Here is a flooring question that keeps coming up:
Where can I buy a red-and-white checkerboard floor?
While I know of at least three suppliers of black-and-white checkerboard flooring that comes in big, wide one-piece vinyl sheets, the only way I know to do red-and-white checkerboard is to use individual tiles. In the photo above, reader Donna used Marmoleum tile — linoleum — to create the red-and-white checker board kitchen floor in her delightful 1965 kitchen. She edged it in charcoal linoleum. A second choice for resilient squares is vinyl composite tile from places like Armstrong — a very inexpensive solution. And, you have actual ceramic tile, arranged in checkerboards, as an option, too. One of the advantages of the black-and-white checkerboards on wide vinyl sheets is that, among the options, there are a variety of different sized squares. With the linoleum or vinyl tiles required for red-and-white, you are limited to 12″ squares, as far as I know. Back in the day, linoleum and vinyl squares were most often 9″, as far as I know. You can get this look for resilient tiles — but talk about work, I think you have to buy sheet flooring, then take it to a special water-cutting company to have it cut neatly into smaller squares.
3 places to buy black and white checkerboard floor tile – in resilient vinyl 
Maryanna’s black and white ceramic tile checkerboard floor 
Suzanne’s cheery red, black and white checkerboard floor 
Become a fan
Armstrong VCT tile is what you are looking for:
Reds:
http://www.armstrong.com/commflooringna/products/vct/red/_/N-75hZ6vr
Whites:
http://www.armstrong.com/commflooringna/products/vct/white/_/N-75hZ6vs
Hi Pam,
One of these years, maybe I’ll win!
LOVE your blog! Why am I having troubles finding out who wins the giveaways? The vintage bulb wreath is my favorite prize every year
Kimberj, Usually I post the name of the winner as an update to the original giveaway story. Or, at least I try. Sometimes I’m on to next things…
What type of wood are those kitchen cabinets that are in the first photo regarding the red and white checkerboard floor?
If you are looking for Marmoleum like in the picture you need to find a flooring store that carries Forbo Marloleum(Linoleum) tiles.
I used the Armstrong vinyl tiles in my last house. They are really inexpensive and they were easy to install. They looked great when I put the shiny floor stuff on them, but it was hard to keep them looking that way. I don’t think I’d use them again–would probably try Marmoleum next time.
I love checkerboard floors (though had not ever considered red) Armstrong has a line called “Marmorette” that is REAL linoleum tiles, the bio-degradable not-vinyl stuff, and a colour called Firebird.
No white to alternate with though. Sort of a letdown.
I had thought I had been totally settled and decided on a black/white floor though and now you have me thinking of options again. Green and white? Could be cute. Oh no, marmoleum comes in some really cute greens!
How freakin’ cute are some of the pink VCTs Armstrong files under “red” though?! I shouldn’t have looked, I’ll never be allowed a kitchen floor that’s 50% pink tiles no matter how neutral the grey or white with them is.
I did a light green and off-white checkerboard — Armstrong VCT — in my 1912 Colonial in the 1990s. It looked great.
I love the Armstrong VCTs in green, I loved one of your posts with them in a solid floor but I had never considered green checkerboard! Gives me a lot to think about.
I love this site.
I LOVE this look! Just not enough to have white on the floor again. I currently have black/white checkerboard and it is the WORST to keep looking decent – especially with kids/dogs.
I’ll opt for something else in my kitchen when it gets remodeled…. probably something more “dirt” colored! LOL.
Yes, the Azrock Cortina Autumn Haze is a lovely dirt color. Don’t think that wasn’t part of my triangulating to make the decision to use it. Thanks for the reminder, T3, that I want to do a story early in 2012 about flooring that hides the dirt vs. shows it. An important topic!!
I used Armstrong vinyl tiles in my tri color (red, gold and white) kitchen floor project and they are very inexpensive and wear well. They are easy to clean and look great. In addition to the website that Joe provided, you can also order them from Lowes. They have samples of all of the colors and patterns and will special order them for you and then let you know when they come in to the store. I didn’t have to pay any shipping because I went and picked them up myself.
we have armstrong vct in our laundry room and our friend that put it in for us suggested 9″ squares instead of 12″ since it was the common size back in the 50′s. he had a special cutter that he used to cut them down and it actually didn’t take long at all. i love the look of the smaller tiles.
http://digadig-home.blogspot.com/2011/04/back-to-school.html
Just ordered some samples of the Biobased tiles, which states:
EQ Credit 4.3 – Low-emitting Materials
MR Credit 4.0 – Recycled Content
MR Credit 5.0 – Regional Materials – depends on project location
MR Credit 6.0 – Rapidly Renewable Resources
Found the 2 colors to do my kitchen floor in and hoping the price will not be too much.
The house I grew up in had a red & cream (?) checkerboard kitchen floor. I hadn’t thought about that in a while.