River + Ranch Magazine - Volume 7: Issue 3 June/July 2024

Varicose Vein Relief

Find relief and get back your confidence with complete varicose vein care –evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up – at Sanford Health. Our experienced team of vein specialists uses safe, less invasive procedures to support your vein health and a faster recovery.

Call (701) 323-2491 for a consultation.

sanfordhealth.org/bismarckveins

RIVER + RANCH MAGAZINE

Volume 7: Issue 3

River + Ranch Magazine is a collaborative effort to showcase the creativity and design of the West. The two publishers of Bismarck Magazine decided to embark on a new adventure and create a different magazine focusing on design, art, and western living.

Publishers

Hannah Haynes

hannah@bismarck-magazine.com

Caroline Crary

caroline@bismarck-magazine.com

Layout Editor

Copy Editor

Contributors

Cover Image

Advertising

Jenna Kluting

Jennifer Kranz

Maria Fleck

Melanie Sioux Photography

Caroline Crary

caroline@bismarck-magazine.com

River + Ranch Magazine Corporation, Copyright 2018 River + Ranch and riverandranchmagazine.com. All rights reserved. This periodical cannot be reproduced without the written permission of River + Ranch Magazine. River + Ranch Magazine will not be held responsible for any errors found in the magazine. Bismarck Magazine Corporation accepts no liability for statements made by advertisers.

RIVER + RANCH TEAM

Hannah Haynes Publisher/Co-Founder

Jennifer Kranz Editor

Caroline Crary Publisher/Co-Founder

Jenna Kluting Layout Editor

Karel Sovak Writer

Maria Fleck Director of Communications

Eras Issue

Melanie Sioux Photography

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHERS

Let’s travel back in time and get inspired by the past. Get ready to be awestruck by the Eras Issue. (Sorry, Taylor Swift does not grace any of the following pages.)

Come with us as we embark on a captivating journey through time to explore the evolution of homes across the decades. From the grandeur of the 1910s to the sleek styles of the 1970s, we delve into the architecture, design, and stories behind some of the most iconic residences in history.

In this issue, we pay homage to the Prairie School architectural style, pioneered by the renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, with a special feature on a remarkable Prairie School home nestled in downtown Bismarck. Wright’s architectural genius transcends time, and his influence continues to shape modern design principles. Through stunning visuals and insightful narratives, we invite you to immerse yourself in timeless elegance.

As we journey through the decades, we uncover the distinctive characteristics and cultural influences that define each era. From the opulence of the Roaring Twenties to the post-war optimism of the 1950s, our pages showcase the diverse architectural styles and interior trends that left an indelible mark on residential living.

Whether you’re a seasoned aficionado of architectural history or simply have an appreciation for the beauty of well-crafted homes, this issue promises to captivate and inspire.

Historic Homes eras of beautiful living spaces

by Emily Sakariassen

Bismarck was founded in 1872, within the ancestral homeland of the Mandan people and on the banks of the Missouri River where the Northern Pacific Railroad planned to build their river crossing. While the lean-to shacks and false-front buildings that once lined Main Street in its rough-and-tumble days are no more, early buildings like the Weather Bureau Station at Camp Hancock State Historic Site and the Dakota Block at 200 E Main stand as reminders that we are not so far removed from our history.

In fact, Bismarck has quite a rich architectural heritage. And I should know! I grew up in a 1938 house lovingly restored by my father, in the Cathedral Area Historic District. I was inspired by my surroundings and pursued a degree in Historic Preservation. Returning to Bismarck after college and graduate school, I now own my own business, South Fork Historical Research LLC, specializing in architectural history. My passion is researching and finding ways to celebrate old buildings and special places.

Old buildings make us feel a certain way. Their proportions, materials, and style are markers of time that orient us on the continuum of history and inspire us to build on our capacity as humans to create beauty, whether in form or function.

In this issue of Bismarck Magazine, owners of old homes share a piece of Bismarck’s architectural heritage with the rest of us and provide a sort of cross-section of the history of design.

Elizabeth Gross have made every effort to preserve their beautiful 1912 Prairie Style home. Designed by renowned Midwest architects Purcell, Feick

In Bismarck’s Cathedral District, Dick and

& Elmslie for Patrick E. Byrne, it is arguably the most architecturally significant house in Bismarck.

A few houses to the west, the Candreva Family raised their three kids to adulthood in the historic William E. Lahr house, built in 1926. The updates they’ve made inside the home celebrate the quirky Storybook Style, while creating very livable space.

Over in Bismarck’s newest Historic District, the Sandakers have embraced the Mid-Century architecture of Highland Acres. This pod-like neighborhood is characterized by its innovative winding roads and hilly terrain, and was originally planned out by a Veterans Housing Cooperative in the Post WWII era.

Their daughter and son-in-law, Gina and Miles Gordon, live on the edge of Highland Acres pushing the Mid-Century aesthetic to funky new limits in their late 60s two-story home on Ward Road.

Owning a historic home is a labor of love. I consider these families stewards of Bismarck’s architectural heritage, keeping alive the symbols of our community identity, memory, and history. If the mood ever strikes, I encourage you to take a stroll through some of Bismarck’s older neighborhoods and appreciate the variety in size, material, and style. Pick up a copy of one of the City’s walking-tour maps and get a sense of the local history that surrounds you. You may be inspired by what you find.

P.E. Byrne House, 120 W Ave A

• This house was built in 1912 for Patrick E. Byrne, private secretary to Governor John Burke (1907-1913). Byrne was a staunch proponent of the Progressive Movement. His wife, Belle, was an activist for Women’s Suffrage.

• This house was designed by Chicagotrained, Minneapolis firm of Purcell, Feick, and Elmslie. As contemporaries of Frank Lloyd Wright, they were devoted to the “the Prairie School” of design—an architectural movement inspired by the English Arts and Crafts, and in search of a wholly American aesthetic. The Prairie Style focuses on use of local materials like native stone and wood, to create an honest and intimate relationship with the building’s setting.

William E. Lahr House, 210 W Ave A

• This Storybook Cottage was built in 1926 for Bismarck automobile dealer William E. Lahr. Designed by local architects Van Horn and Ritterbush, it is an early example of neighborhood infill. This house, and the one next door to the east, were built on the site of John Davidson Mansion that burned down in 1925.

• The Storybook style is a fantastical outgrowth of period revival architecture, popular in the 1920s. While deriving their decorative elements from a particular time and place—a Tudor cottage for instance— they represent a distinctively American ideal.

Schultz House, 1023 W Highland

Acres Rd.

• This classic Ranch Style house was built in 1957 by Bismarck’s Johnson and Lunn Construction Company for Percy M. and Edythe M. Schultz.

• Was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Highland Acres Historic District in 2022.

• The Ranch Style is a residential architectural design that emerged in the 1930s in California, growing in popularity in the Post-War era. Hallmarks of this style include a broad, single-story shape, low-pitched roof with

a wide overhang, asymmetrical entry, large picture windows, and, of course, an attached garage.

Heinemeyer House, 1110 Ward Rd.

• Raymond and Marilyn Heinemeyer had this two-story house built in 1968, at which time the north end of Highland Acres was still filling in.

• Raymond Heinemeyer was a WWII Marine Corps veteran. He served with the Civil Air Patrol and was the commanding officer of the Bismarck Squadron before he was appointed

manager of the Bismarck Municipal Airport in 1952—a position he held for 35 years.

• This house, built in 1968, is an example of a Colonial Revival Style Ranch house. Stylized Ranch houses became increasingly popular as the Mid-Century wore on and houses grew in scale. This particular example is two-stories, with a prominent front-facing gable, and recessed entry porch.

Undated historical photo of 120 W. Ave A, William Gray Purcell Papers, Northwest Architectural Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries.

story: Maria Fleck | photos: Melanie Sioux Photography

Gina’s Home 1970s embracing the glam

Built in 1971, this home has never seen an owner with such glamorous taste as Gina Gordon. Her Hollywood Regency style has transformed this home into one of the most unique houses in the state. Pink walls, glamorous chandeliers, bold wallpapers, and vintage furniture make the home a Hollywood Regency dream. Unapologetically maximalist, the home highlights the beauty of extravagance and stands out in our era defined by modern minimalist homes.

Built at the end of the Midcentury Modern architectural era, the home has unique features that lend themselves to Gina’s glamorous style, including a spiral staircase at the home’s entryway, a den, formal living room, and even the original wallpaper in the entryway and front hallway. We featured this home in the Architecture Issue back in February 2021, and Gina explained that the house’s character lent itself to taking on anything she threw at it. She balanced between preserving the home’s unique midcentury character while designing it in the Hollywood Regency style. For example, the master bathroom has many uniquely midcentury elements like a glass block wall and a full mirror wall. Instead of tearing them out, Gina designed the bathroom to incorporate these iconic 70s elements, giving each one a new life.

Gina’s Home Story

While Gina intentionally preserved the home’s original character, it is overall unmistakably Hollywood Regency. Bold textures, patterns, and colors can be found in every room of the house, and every room has its own theme. The den has bold large leaf wallpaper accented by rounded gold mirrors and a black couch. The kitchen is bright and white with shimmering backsplash and clear furniture. The living room has a thick purple rug and matching drapes with vintage floral couches and Midcentury end tables. But the unapologetic glam paired with one recurring color makes each room fit into an overarching theme. Pink.

Pink makes an appearance in every room of the home without fail. In the den, pink can be spotted in accent pieces, like a decorative book and a vase of flowers. In the kitchen, the fridge is a charming pink with a matching table runner and coffee and tea tins. The living room’s floral couch has pink flowers as well as pink wall decor. In a bolder way, pink dominates the primary suite, as the singular wall color. Its presence as an accent color also glamorizes the room and paired with black as the secondary accent, keeps the room in the Hollywood Regency style rather than simply a little girl’s dream bedroom.

The process to convert every room into the Hollywood Regency style takes a lot of time and effort, and Gina is still working on the complete transformation room by room. Most recently, she completed the guest room renovation with Dorothy Draper wallpaper and light pink carpet. Next on the docket is a baby boy’s room, for Gina’s third child due in June. She plans on designing the bedroom with greens and vintage 60s wood furniture. Pink will still make an appearance in the sweet vintage curtains Gina plans to hang featuring a woodsy scene with touches of pink. After the room is complete, Gina plans on working on the basement and, in particular, designing a man cave for her husband that fits the theme of the home while still being a man’s dream space.

Another area of her home that Gina recently reinvigorated was the backyard where she replicated the feeling of a Hollywood summer.

Black and white furniture and umbrellas, dainty pink and white chaise lounges, and greenery surrounding an outdoor pool call to mind the glamor of Palm Springs and Beverly Hills. “Pink and green go together like a dream,” says Gina. “They’re my favorite.” Most of the outdoor furniture is thrifted Homecrest from the 1960s restored with custom made cushions from California.

Finding authentic pieces from the era is one of Gina’s favorite parts of designing her home, like the Breeze Block wall that separates the front- and backyard. When she reached out to Hebron Brick Supply, they told her they had some sitting in a back lot from the 50s and 60s when they were popular, and Gina was able to buy them at a low cost. The gate, while at first glance may appear to be a part of the wall, is actually made of metal and was custom made to match the rest of the wall.

After spending so much time designing her backyard, Gina loves watching her kids play in the pool all summer long. “The kids can come out here every day in the summer, tire themselves out, and come inside with no hassle,” describes Gina. “For us, we have this little slice of heaven.”

As much work as it is to redesign her home in the Hollywood Regency style, Gina has yet to tire of it. “I wish I could do this every day,” she says. “I wish it was my job.” Gina naturally gravitates to the older style of Hollywood Regency, not needing to do much research on the era, but instead relying on her instinct. Her ability to integrate this roughly 100-year-old style into a beautiful modern home is impressive. She advises anyone who loves older home décor to be discerning when choosing what kind of things to thrift.

“If you like Midcentury, and you fill your home with all Midcentury things, it looks really outdated,” she says, “but if you mix it, and you do it right, it can look amazing and high-end.” She goes on to give the example of vintage lamps. Buy them but spend a little extra money on new shades. This gives new life to the lamps but allows you to bring that older style into your home.

Above all, Gina’s home is an example of how to embrace your personal style. What’s popular changes, as this Eras issue of River + Ranch attests to, so your home shouldn’t reflect the current times. Your home is meant for you to be happy and comfortable in. And sometimes not following the current trends means you create a beautiful jewel of a home that can’t be found anywhere else.

Gina’s Home 1950s simple doesn’t mean boring

The 1950s saw a nation-wide housing boom in America. Government incentives, advanced technology, and the end of World War II were just some of the reasons that drove high rates of construction. Directly related was the rise of suburban developments and the middle class. Many of these suburban homes were built in the ranch style and emphasized functional design paired with simple, clean lines. But these homes are also known for their bright pops of color, linoleum and wood flooring, wood-paneling, and bold wallpaper.

story: Maria Fleck | photos: Melanie Sioux Photography

This national trend affected North Dakota’s housing, despite our largest city’s population being just under 38,000 people according to the 1950 census. These ranch style homes, with their iconic wood paneling, can be found in many neighborhoods in North Dakota, including Highland Acres.

This featured home, built in 1959, was likely first owned by the builder. It was then sold to a man named Dr. O’Keefe and his family. The current homeowners bought it from him in 2015.

The home has been well preserved over the years, thanks to having very few owners. The current owners fell in love with the style of this home and enjoy filling it with era-accurate furniture, appliances, and décor. “My husband and I really enjoy looking around to find new pieces for the place,” the homeowner describes. “My daughter has an eye that I can’t even begin to have to find the pieces for the place.” The homeowners and their daughter will often visit garage sales, thrift stores, and estate sales together to hunt for new vintage pieces for the home.

The hunt never seems to end as the home’s many different nooks wait for new gems thanks to its spacious layout of five beds, three baths, and nearly 4,000 square feet. As was a signature of the era, the home has many built-ins, large windows, and a brick fireplace. The living room has built-in bookshelves and wood walls. The walkout basement has wood paneling, large windows, and plenty of space for a pool table and sitting area.

The bathroom is a unique part of the home, although not unique to its original time period. Colorful bathrooms were all the rage, and light pink was a favorite color scheme. The current homeowners leaned into the fun color scheme, adding more pinks and other complementary pops of color as well.

In the kitchen, when the current homeowners moved in, they discovered hookups for a stove behind some wallpaper. Excited by this discovery, they decided to find a kitchen stove and oven that would fit in their original placements. The set they found fits perfectly, and the pink color gives the kitchen a fun pop.

Slightly unusual for a home of its age is the size of the laundry room and closets. Traditionally much smaller, the ones in this home are spacious, making them very functional for a modern family. Overall, the home is very livable and functional which is one reason the homeowners love it. “The layout is what I really liked about it, and of course the wood,” explains the homeowner. “It’s a really cozy house, and it flows well.”

Another reason the homeowners have loved their home is the neighborhood. The well-established neighborhood has beautiful trees and friendly neighbors, and while you’re not far from your neighbors, you still have privacy. The homeowner shares that once people move here, most stay for the long run, which is what these homeowners plan to do as they’ve continued to fall in love with their home and all its eccentricities. “Not everybody would like it, but we do, and that’s what you should do,” the homeowner expresses. “Enjoy what you like.”

1920s preserving historic charm

In a cute and quiet neighborhood in the Cathedral District sits a charming stucco Tudor Revival cottage with years of history. Originally built in 1926, the home was designed for William E. Lahr, a prominent citizen and entrepreneur in Bismarck’s history. In 1909, Lahr opened an automobile dealership with his brother Frank called Lahr Motor Sales Company, later opening a second location in Fargo and service garage and wholesale auto parts business in Minneapolis. He and his brother built a new headquarters for their company at the corner of 4th and Thayer, a three-story building now known as the Wards Building. Lahr was also a committee chairman of the Bismarck Chamber of Commerce and led a city-wide street paving campaign in 1915.

story: Maria Fleck | photos: Melanie Sioux Photography

In 1925, William Lahr, his wife Georgiana, and their young son endured tragedy when their first home on Mandan Ave and Ave A burnt down, and they were forced to relocate. Lahr commissioned the architectural firm of Van Horn and Ritterbush to design a new storybook cottage with Tudor Revival influences for him and his family.

Kourtney A. Grace, D.M.D. James A. Nelson, DDS

Kristin R. Schoch, DDS

These Tudor Revival cottages are the most popular style of homes in the Cathedral district. While the style draws on the Tudor period, the homes are still distinctly American. Tudor Revival homes usually have a relatively steep pitched roof with boxed-in eaves. Their front façades are asymmetrical with multiple gables facing the street. The exterior is often stucco or brick with casement windows used as accent windows on the front façade. Rounded or pointed arches over doorways and porch openings are characteristic of a Tudor Revival home, as well as elaborate brickwork on chimneys and nonfunctional chimney pots to give the illusion of multiple flues.

William Lahr lived at his Tudor Revival home for twelve years until 1935 when it was bought by Effie Lahr. The home continued to change hands over the years until it was bought most recently by Michael and Shelly Candreva in 1998.

Originally from the east coast, Michael and Shelly Candreva moved west to Bismarck for work. They loved the neighborhood for its older character and abundant trees, and they felt it was the perfect home for their future family. This home on Avenue A is their first home as a married couple, and Shelly shares she has never wanted to leave, even though circumstances are forcing them to put their home of 26 years up for sale as they plan to move out of Bismarck. “I wish we could pick it up and move it somewhere,” expresses Shelly.

The love Shelly and Michael have for their home is obvious in the beautifully kept interior and exterior. Over their years of ownership, the Candrevas remained conscientious about preserving and restoring their historic home. When they redid their kitchen in 2015, the updates were not just simple modernization. The cabinetry matches the rest of the home, and they made sure to choose flooring that flows into the adjacent rooms. The hardwood floors in the dining room and foyer are original to the house, and a concerted effort was made to match the remaining flooring throughout the house. When they’ve replaced windows, they kept the wood interior to preserve the home’s integrity. They even took out blue carpet in rooms and lots of wallpaper to bring the home closer to its roots.

Preservation of the home was important to Shelly and Michael because of their love of the home’s character. Shelly shares that she loves how cozy the home feels thanks to a closed floor plan with separation between living spaces. She also loves the natural light let in through their many large windows, the recessed bookshelves, and the walkability of their location. “I walk to the library all the time,” she explains. “I’m on the Library Friends Board. We just walked to go eat dinner. It’s a nice spot.”

A home’s innate character shines in the hands of loving owners who take the time to understand and showcase its historical roots. Thanks to the love and care shown by the Candrevas and other previous owners, this nearly 100-yearold home has remained well-preserved and stands as a testament to the beautiful architecture of the past.

1910s the prairie’s tradition

Gina’s Home

American architecture is unique in its position in time. As a country composed of immigrants from all over the world, America borrows and blends from other traditions, creating new from old. Very few architectural designs can claim to be purely American, founded on a pure American character. Frank Lloyd Wright, George Grant Elmslie, and other architects from the Prairie School sought to break the mold of tradition and create a style of design that was uniquely American by drawing on the Midwestern landscape.

story: Maria Fleck | photos: Melanie Sioux Photography

The Prairie School style of architecture is the only one unique to the Midwest. It draws inspiration from the low, flat horizons of the plains, mimicking them in lines of the buildings which are almost exclusively horizontal. In residential builds, homes seem to nearly grow out of the ground. An effort is made to keep the home harmonious with its natural setting: earthy color tones, natural materials like glass, wood, and stucco, and low, one or two-story constructions. The homes also featured lower-pitched roof lines, wider overhanging eaves, roofs that are hipped instead of gabled, and larger windows and glasswork. Inside, the home was open, each room opening into the next. The hearth was the center of the home, both metaphorically and literally, resulting in the large central chimney characteristic of the style. Built-in furniture and even art with simple, minimal ornamentation completed a typical Prairie School home.

The Prairie School style was a short-lived period of American architecture, only lasting for around 20 years from about 1900-1920. However, it left a lasting impression on the American psyche, and its influences can be seen in everything from Modernist architecture to Mid-Century ranches. While Frank Lloyd Wright is the most wellknown Prairie School architect and credited as its founder, several other architects worked closely with Wright and helped spread the style throughout the Midwest during its peak. George Grant Elmslie’s influence on the Prairie School style was perhaps second only to Wright’s.

George Grant Elmslie was colleagues with Frank Lloyd Wright while they both worked at the Adler and Sullivan architectural firm. The two developed a friendship although their opinions and personalities would sometimes clash. Elmslie’s style is distinct in its attention to small, delicate ornament. Often delicate, simple, and curvilinear, his ornamental designs would often draw from nature. However, like Wright, Elmslie believed in the progressive, simplistic, natural style of the Prairie School.

In 1910, Elmslie joined the architectural firm of William Gray Purcell and George Feick, Jr. in Minneapolis. Similar minded in design, the three designed many Prairie School style homes and business across the Midwest, including six or seven businesses and homes right here in Bismarck, North Dakota.

One of these homes sits at 120 W Ave A, currently owned by Dick and Elizabeth Gross. Before it was owned by the Gross family, it was commissioned and owned by Patrick E. Byrne who at the time was private secretary to Governor John Burke. Byrne’s home is a beautiful example of the Prairie School style and its enduring charm. It is also an example of Elmslie’s firm’s innovation. Instead of using the more common technique of balloon framing, which involves framing the whole house at once, they utilized platform framing, which involves framing one level on top of the other.

The Byrne home, built by the influential George Grant Elmslie, has stood the test of time for 112 years. In that time, the home has been owned by three different families. The first two were direct descendants of Patrick E. Byrne. The third family, and the current owners, Dick and Elizabeth Gross, bought the home from the widow of the son of Patrick E. Byrne in 1978. At the time, Elizabeth was an English teacher at St. Mary’s Central High School. She came along on a field trip and tour of the house as a chaperone for a home economics class. As she toured the home, she met the owner Betty Byrne who mentioned she was selling the home privately. After seeing the home, Elizabeth knew she and her husband needed to buy it. Through a series of fortunate events, everything fell into place, and the couple was able to purchase the home.

The couple has been dedicated to restoring and preserving their historically significant home over the last 46 years.

“It has been such a learning journey for us,” explains Elizabeth, “because when we bought this house we really weren’t thinking, we want a Prairie School home. We had no idea about this type of architecture. We’ve really learned so much over the years through a lot of research, reading, and exploring. The more we learn about the house, the more we really love it.”

Everywhere in the house, Elizabeth and Dick have worked hard to preserve the home where they could and restore it where needed. Thankfully, despite the many years since its construction, the home has undergone minimal renovations. The kitchen has likely undergone the most changes. Kitchens were once considered unimportant in a home build, as many wealthier people employed help to cook for them. As such, they used pine instead of oak in the kitchen to save money. The homeowners after Patrick E. Byrne remodeled the kitchen by lowering the ceilings and putting in metal cabinets and fluorescent lighting. The butler pantry is likely the only pine kitchen piece left that is original to the home. Dick and Elizabeth tried to return the kitchen to its original condition by putting in crown molding, a whole new ceiling, and a new floor.

In other places, the home was more well-preserved. All the light fixtures on the main floor are original to the home as well as many of the built-ins. The porch windows, screens, and cranks are all original, too. In the entryway, Dick and Elizabeth pulled up the carpet to reveal the original floors. They believe the same floor runs under much of the carpet, but they are leaving that project for the next family to undertake.

One of the most important rooms in the house, according to the Prairie School style, is the living room. Much care was taken in its design to craft a space that could be the heart of the home. In this home, the fireplace is terracotta tile and surrounded by built-in furniture for an inviting gathering space. The built-ins, arches in the fireplace stonework, open concept, and even the crown molding and light fixtures are all classic elements of the Prairie School style.

Even when decorating the home, Dick and Elizabeth tried to recreate the Mission style popular among Prairie School architects. Much of the furniture in their home they have purchased from the Stickley mission line which Frank Lloyd Wright was involved in and was inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement which the Prairie School design overlapped with in many ways. They’ve also tried to choose fabrics and patterns that match remnants left from the original décor.

“Keep the integrity of the house has been our mantra,” says Elizabeth.

Elizabeth and Dick hope the next generation who lives in their home will treat it with the same gratitude. “We are really hoping there will be a young family that would really love to raise their family in this kind of home and this kind of setting,” says Elizabeth. “We would love to pass on that legacy to them.” But for now, thanks to the dedication of its new owners, the home stands as a window into the past, a beautiful reminder of some young architects’ deep love and concern for meaningful design.

Creative Wood Designs 2006 2004 through the years

Creative Wood Designs is well-known as a premier custom cabinetry company in Bismarck. But it’s been a long road for owners Darin Sebastian and Mike Ness to get where they are today.

Darin started working in cabinetry at the age of 18. He attended BSC where he graduated from the carpentry program in 1987 and went to work for Weedas, a custom cabinetry shop in Mandan. After five

years, Darin began doing his own woodworking projects, and by 1997, he quit at Weedas to focus on growing his own business. He continued working at Oak Master Cabinets part-time until 1999. In 2000, Darin opened Authentic Wood Furniture and operated out of his basement.

After six months, Darin outgrew his space and moved into a 1,000 sq. foot shop.

In 2002, Darin made another shift, de-

ciding to focus on custom cabinets and move away from furniture, bookshelves, and mantles. He renamed the business

Creative Wood Designs and moved to a new shop with room for better and larger equipment. In 2004, Mike Ness was attending the carpentry program at BSC. He had a classmate who worked for Darin and knew Mike wanted to work at a cabinet company. He encouraged Mike to meet with Darin, and Mike started

part-time at Creative Wood Designs in the fall of 2004. After he graduated in the spring of 2005, Mike came on as a fulltime employee. Barely over a year later, he approached Darin about becoming an owner. “I didn’t think about it too long,” describes Darin. “I thought it was great because there were things I needed help with that I wasn’t good at, and I thought Mike could help with that.” Mike officially became an owner in July of 2006, and the

2012

pair began to grow the business together.

From 2006 to 2013, Creative Wood Designs expanded in both the customer base and physical location. Eventually, Mike and Darin built a new shop on Lee Avenue which is where they are located today. Now, over twenty years later from the establishment of Creative Wood Designs, Mike and Darin reflect on the growth of

their company. “When we first started and were looking for work, we genuinely never said no to anything. It was our agreement, if Mike sells it, I don’t care what it is, I’ll figure out how to build it,” describes Darin. Through trial and error, the pair has figured out the best way to run their operations. They’ve also witnessed the incredible effect technology has had on their industry. In their early days, they didn’t even have computers. Now, they use a 3D

2024

cabinetry software and automated equipment to cut down on hours of tedious manual labor, so they can focus on the most important parts of their job: customer service and exceptional craftsmanship.

Darin and Mike’s partnership has led them to the success they enjoy today. Through incredible hard work, genuine passion, and remarkable talent, the pair offers a valuable service to the area, one

they are incredibly passionate about: “I really love all aspects of my job. It’s incredibly fulfilling to create relationships with our customers and work with them in creative ways to achieve what they are looking for.

I also enjoy continuingly improving our shop’s processes and culture,” says Mike.