Casselton Farms Courtyard
Benjamin Custom Homes
Ben Anderson, of Benjamin Custom Homes, has come a long way from his first built home at the age of 15 in Lisbon, ND. Back then, his dad taught him the tools of the trade, and today, he’s still working alongside family. Melanie Anderson, his wife of 17 years, has been instrumental in the growth of their Fargo-based business and the design of every custom home. This dynamic design/build duo recently relocated to the Casselton Farms development, completing their second personal home to be featured in the HBA Parade of Homes, along with several others since 2015. The Parade was its perfect introduction, because this home needs to be experienced in all its glory, depth, arches, and angles. If you missed out on the tour, now is the perfect time to walk through its countryside courtyard and carefully curated craftsmanship.
By Tracy Nicholson | Photos by Dan Francis Photography
Growing Out of the City
After seven years in Moorhead and two decades of building, Ben and Melanie couldn’t ignore the buzz building in Casselton, ND. Friends had moved out there, the new school and small town atmosphere was intriguing, and the charm of Casselton Farms’ development seemed to be calling their family’s name.
Acquiring two lots in the Casselton Farms development, Ben and Melanie chose one of the ²/3 acre lots to build their vision, inspired by their southwest travels. The H-shaped courtyard home expertly balances a more familiar Scandinavian design with the distinctive natural forms of the Mohave Desert habitat in California’s Joshua Tree National Park. “When we started the design, we decided it needed to be either a U shape that would put the garages at the front of the house or an H shape - the H shape gave us the capability of putting peaks up towards the roof, instead of the overhead doors,” explained Ben. “With the H shape, we were able to create another courtyard near the driveway at the front of the house - it’s become a really great space to have, especially when we have friends and family over.”
Midwest vs. Southwest
“I’ve always wanted a courtyard home, something that infuses plant life into our living space,” added Melanie. “The inspiration for this design came from our experiences in the southwest, hotels we’ve stayed at, and places where we love to travel. We brought in the Scandinavian elements to make it feel more like North Dakota.”
Throughout their home, Melanie has chosen a fusion of beloved local, family, and vintage pieces, with new furnishings from CB2, Schoolhouse, Handpicked Goods, and Curated Home by Trever Hill. If Ben and Melanie can’t find what they need, they often repurpose pre-owned pieces or formulate a way to craft it themselves.
The Anderson’s five-bedroom, three-bath home is 5,265 square feet above ground, with 4,000 square feet inside the confines of the envelop. While white oak wood elements flow throughout the home, the Andersons chose a waterproof, white oak-inspired LVP flooring to ensure resilience, specifically in areas near the interior’s cactus and succulent garden.
Ben custom-built all of the home’s rift oak interior doors to be perfectly flush with the frames. This level of craftsmanship and attention to detail extends to the home’s flush vents, returns, baseboards, trash bins, and drains, decluttering space for a clean, seamless finish. “For the baseboards, we worked with Nick Olson at Country Wood Products; it was a ton of work to do the flush baseboards with no joints, but having flush doors kind of required it. I think it gives the home a really unique look. We also added outlets within the baseboards, something you typically only see in older homes now, but it was a great way to reduce drywall noise and create quiet walls and ceilings,” added Ben.
For his home, Ben also sought out a more efficient wall system, discovering a fiberglass wall assembly with a one-inch layer of reflective foam on the outside underneath the siding, creating a thermal break in the wall. “This installation resulted in a much more efficient wall system than spray foam. Overall, we ended up getting about a 15-20% energy-efficient gain at about a 30% reduction in cost. As a prototype, this is the only home I know of that has this exact system.”
Balancing Life with Less
While Ben focused on the finite details of finishes, mechanical, and functional components, Melanie focused on form and shape. “My favorite aspect of design is shape, so I incorporated a general theme of circles and squares with arches, balancing geometric design from room to room,” explained Melanie. “We were also really focused on being minimal, realizing that we just don’t need or want so much stuff. This home takes us back to the roots of early 19th-century architecture, how Frank Lloyd Wright built the furniture into the design, making every element of the home purposeful and functional.”
“This architecture was designed to be bare and minimal, and even include some lonely spaces for balance,” said Ben. “In the bedrooms and bathrooms, we built in as much as we could, with the idea to eliminate the need for trash cans, baskets, and dressers. It feels freeing to live with less.”
Form & Function
An extension of the foyer and kitchen, this space leans away from the larger living room concepts typically found in newer homes. The Andersons wanted cozy and refined, blanketed with natural daylight and accented with timeless white oak built-ins, a six-foot linear fireplace, and raw-cut Wisconsin limestone.
The American-made, custom-designed light is from Luke Lamp Company, a company Melanie discovered at the International Builders’ Show. “These strings of light consist of low voltage wires, with drivers built into the end of the cable, so when you screw the cable in, the driver gets hidden within the ceiling,” explained Ben. The two had it specifically designed for the room, installed with precision to complement and fall within the sightline of the cut-out wall shape. This abstract lighting element creates a compelling visual that invites the eye to wander from the foyer to the living room.
Throughout the living spaces, with vaulting from 10 feet to 12.6 feet, Ben and Melanie chose individual Marvin windows, brought together with custom-built boxes, Corian sills, and a Z shadow line defining the home’s modern architectural elements.
A Living Kitchen
A southwest vision with Scandinavian roots, Anderson’s kitchen brings the outdoors inside, including views to the courtyard and three skylights overlooking a cactus and succulent garden.
Throughout the kitchen is a beautiful mix of brushed brass, white oak, and painted cabinetry in Shiitake by Sherwin Williams. Melanie chose quartz for the kitchen backsplash, perimeter, and three-inch deep island at the center of the space. Remaining true to the biophilic concept, guests on the island face the linear picture window with visuals to the front exterior’s planters and hand-crafted pottery. Accenting the space above the cabinetry, the pair used a creative application of painted wood fluting for a mod and inexpensive finish.
“A lot of people think the cabinetry is rift oak, but Chris at Clearwater is so meticulous, he did a beautiful job matching the grains to create the visual as if it was rift,” explained Ben. “One of the reasons we put this home on the Parade was to showcase the talent within our community; a top-notch team of tradesmen working together and constantly communicating.”
“Every home we build is completely different, built specifically for families who want that quality of craftsmanship and prefer a really honest and transparent process. In the earlier years, we were kind of told what to build, but now we’ve gone back to the fundamentals - drawing homes by hand and helping guide decisions to create a more original look. We don’t put separation between clients and team, we make it a really personal and rewarding experience. We’re grateful we have an experienced team that can make this kind of personalized collaboration happen and really deliver on our promises, handcrafting homes and staying in touch with homeowners, even years after the build.”
”I’m usually cautious about skylights and humidity, but with our heating source being primarily hydronic, dryness is actually a side effect, which is ideal for a cactus garden,” explained Ben. In the process of establishing floor heat, Melanie took a break from design to lay almost an entire mile of hydronic tubing.
Creatively designed, the home’s guest bath includes a raw backsplash installation of painted mud over a custom marble sink with surrounding built-in features. Melanie discovered the Turkish sink design on an Etsy site, pairing the concept with a fluted shower tile, reminiscent of the couple’s favorite hotel destinations.
Mastering the View
Leading into the master bedroom is a bold vision and meaningful statement piece from California artist, Tyler Ramsey. The 48’x72” canvas is prominently positioned in a way that can be experienced from the back courtyard and the primary living space.
Entering the master suite is another spectacular vision, with a built-in, seemingly floating under-lit bed, white oak tying floor to ceiling, and stunning courtyard views. Behind the headboard wall, the layout flows into a wardrobe hall, master bath, and a discreet his and hers walk-in closet.
Melanie and Ben custom-designed four of the home’s beds, crafted in-house by Ryan Williams of Benjamin Custom Homes.
Entering the master bath, Melanie designed her biophilic dream, a step up into the master shower and tub room with hand-carved linear drains, glassed off with ledges for live plants. Outside of the custom glass doors are quartz sinks, white oak cabinetry, and Terrazzo tile flooring.
For the Boys
Walking past the main area’s living room is a den designed for casual family time with their three sons, Jakobi, Maks, and Henrik, along with Ruby, the family’s Mini Goldendoodle. Melanie compiled the room with a nostalgic collection of vintage and thrift pieces, rugs from Schoolhouse, and furnishings from Fargo’s Curated Home.
Each of the boys’ bedrooms is inspired by personal interests and reflected through custom-designed beds with old and new vintage pieces from Handpicked Goods and Schoolhouse, including finds from a few local thrift stores and online markets. Every room is designed with the organization and minimalist elements of Scandinavian and Mid-century modern design, with a place for everything built-in to the beds and the walls to eliminate clutter.
Maks’ room is all about creating calm and embracing the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing. “He loves his bed - he said he feels like he’s floating on a cloud,” laughed Melanie. She found the belted, cabin-style headboard accent at Handpicked Goods in downtown Fargo.
Their oldest son, Jakobi, has a room designed for his more mature, calm, and artistic character. His space is Mid-century modern with a vintage vibe, from his custom-built bed to the modern sconce lighting and built-in corner desk where he often hangs out and draws.
Henrik’s room features another custom-built bed with floating nightstands and repurposed maple wood planks, leftover material from a basketball court the Andersons built in a prior home. Melanie found the squared maple headboard accent on Facebook Marketplace and then stained it to match the basketball court planks.
At home, the boys don’t fight over this bathroom. Central to their bedrooms, Melanie and Ben designed a private toilet room, a separate bathing room, and an open, schoolhouse-style sink space for the benefit of shared use.
One of the boys’ favorite features is just around the corner - a built-in basketball court that leads up to a loft den and rooftop patio.
Gym Dreams
Directly off the den is a spacious gym, offering one wall of mirrors and the other, spectacular views to the entire expanse of the house and courtyard. The wood bench is the first piece of furniture Ben ever built, a gift for his grandmother, made when he was in his early teens. Outside of the gym, the Andersons reserved covered patio space for the future installation of a hot tub, overlooking the back courtyard with an optional drop-down screen.
Uncommon Courtyard
Settling into Casselton Farms meant replacing backyard neighbors with grassy fields and sunset views. The paver patio, fire pit, and stepping stone landscape in the H courtyard were designed to capture the view and accentuate the cozy enclosure of the home.
This shoot was done just one day before the season’s first snow. Falling quickly into winter, the Level Landscapes team rushed to finish what the weather would allow, laying down the darker stone as a temporary installation. In the spring, Level Landscapes will replace the darker stone with an array of native plants. Don’t miss North & Nest’’s summer edition where we’ll reveal the final outdoor design, including a tour of the home’s spectacular rooftop patio.
Settling In Vs. Starting Fresh
Like so many builders, the Andersons may love where they live, but they never stop dreaming up new ideas for their next destination. The two are already discussing architectural ideas for the lot next door. “We’d love to live here and enjoy what we’ve built, but as a builder, we build to eventually sell. What we do know is that we want to stay here in Casselton,” explained Ben. “We’ve been so impressed with how the school is truly the heartbeat of the community, and everyone has been really welcoming; it feels like Casselton is a city on the rise and we’re happy to be part of it.”
“Casselton has great views and great people; it’s only 20 minutes from Fargo, and we have everything we need here,” added Melanie. “It feels small-town safe and the kids can bike around town to see their friends, just like we used to do growing up.”
“We love this home, but we also love the challenge of starting fresh,” said Mel. “After some time in a home, we see something inspiring and we usually get the creative bug, then we start designing another home right away - we can’t help it, it’s what we love to do.”
Design Details
Builder: Benjamin Custom Homes
Designer: Melanie Anderson
Kitchen Cabinetry & Vanities: Clearwater Custom Cabinets
Kitchen Appliances: Rigels - Advantium Café, Fisher & Paykel paneled refrigerator
Kitchen Pottery: Livin’ the Dream Pottery, H. Marie Ceramics, Rising Dawn Ceramics
Countertops: Northern Stone
Drywall & Painting: Weyer Companies
Dining Table: CB2 (fiberglass and concrete)
Flush Baseboards: Supplied by Nick Olson, Country Wood Products
Glass Shower Doors, Frosted Gym Door & Mirrors: Fargo Glass & Paint
Plumbing Fixtures & Built-In Bathroom Elements: Ferguson
Door Handles: Schoolhouse
Dining Chairs, Bar Stools, Sofa & Chairs: Curated Home by Trever Hill
Living Room Lighting: Luke Lamp Company
Flooring: Shaw, Carpet World
Tile Installation: Dennis Schonhoff
Fireplace: Hebron Brick Supply
Masonry: Jack Komrosky
Living Room & Exterior Stone: Eden-Valders Stone - Exteriors Direct Midwest
Exterior Steel Siding: Zulauf Construction
Exterior Stucco: OTXteriors
Landscaping: Level Landscapes
Audio/Visual/In-Home Technology: Signature Home Tech
Mechanical: J&J Heating & Cooling
Windows: Marvin Windows
Black & White Canvas Art: Party Grateful #2 by Tyler Ramsey
Master Lighting: Palicek - Curated Home by Trever Hill
Master Flooring & Ceiling: Engineered hardwood - white oak, Carpet World
Master Bath Countertops: Lincoln White quartz - Northern Stone
Master Bath Flooring: Terrazzo tile
Cacti & Succulents: Handpicked Goods, Botanical Brothers, Baker Garden & Gift
Contact the Builder
Benjamin Custom Homes
4025 4th Ave S #1, Fargo
701.388.9172
benjamin-homes.com