DIY A Stunning Checkered Patio To Give Your Backyard A Luxurious Aesthetic

Old money home decor is a major trend at the moment, so it's no surprise that many are thinking of how to bring classic elements like checkerboard designs into their spaces. Luckily, even though it may look like a ton of work, a checkered patio is relatively easy to DIY (no old money required). All you'll need are pavers, gravel, a plastic sheet or landscape fabric, and mulch glue. 

Essentially, for this DIY you'll be clearing an area for your patio, placing down a barrier like plastic sheeting, then plotting out your checkered design. Of course, the size of pavers you use will be based on the size of your patio, as will the amount of gravel you need. Once you have the measurements of your pavers and area that needs filled with stone, Calculator.net has a nifty gravel calculator to take out any guess work. Then, you can shop around for the best price, and the calculator actually allows you to work out just how much you'll need to spend based on the price per cubic foot. 

One thing that is worth remembering is that your stones and pavers should contrast for that checkerboard effect. With that in mind, you'll want to decide if you want to go light or dark with the paving stones depending on price and availability. Hey, it may look old money, but there's no need to break the bank with this hack!

Once you have the sheeting down and your pavers and gravel ready, get to putting it all into place. If you find that you'd prefer a little border around the perimeter of the patio to edge everything off tidily, get some smaller rectangular pavers for that, ideally sticking with the same color as your larger square pavers. Et voila! You've got yourself a gorgeous checkered patio!

If you have concerns about the gravel moving around (after all, as anyone who has worked with it will know, these stones move far and fast), you have a few options. One option is to use HGTV's Property Brothers' hack for keeping gravel in place. That would be a gravel grid, available from Core Landscape Products starting at $169. These are placed under the gravel, so be sure to look into the measurement of each grid and see how it all fits before ordering anything. 

That said, there is another, even easier option: mulch glue, which is available on Amazon starting at $46. Pour the glue into a sprayer, cover the pavers with painter's tape, newspaper or cardboard, and spray the stones down. You'll likely need a few coats until everything is held in place, and it's also important to keep off the gravel until everything is dry, but you'll be left with a sturdy surface. 

One of the best things about this checkerboard patio hack is that you can make it your own. If traditional gravel isn't your thing, you can play around with pebbles. You can get these in a variety of colors. If you'd prefer something that really stands out and more closely mimics a checkerboard, Amazon sells black pebbles that contrast sharply to lightly-covered pavers. Or, if you're using dark pavers, you can buy stark white pebbles like these from The Home Depot. 

More into the look of a grassy checkered patio? That's also doable. You can craft your own DIY artificial grass pavers and add gravel in the spaces between them. Here, it's a good idea to look for the cheapest pavers you can find, as you'll be gluing the fake grass to them. 

When it comes to maintaining your new patio, clean the surface carefully, even if you've used glue. A pressure washer is the best method to clean gravel, but if you don't start on a lower setting, there's a pretty good chance you'll end up with a major mess. So, carefully work your way up in pressure levels and re-apply the glue after a deep clean if you notice any loose stones.