If you’ve been on Pinterest lately, you know that checkered patterns are having their moment. What’s great about this is using checkers in home décor happens to be one of the easiest ways to refresh the look and feel of a room. Plaids, gingham, and buffalo prints have been popular for a while, but checkerboard is the check of the moment. And why not? With its staggering black and white squares, the pattern is both bold and classic at the same time. It’s showing up in everything from flooring and wallpaper to coasters, napkins, and so much more. So, the only question is, how bold and committed do you want to go with this fun pattern?
Here are five tips for decorating with checkered patterns:
1. Flooring
When we think of checkerboard patterns, we often think of dramatic flooring. That’s because this pattern has been used on floors for centuries and works with so many styles, from modern Danish to French country and everything in between. It is simultaneously retro and traditional. You can’t go wrong with tile flooring in a checkered pattern. Lay down checkered tiles in your bathroom for a modern twist.
2. Wallcoverings
Why not combine two trends in one? Wallpaper made a comeback a few years ago, and it looks like it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Find a checkered wallpaper and place it on one wall in a half bathroom for a pop of color. Or, in the bedroom, you could opt for a checkerboard pattern in lighter and more neutral colors. You could even go with pastel checkerboard patterns in a nursery. If you don’t want to go with wallpaper, you could opt for a checkerboard patterned backsplash in either the kitchen or bathroom.
3. Accent pieces
If you don’t want to commit to flooring or wall coverings in a checkerboard pattern, you can incorporate it through accent pieces instead. Try adding a checkered accent chair or rug to the living room. Or you could add a checkerboard throw and pillows on your primary bed. In fact, you don’t even have to stick to the traditional black and white pattern and could go with a checkerboard pattern in white and grey or other neutral colors to bring the design into any room effortlessly.
4. Accessories
An easy and non-committal way to add a checkerboard pattern to your home design is through accessories. You’ll find everything from picture frames, coasters, and artwork donning the pattern, all of which you can easily add to a living room, office, or bedroom. In the kitchen or dining room, you can add a checkered table runner or napkins. A St. Louis, MO, interior decorator adds, “The versatility of this pattern allows you to add pops of checkerboard anywhere you want to.”
5. Outdoors
An unexpected place to add the checkered board pattern is your outdoor living space. Like indoors, you can find an outdoor rug or throw pillows in the design, which will easily refresh your outdoor living space. You could even install a life-size checker or chessboard in your outdoor living area. Use pavers to create the game board if you want a permanent solution, or think about laying down outdoor tiles if you want something you can replace down the line. This tip not only makes your yard more interesting to look at, but it’ll be more fun to hang out in, too!
Check This Home Design Trend Off Your List
The checkerboard pattern is so versatile it works with everything in your home, from flooring and wall coverings to upholstered chairs. You can also incorporate it in more subtle ways, such as a table runner in the kitchen, a picture frame in an office, or artwork in the living room. It’s easy to see why decorating with this pattern is so much fun. It’s simultaneously sporty, sleek, sophisticated, timeless, and bold.
