Checkered Rugs Are Still Everywhere, Sure, but This Is How You Do Them in 2025

Image of a modern rustic dining room with a wooden table and chair set, styled on top of a blue, geometric area rug. There is a window with white curtains on the back wall. Beside the window is a storage cupboard with dishes inside.

As a design writer, it's my job to keep a finger on the pulse when it comes to the latest patterns breaking the interior design space. It's no secret that checkerboard prints have been popular lately (and for a long time before that, dating back to early Roman architecture) — specifically when it comes to accent rugs. But for the design-forward — those who like to keep one step ahead — there's a new way to approach the popular pattern: plaid.

The pretty pattern trend feels like a natural extension of the checkerboard print. It's still bold, but comes with a little more intrigue. Rug trends are "moving away from bold, graphic grids toward something more woven, layered, and nuanced — very much in line with classic plaid, but reinterpreted through natural materials and texture," explains designer Malin Glemme, founder of Scandinavian rug brand LAYERED.