Irish Heritage Decor

Paintin' of the Green

• Decorating your home in Irish tradition starts with a green statement. Paint one wall in an emerald hue or tone it down a bit and add some white to a dark green to obtain the right shade. Match the green with either whitewashed walls or step it up and use a white plaster finish (you'll need a trowel and specially-formulated paint) to create textured surfaces reminiscent of a visit to a Dublin home. Another Irish heritage accent guaranteed to transport you across the Atlantic are antique stained glass panels featuring pastoral scenes reminiscent of the Irish countryside.

Floor Galore

• Drive Ireland and expect frequent stops for sheep! The nation's sheep-raising industry produces luxurious sheepskin rugs sold everywhere throughout the country. Roughly-hewn, mahogany-colored wood floors topped by fluffy, white sheepskin rugs are the perfect flooring pair to achieve the Irish country look you desire. Of course, you can put wall-to-wall carpeting down, but keep the weave rustic; textured Berbers in creamy tones make terrific choices -- as long as you don't have kids chasing dogs over that section of your home.

Symbols of Irish Heritage

• In Ireland, the Celtic cross is the single most recognizable and popular art form and there's no shortage of decorating accents featuring this symbol: tapestries, wall-mounted sculptural art, collector plates, tabletop art, linens and more. Shamrocks are another popular symbol and you'll find plenty sprinkled across porcelain pottery that's produced by Beleek, the nation's most respected maker of china and decor items. Luxurious oil paintings of the Irish countryside are attention-getting enough to dominate a room, and if you find a portrait of James Joyce, consider your Irish heritage decor complete.

The Guinness Factor

• It's Ireland's most popular export: Guinness beer. While Guinness signs, collector items and other branded home accessories aren't necessarily ideal choices for bedrooms, dens, kitchens and family rooms are fair game -- especially if you entertain around a home bar. Since there are more licensed Guinness decor items on the market than a zealous collector could acquire in a lifetime, you'll have to decide how much logo-emblazoned memorabilia you can stand.

Vintage Irish Furniture

• Take your Irish Heritage decorating plan to grand heights: furnish your home in the tradition of old-world Ireland when kings and queens set style standards. Companies like Toscano reproduce Medieval and Gothic Furniture that mimics authentic Irish heritage decor. Whether you choose chairs and tables fit for a castle or statuary of St. George (Ireland's patron saint) slaying a dragon, these reproductions are reasonably priced when compared to importing the real thing and they look remarkable.