In our second annual issue of Virginia Living House + Garden we introduce you to a 19th-century farmhouse in Ashburn that became a contractor’s forever home, and a river house in Mathews County an architect labored to design for himself. We visit the Birdsong Pleasure Garden in Luray, where Leslie and Tom Mack have grown a three-acre wonderland that includes areas devoted to perennials, bonsai, vegetables, evergreens, shade plants, and more, all interspersed with pergolas, ponds, and birdhouses, all inspired by traditional English public gardens. Plus, we explore trends in kitchen design, custom wallpaper and we show you formerly dreary basements outfitted with reading nooks, wine cellars and exercise rooms. At last, we share tips for incorporating one color throughout your house, planting a cutting garden, and making use of that awkward space under your stairs.