Sam Maloof, the son of Lebanese immigrants, was born in Chino, Calif., and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He returned to Southern California after leaving the army in 1945, and married Alfreda Ward in 1948. Maloof began out of necessity building furniture for their house from salvaged materials. After receiving some commissions, he and Freda moved to Alta Lomo, Calif., where he opened a studio and built a home that is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Three years after Freda’s death, he married Beverly Wingate and built a second home on the property; the first is now open to the public. Maloof’s iconic work is in several major museums, and in the White House. Read more
