When I first met West Bloomfield interior designer Sabrina Raso Vaughan, I was immediately struck by her natural beauty and style. Then came this unexpected twist: She is also an exotic honeybee farmer in Brazil, focused on ecosystem preservation and native bee pollination.
Called Mel Santa Cecília, her family’s artisanal Brazilian native stingless bee farm features distinct honey varieties produced by species like Uruçu-Amarela and Jataí. In Michigan, Sabrina has participated in design collaborations and "Honey Bar" tasting experiences at venues like Italcasa Design.
And so I wondered, how does she balance this international lifestyle so divided between two worlds, designing luxury interiors in Michigan and exotic honeybees in Brazil?
"I don’t see them as separate worlds; they both feel deeply like home," she says simply. "Design has taught me to notice proportion, materiality and emotion. The bees teach me patience, rhythm and the intelligence of nature. Both are my passion."
She stays grounded, closely connected to clients, family and her design teams. Whether walking through a home under construction or standing quietly near the hives, she is reminded that meaningful work is built through being present in the moment.
Mel Santa Cecília was born from her family's love of Brazil and nature.
"It was the desire to create something that carries genuine meaning. What began as curiosity and admiration for bees became a desire to help preserve them and to become responsible stewards. We also enjoy sharing the beauty of their work with others."
The name Santa Cecília is deeply personal, as Cecilia is her mother’s name. Choosing it for the farm creates a lasting sense of legacy.
Over time, though, the farm has become much more than a honey project.
"It's a place of learning," says Sabrina. "It's a continual reminder that even the smallest creatures, even honeybees, can sustain an entire ecosystem and inspire a more thoughtful way of living."
At Mel Santa Cecília, she and her family care for five varieties of native Brazilian stingless bees, the mandaçaia being her favorite.
"Each variety has its own character, behavior and relationship with the surrounding landscape," she adds, "which makes observing and caring for them endlessly fascinating." These essential pollinators' work supports native plants, food systems, biodiversity and the health of entire ecosystems. Protecting bees means protecting the delicate web of life that sustains all of us.
Sabrina speaks with an almost maternal love for the bees. I wondered what about them captured her heart, and what she has learned from them.
"It is their grace, intelligence and quiet sense of purpose that really drew me in," Sabrina says thoughtfully. "There is no excess in the hive. Every movement has meaning, every role supports the whole. And the result is something remarkably beautiful."
"They’ve also reinforced something I believe deeply as a designer: leadership is not always loud. It can be steady, collaborative and rooted in service. Beauty is not superficial. True beauty comes from caring about what is created, and that requires what I see in these bees: harmony, function and balance. A hive is, in its own way, is one of nature’s most exquisite works of design."
Through her passion for design and commitment to Brazilian honeybees, Sabrina has intentionally created a remarkable life between two worlds. I asked what she hoped we'll remember about this balance she's created.
"Remember that a beautiful life is not created by choosing between passion and purpose, or luxury and nature. It is finding a way to honor both. It's seems unexpected to pair design and beekeeping, but both ask us to pay attention to detail, to harmony, to stewardship and to the environments we create," she answers.
"My hope is that people see beauty in the spaces around them and also in the natural world that makes all life possible."