Checkerboard Kitchen Floor in East Atlanta
About This Project
This kitchen floor in an East Atlanta home used large-format 18x18 porcelain in alternating gray and white to create a classic checkerboard pattern. The wood-framed subfloor in this 1940s home required cement backer board installation before tiling. Because the checkerboard pattern is set on a 45-degree diagonal, the layout planning took extra time to ensure the pattern was centered on the kitchen's main visual axis (the island run) rather than a wall. A diagonal pattern that starts in the wrong place is very noticeable.
Project Details
- Service
- Residential Tile Installation
- Area
- East Atlanta
- Materials
- 18x18 porcelain in gray and white, light gray grout
- Scope
- Residential
- Timeline
- Multi-day install
What We Did
- Installed 1/2-inch cement backer board over the existing wood subfloor, screwed and taped at seams
- Found the visual center of the kitchen and established 45-degree reference lines
- Set alternating gray and white tiles working outward from center, cutting perimeter tiles with a wet saw
- Grouted with light gray grout to tie both tile colors together, sealed after cure
A checkerboard floor in a kitchen is a strong visual statement. In East Atlanta bungalows with cream or white cabinetry, it reads as a period-appropriate detail that also works in contemporary renovations.
