If you are designing a diner style retro kitchen, laundry room or even basement, you might want to consider this black-and-white floor tile in resilient sheet vinyl from Mannington, Armstrong, or Tarkett. Above: Armstrong.
In my experience, sheet vinyl is low cost and super easy to keep clean. 9″ squares, if you can find them, would have been the size typically used in mid century homes. 12″ squares are more common today. And Armstrong has both solid and marbleized squares to choose from. You also can achieve the black and white checkerboard look using 12″ x 12″ VCT tiles, which are going to require regular polishing and buffing… in lineoleum from Forbo/Marmoleum or Armstrong… or by using ceramic tile, which will be harder under foot.
Click the following links to get the manufacturers who make these patterns:
- Tarkett Fiber Floor Checker Berry design
- Armstrong – several designs — Armstrong seems to have black and white checkerboards in a number of lines. They also have marbleized (vs solid) checkerboard.
30 patterns for vinyl floor tiles from the 1950s 
Suzanne’s cheery red, black and white checkerboard floor 
Maryanna’s black and white ceramic tile checkerboard floor 
Red and white checkerboard floor — where to find it 
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We have done a ton of research about possibilities for flooring in your mid century or older home. Here are some of the most popular:
3 midcentury home design products we wish they’d bring back NOW
Armstrong 5352 Embossed Inlaid Linoleum – the most popular resilient floor ever?
Flooring and countertops for Shannan’s 1950s kitchen
Brick tile flooring — is it original to the 1960s — and should Marie keep it?
Random multi-color slate flooring — an authentic mid-century choice
Armstrong Flooring reintroducing its famous #5352 pattern in 4 colorways — nationwide availability later this year
Click here to read all the stories in our important Flooring Category
Carol says
I know this is an old thread, but we’re getting prepared to lay a VCT black and white floor in our 13×13 40s farm-cottage kitchen. It won’t be completely retro, but I’ve painted cabinets off-white and we’re using schoolhouse lights. Dithering about diagonal vs. straight and also wondering if anyone else waxes and buffs these floors and just how much hassle it is…
pam kueber says
We have some stories on the polishing issue. It’s a hassle, I think. I have someone do mine.
Carol says
Thanks Pam! I’m heading over to “polishing my new VCT tiles” now!
Angela says
I had Mannington Gold brand b&w vinyl sheet years ago. Didn’t care for the product (shrinkage!) but LOVED the look. New (to us) house…want to revisit the checkerboard tile in kitchen, considering Armstrong tiles. Here’s the issue: this eat-in kitchen has lots of funky angles (3-sided bay window that overlooks sunroom & an angled entryway to living area on same side as the bay — yikes!) I just keep picturing odd lines, especially along the perimeter, with both diagonal and squared alignment. Need some input, stat! Thx!
applehillcottage says
Can you line the squares up so they will be parallel to the diagonal of the entry way? You should start in the middle, so all the lines along the edges, should be equal (ha! easier said than done…)
Hazzy Ratchford says
Where can I buy 12″ x 12″ Black & white tiles. solid vinyl, COMPLETELY SMOOTH SURFACE – NO RIDGES, NO TEXTURE. PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN. I’M DESPERATE TO MATCH EXISTING FLOOR. THANKS ..HAZZY
Lisa says
Does anyone know where I can buy the black and white square vinyl. I live in the Houston area. I would like it to be in stock so I dont have to wait to order it. Having a party soon! Anyone have any ideas??
Lisa
Carolyn says
We really want to do black and white checkerboard for our kitchen. Currently have cork which is great to stand on – but the colour choice by the previous owner was um… “disappointing” and it is quite scratched up in a few areas.
We would love to keep the warmth and softness of cork but haven’t found any good opaque cork tiles to do a checkerboard pattern.
We are wondering if we could lay the vinyl (thinking of the Mannington 9″ squares) OVER the cork – or is that both stupid (this question would be sacrilegious on cork sites :). We have also heard mixed reviews about painting cork floors.
Any advice?
pam kueber says
Carolyn, on these questions, I think you need to ask the flooring manufacturers directly…
Travis says
Thanks much for posting this information. I have been looking for a couple months for small, true black and true white check with no luck. Found this article yesterday and last night found a store that carries Mannington. I’m in Los Angeles and the store actually keeps the Mannington Checkpoint floor in stock as they supply the studios with flooring. This will be installed in my 1951 kitchen and laundry room as soon as I can get an install appointment.
pam kueber says
Yay!
Sandra says
Hi, I am wondering if the Mannington is true white or is it off white? We are too, in search of replacing the flooring in my Moms kitchen. Her checkered pattern is worn and looking to replace with a higher quality product. Her cabinets are white so must be a true white
pam kueber says
As with all such things, you should order up samples and check…
mary wellman says
I am looking for large retro black and white laminate flooring for my farmhouse I want to do my dining area my kitchen and my bathroom in this design. need help locating
Thankyou, Mary Margaret Wellman RN MI
pam kueber says
Mary, we don’t sell anything here. You need to refer to the sources listed in the story. Note, I do not write about laminate flooring, it’s not a vintage style material.
Carol says
Mary,
You might want to try VCT black and white — it’s very inexpensive, easy to DIY, retro, and many places stock it. We put it in our forties cottage kitchen and love it.
Elena Werner says
Hi,
Does anyone know of a navy blue and white checkerboard vinyl sheet or vinyl tile option? I know that Armstrong and Mannington have black and white, but I’m not finding much in blue and white.
Thanks.
pam kueber says
Elena, I don’t think that I have ever seen blue-and-white checkerboard sheet vinyl. However: You could do this with tile. See our research on companies to search out, and also be sure to read the comments as readers add to: https://retrorenovation.com/2015/02/10/23-companies-flooring-cork-linoleum-midcentury-house/
Sharon says
I have been looking for the black and white checkerboard sheet lineoleum for a very long time. I live in Colorado Springs, Colorado and do not know where to look for it. Can somebody tell me where I can get it in my area. I don’t want the tiles. Can you also get me the cost ? I don’t want the kind that you have to polish. Just plain balck and white smooth.
Thank you !
pam kueber says
We do not sell anything here, Sharon. Refer to the companies profiled in the story – I am sure you should be able to ask them about local distributors. Or, take the list to your local flooring company and have them help you get one of these. They will also tell you the cost.
Click on the links — the are in bright blue!
Bill says
I am looking for 18 x 18 peel and stick black and white tiles. Please note that each 18 inch tile has four 9 x 9 black and white squares.
I did a very small apartment kitchen many years ago and it looks great. Ran them at a 45° and with each color tile only being 9 inches makes that small space seem large.
However I need to replace from of the tiles by the door and I can’t find them. Please help!
pam kueber says
I do not know where to get these any more…
Donna says
Had my kitchen done in Black and White Check by Mannington, Checkpoint. I love it but it is a sheet vinyl and now that the bubbles and seams are showing the installer told me they ALL do this!!!.
He is ripping up the floor I paid $2,000 for and going to replace it. He said if its sheet goods it will show every crack and granny in the floor so I’m on the search for tiles. Having trouble finding white white, but can find black in marmoleum. Any suggestions?
pam kueber says
Go to the Commercial section of companies’ websites. See our Kitchen Help / Flooring page for our research. I recall I recently did a story on all the companies we could find that offer resilient tiles.