Nothing makes us look to our possibly distant Irish roots more devoutly than when St. Patrick’s Day rolls around. Even those who can’t claim the Irish in their genetic code have a way of falling in love with the green on this festive holiday. The Irish have a strong culture that carries through in the form of international festivities, clothing, language and even home design.
If you’re looking to redo your kitchen, it may be time to take a note from the Irish. Built on a deep appreciation for hearty food, Irish culture lends itself to the design of some pretty spectacular kitchen designs. Whether you’re there for a love of Irish heritage, or simply looking for a kitchen dedicated to culinary design and durability, an Irish inspired kitchen design can be a great undertaking.
U-shaped kitchen islands inspired by Irish good luck charms
A large part of Irish culture and design is based on symbolism. The luck of the Irish is a saying based on history, myth, folklore and a little bit of modern culture as well. Either way you look at it, luck is an important part of Ireland’s history, and can be incorporated into an Irish-inspired kitchen. In this case, adding a u-shaped kitchen island would not only be functional for space, but would also hint at the shape of a lucky Irish horseshoe.
Celtic knots make a great sentimental and aesthetic feature throughout your kitchen
The Celtic love knot is a big part in all-Irish design and would be important to incorporate into an Irish-inspired kitchen as well. Fluid and beautiful, Celtic love knots could be custom designed into the backs of bar stools or kitchen chairs. Similarly, they could be used as the primary shape for coasters, or even etched into kitchen windows to add some unique and stunning design and texture to the space.
Take to the dark wood tendency for cabinets and kitchen islands
Irish kitchen design tends to favor dark wood for primary features such as islands and cabinets. This makes for a very sturdy base off of which to work for the rest of your kitchen design and décor. If you don’t want your design to look too heavy with the dark wood, try balancing it out by using some lighter accent pieces such as bright stained glass works in your windows to give your kitchen a “pub” feel, or even a few light accent colors added to the cabinets.
Incorporate green into primary features like granite countertops
Nothing says Irish like the color green, and incorporating it into your Irish-inspired kitchen design is a must. If you’re looking to work with some of your primary kitchen features as major theme players, try adding green granite countertops to your space. Earthy and sleek, green granite countertops will seemingly change hues in different lighting, bringing a new shade of green to nearly every hour of the day.
Stone archways over features like ovens or sinks give an old Irish feel
While Irish kitchens are designed with plenty of dark wood features, they also seamlessly incorporate stone in to their design work. Designing your kitchen with stone archways above items like stoves and sinks will add to the “old Irish” feel of the kitchen. Similarly, adding stone to the bottom of your kitchen island or around windows could create an Irish pub feel in your home as well.
Add an Irish prayer board or lyrics to wall décor
Adding a little Irish tradition into your design is a cultural homage of the highest degree. The Irish are renowned for their beautiful prayers and songs celebrating their history and beliefs. It’s not hard to get your hands on prayer boards or lyrics that can easily be displayed as accent pieces on the wall or propped up near a window. Finding the balance between old Irish traditions and modern novelties will create a beautiful contrast in your ultimate design scheme.
Use green accent pieces like candles and handles
Don’t hesitate to use green accent pieces throughout your kitchen. When it comes to Irish décor, there is no such thing as too much green. Try to incorporate this hue by adding an array of green shaded candles to your granite countertop or even try some lighter shades of green for cabinet and drawer handles. Not only will the green accent pieces solidify the theme you’re going for, they are going to bring out the beautiful green tones in the other features they are placed upon. For example, varying shades of green candles on a green granite countertop are going to work to pull different shades to visual attention for family and friends. Light green handles being added to dark wood cabinets can work as a visual focal point as well, diminishing any sense of overwhelming color that you might worry about, and creating a definite balance in your design.