Checkerboard floors are popular in retro kitchens today, but most resilient tiles available are 12″ square, while in mid century America, 9″ square tiles were more common. So I was pleasantly surprised when I spotted these 9″ square luxury vinyl (LVT) tiles — the Retro Collection from Harvey Maria.
Why are checkerboard kitchen floors popular?
Checkerboard kitchen floors have become classics because of their design versatility, their sense of dynamism, and plain old cheerfulness factor. They can suit retro kitchens, vintage kitchens, and farmhouse kitchens alike. They pair nicely with either stained wood or painted kitchen cabinets. They can make a small kitchen look and feel bigger. And, checkered kitchen floors signal a big, warm welcome — everyone’s invited to pull up a chair and stay a while!
9″ square tiles were common in mid century America
Judging from rooms we’ve seen inside mid century homes and in marketing for vintage flooring, 9″ tiles were much more common that the larger 12″ tiles for sale today. I’ve known people who demanded an authentic look for their remodel or renovation actually buy a sheet of linoleum and have it trimmed to 9″ squares. That’s dedication!
With these checkerboard tiles from Harvey Maria there’s no need for that. I’m also intrigued by the idea that, in a small kitchen especially, using these smaller 9″ tiles may make the space look bigger. I also simply like the idea that 9″ is an unexpected scale for checkered floor tiles today.
Where to buy these checker tiles:
- Checkerboard floor tiles — 9″ squares — from Harvey Maria
- Note, Red tiles are not shown on the U.S. website, but Harvey Maria tells me that this tile can be shipped to the U.S. although it is not available with domestic shipping yet. You can see the red tile on their U.K. website.
Thank you, Harvey Maria, for the images — and for bringing this option to market!
