Guest Blogger: Design Crisis, Part I
December 4, 2009 | 15 comments
Hello out there, Right Bankers! As you know, the lovely Alek is embarking on yet ANOTHER epic journey in search of a new home, and the troops are rallying to fill in for her while she moves. Well, I’m Private Erin Williamson, reporting for duty, and I’m one half of the Austin duo behind Design Crisis. Even though I usually bring the Crisis and Karly is responsible for the Design, we agree on lots of things. For example: gold rules, cats are awesome, and you can never look at enough pretty pictures of interiors. Today I decided to focus on pretty interiors since I’m not sure how you feel about looking at pictures of my cat…
Who am I kidding? Look, gold + my cat + a pretty picture of my old dining room = head exploding awesomeness.
Ok, enough tomfoolery. What I really want to do is shower you with my obsession over checkerboard floors.
In a galaxy long ago and far away, I had gross beige tiles with grosser brown grout in my kitchen. When we decided to redo it, I toyed with the idea of putting in checkerboard floors before we eventually decided on wood (mainly because the adjacent rooms were already wood). This photo of a stunning Spanish restaurant designed by Jaime Hayon almost makes me regret my decision…
Checkerboard floors are a classic. In gorgeous marble, they are at home in a palatial estate.
In humble linoleum, they function equally well in quirky kitchens.
The simplicity of the black and white pattern allows you to go wild with furnishings.
Or you can always keep it understated — with checkerboard floors, it won’t be boring.
Via Head Over Heels
The graphic nature adds interest while letting furnishings shine. Seriously — how amazing are those chairs???!
Domino
And of course, red is the perfect complement to black and white.
Domino
But wait! Green is good, too.
While I love my new wood floors, the next kitchen I redo may get the checkerboard treatment. I wonder if my gross tiles could have been painted black and white? Does anyone have experience with painting tile? Or maybe I might give my floors a marmoleum makeover… that is, unless I rob a bank and steal enough cash to put in marble. Actually, marble checkerboard floors just may be worth the jail time. They would totally go with my orange jumpsuit.
Alek, thanks for letting me fill in for you, and I hope all you Right Bankers enjoyed my post. If you like checkerboard floors as much as I do, maybe we could form a club?
Checkerheads unite!
15 comments on “Guest Blogger: Design Crisis, Part I”
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Etiquette
December 4th, 2009 @ 4:04 am
Pretty please Erin, can I be the first honorary checkerhead??? As much as I love the quirky Linoleum, I have to agree, marble is the way to go. Small price to pay for a lifetime of happiness underfoot! ;0)
Loved running into you over here! Awesome round-up. And gracias for the link love!
XX~nelya
nkp´s last post ..Friday Fixation: {Mr. P}
December 4th, 2009 @ 5:12 am
You know, never really thought about it too much until today, but these images have made me realize I just might belong in this club as well. Great shots. I have also seen some amazing painted checkerboard floors on old pine. Nice.
g.´s last post ...as visions of mustard danced in her head?
December 4th, 2009 @ 6:34 am
Wow! All of these spaces are stunning (I’m with you on the checkerboard floors, it’s fun to see them in some really elegant settings). I especially ove the kitchen with the blue cabinets and the dining room with the animal print chairs!
Marsi @ The Cottage Cheese´s last post ..Eames Chair Madness
December 4th, 2009 @ 6:39 am
P.S. That photograph of your cat in your dining room is gorgeous!
Marsi @ The Cottage Cheese´s last post ..Eames Chair Madness
December 4th, 2009 @ 6:48 am
As I was scrolling through my reader all bleary-eyed this morning, I said,”Hey! That’s EB’s cat.”
Today, the world gets a double dose of Design Crisis and is better for it.
Raina´s last post ..Daily deliciousness
December 4th, 2009 @ 8:49 am
Loving this post (loving your gorgeous cat). I am proud to step up & say, I had a checkerboard floor. I had an old farmhouse & painted a checkerboard on the kitchens wood floor. I slaved & toiled over that creation for weeks. Needless to say the next home owner hated it & bye-bye it went. Earth shaking isn’t it? You picked great examples, including SJP’s lovely kitchen with it’s apple pic. I will definitely check out your blog. I am big on crisis! Happy cold Texan Friday to you ~
Deborah Milne´s last post ..Blog Ball 2009 – Part III
December 4th, 2009 @ 9:45 am
Erin, that’s MY cat Buddy! Seriously, I used to have a cat that looked just exactly like your’s. Exactly.
I’m not a checkerboard fan or harlequin fan or marble floors fan and yet I love these images. You’ve converted me!
susie Quillin´s last post ..‘I want to be stuck in a rocky place’
December 4th, 2009 @ 10:07 am
Loving those checkerboards…all of them, xv.
Vicki Archer´s last post ..The French Anniversary….’I Do’
December 4th, 2009 @ 12:03 pm
Susie, obviously your cat must have been sweet as pie, because my cat is definitely the evil twin!
Glad you’re all joining the club — can’t believe someone painted over Deborah’s floors… Tsk, for shame.
erin@designcrisis´s last post ..Checkmate!
December 5th, 2009 @ 9:34 am
I have the linoleum type in my apt. kitchen here in L.A.
While I feel I really lucked out getting black and white, I find I am constantly on my knees scrubbing the white ones!
December 5th, 2009 @ 10:49 pm
I’ll gladly join you
I adore checker flooring, especially in marble! Irresistible, timeless, and always looks polished and elegant. Sign me up*
December 7th, 2009 @ 8:53 am
hmm, i always thought i was the crisis one and you were the design, this awesome post has proven me right.
the chairs in the head over heals pic are insane. They could look good on a floor made of vomit and dirt.
Oh, those checkerboard floors in all the other pics aren’t so bad either.
karly / design crisis´s last post ..Holiday Gift Guide: Under 25
December 8th, 2009 @ 9:26 am
ooh, i think i like checkerboard floors! i love it in the kitchen shots, especially the one with the blue cabinets, and is that wallpaper with branches on it? sold!
giovanna ´s last post ..Common, Jersey: Say Yes to Gay Marriage
December 8th, 2009 @ 9:27 am
oh and i forgot to mention…that might be the most beautiful cat i’ve ever seen!
giovanna´s last post ..Common, Jersey: Say Yes to Gay Marriage
December 14th, 2009 @ 12:52 pm
Don’t do anything white in a kitchen.
Bromeliad´s last post ..Gray inspiration