I was invited to attend a garden and home tour with Western Municipal Water District, one of MWD's member agencies. The home and garden belongs to the late Sam Maloof. For those of you who do not know Sam Maloof following is a brief summary of Sam and his work.
Sam Maloof is acknowledged as one of the finest woodworkers of our time. As a leader of the California modern arts movement, he designed and produced furniture infused with profound artistic vision for more than half a century until his death in 2009. Maloof’s work was the subject of a prestigious retrospective at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery in 2001 and is part of their permanent collection. His furniture is in some of the most important private collections in the nation and the permanent collections of the Boston Museum of Art, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and many other fine museums. In 1985 he was named a MacArthur Fellow and received honorary doctorates from the Rhode Island School of Design, Aurora University in Illinois and the California State University at San Bernardino.
Central to Sam’s work and life is the sprawling hand-built residence and adjoining woodshop. Nestled in a lemon grove near the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California, the residence is filled with Maloof furniture and one of America’s outstanding arts and crafts collections.
Following, are some photos of the tour...
These were our docents who told us all about the gardens...
This is the pathway to the incredible natives plants you will find in the 6 acre garden:
These gates were crafted by this master wood worker...
This is the home that is open to the public for tours. All of the furniture is designed and hand-crafted...
All through out the home is art that was often "traded" between artists...
His doors are amazing. Look at the way they close. I have never seen anything like this...
The kitchen counter is wood too...
A sitting room. See these chairs? When you sit in them they mold to your body. When you touch them the wood is soft and smooth. These are signature pieces and can go anywhere from $60,000 - $100,000....
See the wood trim on the windows? This is also Sam's work...
The floor was bricks. They were set on a slab of concrete, then padding, then the bricks. When you walked on them you could feel them shift under your weight...
Can you believe these staircases????
Check out the beams...
The bathroom...
A sofa...
This is the actual family home. We had a special invitation to see the home where Sam lived with his second wife Beverly seen below. Can you believe she is 80???
This chair was given to Beverly for their first Valentines day. The value: $100,000!!!
This is a portrait of Beverly and her 2 dogs...
The show room...
The workshop...
Wow, his handicrafts only prove that Sam Maloof is a genius woodworker. Deb, you are so lucky to see his works personally. And I have to appreciate the doors that he made! These are out-of-the-box products that no one could think of. :)
Posted by: Ronald Miller | April 24, 2012 at 08:13 AM