Checkerboard floors, three ways to lay them
The black and white floor is one of the oldest patterns we have, and it returns in almost every other project I do: in bathrooms, kitchens, halls and most recently in a cocktail bar. It is classic, graphic and surprisingly easy to live with. But how the tiles are laid changes the whole room. Here are three ways, and when I choose which.
1. Straight: calm and architectural
Laid straight, with the joints parallel to the walls, is the calmest option. The pattern follows the lines of the room and reinforces them, which makes a long room feel even longer. It suits halls and corridors, where you want the eye to be drawn forward.
In the Östermalm apartment the black and white floor runs through the hall past the bookshelves and ties the rooms together. The floor becomes a common thread through the whole home.
Remember that a straight pattern reveals crooked walls. In an old house where no corner is square, the next option may be wiser.
2. Diagonal: movement and space
Laid diagonally, at 45 degrees, the floor gains movement. The eye no longer reads the room’s dimensions but the pattern’s, and a small bathroom can feel larger. The diagonal also hides crooked walls, because the cuts along the edges look intentional.
It requires more cutting and therefore a little more material and labour, so allow for that in the budget. But in a bathroom, where the floor is the largest surface you see, it is often worth it. In the striped-ceiling bathroom on Yxlan it is the floor that makes the green-striped ceiling and the patterned wallpaper work together.
3. With a border: a floor like a rug
The third way is to frame the checkerboard with a border in one colour, so the floor looks like a rug laid into the room. It is an old technique from stone houses and manor houses, and it gives a very considered impression.
The border also solves the difficult meeting with the wall: instead of half squares along the edge you get an even frame. It works well in halls and in larger bathrooms where the floor is seen as a whole. In a kitchen the border can follow the island or the worktops.
Checkerboard floors room by room
In the bathroom the tiles must be slip-resistant and waterproof. Choose a matte or lightly brushed finish, especially in the shower, and use smaller tiles where the floor slopes towards the drain – they follow the fall better. A checkerboard bathroom floor against white wall tiles is one of the most timeless combinations there is.
In the kitchen the floor takes a lot of wear, but marble is sensitive to acid. Ceramic tiles or limestone can be wiser here, and a checkerboard hides crumbs and spills better than a plain floor. Let the pattern run under the island so the room holds together.
In the hall, the checkerboard is almost a signature of older city apartments. It withstands grit and water and makes a welcoming first impression. In a restaurant or bar the floor becomes part of the brand – it shows in every photo the guests take.
And everywhere the same rule applies: think about how the floor meets other materials. A stone threshold, a thin brass strip or a straight joint at the door makes the transition clear and beautiful.
Before you decide, ask for a few loose tiles and lay them on the floor at home for a couple of days. See how they look in morning and evening light, with your furniture and your rugs. A floor stays for many years, so it is worth taking a little time before deciding.
Material, size and grout
Marble is the classic choice and ages beautifully, but it is soft and needs sealing, especially in kitchens and bathrooms. Limestone is a little tougher and more matte. Ceramic and cement tiles are practical and can give the same look at a lower cost.
The size of the tiles decides how graphic the floor becomes. Large tiles, 40 or 60 centimetres, give a calm, large-scale pattern that suits a restaurant or a big hall. In Restaurang Pava black and white marble from Italy lies under the bar and ties the Art Deco tiles to the chairs. Smaller tiles, 20 or 30 centimetres, suit bathrooms and small kitchens better.
The grout should be narrow and in a grey between black and white, so it does not draw a grid over the pattern. And lay the tiles out dry on the floor before anything is fixed, so you see how the pattern meets doors and thresholds. In the kitchen on Grevgatan the squares meet a diamond-patterned wall at the dining nook – two patterns in conversation.
