diff --git a/ipyfilechooser/filechooser.py b/ipyfilechooser/filechooser.py
index 2ea6c50..e63ae5c 100644
--- a/ipyfilechooser/filechooser.py
+++ b/ipyfilechooser/filechooser.py
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ class FileChooser(VBox, ValueWidget):
             show_hidden: bool = False,
             select_default: bool = False,
             dir_icon: Optional[str] = '\U0001F4C1 ',
+            dir_icon_append: bool = False,
             show_only_dirs: bool = False,
             filter_pattern: Optional[Sequence[str]] = None,
             sandbox_path: Optional[str] = None,
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@ class FileChooser(VBox, ValueWidget):
         self._change_desc = change_desc
         self._select_default = select_default
         self._dir_icon = dir_icon
+        self._dir_icon_append = dir_icon_append
         self._show_only_dirs = show_only_dirs
         self._filter_pattern = filter_pattern
         self._sandbox_path = normalize_path(sandbox_path) if sandbox_path is not None else None
@@ -215,7 +217,7 @@ class FileChooser(VBox, ValueWidget):
             path,
             show_hidden=self._show_hidden,
             show_only_dirs=self._show_only_dirs,
-            dir_icon='',
+            dir_icon=None,
             filter_pattern=self._filter_pattern,
             top_path=self._sandbox_path
         )
@@ -226,6 +228,7 @@ class FileChooser(VBox, ValueWidget):
             show_hidden=self._show_hidden,
             show_only_dirs=self._show_only_dirs,
             dir_icon=self._dir_icon,
+            dir_icon_append=self._dir_icon_append,
             filter_pattern=self._filter_pattern,
             top_path=self._sandbox_path
         )
@@ -445,6 +448,17 @@ class FileChooser(VBox, ValueWidget):
         self._dir_icon = dir_icon
         self.refresh()
 
+    @property
+    def dir_icon_append(self) -> bool:
+        """Get dir icon value."""
+        return self._dir_icon_append
+
+    @dir_icon_append.setter
+    def dir_icon_append(self, dir_icon_append: bool) -> None:
+        """Prepend or append the dir icon."""
+        self._dir_icon_append = dir_icon_append
+        self.refresh()
+
     @property
     def rows(self) -> int:
         """Get current number of rows."""
diff --git a/ipyfilechooser/utils.py b/ipyfilechooser/utils.py
index c0aca98..6f6e424 100644
--- a/ipyfilechooser/utils.py
+++ b/ipyfilechooser/utils.py
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ def get_dir_contents(
         show_hidden: bool = False,
         show_only_dirs: bool = False,
         dir_icon: Optional[str] = None,
+        dir_icon_append: bool = False,
         filter_pattern: Optional[Sequence[str]] = None,
         top_path: Optional[str] = None) -> List[str]:
     """Get directory contents."""
@@ -89,14 +90,19 @@ def get_dir_contents(
         if has_parent(strip_parent_path(path, top_path)):
             dirs.insert(0, os.pardir)
     if dir_icon:
-        return prepend_dir_icons(sorted(dirs), dir_icon) + sorted(files)
+        return prepend_dir_icons(sorted(dirs), dir_icon, dir_icon_append) + sorted(files)
     else:
         return sorted(dirs) + sorted(files)
 
 
-def prepend_dir_icons(dir_list: Iterable[str], dir_icon: str) -> List[str]:
+def prepend_dir_icons(dir_list: Iterable[str], dir_icon: str, dir_icon_append: bool = False) -> List[str]:
     """Prepend unicode folder icon to directory names."""
-    return [f'{dir_icon}' + dirname for dirname in dir_list]
+    if dir_icon_append:
+        str_ = [dirname + f'{dir_icon}' for dirname in dir_list]
+    else:
+        str_ = [f'{dir_icon}' + dirname for dirname in dir_list]
+
+    return str_
 
 
 def get_drive_letters() -> List[str]: