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kelleg69

A bit OT: checkerboard floor

kelleg69
15 years ago

We are building a house and are considering black and white marble in the entry (my DH has always dreamed of this). Does anyone have a checkered floor anywhere in their house? I would love to see pictures if you do. We may or may not do this and we are trying to decide if the squares should be the same size (checkerboard) or if we would just inset little squares in the white tiles.

I might also consider a checkerboard in the mudroom (maybe even in Marmoleum!!!).

I am posting here b/c someone may have this type of floor in the kitchen. Also, this forum seems to get the most traffic. I may post on flooring a decorating too. Thanks.

Comments (28)

  • pbrisjar
    15 years ago

    I had a black and white checkered floor in my kitchen / dining room space in a past house. I loved the look but it was a bear to keep clean. I suspect, though that the issues were due more to the materials (some form of vinyl/linoleum squares) and the house's past history (house had been rented to college-age guys who threw raves and grew pot in one of the outbuildings) rather than anything inherent in the floor itself.

    The area was a big, open space with tons of natural light. The floor was 12x12 (or 18x18) squares of alternating black and white.

  • amysrq
    15 years ago

    You could also get a similar look with less maintenance (pure black and white show a lot of dirt) by doing a checkerboard in soft white and a warm, dark gray, or some variation on that theme. Maybe Arabian Pearl and Arabesque Marmo...?

    Here is a link that might be useful: Click

  • Happykate
    15 years ago

    We put this in our exercise/laundry room, and are really happy with. The texture (which was a problem with other sheet goods) is very light, easy to mop. The flooring itself is REALLY heavy, and, we think, good looking. Might work well in your mudroom!

    Here is a link that might be useful: Black & white fiber floor

  • rotag
    15 years ago

    Hi,
    I have a black and white checkerboard floor in our master bath. It's ceramic tile which looks like marble. The black has shadings of gray, giving it a nice depth. Also, we chose a matte finish. I've had shiny white tile and will never do that again! But this is in a bathroom and doesn't have the same traffic as a kitchen. Because the white is marbled and matte, it doesn't show every bit of dirt or dust. I really enjoy the look of checkerboard.

  • bill_vincent
    15 years ago

    The first one's a kitchen, and the others are both bathrooms:

  • monicakm_gw
    15 years ago

    Dining room that's still a work in progress

  • mamadadapaige
    15 years ago

    just my opinion, but if you decide to go for it, I would REALLY go for it and do the tiles in the same size. Just be careful that the marble won't be slippery when wet (such as when people would enter your house on a rainy day).

    As shown above you may be able to get the look with other materials.

    One of my kids favorite movies is Stuart Little 2 (not the animated film, the one with Geena Davis)... they have a nice black and white checkerboard floor in their foyer (in their very cool NYC townhouse... which I realize is just some stage set). Check it out if you have the opportunity.

  • kelleg69
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Great responses. Thank you. Mamadadapaige, I will rent that movie just to see it. I kind of agree with you that if I am going to do it, we should really do it. I generally like the look better anyway. I will take a look at these other materials. We were thinking matte might be a better way to go also.

  • reno_fan
    15 years ago

    Here's one in a house for sale in our area:

  • callaloo
    15 years ago

    I went to a decorator showhouse last spring, and they had a black and white checkerboard floor (porcelain or ceramic tile) in the mudroom. The house sits on a working farm, so the mudroom is truly a mud room. What made it work was that they had used black grout. I'm now lobbying for the same in my laundry/mudroom.

  • piegirltoo
    15 years ago

    Always loved it, always will. However my husband would not let me do a black and white checkered floor as it brought back a bad memory. Turns out it had something to do with drinking too much in college and getting really sick. Whatever.

    So I did a checkerboard in my mudroom/main entry with 2 shades of green. They are Crossvilles Colorblox. I also fooled him by having them installed as a diamond pattern. I was determined to get my checkerboard one way or another!! I put the same floor in my screened porch at the opposite end of the house, and it really helps to tie everything together.

    Do it!!!!!

  • debo_2006
    15 years ago

    We just got rid of a checkerboard floor. I HATED it because of the upkeep. It always looked dirty especially the white tiles. Everyone who visited us admired the floor though. I will say that ours was that peel and stick vinyl crap that the ex-owners layed which was down for 15 years before we removed it.

    I would imagine that a marble or real tile checkerboard floor would look gorgeous and possibly easier to clean that the stuff we had. Go for it if you love the look.

  • awm03
    15 years ago

    piegirltoo, I love Colorblox! Do you have a picture? Sounds great!

  • gumper97
    15 years ago

    My house (which is currently on the market) has a checkerboard floor we installed through the hall and kitchen. I simply adore it! We did a cream/brown checkerboard. I had always wanted black and white, but was afraid of the upkeep. I'm so glad we went this way instead. In this house, we cheaped out and used Armstrong vinyl tile - the commercial stuff. It has been wonderful though - the mottled colours hide dirt well and it's held up to 2 toddlers. In our new house we are doing two checkerboard floors with Marmoleum - a cream/brick checkerboard on the diagonal in the mudroom/powder room, and a square cream/blue checkerboard in the laundry room. I just love this kind of floor.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Here's the link!

  • mercurygirl
    15 years ago

    I like this idea too. I actually may consider it for my kitchen. I like amysrq's idea for softening up the color as I think black and white might be too much in a smallish kitchen. Love marmoleum. Anyone know where it falls price-wise?

    I have a checkerboard pic in my inspiration folder. Let me see if I can post it. It's a beautiful space with a HUGE window, though.

  • mercurygirl
    15 years ago

    Here it is.

  • sugarbreak
    15 years ago

    I love checkerboard floors. I plan to do one in my bathroom.

  • patty_cakes
    15 years ago

    My foyer floor hasn't been installed yet, but i'll be using Marble in Creama Marfil and Black Absolute in 18" x18" tiles. Since it will butt up to a dark wood floor the Creama tiles will be cut in half and used as a border. Inside of that will be a 12" Black Absolute cut in half. Inside the borders, the remaining tiles will be placed on the diagonal. I wanted to make a statement with the tile, and the borders will really give it the extra oomph.

    I originally was going to use white, but decided scuff marks might be a problem. With the vein in the Creama, they might not be *quite* as obvious. ;o)

  • piegirltoo
    15 years ago

    awm03,
    We're out of daylight here so will try to post a pic tomorrow.

    The colors are Mr.Greenjeans and Limeade. The tile setter said that when he saw the tiles in the boxes, he thought I was nuts, but that in the process of installing them he found that he really liked the combo a lot.

    When I called Crossville for samples, they sent me a 12" square tile of each of the 2 colors. nice!

  • ahneb
    15 years ago

    Hi --

    I have a Marmoleum checkerboard floor in the laundry room. I love it-- Marmoleum is fantastic, I wish I had more of it.

  • kelleg69
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Wow, I love hearing everyone's feelings on this. I think we are going to go for it. I have looked at a friend's house that did crema marfil and black granite. It does look good. I am just such a WHITE white person that I am unsure. I do really like the idea of a checkerboard in Marmoleum in my laundry room too...we'll see!

    Thanks for all the responses. Please keep the pictures coming.

  • piegirltoo
    15 years ago

    just cuz I said I would (took me a little while to figure out how to imbed a pic)...
    Okie enjoying her breakfast on her new checkerboard floor (Color Blox):

  • SallyP123
    12 years ago

    the cream and green floor is exaclty the color combo I want for my mud room. Can you share that info and the manufacter. Thanks so much!

  • mickydiamond
    8 years ago

    The cream and green floor is exactly what I am looking for, where did you purchase the tile?

  • mrspete
    8 years ago

    I like the idea of a checkerboard floor, but -- like many of you -- I prefer something "softer" than the classic black and white, which can be somewhat stark. My favorite here is the blue and cream two posts up.

  • mama goose_gw zn6OH
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Love checkerboard floors!

    mickydiamond, this is an old thread, and since piegirltoo didn't answer the question asked three years ago, she might not respond.

    Here's a google search page for the 'Color Blox' floor tile she posted.

  • cluelessincolorado
    8 years ago


    Here's the Marmoleum checkerboard in the house we just bought.

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