While black-and-white checkerboard floors might feel retro, the pattern is actually making a modern comeback in home design trends. In fact, even Kris Jenner’s contemporary home dons a sleek square floor pattern in the grand foyer.
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“It’s not just all ceramic tiles in the kitchen anymore,” Diana Mui of d.m.teriors told TODAY Home. “It feels incredibly new because there are no rules on how you should use it.”
Designers are having fun with the trend, using bold contrasting colors, like pink and black, and different materials like marble or wood. They're also featuring the pattern in unexpected places like on backsplashes or in a kid’s playroom.
“I love it,” Mui said. “I think the checkerboard trend has been on the rise for some time now and for good reason.”
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Want to use try the geometric pattern for yourself? Below are a few ideas for you to get started.
Using the pattern in your home
Mui said you can use either paint or tiles to create this pattern, but it’s important to consider where the pattern will be used and any function it would serve. “For example, tiles would work best in a foyer, mudroom or other wet locations,” she said.
“Paint would give more flexibility, allowing you to be more creative with the size of the pattern, colors, and where you decide to apply it.” It's also more budget-friendly, she added. “It could be a perfect DIY project for the weekend.”
Choosing the color and size of squares
“Black and white is definitely the most widely-used combo, but currently more muted, warmer colors are quite popular,” said Cate Holcombe of Cate Holcombe Interiors. “We chose a beige-and-white pattern for our home, with a good bit of contrast. A more subtle, neutral tone-on-tone pattern can also be lovely. For color-loving maximalists, bold less-expected combos of bright colors would be really fun.”
Mui agreed and said people are experimenting with different hues and not just alternating between dark and light colors. From elegant shades of gray to more bold colors like green or red, the possibilities are endless.
Holcombe added that the structural pattern of a checkerboard offers a good balance to the softer, more fluid elements in a space. “The scale of the pattern sometimes changes, and occasionally you'll see more detail in the pattern, but the alternating color block squares remain.”
Going beyond checkerboard floors
The checkerboard pattern doesn’t have to be used just on floors. “A subtle checkered wallpaper would add an interesting element to a room without commanding all of the attention,” Holcombe suggested. “It would also make a fantastic backsplash in a kitchen.”
Mui said she likes to use the pattern on unexpected places. “We have created a checkerboard pattern using wood on the walls of a bedroom,” she said. “My next goal is to apply it on a ceiling or a stairway runner.”
There are also plenty of accent pieces like pillows, upholstered furniture and coasters that can give your space a pop of the classic trend.
