Decorating with checks – 11 ways to embrace this classic pattern

Decorating with checks is a wonderful way to bring color and pattern into a room. With designs ranging from buffalo plaid to tartan, checks are fabulously versatile as they work with so many prints and can complement both traditional and contemporary schemes.

From wallpapers and upholstery to curtains and cushions, there are lots of ways to incorporate checks into your decorating ideas and part of their enduring appeal lies in their ability to add interest and subtle pattern to a room without dominating a scheme.

'Checks can provide the perfect foil for more intricate designs, bringing them back down to earth, somehow encouraging you to not take a room quite so seriously. In other words, checks can make a room feel instantly more relaxed and liveable,' says Caroline Inchyra founder of fabric and wallpaper brand Inchyra. 

To prove just how versatile decorating with checks can be, we've rounded up a host of beautiful schemes along with some expert advice on where and how to use them.

BY PIPPA BLENKINSOP