This Is the Surprisingly "Ancient" History of the Checkerboard Pattern
If you’ve been paying attention to design trends over the last couple of years, then you’ve probably noticed one familiar style has reemerged with a vengeance: the checkerboard pattern. While you may associate this old-meets-new motif with everything from kitchen and dining room floors to picnic blankets and area rugs, it turns out that the origins of the checkerboard pattern reach much further back than that.
Here’s everything you need to know about the history of the checkerboard pattern, plus why it’s made a comeback and ways to incorporate it into your home decor.
The History of the Checkerboard Pattern
“The classic checkerboard pattern of white squares interspersed with black or gray squares is ancient and traverses multiple cultures,” says architect and designer Nicholas Potts. “It shows up in Indian chessboards, Islamic mosaics, and keffiyehs, Greek and Roman tiles, and textiles across the globe.”
Potts notes that the checkerboard pattern is a prolific design that can be spotted everywhere from an imperial villa in Japan to a 1950s-style diner in American suburbia. “Its universality makes it, dare I say, a neutral,” he continues. “Since it has no immediate tie to a specific style, and is also about the easiest thing to make out of simple materials, it’s a go-to regardless of budget or aesthetic.”
Why Is the Checkerboard Pattern So Popular Again?
While there are many reasons to be drawn to checkerboard, Potts thinks that designers and home decor enthusiasts continue to champion this look because of its versatility. “Checkerboard can be used wherever there’s a need for a punch of pattern,” he says. “It is also wonderfully scalable, and depending on the size, you can create a checkerboard with huge pieces to appear very impactful, or you can use smaller ones that appear to blur together.”
That flexible quality allows you to play with scale and color any way you see fit, making it possible for your checkerboard pattern to complement nearly every style. “I don’t think there’s necessarily anything that has to be avoided next to a checkerboard: It can work on its own as a statement in an otherwise stripped-down context or alternately as a background element in a maximalist space,” Potts says. “But it doesn’t exactly play well with other, similar patterns like gingham or plaid, particularly if the scale is the same.”
How to Style Checkerboard in Your Home
If you need inspiration for ways to incorporate this timeless look into your home, here are five checkerboard designs to consider — from small touches like textiles to eye-catching tile ideas.
Play Up Your Backsplash
Follow in the footsteps of this Barcelona apartment by installing a checkerboard backsplash. With just three rows of checkered squares, this low tiled look is a more small-scale approach to trying checkerboard that still feels sophisticated and timeless.
Upgrade Your Bedding
Make your bed even more of a focal point with colorful checkerboard bedding, as seen in this Texas house. While the homeowner chose contrasting hues against the blue velvet bed frame, you can find shades that match your palette.
Roll Out a Stylish Rug
Create dimension on your living room floor by anchoring it with a checkerboard area rug. This New York City studio went the colorful maximalist route, but the owner’s brown-and-white rug would look just as cozy in a minimalist and neutral space.
Use Colorful Textiles
Bring playful style to your bathroom by mixing and matching this pattern everywhere from the shower curtain to the hand towel. In this Long Beach, California, home, checkerboard accessories contrast with stripes for a totally fun atmosphere.
Paint a Bright Mural
While checkerboard floors are a well-known use of this pattern, this Los Angeles home proves that the style looks just as good on the walls. By painting a green motif in the living room, the bright space feels even more electric.
Further Reading
I Just Discovered the Smartest Way to Store Paper Towels in Your Kitchen (It’s a Game-Changer!)
See How a Stager Used Paint to Transform a 1950s Living Room
