The Wide Plank Revolution

How 7-inch to 10-inch Planks Can Make Your Open-Concept Home Feel Even More Expansive

If you’ve walked through a new model home in Sammamish, Issaquah, or Kirkland lately, you’ve likely noticed a significant change underfoot. The narrow, 2-inch oak strips of the 1990s are a thing of the past. Today, the “Wide Plank Revolution” is in full swing, with homeowners opting for boards that range from 7 inches to a massive 10 inches in width. At Carpet To Go, we’re seeing this trend transform cramped-feeling spaces into grand, airy retreats.

The Visual Magic of Fewer Seams

Why are wide planks so popular in the Pacific Northwest? It all comes down to visual “noise.” In a large, open-concept living area—the kind where the kitchen, dining room, and great room all flow together—a narrow plank floor creates thousands of tiny seams. These lines draw the eye downward and make the floor look busy, which can actually make a large room feel smaller and more cluttered.

By switching to a 7-inch or 9-inch wide plank, you drastically reduce the number of seams in the room. This creates a smoother, more continuous visual plane. The result? The floor recedes into the background, the ceilings feel higher, and the entire footprint of your home feels more expansive. It’s a design trick that architects have used for centuries in European estates, and now it’s available for your suburban home.

Showcasing the Wood’s Natural Story

Beyond the spatial benefits, wide planks are simply more beautiful. When a board is only 2 inches wide, you only see a tiny sliver of the tree’s history. With a 10-inch plank, you see the full “cathedral” of the grain, the unique knots, and the sweeping color variations that make real wood so special. It turns your floor into a piece of art rather than just a utility.

Stability Considerations

At Carpet To Go, we always give it to you straight: the wider the board, the more it wants to move. This is why we almost exclusively recommend Engineered Wide Planks for our local climate. A 10-inch solid wood board would cup and warp the moment a typical Seattle rainstorm hit. However, with the advanced engineered cores we carry, you can have that massive, wide-plank look with total peace of mind.

Ready to open up your space? Our design consultants in Bellevue are experts at scaling the right plank width to your room’s dimensions. Whether you are in Redmond, Woodinville, or Newcastle, we’d love to show you our wide-plank gallery. Contact Us today to see how we can make your home feel bigger and brighter!