[3] Maloof, the first craftsman to receive a MacArthur fellowship, was described by The New York Times as "a central figure in the postwar American crafts movement".

[6] He was engaged in woodworking even as a child, made a broad spatula for his mother for turning bread, carved dollhouse furniture, cars and other toys.

Shortly after completing high school, Maloof began working in the art department of the Vortox Manufacturing Company in Claremont, California.

[9] Maloof married Alfreda Ward on June 27, 1948, and the couple moved into a house at 921 Plaza Serena, Ontario, California, where Sam set up a furniture workshop in the garage.

[1][5][12] He is featured in the 2007 PBS series "Craft in America: Memory, Landscape, Community", produced by Carol Sauvion.

They can be characterized by rounded corners at mortise and tenon joints (which are always plainly visible); carved ridges and spines, particularly on the arm rests; decorative Ebony dowels; deep, dished-out seats (always made from several boards glued together); and clear finishes.

Maloof tended to favor a handful of woods: Claro Walnut, Cherry, Oak, Rosewood and Yew.

He was described by the Smithsonian Institution as "America's most renowned contemporary furniture craftsman" and People magazine dubbed him "The Hemingway of Hardwood."

"I like the word," he told a Los Angeles Times reporter, his eyes brightening behind large, owl-eyed glass frames.