One cabin, one chair, one cut: Barber swaps rushed for rustic at his no-distractions shop in the woods

LONE JACK, Mo. — A short drive to visit this barber — his cabin tucked away in the oaks and hickories about 35 minutes from the heart Kansas City — is about more than just the journey to a great hair cut, Micah Holdaway said; it’s about the experience.

Barberhouse Men’s Hair Studio near Lone Jack, Missouri; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

After running Barberhouse Men’s Hair Studio in a speakeasy-style basement studio of his historic Hyde Park home for almost a decade, Holdaway moved his single-chair operation (and his family) to a cabin (and house) they built in the woods on 20 acres outside of Lee’s Summit.

“It is a little therapeutic in my mind,” he explained. “A lot of people, I think, like getting out and getting into the country once a month or so into a different environment. So that was the idea of creating almost like a destination spot.”

“The idea of putting a bunch of windows in and having the trees; you’re really trying to create a one-of-a-kind place,” he added, “where you can get a really good haircut in an atmosphere and location that is unlike anything else in Kansas City.”

When customers walk into the cabin, they are greeted with vaulted ceilings, large windows, antique barber chairs, rustic decor like antler chandeliers, and — often — homemade cookies for sale, made by Holdaway’s three daughters.

“I wanted to do a more modern feel than a traditional barbershop, but with some of those traditional elements,” he said. “Half of the people who come in make a comment about the barber chairs. They really are just kind of a classic, beautiful piece that speaks for itself in a way.” 

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Micah Holdaway’s classic barber chair at Barberhouse Men’s Hair Studio; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

Lending to the experience: it’s a one-chair barbershop, Holdaway noted, meaning each customer has a full one-hour appointment with no other distractions, a practice he started at his Hyde Park location.

“I don’t like to feel rushed,” he continued. “I’m a very laid-back kind of guy. I don’t want them to feel rushed. So I just wanted to create an atmosphere where there was time for the relationship and consultation.”

“I didn’t want to expand. I didn’t want to hire barbers into another location,” he said of the decisions behind his move to the country. “I wanted to keep it very small and more of that experience where you feel known when you come in and you are the person here. There’s not a lineup with people sitting in the waiting room. I wanted to get away from the busyness and the rush of the typical barbershop.”

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Inside Barberhouse Men’s Hair Studio near Lone Jack, Missouri; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

The barber business originally was just a side gig for Holdaway.

Micah Holdaway, Barberhouse Men’s Hair Studio; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

While getting a business degree at William Jewell College, he started cutting his own hair and the hair of some close friends, which then turned into giving $5 and $10 haircuts as he started gaining requests.

“I’d always been interested in hair and style and those types of things,” he continued. “It was just this fun hobby; teaching myself, experimenting on my friends, watching YouTube videos.”

After college, he began working at Cerner in more traditional business roles, but after a few years, he was ready for something new, he noted. His wife mentioned cutting hair since he was already doing haircuts for friends in their bathroom. 

“I loved the idea and couldn’t get it out of my mind,” he continued. “Cutting hair was really fun. But then also the idea of getting to start my own business and do what I wanted to do and the autonomy of that was a lot of fun.”

Inside Barberhouse Men’s Hair Studio near Lone Jack, Missouri; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

So in 2014, Holdaway began night classes at barber school while continuing to work full time. He graduated in 2016, and shortly after, started Barberhouse.

“We built a studio that was in the basement of our house,” he explained. “It was kind of like a back entrance speakeasy, which was great for Midtown.”

After doing that for eight years, many of his clients in Hyde Park — he has more than 100 five-star reviews — are now making the commute to Lone Jack for their hair cuts, he said.

“I have a lot of people from Olathe and old neighbors who still live in Midtown,” he continued. “But then I’ve been trying to get more traction in the Lee’s Summit area. So that’s slowly starting to happen and I’m seeing more local people.”

Whether they are old or new clients, Holdaway said he enjoys introducing them to an atmosphere where they can disconnect from the busyness of the city while connecting with nature and a friend (if they want one).

“I love getting to create a space that is more relaxed and more laid back and you really get to have one-on-one conversations,” he explained. “I have other clients, I have music on, and we just sit here and they don’t want to talk about anything. But it creates this environment where, if people do want to talk about things, I love getting to do that. That’s how I like to connect with people.”