Linoleum tiles offer many patterns to choose from to create a floor design. For example, you can lay tiles in even rows that are square to the walls, set them diagonally to create a diamond design, alternate the grain—that slight marbling characteristic of linoleum—from tile to tile for a basketweave effect, or alternate it in rows of tiles to mix things up a bit. You can zigzag tiles in different colors or form a solid field bordered by a contrasting shade. It’s even possible to inlay a hand-cut design for an infinite variety of original floors.
We chose to lay our tiles in two contrasting colors, blue and green, alternating them in a diagonal pattern across the kitchen. Though a diagonal plan is a bit more demanding for laying out and for cutting materials, it tends to be more interesting and makes the room appear larger, at least to our eyes.
Before committing to the pattern, we mocked it up first by cutting construction paper to the approximate size and color of the tiles and laying it across about a quarter of the floor. This exercise helped us 1) judge whether our color choices were too bold or just right, 2) compare the diagonal plan to laying tiles square to the walls, and 3) see how the tiles could be laid most efficiently, especially where they met walls and cabinets. Making the best use of every tile was important because we did not want to have to order another $250 worth of materials simply to gain a few more tiles in each color.