Checkerboard flooring kitchen
Time to rethink checkerboard floors
Decoration
That most traditional of flooring styles, the checkerboard floor, is having a moment. We've collected some stylish examples sure to persuade you to give it a go.
The checkerboard floor has a long and distinguished history in interior design, from ancient Egyptian temples to Masonic lodges, via vast numbers of Victorian hallways, French country houses and 1950s American diners. Usually in black and white or red and white, the versatility of this kind of floor means it can work well in almost any kind of space. While you might have some unfortunate mental pictures of dingy vinyl checkerboard tiles peeling at the edges in old kitchens and bathrooms, we're here to tell you to rethink! The traditional pattern is still alive and well, and we've also gathered some strikingly modern takes on the classic style.
Simon Brown
Native ShareIn this story from our April issue, Beata Heuman has used a subtle checkerboard pattern for the tiles in the kitchen, which run through into an open plan dining room.
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Paul Massey
Native ShareIn the kitchen of Bridie Hall's north London house, cheery red and white Marmoleum floor tiles arranged in a chequerboard pattern contrast with traditional cabinets with olive-green paintwork in a gloss finish. Built around the existing navy Aga, Bridie describes this look as ‘typical Ben Pentreath country-house style’.
Simon Brown
Native ShareMax Rollitt was charged with adding character to this London flat, which had been unsympathetically modernised by a property developer. In place of the previous Ikea kitchen, Rollitt installed custom cabinets and freestanding furniture atop an unusual blue and white checkerboard floor.
Simon Brown
Native ShareBlack and white flooring in oversize checks unites the the kitchen and conservatory in Butter Wakefield's west London house. 'I blame the floor,' she says laughing.
'That's where it all started.' She is referring to the palette of green, black and white that runs throughout much of the house, but comes to the fore in the kitchen and conservatory, where there is a cornucopia of lettuceware plates and monochromatic fabrics.
Greg Funnell
Native ShareThe checkerboard pattern is a particularly prominent feature of French country interiors; here at Mimi Thorisson's country house in Burgundy the kitchen features an expanse of red and white tiles.
- Native Share
A checkerboard floor is equally stylish in a city flat; here in the art dealer and PAD co-founder Patrick Perrin's flat in St Germain, a traditional black and white pattern is the backdrop for stainless steel appliances.
Greg Funnell
Native ShareThe bathroom of Mimi Thorisson's home in the Médoc has the original nineteenth-century checkerboard floor tiles. The walls are tiled with square white tiles, edged in a black trim and the traditional sink has exposed copper pipes.
Michael Sinclair
Native ShareIn this highly contemporary, art-filled house designed by Shalini Misra, the hallway features a modern take on the checkerboard floor in the shape of cube tiles.
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Rachel Whiting
Native ShareBeata Heuman has also made use of the cube pattern, which achieves a similar effect to the checkerboard floor, in this theatrical, brightly coloured house in London. This is actually a paint effect mimicking three types of stone arranged in a traditional geometric pattern that plays with perspective.
Owen Gale
Native ShareAlthough you might think about ripping out old floors in bathrooms, this bathroom in Terry Ellis' London house demonstrates how liveable traditional checkerboard tiles can be. Paired with art-filled walls and a patterned blind, the tiles make for a comfortable, individual space.
Paul Massey
Native ShareIn the main bathroom of this refurbished disused chapel in Somerset, black and white floor tiles are similarly contrasted with a patterned curtain, in this case a bird print fabric curtain that covers the gothic-style pointed window.
Simon Upton
Native ShareA checkerboard floor is the perfect basis for a traditional bathroom: in this space the curves of a black and white roll-top bath are an excellent foil for the graphic pattern on the floor.
TopicsTime To RethinkDecoration
Read MoreThe classic checkerboard floor is this year's biggest trend – here's why
(Image credit: James Balston / Future Plc)
A classic interior trend is exciting interior design loving celebrities this season. Beloved by actress Gwyneth Paltrow and interior designers Jeremiah Brent and Nate Berkus, checkerboard floors are popping up in the most stylish homes this year.
This tile trend might be having a resurgence, but checkerboard floors have been around for centuries. Their history dates back to ancient Egypt; they were loved by the Romans; popular in Victorian entryways; and a staple of 1950s American diners.
'Usually in black and white, the versatility of this kind of floor means it can work well in almost any kind of space,' says Barry Cutchie, design director at BC Designs .
(Image credit: Amtico)
'One reason is that the geometric shapes are both modern and easy to create using tiles or paint. The re-emergence can also be attributed to the trend for "period modern", as it is a feature that can instantly make two-period styles work harmoniously together.'
Although the classic black-and-white look will never go out of fashion, the design can be adapted by bringing in different colors and shades.
'Instead of the basic pattern, product designers are adding multiple colors or keeping the black and white but changing the pattern a bit,' says Andra DelMonico, lead interior designer for homes and interiors website Trendey . 'While they aren’t exactly “checkerboard,” they are inspired by it. You could also elevate the look of a classic checkerboard by using black and white stone.'
(Image credit: BC Designs)
Entryways, kitchens, and bathrooms are all natural fits for this flooring and tile trend. However, DelMonico warns against laying checkerboard flooring in a bedroom or living room 'where it would only add to the chaos'.
Also, consider scale and size carefully.
'Because this is such a bold repeating pattern, you need to get the scale right, or you will throw off the proportions of the entire room,' she says. 'As a general rule, the larger the room, the larger the tile.'
(Image credit: Annie Sloan)
'Choosing the wrong size tile is the biggest mistake you can make. A small tile in a larger room will look overwhelming while a large tile in a small room won’t repeat enough and you won’t create the checkerboard effect.'
James Chapman, director of Bella Bathrooms , says the checkboard trend is a perfect 'transitional' solution for today’s homes. 'We have passed through the vintage look and are moving to a more natural, chic, and contemporary style. Checkboard allows you to move from one style to another.'
Jayne Dowle is an award-winning freelance gardening, homes and property writer who writes about everything from swimming ponds to skyscraper apartments, for publications including Sunday Times Home, Times Bricks & Mortar, Grand Designs, House Beautiful and The Spectator.
Awarded the Garden Journalist of the Year accolade at the Property Press Awards in 2021, she has a degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Oxford and a lifelong love of homes, interiors and gardens. Her first memories include planting potatoes with her grandfather and drawing houses. Her own garden - her fourth - at home in a 1920s house in Yorkshire, is south-facing and on the side of a valley. It’s a constant challenge.
"Chess" on the kitchen floor - stylish floors
Contrasting color combinations have always inspired designers. The classic combination of black and white has always been especially popular. Black and white design has found its application not only in fashion, but also in interior design.
Today, the combination of dark and light shades is a key element in the fashionable minimalist style. Such combinations create a unique atmosphere of order, accuracy, harmony and properly organized space.
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The checkerboard color scheme looks especially good in the kitchen. Kitchen sets with contrasting color combinations on the floor look stylish and elegant.
If you decide to decorate your kitchen with checkerboard floors, don't forget about the basic rules of harmony in interior design.
The two-tone floor should be the main accent in the decor of the room. All other elements should be concise and elegant: plain walls, furniture of simple shapes. Pairing two-tone flooring with multi-colored walls or frilly-shaped furniture creates a feeling of satiation. nine0003
Which flooring should I choose?
The undisputed leader for the kitchen floor is ceramic tiles, porcelain stoneware, as well as natural stone tiles, less common due to their high price and complexity of installation.
Ceramic tiles have a regular geometric shape, which allows you to achieve the most harmonious pattern when creating contrasting coatings.
For the kitchen, ceramic tiles are the best option. nine0003
Easy to care for, durable and practical, resistant to dirt and water.
PVC tiles are also available. It costs less than ceramics and is an ordinary durable linoleum, designed not in the form of a single canvas, but in the form of separate squares. PVC tiles are glued to the prepared base.
Some people use laminate to create contrasting combinations, but laminated parquet boards are not very suitable for such solutions.
Tiling options
The simplest option is to lay black and white tiles in a checkerboard pattern. Such an ornament is suitable for a classic "luxury" interior, as well as for a kitchen in a modern style. Chess ornament is suitable even for country style.
It brings noble conciseness and simplicity to the room.
To make this floor look attractive, do not use too small tiles that will irritate the eye. nine0003
Small tiles are only suitable for very large rooms.
