CLEANING UP One reporter faces his fear a haircut — as he gets pampered at the lux Shaker Heights' Gentlemen's Cave.

STYLE

Cleaning Up

Salons aren't just for women any more. One writer lets us in on his day of pampering at Gentlemen's Cave.

Walking up to the Gentlemen’s Cave Luxury Barber Lounge — a sleek storefront in Shaker Heights — I feel anxious. I haven’t had my hair cut in over two years. But the pandemic isn't an excuse anymore. It takes a whole 10 minutes for those fears to pass at the Gentlemen’s Cave Luxury Barber Lounge. “I would put every barber in here up against any other in the city,” says barber Myia Simon. As I walk in, I’m greeted by a spacious area with a lounge hidden behind thick double doors, a sturdy pool table and a fully stocked bar in the back corner. The vibe feels laid-back but respectful, not unlike owner Lozell Siler who joins me for a while as Simon sits me down and grabs me a water. Despite my lingering nerves, I tell myself sit back and relax, trust in the process.

The Facial. Simon warns me that the incoming towel might feel too hot. As the steaming fabric hits my face I feel the wrinkles on my brow melt away. She massages a series of products into my pores, and there’s not much of a smell, which I appreciate. The combination of pressure and moisturizer working into my skin leaves me feeling much more refreshed than the quick splash of cold water I’ve subjected myself to every morning — I feel almost silly for not doing this sooner. The Manicure. I must admit, this portion of the afternoon interested me the least. My fingers are placed into a bowl of warm water and rose petals before Simon massages them and begins filling the nails. She uses a slightly sweet-smelling oil on them that I can’t help but wonder about. “I used all natural products [with] natural eucalyptus, rose oil and peppermint oil,” Simon says. Sitting back and enjoying the smell, I learn the value of being pampered.

The Cut. With- The Gentlemen's Cave out a mirror di- offers myriad spa rectly in front treatments with a sip of of me, I sit there whiskey on the side. wondering how I look. I gave the barber simple but vague suggestions: Keep it long on top, fade out the sides and back. Anticipation wells up as I wonder about the final product, but the smooth R&B playing throughout the afternoon helps the time pass. Simon hands me a mirror and I can't look fast enough. “If someone takes less than 40 minutes to blend and fade your hair, they aren’t doing it right,” she says. Thinking back to 15-minute Cost Cutters haircuts that my grandma would take me to get, I shudder. The Takeaway. After, I feel a sense of refreshment that my routine has lacked. I wouldn't trust myself with half of what they did for me. I'll be back soon.

MAKERS

Squirrel Feeder

Rover’s Morning Glory sound engineer Charlie turned his pandemic hobby into a new shop at City Goods.

IT ALL STARTED with a fire pit from Menards, a YouTube video and a half-year of high school woodshop. You know, the way most things do.

“I bought this fire pit and was like, ‘We need chairs to go around it,’” says Charlie, the man behind the woodshop and the soundboard of Rover’s Morning Glory. “The chairs were $150 or $200, and I said ‘Well, I’ll just watch a YouTube video.’”

To his girlfriend Christa Lumby’s surprise, the chairs looked great and held up around the fire pit. The rest, as they say, is history.

Charlie, whose name off the air is Michael Toomey, and Lumby met 14 years ago in Cleveland, and they have been together ever since. When they aren’t working at Rover Radio and Proforma, they are in the “world’s tiniest garage” making wood creations at their home.

“So, the basement gets taken over and then the dining room gets taken over and then the kitchen sometimes gets used,” says Charlie. “The bedrooms are OK, but every other possible room is now a wood workshop.”

With every room in the house full, it is safe to say that business is on the rise. Especially with the introduction of squirrel tables. Charlie's Woodshop “I became creates tables for the rodent king squirrels (humans, too) of Cleveland,” and custom signs. says Charlie. “I couldn’t believe the amount of people that wanted to feed squirrels.”

Items from Charlie’s woodshop can be purchased at Hingetown's City Goods, where this holiday season it is going to be “squirrel table headquarters.”

“We have them at the shop, and we have a little Polaroid next to it of the squirrels eating off the one at our house,” says Lumby. “It’s just a funny thing to have.” charlieswoodshop.co Fresh from the Saw

Squirrel Picnic Table ($30) One man’s backyard pest is another man’s friend. Treat your backyard squirrels to the height of luxury with their own table to enjoy the food they dug up from your yard.

Epoxy Coffee Table ($1,300) A perfect accent to any home, this coffee table is custom built for each customer. Choose the color of epoxy resin that best accents the tones in your home.

Home is Where My Dogs Are Sign ($30) We would be remiss to leave out the furry friends that belong inside the house. This sign has a wood-fired feel due to the lasercarved design that is a perfect gift for any pup parent.