Affordable Checkered Floors for Any Room [Non-Marble & No Maintenance]

Have you fallen in love with checkered floors?!

This gorgeous floor pattern is all over Pinterest but mostly in multi million dollar homes.

Today I’m excited for share with you the affordable checkered floors in our home that could be used in any room!

They are non-marble too, which means NO ongoing maintenance or care.

Both priced at under $4/sq ft, these 13″ x 13″ square floor tiles make the perfect, high quality yet cheap checkerboard floor!

Let’s dive into the details…

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Size, Material and Where to Buy

When I was planning the renovation on our home, my biggest gripe was finding the actual sources of the materials I saw in all of the photos I pinned on Pinterest.

Many times it’s was a project from a high end interior designer who wouldn’t share her sources.

Today I’m going to share every detail you need to know, so you can plan and install your own checkered floors too!

Floor Tile Size: 13″ x 13″
Floor Tile Material: Porcelain with a Matte finish
Brand: Emser Tile
Colors: White is Contessa Dama & Gray is Reserva Alto
Grout Color: Silver Bullet
Where to Buy: Build.com has the best pricing – white tile & gray tile

How to Choose the Correct Tile Sizing for Your Space

Originally I had fallen in love with this 24″ x 24″ floor tile from Emser Tile that comes in a bunch of colors.

I actually ordered a sample and realized it was WAY too big for how narrow our laundry room is.

Our laundry room is 40″ wide – so the biggest square tile I could go with was 13″ x 13″ and that allows for 2-2 1/2 tiles wide.

If you were working with a space twice as wide as that, say an entryway or foyer, you could potentially bump the size up to 18″ x 18″ if you like a cleaner, more modern look.

In my opinion, the smaller tiles in a larger space is more of a classic, traditional look.

Here’s an example of what I mean:

Source: Caitlin Creer Interiors

Versus the laundry room below which has 24″ square tiles.

Still the traditional look, but with a cleaner, less busy vibe!

Source: Our French Country Farm

Non-Marble vs Marble Tile: Why is One Better Than the Other?

Look, I chose marble for my kitchen countertops… so I hear you!

Nothing is more beautiful than real marble/natural stone.

However, for bathrooms and floors, I really believe it’s too difficult to take care of.

Here’s why…

You’ll need to seal the marble 1-2 x per year, as well as use marble-safe cleaners
You should thoroughly rinse and dry the surface with clean, clear water after mopping
All spills will need to be cleaned up immediately
You’ll need to be mindful of anything that may scratch your floors, like small rocks and debris that may get caught on shoes

There’s two places in my home that I need to remain very simple to take care of – my mudroom and laundry room! Where all the messes happen.