Reclaiming Her Roots
Audra Kutz would trade her heels for hay bales any day. Though she found professional success traveling from city to city, her personal happiness has always been rooted in the countryside. Growing up on a cattle and small grain farm in Sykeston, ND, Audra spent her days cultivating a deep appreciation for wide-open spaces and solitude. Even after 30 years of living in Fargo, her vision of paradise remained a big white farmhouse surrounded by mature trees and acreage, reminiscent of her quaint North Dakota upbringing. Then, one beautiful day, Audra followed her heart—and we followed her—back to Meadowlark Farm, an idyllic country escape where she’s wholeheartedly reclaiming her roots.
STORY BY ALYSSA NISHEK
PHOTOS BY MICAH J. ZIMMERMAN - AMDAK PRODUCTIONS
LOVE & LAND
During Audra’s four-year search, her priorities included fewer neighbors, a bigger lot, and ample green space. She had looked at several farmsteads, but most were working operations with more maintenance than she had hoped for as a single empty nester. “I wasn’t optimistic I’d find a farm that would work for me,” Kutz shared, her doubts about moving onto a farmstead solo creeping in. Then, last August, along came a five-acre 1914 farmstead that quelled any doubts Audra had about pursuing her dream of solo countryside living. The farmstead was operational until the ‘80s and fully restored by its most recent owners. Adding a state-of-the-art security system, this home was precisely the new beginning Audra had in mind for herself and her two Aussie Doodles, Remy and Winnie.
“I found this farm on Zillow and thought, ‘This is silly—I’d love to live there, but I don’t have a husband.’ Then I caught myself and thought, ‘That’s ridiculous.’ So, I went to see it, and I absolutely fell in love.”
“You could tell they loved each other a lot,” Kutz said of the previous owners. “When I met them while buying the property, the husband said, ‘I would do anything for her.’ You can see the love in all the little moldings and details his wife asked for in the home.”
Completely restored to its original trim and with an updated kitchen, the renovation of the five-bedroom, two-bath farmhouse had been a meticulous job by its previous owners. As Audra saw her parent’s farm recently go up for sale, after over 100 years in the family, this farmhouse was her comfort, a new place for the whole family to gather in the country and continue tradition.
OUTDOOR ENTERTAINING
Moving in just six weeks after first stepping foot on the property, Audra had grand plans for both interior and exterior changes. However, now with a remote job in technology sales, three daughters in their 20s, and a passion for hosting, she prioritized creating a captivating outdoor space first and foremost.
Making a destination under the birch tree, Audra designed a plan for a patio and path leading off the porch, enlisting the help of Hebron Brick to bring it to life. “Rich Lahren from Hebron Brick did a phenomenal job helping me create this space,” she shared. “They did the flagstone and the concrete stamped patio.”
“I work from home, and I love being outside as much as possible, whether I’m on conference calls or hosting gatherings,” Kutz shared. “I love to entertain. With our short summers, I feel like having a dedicated outdoor space is essential.” Always refining her design and dreaming up new ideas, Audra also plans to add a wraparound front porch to the home.
WILD ACRES
“This is our secret place. Every morning, I walk the dogs back here with my coffee,” Kutz shared as we strolled under the corn stalks. The fiveacre farmstead also features an original chicken coop, a grain silo overgrown with vines and wildflowers, and raised garden beds bursting with tomatoes.
FARMHOUSE FOYER
Stepping inside her home, it’s evident Audra’s style is warm and welcoming. Through a repurposed door, guests are greeted into the farmhouse foyer that features an Heirloom bench and Burlap Boutique furnishings, including a wellaged hutch from the old Perham, MN, grocery store. Accenting the room are handcrafted pillows and drapery from Etsy makers. Here, Audra used a coat of black paint to update the foyer’s golden oak trim and stairs.
“I’m not professionally trained; I’m selftaught,” Kutz explained of her interior design skills. “I just have an eye for what I like and I really enjoy doing design work for myself and for friends.” Audra previously owned a design business called Grace 1972 Design, as well as an interior decor store. She fondly recalled falling asleep as a little girl, dreaming of all the ways she’d redecorate her bedroom and her parents’ home.
A MODERN COTTAGE
A few coats of paint and updated light fixtures have been the most significant interior changes Audra has made to her ‘modern cottage.’ She refreshed the first-floor walls with Neutral Ground by Sherwin-Williams and replaced the track light above the island, along with the other two fixtures in the kitchen and dining space. The fall florals and much of the vintage decor throughout Audra’s home were purchased from one of her go-to shops, Burlap Boutique in Fargo.
FAMILY ROOM REFRESH
Audra opted to refresh the original stacked stone fireplace in the family room, giving it a brighter facade with a coat of white paint. A sideboard, not shown in the photo, rests on the adjacent wall. This piece is original to the house and was purchased by its first owners, Annetta and Theodore Paulson, who are buried in the Norwegian-Lutheran cemetery two miles away.
CURATED QUARTERS
”I have a bedroom for each of my three daughters, each designed to reflect their unique personalities,” Kutz said. Morganne’s room highlights her love for antiques and exudes a feminine charm, capturing the essence of Audra’s eldest daughter. Generations of Audra’s family are showcased on the vintage chest.
Karrly’s room is adorned with shades of blue and features a writing desk, not shown in the picture, that is original to the house. On the desk sit photos of Audra and her younger sister from their family farm. In the corner of the room rests a centuryold Norwegian shovel, a handpainted Rosemaling by Audra’s grandma, Cynthia. Sophia, Audra’s youngest daughter, has a room on the lowest level that is not pictured.
AUDRA AT HOME
“I wake up each morning and it feels like a postcard from God,” Kutz said of the view from her bedroom window. “It’s breathtaking no matter the season. In the winter, I’ve found myself gasping as I look out the window, marveling at the sunrises and morning mist.”
MEADOWLARK FARM
At home at Meadowlark Farm, Audra is embracing her new chapter with bold aspirations of someday transforming her countryside escape into a bed and breakfast, a serene retreat center, or even an intimate wedding venue. From garden pathways to charming barns, Audra sees acres of possibilities. “I feel completely fearless, like I could do anything,” Kutz shared. “Moving to the farmstead has been the best decision of my entire life.”
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