Every time I post a photo of our checkerboard flooring, I get questions about it! Finding the perfect flooring for our home was one of the toughest design decisions I faced, so I completely understand the curiosity around it.
I was initially drawn to the timeless elegance of checkerboard tile after seeing stunning foyers on Pinterest. But a few clicks later, I realized many of them featured imported limestone from France or luxurious marble—beautiful, but not exactly practical for our family. For a brief moment, I did consider marble, but with two kids and a dog, I needed something more durable and low-maintenance.
At the time, we were living in South Florida—the land of tile floors—which gave me the chance to explore a lot of options in person. I considered glossy porcelain but worried about how slippery it could be when wet. Plus, so many porcelain tiles with a marble look just felt like cheap prints.
After a deep dive online, I found Bedrosians tile, which had a fantastic selection of porcelain options, including some with beautiful marble-like finishes. I ordered samples in different tones to find the perfect pairing for our checkerboard pattern. One of the biggest selling points? The tiles came in a large 30″x30″ size, which minimized grout lines and kept the design from feeling too busy—unlike the more common 18″x18″ or even 24″x24″ sizes.
Here are some porcelain samples that really looked and felt like honed marble.
In the end, I chose…
Magnifica The Thirties 30″ x 30″ – 8mm Honed Porcelain Tile in Calacatta Oro for a creamy white
and
Magnifica The Thirties 30″ x 30″ – 8mm Honed Porcelain Tile in Taj Mahal for the light beige, which has unfortunately been discontinued.
Here are the instructions I sent my contractor.
Bedrosians still makes quite a few colors of this tile, so even though one of mine is discontinued, you’ll probably be able to find another color you love.
I would recommend ordering the samples – they’re very inexpensive and it really allows you to see and feel the tile.
Looking back, I have zero regrets about choosing this tile. It’s been durable, easy-to-clean, and has held up well to life’s messes.
