alfreda's historic home

The Maloofs started with an 800 square foot shoebox of a stucco home.  Then Sam gradually added on, added features, added artistic touches, and created perhaps his single most ambitious and beautiful project of all.

Recognized by the National Register of Historic Places and by the Los Angeles chapter of the American Institute of Architects, their home is a stunning work of art.

Click HERE for a 360 virtual tour.

Click HERE to see the changing floor plan and features as the home grew from 1951 to 2000.