Sam Maloof Style Rocking Chair Walnut Rocker Burl Veneer Carved Sculpture

One of the great moments of my life was the chance to meet Sam Maloof and shake his hand. I was so overwhelmed by the moment that I could hardly breathe or talk, my heart was racing, my hands were sweating…..but I did say, “Thank you Mr. Maloof for all of your inspiration….” That’s about all I could say, and I hardly got those few words out. He lectured and judged the exhibits at the Western Design Conference in 2006 in Cody, WY where I was an exhibitor that year. If you don’t know Sam’s story, I highly recommend getting his autobiography, and the Taunton Press DVD made in the late-1980’s.

His work is amazing, the Rocking Chair is my favorite example of his styling. I have built a few rockers in his style, these are photos of one of them. I try to bring a little of my own detail to Sam’s design, sculpted curves on the back of the Crest Rail, burl walnut veneer on the face of the Spindles, and a few little tweaks here and there.

If you are looking for someone to build you a rocking chair, please visit my Commissions Page in my Etsy.com Store, where I have the Maloof-Style Rocking Chair listed.

Thanks for reading,
Mark A. DeCou