Traditional Checkered Floors

Historical Checkered Floors

• The checkered floor pattern is best known in the bright colors and resilient flooring from the 1950s. Checkered floors made out of marble, clay and terracotta tiles have been seen in ancient ruins and paintings in cultures around the world. While the pattern has never truly gone out of style, it began making a modern-day impression beginning in the 1920s and 1930s. The pattern was frequently combined with a border and may be accented by occasional circle-shaped inlays in some of the tiles as well. These variations on one theme have kept the pattern from getting dated and have allowed it to evolve.

Checkered Floor Materials

• The first checkered floors were likely made of stones such as marble, and monocottura -- single fired -- clay tiles. When inexpensive and resilient flooring options such as linoleum and vinyl were introduced in the 20th century, these became the standard for many checkerboard patterns because the tiles were easy to lay close together for a seamless look and came in a wide range of new colors. The checkerboard pattern is now seen in a traditional polished and honed marble, ceramic and porcelain tiles, linoleum and vinyl, as well as in parquet flooring squares, cork and painted hardwood floors.

Pattern

• The checkerboard pattern is one of the most simple patterns available for floors. It does have variations and options, though. The checkered squares can be laid in straight rows or they can be laid on the diagonal. The pattern can extend straight to the walls of the room it is laid in, or it can be brought in slightly from the walls by a solid colored or patterned border. Lay the tiles so that they highlight and conform to the room's contours. Lay the checkered tiles on the diagonal in narrow rooms and hallways, or border the tiles in square or oddly shaped rooms.

Use

• Checkered floor patterns work in a wide variety of different design scenarios. Create a subtle, understated and elegant design in a foyer by using polished marble tiles in muted shades, such as Calacatta and Crema Luna. Create a more rustic checkered floor in a country kitchen by distressing and painting old floor boards. Use a matte paint in soft colors in a kitchen with painted cabinets, or stain the boards two shades for a darker, more subtle look. Create a retro look in any area of the house by using unglazed ceramic tiles in black and white, or linoleum tiles in any combination of colors.