The pavement formed by black and white tiles revives with force in interior decoration. Undoubtedly, it is a pattern that has a long history. It can be found, for example, in the Palace of Versailles, both in the interior rooms of the Petit Trianon and in the exterior galleries of the Grand Trianon. With their chessboard-like geometric shapes and the hydraulic mosaics and their various optical effects, these floors are back in the limelight. To explain their possibilities, we consulted two specialists in the sector: the kitchen design studio Deulonder and the hydraulic tile company Zelart. Squares or diamonds. Early American decorators in the early and mid-20th century adopted European traditions for their interiors - in the absence of historical references in their country - including checkerboard flooring. Dorothy Draper, Elsie de Wolfe, Ruby Ross Wood, and Frances Elkins used it frequently, making it one of their hallmarks.
This floor can be placed in any house room, but it is in kitchens and bathrooms where it becomes the best option. If you are going to face the reform of your kitchen or a toilet and need an aesthetically timeless surface that stands the test of time, carefully evaluate this option. "Checkerboard flooring is an ever-elegant classic, associated with classic English style," they say from Deulonder. "Both in bathrooms and kitchens, it is a timeless design that gives a sophisticated touch to the room, especially when placed on a level," corroborate from Zelart.
"The classic black and white checkerboard accept any type of decoration, unlike other floral or geometric models that force you towards a specific type of scenery," says Zlart. They also explain that one way to give the checkerboards personality is by mixing three colors. "That way, more importance is given to one of the tones we want to highlight, while the other two should have the same proportion. The arrangement would be as follows: 50% of the predominant color and 25% of the other two colors, respectively," they specify. "The best of all is that it is an easy maintenance floor and its great advantage is that it combines very well with all kinds of colors and kitchen furniture," according to Deulonder. In any case, it is a finish that hogs a lot of the limelight, "and it has to be in keeping with the whole house. It can be combined with a good hardwood floor for the rest of the house," they continue. "It is a type of flooring that is in demand. We have noticed a trend of change in the type of colors. We are moving to pastel colors from the classic white-black or white-gray, such as aqua green or sky blue, especially for bathrooms," they say at Zelart, "but black and white still predominate in kitchens.
In addition, they say that it is a preferred type of design in large rooms, whether apartments or commercial premises. On the other hand, brilliantly does not recommend it for small and poorly lit spaces because it makes the rooms look smaller. Furthermore, when choosing the size of the checkerboards, it should be taken into account that the larger the squares, the greater the feeling of luxury. On the contrary, if the checkerboard format is small, it is more appropriate for rustic or casual environments. Finally, the classic checkerboard is black and white. Still, if you do not want so much visual rotundity, you can replace the black with a gray, as if the black had been worn, or even "replace it with a pastel tone for softer and warmer environments," proposed from Zelart.