There is luxury in Ireland these days along with charm, although with the development of the highway systems, you'll have to pull off the motorways to find the country villages that embody the quiet life. Ireland has enjoyed a bustling economy for the last several years or so, and the computer world has just about taken over, leaving farming and agriculture behind. Oh, but yes, there are still some farmers left.

I was on a design trip to Ireland last month, accompanied by our firm's UK/Ireland design associate, Brinsley Matthews, as well as the antiques and fine-painting expert Anne O'Sullivan of John's Island, Limerick. We motored up to the McMurray carpet weavers in Connemara, County Galway.

Now, if ever you plan a trip to Ireland, a must is a visit to the mystical Connemara, where the lakes and sea are there for you to enjoy. You will marvel at the morning mists and, if you visit in early summer, the blooming mountain rhododendrons. What rhododendrons you will see – and in so many different colors, from the palest lavender to the brightest pinky purple, in miniature blossoms and in bigger varieties. So many of the rhododendrons grow wild along the Connemara waterway roads!

If anyone can capture the colors of the rhododendrons in carpeting, it is Denis McMurray, who with his wife, Willy, operates one of the world's last hand-woven carpet mills. In America and Europe, much of the carpet-weaving industry has been lost to China or to India in return for lower price points. But what about quality?

Irish wool is the backbone of McMurray Carpets of Connemara, and on the looms during our visit were carpets being woven for embassies, for grand hotels, for yachts and for some of the best residences in the world. Denis McMurray at one time in his career operated the V'Soske Carpet Weaving Co. of Ireland. V'Soske is gone, but the name still invokes an image of what was once the greatest carpet mill in the world. And the now preciously priced carpet wonders of Donegal carpets are gone as well.

If ever you plan a visit to Connemara, make a point to call McMurray (phone 011-353-95-41010) for a chance to see how carpets are created and woven in the Old World way. We met with Peter Biddulph, the in-house designer for many years, to see just how the designs were "carted," or created. We then saw the actual carpeting being woven in the old style in the facility's workrooms – actually barn-like buildings with very high roofs so that weavers standing on staging high in the air can weave line by line.

McMurray is known for designs using the colors of today and will match any hue you send in or dream about. Should you want a thatch carpeting of peaches-with-cream yarns, McMurray can do the job. Or should you want a carpet of white-and-cream sea shells, carved out of a deep ocean-blue yarn, McMurray can offer an answer. Anything in your dreams can be created. Just ask, and the answer will be "yes." And, believe it or not, prices are not out of line. McMurray can be reached also by e-mail at mcmurray@indigo.ie.

Carpeting is one of the most important elements when decorating a home – and if you're a wall-to-wall lover, you'll certainly find that style unifying, design-wise. But I do like rugs that let a bit of the wood-floor surface show!

The accent on floors is one of today's design highlights, and there are so many choices and so many showrooms that feature what's new in tile, marble, carpet, vinyl and stone. You have a great choice of floorings awaiting!

Carleton's Decorating Tip Of the Day

If you think candlesticks belong only on the mantel or the dining room table, think again. Consider placing candles – two or three – on top of a coffee table for an interesting touch.