Home + Design

Fall Of The Wall

For twenty years, Betsy Peters knew she was right. With one call to Cabinetry by Better Bilt, she proved it. Article by Marshall Zweig | Photography by Eston Asher IV, Skyview Experts Betsy Peters knew she was right about the wall. She'd known for years. The wall divided her kitchen from her living room, and it made the house feel smaller than it was. Her husband Ed said it was a load-bearing wall, so it couldn't come down. And besides, Ed liked the house exactly as it was. "I knew he was...

Arts + Culture

THE MASKED AFFAIR

A masquerade. An iconic theater. Incredible food, live music, and one unforgettable evening that's quickly becoming the most stylish ticket of the season. Article by Kimberly Janowicz | Photography by Kevin Roberts @FatherPhoto, Michael Pfaendtner Many causes tug at my heart strings. But I'll admit it. When someone asks me to buy a ticket to a fundraiser, my first question isn't,  "What's the cause?"  It's,  "Is this actually going to be fun?"  Every once in a while, an event comes along where...

Life + Culture

Tailored Tradition

A century ago, Mount Clemens merchants built lasting reputations through craftsmanship and timeless men's fashion Article by Kimberly Janowicz | Photography by Mount Clemens Public Library Archives Long before department stores and national brands, haberdasheries —offering fine men's clothing and accessories—were a cornerstone of downtown shopping. Boley's Haberdashery at 42 Macomb Street became one of Mount Clemens' best-known men's furnishing stores after Eugene Boley assumed ownership in...

Life + Culture

Before Black Tuesday

Mount Clemens students mastered automotive skills just weeks before history changed America's future forever Article by Kimberly Janowicz | Photography by Mount Clemens Public Library Archives In September 1929, students at Mount Clemens High School were learning one of America's most valuable trades. Surrounded by automobiles, machinery, and tools, these future mechanics gained hands-on experience that could lead to careers at local garages, dealerships, or Detroit's booming auto factories. ...

Life + Culture

Wild Wings

How an annual hatching of falcon chicks turned an endangered species into neighbors worth knowing Article by Marshall Zweig | Photography by Make Macomb Your Home Every spring, Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel starts a list of nouns. A lake he grew up near. A police partner he loved. They’re for a piece of Macomb County that’s about to take flight. Since 2005, peregrine falcons — once nearly extinct in Michigan — have nested atop the Old County Building in downtown Mount Clemens. Each...

Local Services

Let the Zoomies Begin

A private, air-conditioned playground where dogs run, play, and burn off energy Article by Kimberly Janowicz | Photography by Dusan Petkovic, Jacob Sciacchitano Not every dog is cut out for the dog park. Some are reactive. Some live in apartments or condos without a backyard. Others simply need a safe place to run, play, and burn off energy without the distractions of unfamiliar dogs. That's exactly what inspired Becky Kamp, owner of Wolf Pack Dog Training, to create her private Indoor Dog...

Travel

Precision and Peace

In Japan, everything is intentional. That’s a language this Mount Clemens practitioner already spoke. Article by Marshall Zweig | Photography by Susan Laurent and Sierra Picotte The elderly woman worked in silence. Layer by layer, fold by fold, she dressed Susan Laurent in a kimono , a traditional Japanese robe. The exacting process took nearly twenty minutes, each detail placed with the kind of ritualistic precision that signals the process is meaningful, and honorable. When it was...

Life + Culture

Rediscovering America at 250

From books to road trips, explore America’s story with children, grandchildren, family, and patriotic gratitude Article by Kimberly Janowicz For those of us who remember America’s Bicentennial in 1976, it’s hard to explain just how much patriotism shaped everyday life that summer. Flags waving from front porches. Kids chasing sparklers barefoot through the backyard. Boats on the lake. The radio playing somewhere in the distance. Red, white, and blue everywhere you look. For many of us, those...

Home Services

June Newsletter

At Cabinetry by Better Bilt, we believe great design goes beyond cabinetry. Creating a beautiful and functional home means making sure every detail works together — from cabinetry and countertops to furniture, lighting, color selections, and finishing touches.Our Design Center was created to help homeowners simplify the decision-making process while bringing their vision to life in one collaborative space.Personalized Design ServicesWhether you are remodeling a kitchen, updating a bathroom...

Life + Culture

They Didn't Do It For Recognition. We Recognized Them Anyway

Honoring Local Treasure Award winners John Emerson and John Cline, who make Mount Clemens better Article by Marshall Zweig | Photography by Kevin Shea John Emerson spent decades showing up for Mount Clemens: city council meetings, Juneteenth celebrations (organized before the holiday existed), black history presentations at the Mount Clemens Public Library, contributions to a book on the city's history.  Ask him what kept him coming back year after year, and John will talk about his wife. ...