Check mate: the reinvention of checkerboard design

Whether stamped on the vinyl floor of a 1950s diner, tessellating down a Victorian hallway, or stencilled atop a Mini Cooper, the simple checkerboard pattern has always made an impact. Now it is at the centre of a wave of striking new and unconventional designs.   

“Checkerboard can sit in any space and be manipulated around any shape,” says artist Jacqueline de la Fuente, founder of De La Jardin, who paints her papier-mâché Onsen vases (£340) with irregular squares that bump and bulge around the curvy, textured vessels. Similar in tone are British ceramic artist Hannah Simpson’s playful, biomorphic clay lamps, which feature deep brown squares wiggling up the legs of one base (£460): her You table lamp (£370) sees forest-green checks scaling an arch. “I like that the neat, straight and repetitive pattern contrasts with my organic forms,” she says.

De la Jardin Onsen Check vase, £340

Susie Atkinson antique Napoleon III armchair, £1,900. Upholstered in Susie Atkinson Burnt Terracotta Checkerboard fabric, £150 a metre

The checks on Henry Holland’s handmade ceramics are rarely uniform in pattern. “The imperfections and wobbles add a charm and sense of personality,” he says. The floors of traditional British “greasy spoon” cafes were his design cue, and steered his collection towards a distinctly breakfast theme: the series includes egg cups and soldier plates, milk jugs and toast racks all decorated in glossy blues, greens and chocolate brown. 

It is impactful enough to have a presence, but subtle enough to allow the features of a space to sing

For Antipodean brand Baina, it was checked bathroom floors that were the inspiration for its organic cotton towels (from £21 for a hand towel). Founders Bailey Meredith and Ann Fahey found the pattern to be a fresh alternative to stripes. “The motif is whimsical… [and creates] disruption within the neutrality of a typical bathroom,” says Fahey. Also embracing the unexpected is Tunisian brand Altin, which alternates squares of sea rush with oxidised metal on the front of its limited-edition Ganymède cabinet (POA). 

Checkerboard works especially well on upholstery, says the couple behind design firm Buchanan Studio; last year they introduced Checkmate (£144 per metre) to their fabric collection – an oversized sage green cotton-velvet design that makes a particularly bold statement on their Studio sofa. Interior designer Susie Atkinson suggests adding matching scatter cushions with the same check as your sofa. Her linen and cotton fabric (£150 per metre) is hand-woven with ikat-style checks in tones including toffee, indigo and burnt terracotta.

Reimagining colour combinations can also be really fun. Bert & May has seen real growth in the pairing of plain tiles in bold colours. “Customers often choose two strong colours rather than more predictable neutrals,” says founder Lee Thornley. Design studio Vanderhurd plays with daring colourways in its series of hemp dhurrie rugs (from £980) made in collaboration with gallery and design studio 8 Holland Street – sky blue with rust red; ochre with black. Bolder still, its elaborate jacquard fabric, Checker Checker (£340 per metre), uses a four-way colour scheme. 

“When it comes to colour, avoid fads as they will date quickly,” advises founder Christine Van Der Hurd. “If approached in a well considered manner, checkerboard can really bring a room together – it is impactful enough to have a presence, but subtle enough to allow the features of a space to sing.”

FT Weekend Festival

FT Weekend Festival returns on Saturday September 2 at Kenwood House Gardens, London. Book your tickets to enjoy a day of debates, tastings, Q&As and more . . . Speakers include Henry Holland, Rosh Mahtani, Patrick Grant, Luke Edward Hall and many others, plus all your favourite FT writers and editors. Register now at ft.com/festival.