What I love most about my job is…

I like to think that I have never worked a day in my life because I have loved my job for the past 40 years. While there have been challenges along the way, I still have a real feeling of positivity and I am blessed with a long-serving team who are like my second family. I have worked with members of my actual family, too. My mother was my PA for more than a decade, and my wife, Deborah, runs our Customer Service to this day. 

If I was in charge of this industry I would…

Lobby Parliament to give Corporation Tax reduction incentives to companies with less than 250 staff when they take on apprentices. When I left school, I went to Rycotewood, the foremost furniture college in the UK and I left aged 18 as a master cabinetmaker. I now work in partnership with the college providing Level 2 and 3 apprenticeships in cabinetmaking and fitting.

The thing people might not know about me is…

I’m a petrolhead! I have a passion for British and European classic sports cars and I own a few. I also love vinyl. I collect LPs and I have numerous album covers gracing the walls in my office. I have always been a fan of Debbie Harry and Parallel Lines by Blondie takes pride of place. 

The work story I always tell to make people laugh is…

I accepted an order for a dressing room that included 50 open wardrobes. I headed to the address, a two-bedroom apartment in Mayfair, and was greeted by the housekeeper. Curious, and bemused, I asked how the client was planning to fit 50 wardrobes into one of the two bedrooms?

To my surprise, the housekeeper told me that the entire flat was being converted into a single dressing room to store the client’s clothes, which would change with every season. The client, it turned out, lived next door. To this day, I believe I made the UK’s largest ever walk-in wardrobe!

The industry person I most admire is… 

The first is my mother, who taught me the importance of grit and determination. Then, my production and installation directors, Luke Parker and Steve Rayment who are an integral part of the company’s DNA. 

I wish this industry would talk less about…

The challenges we are facing within our industry, and, in the world today as it can feel overwhelming. I was brought up with the belief that the world is your oyster. No one is entitled to anything – it is up to all of us to make the best of a bad situation and move forward.

My biggest professional inspiration is…

Charlie Smallbone and Mark Wilkinson. Without the contributions of these two pioneers, it is likely that truly bespoke businesses like mine may not even exist.

My proudest professional achievement is….

We were privileged to work on designing a bespoke kitchen for Only Fools & Horses star Sir David Jason in 1996. We have kept in touch since, and he recently kindly donated to a charity sponsorship, leaving a message on my JustGiving page saying: ‘He who dares, wins, Simon.’

One professional mistake I’ve learned from is…

Not listening enough to my gut instinct. When someone tells you not to worry, start worrying!

In ten years’ time I will be…

Doing an apprenticeship in tool-making or classic car restoration. You can become an apprentice at any age as long as you are over 16. 

I dance in my kitchen to…

Donna Summer – Hot Stuff

The song I always sing in the shower is…

I don’t sing, but I do make plans for the day and what’s ahead. For some reason, I do a lot of thinking in the shower.