Undercurrent (as we call it here in the Ontario office) is a group of like-minded people with an interest in design. Through talks and presentations, we provide an open platform for the development of ideas. Recently, we had the opportunity to visit the home and workshop of the late Sam Maloof, 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.
As it turns out, this is not the original location of Sam Maloof’s house. Due to its designation as a historic landmark, the state had the choice to either route the 210 freeway around it or move the house, and they chose the latter. Over the course of a year, the house was dismantled and trucked over in pieces to its current location in Alta Loma. The hillside site is a quiet, serene wooded location overlooking the valley below. Surprisingly, Sam Maloof and his first wife are actually buried on the site.
The responsibility for maintaining the house and site falls upon the symbiotic partnership of the not-for-profit Sam Maloof Foundation and Sam Maloof Woodworking, a trio of expert craftsmen who worked with Mr. Maloof for many years. Mike, one of the craftsmen, came fresh from the woodshop and (after a brief clean-up) led us on what ended up being a two-hour tour of the house, workshop, and part of the site.
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What was remarkable about the house is the level of detail involved in its construction; the house truly is an artistic expression. Simple items such as handrails and chandelier hooks are hand-carved, and the home is filled with Mr. Maloof’s personal and extensive collection of Native American artwork, which was an obvious influence on his work.
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In the shop, we witnessed not only tools but dozens of template pieces that Mr. Maloof created for reproduction use. A few pieces were in the process of being assembled. It was quite obvious that each piece took an extraordinary amount of effort that only the devoted spirit and human hands could achieve; there are still pieces that no amount of modern machinery can duplicate.
Lastly, Mike introduced us to the showroom, where a number of pieces were on display, including some new designs, of which I had first seen at Dwell on Design. The new pieces seemed to align more with a mid-century modern aesthetic, but the connections and woodwork were signature Maloof.
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At the conclusion of the tour, we were told that the visit was free, but as the foundation is a non-profit we were happy to donate. The Undercurrent group was able to present the foundation with a small donation of $100. If ever in the Alta Loma area, I encourage anyone to visit the house.
