The Stunning Flooring Nate Berkus & Jeremiah Brent Will Never Stop Using In Homes

In season two of HGTV's "Rock the Block," famed designers Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent transformed their space into a European-style farmhouse, embracing Old World-aesthetics with gray brick, Venetian plaster, and lots of olive tree decor. And in true Berkus and Brent fashion, they went bold with their finishes, including a black-and-white, checkered-tile, marble floor throughout the living spaces of the home. "Rock the Block" is a competition reality show aimed to increase the value of new homes, and the pair embraced this classic yet daring finish to add a design punch to wow potential buyers. It's a look that's become a bit of a signature for Berkus and Brent, a design duo that leans into dramatic and elegant decor.

Famed HGTV network darlings — with Brent a member of Netflix's "Queer Eye" Fab Five to boot — the couple jokes that sometimes their design styles don't always match. However, Brent teasingly quips on Instagram, that "the one thing we'll always agree upon ... Checkerboard floors," tagging his spouse on a photo of black-and-white tiles. Berkus and Brent have repeated this stunning statement-making floor idea in several renovations since their appearance on "Rock the Block," including on HGTV's "Home Town Kickstart" in 2022 and more recently in the entrance of their own New York City home(a trending design detail you'll want to copy ASAP from the Berkus and Brent home, once you see it). The revival of this black-and-white design doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon, and with Berkus and Brent continuing on in their love of checks, it proves to be a fashionable and chic floor choice.

Curious about maximalism? Well, checkered floors are the foundation on which a good maximalism design can grow. And as the "vivid revival" continues to trend with pops of bold color and dramatic finishes throughout the home, checkered black-and-white flooring is both a contributor to big design and a neutral enough canvas on which to build any other palette you'd like. It can hold its own, cohesively blending with big statement pieces and colors, or dial back the boldness to let other elements shine. Even after the vivid revival begins simmering down, your black-and-white checkered floors will provide an enduring and versatile design base too. It gives a sense of dimension and visual interest to a room without overwhelming it, proving timeless and yet continuously trendy all at once.

Not only does it provide a great base for your design choices, designers believe that checkered floor patterns also open up small spaces, making petite rooms appear larger in size. Smaller checkerboard patterns, in particular, create a visually fluid space despite alternating colors, since the smaller sizes mitigate dramatic contrasts. It crafts an uninterrupted flow of subtle pattern, making for an interesting yet expansive room visual. On the opposite end of the spectrum, larger checkered patterns can infuse dynamism in the space, which works well in rooms that need a little extra flair. If you're ready to add your own, this checkerboard floor tutorial is on point. 

For Berkus and Brent, this design is not the retro, linoleum floor look of decades past, but rather should be treated as an elevated and classic upgrade to your rooms. In "Rock the Block," the pair welcomed drama into their design, with oversized doors and statement-making wooden pieces, but with a slightly antiqued edge. Nothing felt too kitschy or micro-trendy — every piece looked like it could have been in a home a century ago or a century from now. In "Home Town Kickstart," Berkus and Brent wanted the floors to be the star of the show, so the rest of the room was decorated in neutral colors, sleek lines, and more subtle light fixtures. Whether you want the floor to boost your decor or be at the center of it, a checkered black-and-white pattern is widely flattering.

Brent cautions that there are some design mistakes you can make. Faux plants, for instance, defeats the purpose of a checkerboard floor's energy. For him, they are among the things you should never buy for your house: They're stale pieces that could never provide the same living energy as real plants or freshly cut flowers. Similarly, you'll want to avoid anything too synthetic in your design, like pieces made of acrylic, since that will also take away from the checkered floors' classic feel. However if you stick with Berkus and Brent's iconic aesthetic with this flooring, you'll have a chic and timeless space to enjoy.