Photos by J. Alan Paul Photography
Local design builder Urban Prairie Homes has been building houses in the FM area for the past five years. If you aren’t familiar with them, it might be because you haven’t been looking in the right price range. When Joe Richards founded the company in 2011, his goal was to offer an affordable, customizable home. Join us as we tour his model that will be in the 2018 Spring Parade of homes.
About Joe Richards
Richards has been involved in the construction industry since he was young and went on to cofound A&R Drywall. In 2011, he finally fulfilled his dream of becoming a builder. He has three kids (aged 14, 12 and 7) with his wife, who loves to help with the staging for Urban Prairie Homes.
Tour the Model
This three-level home features three bedrooms (four bedroom potential), three bathrooms and a three-car garage, located in The Wilds 7th Edition. Construction started in the spring 2017 and was completed in the fall of the same year.
ENTRY
LIVING ROOM
The living room includes a gas fireplace with thin brick and a metal-wrapped mantle. Richards incorporates thin brick into many of his builds because it’s easy to install and gives a great asthetic edge. “It’s an affordable way of getting a higher end look,” he said. Richards also revealed that the metal-wrapped mantle was inspired by one of his previous clients who chose to wrap all of their windows in steel to achieve an ultra- urban feel in the home.
With his background in drywall, Richards has typically incorporated sheetrock “clouds” in the ceiling that have become quite popular. However, in this model he decided to do something different by using shiplap as a finishing touch. This has been one of the stand out features in this home.
“We try to always stay on the front end of new trends. Keeping the prices down and offering something different in that price point has been our goal from day one,” Richards explained.
DINING ROOM & KITCHEN
When it comes to subcontractors, Richards likes to work with other smaller, owner-operator businesses. For example, these knotty alder kitchen cabinets were made by a father-son business where the owner’s wife helps out with the stain work.
POWDER ROOM
The main level also features a powder room with shiplap accents. However, Urban Prairie Homes’ floor plans are customizable so this area could be converted into a pantry if the future homeowner desired.
LOWER LEVEL
The lower level of this home features a wet bar, bonus area, one bedroom and one bathroom.
Because Richards likes to be present on the job site, he teamed up with realtor Jenny Schuster of Park Co. Realtors who helps manage client relations. “He operates a little bit differently because he’s very hands-on. He is involved from the start to the finish and his clients end up becoming raving fans,” Schuster explained.
BATHROOM
The second floor features a master bedroom, additional bedroom and large bathroom.
MASTER BEDROOM
Although Richards is proud of his model home in The Wilds 7th Edition, it does not necessarily represent a typical build for Urban Prairie Homes. In the past, their style has been influenced by mid-century modern design. However, Richards has recently started offering farmhouse-inspired, customizable models as well.
If you’d like to visit this home in person, you can see it on the 2018 Spring Parade of Homes. This year, Richards is celebrating five years of business by offering $5,000 off of this $324,900 home to anyone who decides to build with Urban Prairie Homes while attending the parade.
Jenny Schuster
Park Co. Realtors
28 10th St. N. Fargo
701-729-5851
JennySchuster@ParkCompany.com
Joe Richards
Urban Prairie Homes
1841 43rd St. N. Ste. A, Fargo
701-866-7419
urbanprairiehomes@gmail.com