» Unerringly Urbane: Minimalist landscape incorporates high style with low maintenance — In 2004, when Sally and David Ramert first saw the backyard of their future home in the Fan, they were appalled. Old dog houses were strewn hither and yon, dotting a landscape of fallen trees, scraggly crape myrtles, and less natural debris. It almost seemed like a lost cause. But there, in the wasteland that was the backyard, a single, unpretentious Kousa dogwood stood testimony to what had once been and what could be. [Read more...]

» Going Green @ Rocketts Landing: Environmental stewardship and traditional designs happily coexist in town homes — the Village of Rocketts Landing is the site of the region's first major green building project. Among a wide-ranging mix of restored historical buildings and new condominiums, the five environmentally friendly town homes built by Scandia USA Inc. stand out at first glance for their attention to traditional detail as much as for their forward-thinking green design. [Read more...]

» On Track To A Country Retreat: Caboose underwent careful and historically acurate restoration — Thirty-five miles east of Richmond down Route 5 sits caboose number 903104 atop a short bed of railroad tracks. With running water and a fully livable interior, the caboose "on tracks to nowhere" is a curiosity, notes Farrar "Doc" Howard, who with his wife, Jeannette, outfitted the caboose to make it a one-of-a-kind living quarters. [Read more...]