Decorating & Design
The Revival Of Checkerboard Floors
Published on June 10, 2025
Can a floor treatment that graced ancient Egyptian temples in 3,000 BC really look fresh in 2025? Checkerboard floors have hopscotched through countries and the ages: from grand villas of the Roman Empire and castles and churches in medieval Europe to iconic ’50s American diners.
In the home, the regular grid and repetition of squares create a sense of balance and visual stability and can create the illusion of spaciousness in small rooms. The predictability of alternating squares evokes a sense of calm and organization. In the kitchen, checkered floors add a classic bistro vibe, and tiles in shades of blue and green can evoke a fresh, coastal atmosphere. In a foyer, checkerboard floors crafted from practical, hard-wearing natural stone or porcelain stand up to salty boots and wet umbrellas, creating a graphic impact the moment you enter the door.
Here, we share some of our favourite rooms with checkerboard floors that are a testament to their enduring charm.
The heritage vibe is strong in this newly built Saint-Lazare, Que., home. In the principal ensuite, the large-format black and white checkered floor tile looks as if it belongs in an English manor. Because the floor tile is so bold, the rest of the palette is kept to quiet neutrals.
In designer Lyndsay Jacobs’ Toronto home, checkered floors and the original stained glass transom window complete the old world look.
Designer Sabrina Albanese opted for a pale blue Lacanche range in this Parisian brasserie-inspired kitchen. The blue is echoed in the checkered quartz floor tile, counter stools and roman blinds.
Checkerboard Bardiglio and Bianco Carrara marble floors mimic the floor in Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer’s a 17th-century canvas, The Art of Painting. This kitchen by Audax is a painterly space that references historical design while remaining firmly in the present.
This new build is all about lasting classic touches, like lantern fixtures, wicker, and skirted furniture, so the black and white checkerboard tile is a perfect fit. The stone’s subtle veining adds interest and more dimension.
The size and scale of the checkered pattern are vital when crafting a modern Italian farmhouse aesthetic in this B.C. kitchen. The homeowner initially wanted herringbone oak floors in the kitchen, but designer Ami McKay convinced her that checkerboard would be more authentic. The large-scale porcelain tile in classic grey and white is affordable, and convincingly mimics natural stone.
Oversized porcelain tiles in classic grey and white are complemented by a bold Calacatta Viola marble on the island counter, backsplash and trim.
Antique pieces and heated black and cream checkered floors provide a warm welcome in the foyer of this Toronto home. Paired with the classic mouldings painted and ormolu mirror, the result is crisp and timeless, and is a historically appropriate choice for the Tudor style of this house.
To create the look of 12×12″ tiles in this West Coast kitchen, a quartet of 4″ tiles were grouped together to create the desired scale. The greyish tiles were locally quarried from Vancouver Island, for a fresh, coastal look.
In designer Olivia Botrie’s own West end Toronto home, heated checkered floors are a comfortable modern innovation for the century home, and are practical since they help dispel puddles.
In this petite foyer, checkerboard floors are gutsy enough to hold their own when paired with bold walls. The straight lines of the floor tile contrast the wallpaper’s curvy, floral pattern and blue ceiling.
The use of oversized checkered tiles in a pale, veined stone gives this North Toronto home foyer a fresh look.