I love the checkered/ Diamond pattern tile floor that you’ve surely seen all over the internet. But I wasn’t sure I loved the standard black and white colors that retailers like Lowes offers. In the right space – gorgeous. In my space I worried it would read too much as dinner and less as timeless design.

I was in the hunt for neutral non-black and non-Grey options.

Many creative and honestly more dedicated people ended up cutting down 12×24 tiles to create the perfect 12 x 12 squares, and while that technique is certainly commendable and showcases a remarkable level of craftsmanship, it is also quite time-consuming and labor-intensive. & that is an option – the cheapest option I will add, but it often requires a lot of effort and precision to achieve satisfactory results – depending on your cutting skills of course! However, ultimately, we chose to go in a different direction, prioritizing both practicality and aesthetics in our project.

Like most things in life, the key to achieving the best luxury on a budget is to strategically incorporate one more “splurge” item while finding ways to save on others. In this case, our budget allowed us to go right to the leading diamond tile provider, Edward Martin, whose reputation for quality and elegance made the decision easier. Investing in tiles that not only elevate the aesthetic appeal of our space but also ensure durability and longevity felt like a wise choice, allowing us to balance our desire for luxury with sensible budgeting.

At this point I was questioning my decision – the brown tiles didn’t look as pretty as they did online. But ultimately I am happy with the tile. It just needed all the mortar cleaned up and grout applied!