At about the age of five Sam began to work with wood in his Grandmothers shop. She had learned woodworking from her father back in Iowa where his refrigerator factory turned out beautiful oak ice boxes and later refrigerators. Sam is a self taught woodworker and furniture maker, but counts as his greatest influence another Alta Loma based woodworker, the famous Sam Maloof. Working with several species of wood Sam Stavros has pieces is hundreds of houses, has individually furnished an entire home, and built all of the furniture for the Aidron Duckworth Museum in New Hampshire.
"The challenge is to build furniture that is completely functional and that will be used, while being artistic and pleasing to the eye. Time and patients are the two most important elements in making fine furniture. Without that there is no quality to be proud of. The finish alone on my furniture takes about 10 days to apply with several hours of sanding each day. In the end it is worth it. I will not make much furniture in my lifetime, but the furniture I make will last several lifetimes as it beautifies many homes during many generations."
Sam Stavros