Life + Culture

SIX WOMEN

Redefining entrepreneurship in Birmingham and beyond. Article by Lynne Konstantin MARTINA CAMAJ Creative Director, Events & Brand Experience Tallulah Wine Bar & Bistro | ZANA — Birmingham Describe what you do. My focus is shaping the creative vision behind our restaurant brands — developing experiences that go beyond the culinary, from events and collaborations to storytelling, media relations and the overall guest experience. Together with our team, including my husband, Mario, we...

Fitness

Gold Medal. Michigan Roots.

Tatiana Gutsu is just getting started. Article by Susan Thwing For Tatiana Gutsu, greatness was never just about standing on a podium. Long before she became an Olympic champion, she was a young girl in Odesa, Ukraine, navigating poverty and uncertainty. Her early years were sometimes without electricity, water or food. Yet she was drawn to something larger than her circumstances. “Gymnastics was not just a sport for me,” she says. “It was my language, my escape and ultimately my purpose.” ...

Entertainment

Catching Up With Rosalyn Yellin

The Palm Beach philanthropist, Netflix reality star and proud grandmother finds her people in Birmingham. Article by Lynne Konstantin BIRMINGHAM CITY LIFESTYLE: You raised your family in Bucks County, Pa. How did you end up in Palm Beach? ROSALYN YELLIN: My husband and I raised our five children — three daughters and twin boys — in Bucks County, where I taught a popular fitness class. We always dreamed of moving to Florida once we became empty nesters. When our twins — our youngest —...

Arts + Culture

selma at home

Selma Blair talks hometown roots, style and finding her strength. Article by Lynne Konstantin “I remember having a snow day on April 16, when I was at Hillel,” Selma Blair says. “It might have been 1980, I can’t remember. But it’s a very distinct memory.” On the day of our conversation in March, sitting in her sunny L.A. home, she’s curious about the weather in Birmingham, where I tell her it had been snowing that morning. She chats easily, eager to reminisce with another native about her...

Finance + Legal Services

Locally Invested

Meet your financial neighbors — leaders on business, community and what really matters. Article by Lynne Konstantin KURT DELFIN Executive Sales Leader and Medicare Specialist, HealthMarkets, Farmington Hills healthmarkets.com BIRMINGHAM CITY LIFESTYLE Tell us a bit about yourself. KURT DELFIN I live in West Bloomfield, originally from Sterling Heights. I have one son in Miami who’s aspiring to be a professional golfer, and I’m getting married in June — which means I’ll soon have...

Home Services

The Outdoor Reset

We asked experts in their fields for essential spring maintenance for decks, trees and more. Article by Lynne Konstantin Mike Bonadeo Owner, OPW Decks What started as a summer job for 21-year-old Mike Bonadeo in 2004 became a 20-plus-year career — and eventually ownership of the business. In 2018, Bonadeo purchased OPW Decks (opwrestoration.com), the pressure washing and deck maintenance company where he'd worked for over a decade, bringing his brother Nick on as a partner. Now...

Travel

Designing Wanderlust

Meet Brenna Girardi, a Southern California native bringing luxury travel home to Metro Detroit. Article by Lynne Konstantin | Photography by Brenna Girardi Brenna Girardi’s love affair with travel began on a childhood family trip to London — before she’d even visited another major U.S. city. Growing up in Southern California with a British stepfather meant frequent overseas adventures, and that coastal upbringing and early exposure to international travel inspired a deep curiosity.  “It...

Home + Design

Built to Breathe

Through light, texture and deeply personal details, Armina Kasprowicz creates a home that lets you exhale. Article by Susan Thwing | Photography by Martin Vecchio For Armina Kasprowicz, principal of Armina Interiors, wellness isn’t a trend to apply or a checklist to complete.  “I don’t think of it as a formal philosophy,” she says. “For me, it’s instinctive.”  And it starts the moment you walk through the door, when your house feels like it’s receiving you back from the day and giving you...

Home Services

The Contractor Whisperer

The Hire It Done expert spills his top tips for hiring a contractor. Article by Lynne Konstantin Adam Helfman inherited a legacy — then gave it new life, making it his own. The founder of Bloomfield Hills-based Hire It Done (hireitdone.com), Helfman has been connecting Metro Detroit homeowners with curated and vetted contractors and home-improvement professionals. His philosophy: “Home improvement shouldn’t be a gamble.”  It’s a little bit brilliant. Helfman is a fourth-generation...

Home + Design

Easy, Elevated

The art of quiet, livable luxury in a local high-rise. Article by Lynne Konstantin | Photography by Joseph Tiano Amarilda (Amy) Vucaj has a design philosophy. “I’ve always believed that real luxury isn’t about having more, it’s about meaning and intention,” says the founder and principal designer of Amareaux Interior Design (amareaux.com) in Birmingham. “We create spaces that feel effortless and timeless, not trendy. Every choice we make has a reason behind it. I want our clients to walk into...