Personalized Exterior Design in Shirlington, VA (and neighboring Fairlington)
The Northern Virginia neighborhoods of Shirlington and Fairlington are increasingly popular places to live. Close enough to all the hot urban villages of Arlington County to avoid the bulk of the traffic, and a quick hop over the bridge to the heart of DC itself, Shirlington and Fairlington are displaced enough from the bustle to allow for more space in the neighborhoods and a little bit more of a ‘family town’ feel. They also have the potential to be self-contained; while it’s no problem to hop over to Rosslyn or Georgetown for an evening out, you can also hang closer to home and find a very satisfactory collection of food and culture right in downtown Shirlington. According to The Washington Post Neighborhood overview, Shirlington and Fairlington are among the most popular overall neighborhoods in Northern Virginia.
What you are likely to find for sale in Shirlington or Fairlington are brick town home style buildings sold either as entire units or as divided condominiums. Many of the individual communities are governed by HOAs or Condominium Associations, most of whom control the aesthetic of the home’s exterior. Exterior design and landscaping (with the exception of the small backyard cubicles associated with many condos) are managed as part of the commons, and the goal is usually to keep a consistent look throughout the neighborhood. What you’ll find most frequently in Shirlington is red brick with black shutters; a very traditional Colonial pairing that gives the neighborhood a humble, dignified ambience. Due to the shared style of property management, there isn’t much room left for personal creativity when it comes to decorating the exterior.
What you can sometimes do, however, is change the color of your shutters. You will certainly need to discuss this with your HOA or Condo Association ahead of time, and you will probably find that even if they let you paint them, the color palette they offer is limited – but you would be surprised how far this seemingly insignificant investment in time and paint can go toward making your space original. Below is a list of the visual effects of several classic colors when paired with red brick on a Colonial-style building.
Black – Classic, Serious, Humble, Businesslike. Black shutters are typical of the Shirlington area, and are one of two colors that works nicely with just about any color of brick. Black emphasizes the architectural strength of the building and lends it a sense of classic grandeur.
White – Clean, Open, Airy. White shutters, while less common in Shirlington, are also universally appealing and match just about any tone of brick. White makes the windows look bigger, which makes the house seem spacious and welcoming.
Maroon – Clever, Subtle, Organic. Pulling a color out of the brick itself to use for the shutters, if done right, can create a very appealing organic effect. The shutters create contrast through tone and texture, making the face of the building flow seamlessly into the windows.
Gray – Artistic, Sophisticated. Gray shutters work very well with red brick, especially if the gray is slightly cool, and the chroma is just a little bit paler than that of the red brick. The subtle complexity of the contrast creates the impression of a highly sophisticated aesthetic.
Evergreen – Down-to-Earth, Natural. A deep earthy green can transform an urban town home into a rustic woodland villa, especially when framed by generous landscaping. Treecover, ivy, and an overall high level of foliage complexity in the landscaping enhances this impression. Take care that the green has a low enough chroma that you don’t set up the Christmas-colors look: while you might enjoy a home that looks fit for Santa, your HOA might not appreciate it!