From Timber to Trimmers: Why Simon Simoudis Is Swapping Saws for Scissors

For years, Simon Simoudis has been working as a cabinetmaker. He loves working with timber, tools, and the familiar hum of the workshop. 

There is pride in it. Knowing that something he built with his own hands would become part of someone’s home, that never got old.

But over time, something has begun to change. Not suddenly. Just this slow, quiet tug in a different direction. He has started feeling drawn toward something more personal. Something with more connection, to people, to expression, to the kind of care we often forget to give ourselves.

The idea of opening a men’s grooming parlour might sound like a big leap from crafting cabinets, but for Simon, it’s just a new way of building something meaningful. “It’s still craftsmanship, just a different kind,” he says.

It might seem like an unexpected switch, from crafting cabinets to crafting style, but for Simon, it makes perfect sense.

“People think cabinetmaking and grooming are worlds apart,” he says with a smile, “but for me, it’s still about detail. Still about care. Still about creating something someone feels good about.”

And that’s the heart of it. Simon’s not just chasing a business idea but a belief. That men deserve to feel good about themselves. That grooming isn’t about ego or vanity, but about showing up for yourself. The same way you oil your tools or clean your ute. It’s maintenance. It’s self-respect.

In his upcoming parlour, Simon Simoudis wants to break the mold. No clinical, soulless setups. No confusing menus of services where you’re too embarrassed to ask what a “skin fade with hot towel finish” even means, just an honest, welcoming space with good energy, good music, and people who get it.

“There’s a gap,” he says. “Men are expected just to wing it when it comes to personal care. You either go to a place that feels too posh, or somewhere that rushes you through like you’re just another head. I want to change that.”

Simon’s vision goes beyond just opening a business. He’s dreaming of something bigger, a movement, even. A space that normalizes self-care for men in Australia. A place where fathers and sons can come in together. Where tradies, creatives, and office blokes all feel equally welcome.

And he is embarking on his new journey, not just with scissors and razors but with patience, pride, precision, and a deep respect for his work, something he has learned during his present profession.

That same approach is going into this new chapter. Every detail of the parlour,  the feel of the chair, the scent in the air, the way customers are greeted,  it all matters.

Simon Simoudis isn’t trying to be flashy. He’s not selling some lifestyle fantasy. He’s just a bloke who believes that men deserve a little more space to care, without feeling weird about it.

He’s starting with one shop. But he’s thinking big. One day, he hopes his brand will be known across Victoria, not just for trims and shaves, but for starting a quiet revolution in how Aussie men treat themselves.

Whether it’s a finely crafted cabinet or a freshly groomed beard, when something’s made with intention, you can feel the difference.

And Simon? He’s just getting started.