Colfax Meadows
White Wolf Custom Homes & A+A Home Designs
Get your one-finger wave ready (pointer finger, please) because we’re headed straight out of Fargo and into the country, roughly 25 minutes south of the city. Maybe Colfax, pop. 270 hasn’t been programmed into your navigation yet, but it definitely should be. This small town is home to Colfax Meadows, a growing rural neighborhood that offers a whole lot more than meets the eye. If the countryside views, beautiful homes, and two-year $150,000 tax exemption don’t lure you in, its 3/4-1 acre lots, great K-12 school, community pool, and $10,000 college grants might just seal the deal. This is a road trip that introduces you to a trio of lead characters, including the hometown developer Nathan Berseth, homebuilder and designer Amanda Fisher, and Realtor Nancy Kelly.
BY Tracy Nicholson
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Jill Ockhardt Blaufuss, Micah Zimmerman, Tiffany Olsen
SMALL-WORLD, SMALL-TOWN STORIES
Welcome to a story within a story, inspired by the kind of small-town connections that make big things happen. Fargo Realtor Nancy Kelly was the first to tell me about the new development in Colfax, ND, and I immediately understood the excitement. What she saw in Colfax Meadows is what I valued about my own small-town upbringing, plus quite a few unexpected amenities.
I was familiar with Colfax, as nearly all small towns are with each other. So, it wasn’t surprising that I happened to know one of the hometown developers, Nathan Berseth, who grew up attending Colfax’s Richland #44 School. Long ago, I knew Nathan had a ‘go big or go home’ drive, so it seems fitting that he’s managed to achieve both. In fact, since he started developing his hometown, the population has nearly tripled.
In Colfax for the first time in over 20 years, I was surprised to see a community pool, ice rink, and beautiful park setting. Next, I toured the new development and a beautifully designed home I could have happily moved into yesterday. When I met the homebuilder and designer, Amanda Fisher – the story went full circle. Growing up, I didn’t know Amanda, but soon found out she was raised in the same region and currently lives less than a mile from my family’s farm in Fairmount, ND. And as I suspected, she’s also known Nathan for years. This is the kind of small-world, small-town story that has a beautiful ending.
COUNTRY COUTURE
Amanda Fisher and her sister, Alicia Holubock, with White Wolf Custom Homes and A+A Home Designs, recently completed this captivating model home, a beautiful slab-on-grade two-story, with a storm room, four bedrooms, and two-and-a-half baths in the countryside of Colfax Meadows. With nearly 3,300 square feet of finished space, Fisher took the lead, crafting an elegant introduction to the home’s chef’s kitchen, cozy living room, and spa-like primary suite. Fisher’s design concept focused on elevating finite details and finishes for an unforgettable first and lasting impression.
To bring this vision to life, Fisher met with Berseth as he was developing Colfax Meadows, ultimately, discussing a 3/4-acre lot while anticipating plans for her first model home as lead designer and general contractor. With aligned goals, Berseth and Fisher joined forces, ensuring an outstanding community asset. “Amanda’s vision and design strengths were quite obvious,” said Berseth. “She may have had a bit of trepidation jumping into her first model build, so I simply encouraged her. For me, the experience was great; bringing a beautiful home to add to our community. I hope Amanda and Alicia continue to share their unbelievable talents with this community.”
Although their first model home, A+A Home Designs and White Wolf Custom Homes have been working towards this endeavor for several years, gaining valuable home design and remodeling experience from around the region. Being a homebuilder and designer wasn’t always part of Fisher’s plan; she had earned an Ag Economics degree from NDSU, while her younger sister Alicia earned hers in Interior Design.
In the years after college, marriage, and kids, both sisters made the decision to work for the family farm alongside their dad and husbands. In the family business, the two sisters were tasked with leading the design and construction of buildings for a new branch of the family farm south of Wahpeton. This complex project was the catalyst for Alicia’s return to interior design, and Amanda’s discovery, delving deeper into a longtime interest in architecture and design. With friends and family taking note of their work on the farm, the seed was planted and the duo’s portfolio quickly grew, this time out of the field and into client’s homes.
“I’d always had a love of residential architecture, so I started by looking into drawing house plans and eventually went back to school to take drafting classes at NDSCS in Wahpeton,” explained Fisher. “I was lucky to have a great mentor, Phil Stahl, who is an architect out of Fargo. We met a few times, and when I had doubts, he was someone who kept encouraging me.”
CHEF’S KITCHEN
Inside the design of the home’s stunning chef’s kitchen, Fisher leveraged full control of cabinetry design and layout, enjoying the ability to move walls as needed and create the symmetry and space her design required. “When we first started A+A, we felt it was really important to be able to manage the cabinetry design, including understanding all the components and brand features,” said Fisher. “This need to educate ourselves in the quality of cabinetry and kitchen design is what eventually led us to Crystal Cabinets, a line manufactured in central Minnesota.”
In the model, Fisher chose a premium alder Crystal cabinet, offset by white quartz from Northern Stone, a CopperSmith range hood, Samsung Smart appliances, and vintage lighting accents from Crate & Barrel. Here, the beauty is in the details, some you can see, and some cleverly camouflaged. Fisher’s custom design includes a a nine-foot island with two-sided storage and cabinet counter hideaways, so daily appliances can be easily accessed but kept out of sight.
The picture-perfect butler’s pantry is Fisher’s favorite space, brought to life with a whimsical Mid-century mod wallcovering from Spoonflower. The pantry was designed to have a place for everything, incorporating an array of organizational cabinetry features, including hidden appliance storage, open shelving, pull-outs, and produce baskets.
“This house is so well-curated – down to the smallest detail in every room,” said Realtor Nancy Kelly. “You can tell a house that’s been worked on from the ground up by the same person. She didn’t just come up with a floor plan and hand it off to someone else. Amanda made sure every detail was cohesive, and you can really feel how well it flows from room to room.”
COLFAX COUTURE
With an open view to the kitchen and dining area, the home’s spacious living room creates a finale for Fisher’s transitional fusion, inviting the eye to a tray ceiling and wood-look beams. The elegant cast stone fireplace features functional book-end built-ins that carve out a stylish space for artwork, heirlooms, and media storage. The transitional style of the main living area is anchored by heated floors and a beautiful Shaw laminate from Carpet World.
The home’s expansive Andersen 400 Series windows were considered a prominent feature in Fisher’s overall design, offering two neighboring walls of wow factor set off with black mullions for a contemporary take on traditional.
“What I’m most proud of with this home is how well it came together, becoming that bright, airy, and open space that I had envisioned from the start,” said Fisher. “With a more transitional design, it feels like it strikes a really good balance, not too modern or too traditional.”
“What I’m most proud of with this home is how well it came together, becoming that bright, airy, and open space...”
AMANDA FISHER
A+A HOME DESIGNS
WHITE WOLF CUSTOM HOMES
PRIMARY SUITE
In the main floor’s primary suite, Fisher designed a custom window seat with calming tones, traditional elements, and modern touches, like the black-framed and mirrored barn door, which captures and reflects outdoor views. “This was originally a metal pantry door I found from Rustica,” said Fisher. “It was intended to have a mirror only on the bathroom side, but I really liked the effect of having it mirrored on both sides, extending into the bedroom space.”
In the primary bath, Fisher chose knotty alder Crystal cabinetry in its natural tone, along with quartzite countertops in Mont Blanc, transitional sconces, LVT heated flooring, and glass shower doors from Red River Glazing. “To bring more elegance to this bathroom, I decided to do the tile around the vintage soaker tub,” explained Fisher. “I also worked with Northern Stone to fabricate a quartzite ledge that extends from the tub to the shower.”
DESIGNING THE DETAILS
“I think what’s different about this house and its design is the depth of detail. I am a very detail-oriented person, sometimes to a fault,” laughed Fisher. “I love diving into every part of design and thinking outside the box. Even on the most basic projects, we’re always looking at ways to make simple design elements unique and different.”
Fisher also designed the primary’s well-organized closet system, a service she provides through A+A Home Designs.
With the laundry room’s proximity near the front foyer, Fisher opted for stylized function with painted cabinetry in Neutral Beige, elegant York wallcovering, a utility sink, plenty of fold and hang storage, and a laundry chute extending from the second floor – a feature she includes in nearly all two-story home projects.
ONWARD & UPWARD
Stepping up to the second story, Fisher accented the path with an alder and metal railing that leads to three upstairs bedrooms and a spacious bonus room with a wet bar and walk-in closet storage.
To maximize shared space, Fisher designed an extra-large bathroom with a “universal” design concept. This layout creates privacy and separation between the toilet room, shower, and sink area, allowing simultaneous function for more than one person. The upstairs laundry chute is cleverly hidden within Fisher’s cabinetry design.
RURAL RETREAT + BIG CITY REACH
On the search for a slowdown from the fast pace of the city, many families are looking outward, considering the 25 or 30-minute drive to small towns like Colfax a less-crowded commute that’s looking better all the time. “Having grown up in Colfax, moving away, and then moving back, I realized the phenomenal childhood we had growing up here,” said Berseth. “We knew our neighbors and the multi-generational relationships that were created continue to this day.” Berseth really gets why families want more – in fact, he has been actively involved in economic development throughout the state of North Dakota, where he witnessed communities that were struggling and those that were thriving.
Berseth also serves as a county commissioner and is currently on the Richland #44 School District school board. Living only 25 minutes from Wahpeton and Fargo is convenient for his position at Bell Bank.
In 2006, Berseth teamed up to create a plan for Colfax Meadows with Bill Davis and a childhood friend, Scott Gauslow. “We envisioned an extension of our town where kids could have the opportunity to be raised in a safe environment,” explained Berseth. “We wanted them to enjoy all the wonderful opportunities we had growing up; from backyard wiffle ball to all-day swims in our community pool.”
“Colfax is really fortunate to have a forwardthinking
city council,” said Berseth. “They
recognize the opportunities that lie ahead and
are planning for the future while maintaining
the unique sense Colfax brings to its
residents.”
SMALL TOWN, BIG SAVINGS
In Colfax Meadows, buyers who want to save big have come to the right place. “Right now, homebuyers can take advantage of a 4% seller credit, which can be used for an interest rate buy down or towards closing costs on select homes in the development,” explained Realtor Nancy Kelly. “For example, on a new home purchase of $470,000, buyers would get $18,800 to apply at closing. Paired with the two-year $150,000 tax abatement, I think buying in Colfax Meadows is a smart move.”
Approximately 25 minutes down I-29 from Fargo or Wahpeton, Colfax Meadows’ Third Addition offers both 3/4-acre and one-acre lots with city water and sewer, as well as Highspeed fiber-optic internet for the demands of remote workers. Homebuyers may also be surprised to find out that each lot allows a 1,000-square-foot outbuilding.
GIFTED GRADUATES
Families in Colfax can breathe easy knowing that all graduates of Richland #44 School, are given the extraordinary gift of a $10,000 college/post-secondary education grant. The school district, including the communities of Colfax, Abercrombie, Christine, and Galchutt, was gifted nearly $5 million from the foundation of Darrel Hendrickson.
Coupled with the foundation, the school district has an active Dollars for Scholars program that additionally gifts hundreds of thousands of dollars to graduating seniors.
“The school district is fantastic,” said Kelly. “Last year, scholar graduate gifts averaged around $28,000 per student, with some students exceeding that after Dollars for Scholars and the $10,000 grant. Colfax is really focused on building the next generation. Class sizes are small, there’s a 14:1 student/teacher ratio, and room for every student to play sports and join activities. This is like a private school without the private school price.”
COMING HOME TO STAY
In asking Berseth what surprises people most about Colfax, he responded, “That there is a Colfax! It’s a hidden gem, and once people explore it, they fall in love with the small-town feel. When they move here, they enjoy the larger lots but really appreciate the deeper connection to their neighbors and community.”
These days, Berseth lives just outside of Colfax on his family’s farm with his wife Janelle and daughter Bianca. He gives most of the credit to them for their “confidence and patience” as he navigates the adventures of reimagining his hometown.
“I was very fortunate to have Scott Gauslow and Bill Davis start this venture with me,” said Berseth. “Today, our families are the greatest ambassadors for our community. Just ask any Colfax resident about the benefits of living here – make sure you have a few minutes!”
Design Sources:
Home Builder: White Wolf Custom Homes
Interior Designer/Staging: A+A Home Designs
Kitchen Lighting: Crate & Barrel
Sink Lighting: West Elm
Flooring: Shaw laminate, Carpet World Fargo
Tile & Install: Tile Bar, Install by Northern Stone
Cabinetry: Premium alder, Crystal Cabinets
Countertops: White quartz, Northern Stone
Pantry Wallcovering: Spoonflower
Laundry Wallcovering: York
Wallcoverings: Install by A+A Home Designs
Tables & Sofa: West Elm
Dining Chairs: Pottery Barn
Club Chairs: Wayfair
Fireplace Insert: Home & Hearth
Fireplace Mantel: Cast stone, Mantelsdirect.com
Ceiling Beams: AZ Faux
Appliances: Samsung Smart, Nielsen Electric Home Appliance - Wahpeton
Range Hood: CopperSmith
Plumbing: Iverson Plumbing - Wahpeton
Plumbing Fixtures: Waterfront Kitchen & Bath
Windows: Andersen 400 Series, Crane Johnson Lumber Co.
Millwork: Builders First Source - Wahpeton
Glass Shower Doors: Red River Glazing
Soaker Tub: Vintage Tub & Bath (online)
Electrical & Heating: Aurora Plumbing, HVAC, & Electrical - Hankinson
Siding: Score Brothers Construction & Siding
Paint Colors: Neutral Beige
For more information, contact:
A+A Home Designs
9098 State Hwy 127 | Fairmount, ND
701.640.8014
amanda@aahomedesigns.com
aahomedesigns.com
Colfax Meadows
Nathan Berseth
701.388.3549
nathan@blbinvestments.com
colfaxmeadowsnd.com
Take a Tour!
Nancy Kelly Realty
1404 33rd St SW #B | Fargo, ND
701.306.0486
Nancy@nancykellyrealty.com
nancykellyrealty.com