In a small room or space, it is usually best to keep the walls simple when using black and white checkerboard floor tile. Painting the walls a bright white to match the tile helps widen the space, so it feels larger. It also blends well with the flooring, so the room doesn't feel too busy or crowded. With the neutral tones of the walls and flooring, you can choose from a wide range of accent colors to add dimension to the space. For a small alcove, you can try a modern look by painting the walls around your checkerboard floor black. However, even in a large room, black is not an ideal wall color because it is so dark and makes the space feel smaller. A dove gray on the walls is an attractive compromise between white and black for a checkerboard floor.
If you're a fan of bold, bright colors, checkerboard tile is an ideal flooring option because the neutral tones of black and white pair well with a variety of vivid colors. Bright red creates a striking pairing with a checkerboard floor, and works well in a dining room, hallway or kitchen. Lemon yellow, lime green, turquoise and purple are other attractive wall color options for a black and white tile floor. However, if you have a smaller room, avoid darker shades such as red and purple, which may make the space feel smaller than it actually is.
In a living room, dining room or a kitchen, warm wall colors create a cozy, inviting feel. Choosing a light shade with warm undertones can help brighten and widen a room as well. A neutral black and white checkerboard pairs well with warm, light colors such as peach, gold and sage, and creates a more elegant look than wood or neutral tile flooring. With this type of color palette, you can also use darker shades such as purple, red or chocolate brown as accent colors to give the room a rich, modern look.
If you prefer a sophisticated look, try pairing your white and black checkerboard floor with a sumptuous jewel tone wall color. Shades such as burgundy, navy blue, emerald green and eggplant add an elegant feel to a dining room, living room or bedroom, and play off the neutral tones in the black and white floor to create a classic look for the space. To add visual interest to the room, choose a cool accent color to pair with burgundy and eggplant and a warm accent shade for navy and emerald walls. The contrasting tones give the room a deeper texture, while the black and white floor anchors the space.