Amy, this is such a fun opportunity. With that said: HELP! I WANT TO TAKE MY VOTES BACK! After some investigation, would rather NOT have floor plans with A-line rooms. Am switching my vote to the TRILLIUM. Would like an additional 100 square feet added to the great room, pretty please (that would also give enough room to move the sink down and add a dishwasher). With the Trillium, the popular options of the Screened Porch and Outdoor Patio With Fireplace could be combined: have a screened patio attached to the fireplace side of the TRILLIUM and utilize the back of the home’s chimney for the outside patio fireplace, and place a door on the home's fireplace wall for access to the patio (for fire safety NOT a porch, because the grill is out there).

Amy,

What about hard copy of the blog showing the work in progress and the commentary? That would be a very interesting read 60, 70 or 80 years from now.

That's what I intend to do with my blog of the bedroom reno here, before I install the last of the panels below the bay window.

This is a great idea! I have a cabin that has been in my family for around 38 years. It is in need of massive renovations and all the ideas here are what i am hoping ($$$)to do to mine someday. I will be following this to see how the final decisions and votes turn out!

Cabin in the smokies!!!! Alright, you asked for some stories about cabin life? I've got one for you, I live in the area of Gatlinburg and when I moved in here I left the front door open while I was bringing in boxes. I have a small dog and after I had brought in all the boxes my Sasha the dog was nowhere around so I went looking for her, I found her shivering under the bed, I just thought that maybe it was because of a new place. I was wrong, on the back of the couch sat a big beautiful owl. Large bird for my small home and I was actually scared I had just moved up here from Florida and had never seen an owl, so I opened up the front door and I went to join the dog under the bed. After a while my first house guest must have gotten upset with me and left. Hope for a screened in porch someday.

Here's my cabin story. My husband and I live in a homemade cabin on the east coast. Twenty-two miles from the ocean to be exact. A few years ago we purchased a doublewide mobile home in a wooded area in the country. It's a homemade cabin. Yea. He built it out of two by eight salt treated pine lumber that he bevelled himself. It took a long time and it was a lot of hard work. The whole exterior is completed. He even built wooden shutters that I can open and close during the hurricane season. They are rustic with wrought iron handles. Crazy isn't it! Oh! And our neighbors loved it so much that they turned their doublewide into a cabin too. Do we think they are COPY CATS? No Way! We take it as a compliment! He even built log benches out of fallen trees and they are sitting on our porches. And like the other gentleman, we have plans for the interior and landscaping. But we keep asking each other "Where is the mountain." So we vacation again in the Great ole Smokey Mountains and we get inspired by the simple cabins to the really fancy cabins. We love the simple cabins. So this is my story of living in a cabin...just don't have a mountain! Crazy isn't it!

Childhood memories of the screened in porch, with divan on one side and a old fashioned twim bed on the other....you could sleep on hot nights out there....and you watch the rain and hear it hit the tin roof. Grandma would shell peas or snap green beans while sitting there.
Lazy summer days.
I would love a screened in porch; with a cushioned indoor swing at one end.
I dream of owning a home again someday....things have gotten so expensive since I lived in Tennessee.
Am now in California.
Patti

Please put lots of storage in that kitchen! I have a 4" can pantry that i love and think many others would too. nothing gets lost and its floor to ceiling ideas for dinner!

Here's my cabin story. My 5 brothers and myself helped my dad build his and our mom's log house in Ar. My dad first had the logs placed where they could dry out and after 5 years of waiting for them to dry out and my parents to get enough money; we started to work-us 6 kids and my dad. Mom supervised the whole thing. I learned how to take the bark off the tree and the easiest way was flattning out a hoe-better than a drawing knife. One of my brother's supervised the foundation part and the rest of us took turns with the basement and later on the logs. I had bandages on all of my knuckles from when I was chiseling the notches out on the logs. My dad fashioned and old latch and pull door handle for the front door-which is 4ft. wide and 7ft. tall.
My late great uncle said it reminded him of home-he and my dad were both from the hills of Northern Ar. I learned a lot from just helping with that one cabin; I can only imagine how people use to live in the olden days when they didn't have chainsaws and other modern equipment. My dad was 62yrs. old when we built their cabin and he and my mom our still living in it.

Hi Amy,
I think it's great to get everyones opinions or ideas of a dream cabin. A screened in porch would be wonderful with a ceiling fan. I would opt for no cable tv on the porch though, this should be a place you can sit around with family and friends and tell stories and talk about the good ole' days. I love the idea of the cabin, don't have one but sure do love them, and the feeling of a cabin in the country, woods or mountains just reminds you of the stories you've heard through the years from your parents or grandparents or others. I say keep it simple but with the few added ammenities of today like electric and heat!

Could you make the plans a little larger? It is very difficult for me to see clearly how large the rooms are.
Thanks!

Does old farmhouse in WNC count? Large, eat-in kitchen w/door to screen porch w/additional summer kitchen (Mom used while Grandma used indoor one.) Root cellar underneath had potatoes stored from garden & barrels of apples carefully wrapped in newsprint. They came from the trees in the backyard. Apples would turn an incredible mellow, soft sweetness and last all year. Also rows of jars canned from the garden and fruit trees.
Uncle Steve's bedroom was the locus of scary ghost stories. Just outside his window was a rope attached & at times he would open the window, take the rope & swing outside (it was attached to a nearby oak tree.) Being left alone in the darkness of his room was particularly frightening for us little kids-and never lost it's delightful effect.

it would be nice if you live in a cabin and the driveway has a heater senser under the driveway so the ice/snow will melt faster. my sister in-law has one for her son that is in a electric wheel chair( he passed away). also a 4 season sun room,that would be great!!! thats my dream all of you that live in a cabin are so blessed. i live in a stupid single trailer.been married 20 yrs and never had a house.

Hi Amy,

Having input from everyone is such a great idea! Everyone has great stories and comments, I'm reading with interest. My husband retires ( I hope, I'm working hard to make that happen for him, I'm an artist, starving, for now.....LOL) in five years and we'd like to build a new home somewhere peacful so he can quietly persue his dream of writing children's books. I'll be watching with interest as this evolves and I'm sure taking notes of all the great ideas to use in the future.

This is my first blog ever!! So excited to give some input on this dream cabin. Totally agree with those that feel it should be environmentally friendly by using energy efficient appliances/toilets, wind power, solar power, and health safe products. I'd also like to see american made and crafted products/items installed in this true americanna home!! The use of metal roofing with 2 foot overhangs on the roof will help direct snow falling off the roof away from the exterior logs... Keep in mind by using insect resistant logs (cedar) this will aide the new cabin owner from having to worry about upkeep (pest control)... There is a fantastic family run log home company (Rapid River Rustic Log Homes) in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that manufactures cedar log homes to your design specifications. The logs are kiln dried which will save on future headaches due to shrinkage. If your building a log cabin, don't build a log-look cabin using SIP's and log siding. The look and feel of an all log cabin cannot be duplicated....

Keep the doorways, halls, sinks, appliances, etc, handicap accessible, as this could be needed by one or more of the winners family members... Remember this could be someone's dream retirement home!!

Howdy from Wonderful Virginia! i had a gorgeous log home with lakefront up until 2 years ago when it burnt down. We rebuilt on the site but nothing fits as perfectly as an aged this-is-home feeling! One item in particular which every log home needs is a fireplace for cooking in the kitchen. Ours was about 4 feet high, had a grill, and a chiimney! ummm didnt everything taste like you were camping in the woods. Also, if you place bricks in a corner area and place your fireplace there (get a red one) or any color you choose then it makes a statement in itself. I remember back when we were first married and wanted a fireplace all we could afford was a CD that was just that! a fireplace burning and crackling! Now, we have a fireplace in every room possible. Also, with a california tub, place tile around the area with "mirror-like tile. makes the room seem larger and is quite a show-place!. Place a small tv on a wall stand and.... grab your fireplace CD!

i've always loved the idea of a screened porch with a twin bed that is attached like a porch swing. i've seen it done once and thought it was pure genious! to lay out there and listen to the night sounds and swing gently to sleep.

Amy, Have you given any thought to radiant floor heat. We have a cabin rental business in Hocking Hills, Ohio and we are getting ready to start our 4th log cabin and we are thinking of this option. Good idea - yes or no! Renee'

We have lived in plenty of cabins over the years, some for a few days, some for a few months. Since this will be a "modern cabin" ceiling fans are a must as well as some way,to include a trash burner with a top grate or a small wood stove or add on to the fireplace to be able to cook on it.(if power goes out you have an alternate source of heat!) Wicker furniture on the screened in porch with a swing and a single or trundle bed if possible. Insulated panels to be put up when it is bad weather. That means some very good lighting in the screened in porch when it is closed up. I loved cabin living, it brought the family closer, I cooked on a wood stove, had a hand water pump ususally connected to the sink.
Also a six food tall hydrant pump for outside.
These can be hooked to the electric pump at the well but also the one inside can be arm power if the electricity is not working. There is nothing better than drinking spring water from a tin cup.
We lit kerosene lamps at night, played cards and games. And sometimes turned the lights out and watched the deer and racoons walk down to the water. These are good memories.

Well, here I go again, I forgot to enter the # and I guess it didn't post. Screened in porch with a swing, wicker furniture, and a twin bed or trundle bed on one end. Insulated panels to put up when the weather is rainy, snowy or cold. That means you have to have good lighting in porch, track lights are my choice and also exterior covered outlets in the sunporch only. A trash burner with a flat grate burner on top or small wood burning stove in kitchen or a small wood burner added to the fireplace(you have to cook when the electricity is out.(Not a good idea to use a propane or briquetts inside the house.)
We lived in many cabins over the years, it brings families closer. We played games, cards, told jokes, cooked on a wood stove, lit the kerosene lanterns in the evenings and watched the deer and other wildlife go to water. There was a six foot pipe hydrant outside for water, designed to hang a pail under it or attach a hose.This was connected to the electric water pump at the pump house. (I liked this so much, when we built our home, we installed two of them. There has been in many cabins, a hand water pump attached to the sink (arm power) very useful when you don't have power. We made fire starters with pine cones and drizzled melted paraffin on them and stored them in gunney stack to start the fire the next time.

When I was about 13 years old, friends of the family invited us up to their cabin in the northern most portion of Maine, just a couple miles from Canada. It had a wood cooking stove, a couple bunkbeds, and an outhouse. There was no running water, but the river at the bottom of the hill was so clean, we would bring jugs down to the river to collect drinking & cooking water. The river was shallow with the exception of a spot we called "lover's leap", so we would spend the day swimming or floating downstream on big black innertubes. At night we would light a campfire and sing songs for hours. The sky was full of stars and bats. I'm glad we had bats instead of mosquitos. The river reportedly was rich with gold dust and an occasional nugget. If I ever get back up there, I would like to try my hand at panning for gold. I love the look of log cabins, especially with a wrap around porch. Is there any possibility of having radiant floors put in? A heated towel warmer would be nice too! I think an open floor plan would be ideal. I hope it has a full walk-out basement so that a work shop and/or garage under the house can be put in. Green energy would be nice. Solar panels for a solar water heater and electricity production would be a plus. I imagine a wind powered generator might make sense being in the mountain and all. A generator at the very least, in the event that power outages are a regular occurance, would be nice. Sounds like this project is going to be a lot of fun!

Hi Amy, I liked your "Hi Y'all" attempted accent. I don't remember reading anywhere where you are from, but it doesn't matter what state you hail from because we in this country are all so lucky just to be here. The practical joke stories will be so much fun to read. I've never lived in a log cabin so have to tales to tell about one. Part of my family have lived in the mountains of New Hampshire forever and most are still there. Don't you know that I would be the daughter of the sibling who moved to Massachusetts! And no, I don't have a Boston accent.
As for the mountains, I love to go there and do so every chance I can to see family. I can still see myself running through the barn my uncle had and then through the sweet smelling fields filled with the scent of clean mountain air. My uncle was a dairy farmer. When my children were little we would bring them to visit. We always left with a few bottles of fresh milk, the kind that had an inch of cream between the milk and the paper cap. I still find myself checking out the real estate there on the internet. Still dreaming I guess.
I can share one practical joke that I played many years ago on a co-worker who owned a cute little cottage in my city with you... I was the only secretary in a social service agency and was responsible for all recordkeeping of several clients. One of our social workers used to give me very detailed typing that was very time consuming. It used to bother me that he never bothered to check any of my work, saying, "I trust you." One day he handed me a two or three liner so I did my job of pounding away at the keys and handed it to him to be signed. As usual, he never gave it a glance. I walked out of his office, went back to the keyboard and typed up a similar looking document merely stating that he decided to sell me his home for the nominal sum of $1.00. Yep, he signed it. It was only when I handed him his copy and asked him to check the accuracy that he realized how legal I could have made it. Well, the whole staff had a great laugh and the copy was pinned up on the bulletin board for months. I still have the original (over 20 years old). My husband and I wanted a home of our own so badly and could never afford one. When we finally could do it we bought an OLD bungalow that we still live in. It needs everything fixed, so if you ever decide to take on another project I've got just the challenge for you. All the best to everyone!

Hello Amy,
First, I need to say how much I enjoy your show's. It really shows that you guys know what you are doing. I have always wanted to put a log cabin on my lake lot here in Northern Minnesota. I build custom log furniture here, and maybe you would like ideas on trim, mantles, tables, etc. Anything that may set the interior off. I like the idea of radiant floor heat to supplement the fireplace/stove. No dust with it. Maybe a 3 season sun room instead of just a screen porch ( I think the extra $ spent is well worth adding a couple of seasons enjoyment). If you would like any ideas or even some help with the interior projects, feel free to let me know.
Paul

Well I have a log cabin story that I finally feel I have a comfortable place to share it because of those who share my interest. I am 41 years old and grew up watching "Little House of the Prarie" Ever since a little girl that has been my dream home (one room or not!) I love that look and life style. When I was younger I dreamed of buying land in the mountains and building my own. (Silly I know) I had children and a job and it just seemed an out of "dream" But I still have it. We have driven through the back woods mountains of P.A. to find abandoned little cabins in hopes of buying and fixing up. Nothing ever became of the ones I found. Then in 2003 I developed breast cancer, had 3 surgeries and 8 rounds of chemo, put on a medicine and havent felt well since. Unable to work from the pain the chemo has caused from nerve damage. Recently I had a hysterectomy and during the surgery my bladder was injured and needed operated on. Its been almost 3 months I'm still healing. I hate my current location and I'm very unhappy and stressed here. To live out my dream of a cabin style home on even a small piece of gods earth to care for would make life seem worth the years of stress of being here in the first place. If I won a mansion with all the elaborate luxuries, I wouldn't want it or love it as much as a cabin style home, that puts your mind back to the simple life. I hope the winner feels the same way as I do. That's my story. Julie.

Hi, Amy. Love the cabin idea. My husband and I vacation in Townsend area whenever we can and stay in an accessible cabin. Please, consider making this cabin ADA accessible. My husband is in a wheelchair so yes this is personal, but could also work for lots of people with aging family coming to visit. It is a beautiful cabin in a beautiful area of the USA. Besides, ADA accessible does not mean others can not use the same space. It also does not add a lot to the budget when these changes are done from the start.

I love camping, twice, I've experienced staying in a cabin in Yosemite Park and I loved it. I've slept in tents as well and just being out in the wild is a very wonderful experience. I used to live in Anchorage Alaska, and if not for my back problems, I'd still be there. To me a cabin should be a mixture of old and new, and there is nothing more comfortable than having logs or wood mixed with stainless in a cabin. Whoever gets to win and live in this cabin is very lucky and will be in a nice and cozy home.

my parents kept a book around the house on "how to build a log cabin" that had belonged to my grandpa. it showed everything from clearing the land (it was a really old book) to building the fireplace! i grew up looking at this book, dreaming of the day i got to build my own log cabin. the closest i have got so far, is that old book i keep by my bedside, it is very special to me. i have read the other comments and agree on the common thread of "old and new", comfort with authenticity. i would like to add to this mix safety. i saw a special on diy one time about a man who built a cabin in the mountains and he put in all kinds of safety features like real shutters and double pane storm windows...is there any possibility of a basement? thank you for this opportunity!

This is such a great idea. Having lived in a cabin for a few years in the area of the Smokies, I can relate. Although some are not crazy about a tin roof, that is my favorite. We loved hearing the rain fall on it and would open our windows just so we could hear it sometimes. Not only that, when living in the mountains you must always be diligent when it comes to fires during the dry season and a tin roof is a comfort in that regard. I love the idea of a screened in porch because the weather in that part of the courtry is great so you focus on the outdoors. Also, give some thought to bear proof garbage containers outside -- we even had a seperate little building. Our house was antique log and the garbage building looked like an old outhouse with a latch that the bears couldn't open. They are very smart!!!

Hi,
I currently live in Arizona but own a small one room cabin in Canada that I inherited from my grandparents. The bottom logs need to be replaced and there is a skunk that moves in underneath and has her babies every year. For heat there is an old 1950s cast iron wood stove and oven and a little loft for sleeping(just don't try to sit up or standup suddenly -you'll hit the roof with your head).

But what makes the cabin irreplacable to me is the following things: Outside the door is a great view of Moose Mountain - where my grand parents & great grandparents ashes are scattered, and above the door is carved the names of the builders of the cabin....people who were life long family friends who have passed on. Their children & great grandchildren still keep in contact.

The cabin was built in the dirty thirties as part of a make work project to help relieve some some of the crippling unemployment during the depression. And as my family helped homestead the land that the cabin is on over hundred years ago, my emotional ties to that little one room cabin are deep. When I am able to get there I feel at home.

I am just about done building my cabin. It's on an island, accessible by boat or plane. Being on an island, I have some different experiences. Planning is important. To get building supplies delivered, I have to charter a motorized barge. Interestingly enough, delivery drivers find the hour long water crossing very relaxing.

Here are a few items that I have in my cabin that I enjoy.
1) Knotty Pine walls and ceiling. I like the wood feel.
2) Ceiling fans (very important)
3) Foosball Table (pool table coming soon)
4) Hard floors. Easy cleanup.
5) Concrete countertop (Not finished yet, but in the plans)
6) Garbage Compactor. Pack in, Pack out. Having the Trash Compactor saves space.
7) Fire Pit with Deck. Everyone likes to sit around the fire at night (or even during cold days).
8) Out building. Workshop/Garage/storage.
9) "Dump Pile". Since I have to carry everything on and off the island by boat, it's not easy to take larger items that are being discarded. So, we've created a space behind a large fallen tree to store items until another barge load is created.
10) Dog run. My cabin is on a hill. The dogs love it when you throw the tennis ball deep into the woods. Then, it's hide and seek. Throw the ball and 3 minutes later, the dog returns with it.
11) Separate Beverage and Bait fridge (Mine's a fishing cabin).
12) Soaking tub.

What I don't like.
1) Gutters. I'm always cleaning them out. I'd remove them, but they are needed to protect the wrap around deck.

Ames,

Is there a place I can see the floor layouts for each of the home types?

I appreciate the excitment that is being created with the building of this Cabin. I don't know exactly the weather, temperature during the seasons in the mountains where you plan to build this cabin, but fans in the screened in porch sounds like a good idea.

Thank you,
Frank P. Salvato

Love the Blogs...
Answers to some items:
Gutters can be replaced by a rainwater deflector system,such as this:
http://www.rainbreakerz.com/customer/home.php
Radiant floor heating is great up north, where it is cold & colder all winter, but at this lattitude it can be disappointing. Rapid temperature fluctuations do not lend themselves to such a slow-responding system (doesn't heat up quickly when you're cold, cools down very slowly when you're too warm.) Electric radiant heat in bathroom floors would be nifty, however.
Everyone agrees sleeping on the screen porch would be great...how about a murphy bed so it is out of the way in daytime?
Walk-out basement for all these wonderful utility systems & permanent generator vented to outside, as well as lots of unfinished space for future diy projects!

Love the cabin. A piece of Heaven built for a bit peace on Earth. I would love to win this for myself and my boys; Life has a way of humbling you in ways you don't really want to be humbled. I am an artist and a designer; a lover of Mountains and Spring rain on a tin roof and a soft breeze rustling the leaves; snow falling on pine laden woods on a cold winters night; a warm fire in the Hearth. I love Great Horned Owls and the sound of a whipporwill; Canada Geese returning to raise yet another family. Priceless gifts to be enjoyed by a very blessed winner.

The cabin needs a FEMA-approved "safe room", and radiant heat in the floor and under the driveway.
Reflective insulation under the roof would be good. I'd like to see a wraparound porch, 10 or 12 feet wide. A basement-garage and doublewide driveway from concrete stone would look nice. I have a friend who has a cabin with no bath upstairs (very inconvenient). Since we are dreaming this cabin into existence, an elevator would be nice for the elderly and extra wide doors for the handicapped. We all grow old eventually, and with these extras, would not have to move.

Utilities should all be under ground.

This is the greatest opportunity. One thing I hope you can include is some sort of pantry to store food in, for fairly long-term storage. It might be outside of the house, actually. In terms of "green" features, I'm hoping you'll include solar panels for electricity and solar water heaters for hot water. Maybe you could look into the green-design houses that were entered into competition on the National Mall (Washington, DC) last year. I look forward to seeing others' suggestions and to seeing this project as it develops. Thanks, again.

Hi Amy,
Something that I've always wanted to see in a cabin is a beautiful stone fireplace on one side in the living room, that doubles as a Firepit/BBQ pit on the backside of the fireplace with a huge porch, of course. Maybe partially covered, not too much, maybe just over the grilling area in case it rains! (I even grill in the rain-my oven hardly gets used-except to bake which is rare!)
I've never actually seen this before, but I'm sure DIY can make it happen. An open floor plan with the kitchen and living room next to each other would perfect the vision! I promise this could be a DIY exclusive!!!! Who would want to see that? Add this to your cabin plans and it would be the ultimate cabin!
Thanks,
Sandy

Hi Amy, and hello also to all fellow bloggers.
Everyone has submitted such wonderful and mostly ELABORATE suggestions. I'm amazed at all the things people are asking for! Hope I'm not stepping on toes with my thoughts, but why keep asking for more and more? If you're lucky enough to be the winner of this log cabin and it meets living standards, then after taking a few moments to thank God, thank Amy and her associates for making the dream of home ownership possible. Don't mean to burst any bubbles; I'm just thinking of how greedy some of us sound...

Hi,
Love this log cabin idea. I read some of the other blogs and agree that 'the greener, the better', although I probably wouldn't go as far as 'living with Ed'.
The patio looks fab and I could really picture a porch swing just behind that couch.
I don't have screened porch memories, but we lived in an old bungalow style row house in State College, Pa that had a wide stone porch with concrete floor and in the summer when it got really hot, we'd go out and lay on the floor to cool off. (uh, just not when my parents could see- "What would the neighbors think?"-- duh, Mom--they'd probably think that we were hot!!)
Can't wait to see what comes next!!
Sue

I've always loved the idea of living in a log cabin. I'm also interested in solar energy. Seems the two would be very compatable.

Hi Amy
I love all your shows,this one should be great.
I know I will greatly enjoy watching it.
Good luck and HAVE FUN!
Dwight
Now I need to get you here to finish the basement in my new house.

Greetings Bloggers! Here is more on my cabin story:After my husband completed the exterior of our homemade cabin with the beveled two by eight pine studs. He used three real logs on the back porch to help support the roof. Then he cut a few thick tree limbs and screwed them in the beveled pine siding to add a more cabin feel. Then he made a bucket out of a small tree trunk and hung it on one of the tree limbs. When we get the cabin/mountain fever we visit the Great Smokey Mountains. We've stayed in a hand hewn cabin that was over a hundred years old in Maggie Valley called Pioneer Village. One day while looking out the bathroom window I saw a beautiful looking evergreen with itty bitty pinecones on it. So i hurried outside and picked some off the tree and some from the ground that had fallen and put them in a bag. When we got back to "Our homemade Cabin" I placed the itty bitty pinecones in some of my potpouri dishes. Now I'm reminded of that special place and time. (Well at least I didn't steal anything like a towel or washcloth!) It's the simple things in life that are mostly treasured! An evergreen in the back of an old hand hewn cabin with itty bitty pinecones just absolutely fascinated me! I felt like a kid with new candy! Truely, the Great Smokey Mountains has got the most beautiful evergreens I have ever seen! And the cabins are very simple to very fancy. We like the simple treasures of life in a cabin by a mountain!

I'm all for the screened porch, and it definately needs a ceiling fan. I'd say no to the tv. It seems to detract from that whole nature feel. Also, we recently did a remodel and have been very disappointed with our expensive wool carpet. Every house I have had until now had the cheap builder grade carpet. We had it cleaned appox. twice a year and it looked fine for a long time. We remodeled and decided to splurge on expensive Karastan wool carpet. I had it cleaned for the first time about 8 months after installing it, it already was showing wear and dark spots in the high traffic areas. The dark spots do not come out. The carpet is less than three years old and looks terrible. The rest of our house is hardwood. For the cabin, I would go with hardwood floors and throw rugs. Much more rustic.

I have wanted a cabin and its pioneer, self-sufficent appeal for a long time. Possible adds/changes would include earth based heat pump/air conditioning to conserve energy; on site, integrated, autostart diesel generator for electric back-up; all utilities buried as much as possible; solar assist for domestic hotwater; convertable screen/enclosed porch with room for a hot tub(SoftTub ok).
The suggestions about amenities for physically challenged folks should also be considered, especially wide doorways and an elevator if a single floor, floor plan is not bult. Ramps along with any outside steps, wheel chair, cane and walker friendly surfaces for drive, walkways, and patios. Consider pavers instead of flagstone, pavers, concrete or asphalt instead of gravel or stone.
Bathrooms should have the walls built with extra wood studs, furring strips or jumper blocks to solidly support mobility assist rails, grab bars and railings.
Garages should be on the same level as the main house entrance and easy access from the garage to the kitchen should be provided to facilitate lugging groceries in from the car.

Hi fellow bloggers,
Great suggestions are just pouring in... I do agree with other bloggers who noted that a tin roof would be quite noisy during rain storms! Double hung windows are also a must for easier clean ups too.

Well, Amy & friends, here are my two cents:

Simple and cozy with some nice extras/unique touches, sensible modern upgrades...

*Tin roof for ambiant sound, fire prevention & it will last a long time!
*Wood burning stove for heat AND good old fashioned food, stews, SMORES!
*Darker woods used for that cozy, closed-in, warm feeling and look.
*Natural touches to set off the cabin feel: country kitchen, soapstone or concrete rustic countertops, natural tiles and pebble tiles in baths, rustic branched railings...
*The screnned porch sounds awesome! But less is more: with a fireplace/stove inside maybe the gazebo would be a better outdoor feature (you can enclose that instead and could still accomodate sleeping solutions!) Water feature could always be added later by winner but I know I would rather enjoy my natural surroundings than have to keep up outdoor plumbing for a waterfall/fountain...
*Remember "modern cabin" means electricity and running water, not a 300 square foot walk in shower... :)

Thanks for reading!
Shannon

*PS: Radiant heat does sound like a nice add in the right places. Our master bath here in Michigan is freezing cold in fridgid winter weather, not only on the feet but the tiled walls hold the cold air all around your body. It is like showering out in the unheated garage, I can hardly stand it! Radiant heat in tiled areas and the driveway too if it is a steeper grade... No one wants to slip and fall. Plus a dishwasher and trash compactor for ease of cleaning up, especially when larger groups are up to visit and more than one full bath.

I lived up a cove near Asheville, NC for a while. We had the Hatfields & McCoys for neighbors. We could hear these people yelling at each other across the cove sometimes. We also heard what sounded like gun shots fairly offten. One night, I was home by myself and heard one of these loud bangs followed quicky by two more bangs right on top of me. I was quite concerned to say the least. Finally one day, I was out on the deck andn heard the bang followed by a rolling sound. It was then that I realized that we had been hearing black walnuts hitting tin roofs when they fell out of the trees. I still think tin is the way to go for the cabin roof. Solar panels for as much of the electricity as possible is a good idea as well.

My neighbor across the cove lived in a log cabin that was at least 80 years old and in mostly its original condition.

Hello!!

I caught on DIY that you were doing a cabin and was totally thrilled. Why you might ask - because...WE BREAK GROUND FOR OURS IN A FEW WEEKS!!! We just got our final drawings and are awaiting the permits. So to watch this one grow with the ideas streaming in as mine comes to life as well is what I call great timing!!!

I loved the choices you are offering for the design my only regret is for the railing is that wrod iron was not a choice!! With a log home, you have so much wood that to have wood railing as well, to me, just to much. To have the wrod iron gives a distinction to the home. I wish that would of been a choice.

I can't wait to see how the voting turns out and watch the home come to life!!! If you do any stone work to the home, make sure you call Derek and Dean!!!! 8-)

Leigh Fahringer
Nazareth, PA

A tin roof is great for fire and sounds of rain, but consider steel. We have covered our front and back porches with steel decking which is used to support poured concrete on upper floors. It is much stronger than tin. We had the hail storm of a century a few years ago with softball size hail. It put huge holes in the tin roof over the tack room but did nothing to the steel roof. The sound was deafening! You shure knew you were alive! I wouldn't have traded the sound or the experience for anything!

I have been searching where to sign up for the blog entries for the cabin contest is this it? Also how do I vote? I'msorry I've never done this before. Thanks for your help

I think of cabin and I think of solitude and beautiful surroundings. We have remodeled many houses in our lifetime, but we are looking forward to a place that is away from the light pollution and sounds of urban life. The sky filled with stars and a nice fire would be entertainment enough to live in this type of peaceful retreat.

Hi Amy,

I just wanted to say how thrilled I am to see the cabin project! Ever since I was a little girl we traveled to the shore for vacation; and although I have very many fond memories there as a child, now that I have a family of my own, my heart is in the mountains. Our family traveled to the Smokey Mountains last year for our vacation and we are headed back this year. I can't explain how relaxing and absolutely beautiful the area is. There is no better way to not only get back to nature, but respect it when you are in the mountains. We had a rather large family of racoons dining with us nightly during our vacation in the Smokies last year. We had 2 decks on the cabin we stayed in with beautiful log furniture (very heavy). Anyway, when we checked in we got a kick out of the "bear proof" garbage can, (which was a plastic garbage can with a string tied across the top.) Every evening we would sit and watch the raccoons climb up to our top deck (approx. 20 or so feet)and help themselves to the leftovers in our bear-proof container. We tired EVERYTHING to keep those little buggers out. It is amazing how smart and bold they are. We kept trying to outsmart them by stacking furniture on and around the can but nothing stopped them. After much frustration, we just gave up and waved to the whole family when they finished and would come right up to the glass french doors (noses and hands pressed against the glass), asking for dessert. What a treat! We also enjoyed hiking through the state forest areas only to come upon a black bear once we got to our car. Needless to say we repsected his space there in the woods a few hundred yards back and quietly headed back to our cabin. Designing a huge cabin with all the amenities one could ever imagine would be great, however, I would like to see one built that not only reflects the beauty of the area, but respects it as well. What a great design idea DIY - can't wait to see it!!!

MY STORY.....
It started out as a fun filled excursion to a cabin in upper Michigan and ended in tales of terror! Two of my close friends and I decided to get together and have some weekend fun at Higgin's Lake in Northern Michigan. My friend Chris prearranged our stay at a cabin near the water. This was my first time staying in a cabin so I was excited about the adventure. Once we arrived we were greeted by a gentleman in trousers. At first we weren't sure if we were at the right cabin because we did not expect anyone to launch themselves from our cabin's entrance. He somewhat looked at us as if he was just as suprised. Chris approached him and remarked "Hi! We rented this cabin for the weekend and was wondering who you might be?" His reply was "The homeowner wanted me to paint the hallway inside". We were a bit suprised so we leaped into our vehicle and immediately contacted the owner on our cell. We asked what this guy was doing at the cabin when we had previously requested to rent it two months in advance. She exclaimed that she had forgotten that the painter was coming at the same time and asked if we could allow him to finish his paint job. We weren't to enthusiastic about this but agreed. We started to unpack and put our goodies in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, the guy continued painting the hall. It felt awkward having him there on our vacation. We ignored it and started preparing our dinner. We enticed our taste buds with the succulent flavor of lobster and margaritas. Once we finished our lobster we took our multicolored glasses filled with margarita’s and headed down to the beach. The sun was slowly going down so it was a beautiful night. We decided to take a dip in the water since it was spring feed and crystal clear. We laughed about old times as the sun continued to set on the water. A couple hours passed and we started to head back to our cabin with our empty glasses in hand. We were acting like silly school girls. I guess we weren't paying attention on how we made it down to the lake because we got lost. We actually ended up in someone's driveway which we thought was a road. It was getting dark, so we went up to the gigantic cabin. The door opened. Our mouths dropped. The interior of the cabin was incredible. None of us could believe this beautiful cabin was hidden away within the forest. The couple helped us with directions on getting back to our cabin. Night was approaching us fast. We finally arrived back to our cabin and noticed that the painter was gone. Thank goodness, we could finally rest. The cabin wasn't equipped with cable and it didn't appear that the TV. had any channels that were clear enough to watch. So we turned off the TV and then found a video. It looked a little old but we watched it. We made popcorn and made silly comments. Later, when it was time to turn in for the night we each selected a room. My friend Deanna decided to stay downstairs, my other friend Chris decided to stay upstairs and I slept on a pull out bed in the loft. We all turned in for the night. Awakened by loud crashing thunder and pounding rain Chris came out of the room she was in. Ironically, Deanna had started running upstairs to the loft area at the same time. We all seemed like little kids. Scared! Typically, a storm would not have freightened us but this storm was vicious. We all went downstairs and thought we heard noises. We started wondering if the painter had an extra key to the house? The noises were scratching in the back room. We kind of snuggled up on the couch downstairs in the living room. Then out of nowhere we heard a huge noise. One courageous friend went to check it out. Everything was okay. We settled down and feel asleep.

MY QUESTION.....
Is there a fishing pond nearby that has a catch and release for my husband to continue his love of fishing? He also loves golf. Is there a course nearby?

I wanted to know if there is a woodshed and a garage. Is there a crawl space? I love storage!

Hi Amy,

I have been reading all of the design options that you are considering and being a country girl myself from Kentucky (who now lives 15 minutes from Myrtle Beach S.C)and who is so home sick for the country life and the smell of the pine trees and the singing of the song birds every morning and...I guess i am getting a little carried away here. Anyways...fellow bloggers,how many of you have slept in a home with a tin roof while the rain was coming down in sheets? There is no other sound like it. Noisey? Never!! SO soothing and peaceful. I would drift off to sleep before i could say...this is the life.And Amy, a BIG BIG Country kitchen would be great so all the family can stop by for dinner or a cup of coffee and some pie. Lots of cabinet space sounds really nice, and a huge wrap around porch...that way you can have a view no matter where you sit on the porch, a screened in gazebo for late night fish tales. I have made myself so sick for the country, whom ever wins this home will really be lucky. Good luck everyone.Great job Amy!!!!!!

Where's the barn? Can't say as I've spent much time in any real cabins that weren't strictly tourist accommodations, but if I was living in the country long term, I'd want some place to keep a horse or chickens & my workshop! As for personalizing the place while building, a time capsule [that can be easily accessed; think "wall safe" but lower security...] with photos of the construction & some of the comments from the blog that were most entertaining or pertinent in your view would be a neat twist!

My cabin story goes like this. When I met my husband there so many things the same that we liked. Wouldn't you know, log cabins was one of them.
We were married in the Smoky Mountain area - Gatlinburg. I had visited there as a child with my parents and remembered the aura of the mountains. When my husband and I were there serveral years ago, we stayed at a rental place at the top of mountain from town. The first thing my husband and I said simultanenously was, "What a great place for our LOG CABIN"!

Hi All Y'ALL!

I love reading everyone's blog. This is my first time blogging...
One of my good friends disassembled a log cabin that was used during the Civil War. A family of 12 lived in the cabin. It is in her backyard in Oklahoma and has been in many national magazines. She is an expert on building log cabins. I told her about you. We both will be watching you and your team as you create your cabin.
Happy building....

I live in Gatlinburg and I am looking forward to watching the progression of this project. I have been married over twenty years and my husband and I have been slowly improving minor things about our basic 1600 square foot two story house we purchased a few years ago. There has been some progress, but I am looking forward to ideas that I can incorporate into our design. We plan on living here for a few more years at least. The tiny upstairs bath needs to be gutted but we need to complete the downstairs first because we need to live in our home during remodel. The kitchen needs to be done also as it was only equipped to accommodate overnight rental with miniature appliances and inadequate storage for daily family living. I have been in a state of chaos for a few months now. I hope this does not come across as negative because I am very grateful just to be aable to live and work in th Smokies.
thanks for sharing - jennifer lewis Gatlinburg

Hi Amy, I am so excited about this cabin. It has alway been my dream home. For now I live on a farm in Florida. Have raised my three children here, along with some row crops and cattle. Now it's time to move on. My sister is living my dream for now. She has a great log cabin 8500 feet up in the mountains of Colorado. The views are out of this world. It is a completely unspoiled piece of the earth. Wildlife is abundent as well. You are absolutely right about incorporating the windows in the cabin to bring the views and surroundings to the inside. Also, the porches are a must. My sister's cabin is completely solar. Yes, that's right, no light bills there. She uses LP gas for heat, but I would suggest a built in wood stove with blowers. I have a wood burning stove in my house, and you can't beat the cozy warmth that it provides even though it requires a little work. Besides, that's what keeps up young, right?

A log cabin in the Smokey Mountains?.. sounds like a dream come true. What I would like in this cabine, where it mine is a wrap around porch, covered, at least in some sections and a fan where sun exposure would be the longest... no tv's couches, etc,,,this is a place to relax, read, chat......open ourselves to the outdoors, the view and family and friends.....a place to eat and talk, but not to be over the edge with furniture and 'stuff'.
Entry from the front door into the kitchen is something I think is an excellent and smart idea, floors to be of tile or slate, for easy clean up. Floors in other areas, wood and throw rugs. A fireplace is definetly in order, made of stone and a mantle of wood to add to the cozy ambiance that this home cabin should elude to........
Would I love a place that included these things,,,,, defintely,,, and do I wish to help design and win, for sure!!! This is a great idea and lots of fun and work for all involved...
Lovin' our cabin in the woods idea ~~

I think that hanging brass lanterns outside for the porch lights would be a nice touch and would give the porch that old time laid back country feeling.

My husband and I LOVE the mountains and the woods. Our dream has always been to buy a log cabin. Unfortunately we live on the ocean. Cape Cod, to be exact. I hate the crowds, the traffic, the fact that the houses are as close together as they are in the cities! There isn't any good soil to plant a garden in- it's all sand! There is no fresh smelling air- it's all salt water! We have 3 boys who also share our love for the outdoors and our distaste for the ocean-side life. I've been here almost all my life- I was born in the mountains of the Bershires though and I think my heart has always been there. My husband was born in Seattle and he has also always said he'd rather be in the mountains or the woods.
Our dream cabin would have 4 bedrooms, 3 baths (One in the master suite, one for the boys to share and one "public" bath near the kitchen/den)
I'd like 3 fireplaces; one in the master bedroom, one in the den and one in the kitchen (the kitchen one would have to have an oven built in). A porch that wraps around the whole house and a stone chimney with a woodburning stove are both things my husband wants.
That's how I see my dream home. Maybe in Stone Mountain Georgia or somewhere else in the Appalacians, although I've never been to any other mountains so there are probably plenty of other beautiful places out there.
My husband is a vetran of the US Army but because he wasn't in a "declared war" he doesn't get much in the way of benefits. He has a slight disability so his employment is slightly limited. He's a house painter; which there isn't much call for on Cape Cod in the winter. We have a "military home Loan" but you can only use it once so we are saving it for that dream cabin in the woods. If it ever happens. Our mortgage now is 2000$ a month (for a tiny 2 bedroom ranch)so we can't save anything yet. And now our oldest is going to college so we'll be spending twice as much (If that's possible!?).

Anyway- that's us in a nutshell.

i would like to see a 2 story log cabin with a upstair an down satirs porch so srtair on the top one .an a loft bedroom looking over the kitchen an living room hard wood floors except kitchen ceramic tiles in kitchen oak hard wood an marbel counter tops oak cabinets old fashion style an hot tub in bathroom glass huge stand up shower ceramic tiles with sprayers all over shower butiful back porch with gazibo style on each end of porch thick white in between logs

I like the Trillium. I do not like a chimney stack at the base of a steep roof line unless it has a cricket. We have had problems before with a chimney like that with leaking.

Since this would be a vacation cabin, a private downstairs bathroom/powder room is a must if you have guests. No one wants to intrude into another person's room to use the facilities, nor do they want to hike the stairs when nature calls!

Maintenance free metal roofing is a must. And, bonus is how lovely it sounds when it rains.

I like the open floor plans. Casual living is what it is all about on vacation.

Wonderful ideas from all.

Hi DIY: Oh a log cabin. I wish this for my Mom or Son. They have never had much during their life and this would be a dream come true to share. My mom is 86 and has always done so much for everyone and my son is 34 and looks after her so much and neither one ever asks for anything in return. She has never been on a vacation and so deserves one. She is so simple so just a cabin with pretty sceanery -- not too fancy would be right up her alley. She has always wanted to go to the smokey mountains but never had the chance. She grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and loves the mountains so much. Thanks for the chance to share this.

Greetings!I have been reading alot of the ideas and one thing I have not seen mentioned yet is a wind powered generator. Everybody is talking "Green". Also for the landscaping there should be at least a 100 foot buffer zone around the house to help protect the area in case of fire. Also make sure there are no tree branches over the eves of the roof.
Remember to keep the shrubs away from the base of the house because of bugs. A rock garden in that area would be the best.
My husband and I are planning on building our own "dream" log home in about 5 years. I have been getting great info here and from a friend who works for a log home manufacturer. Right now the floor plan is picked, the rooms placed and the little things are being decided.
I look forward to seeing how this log home turns out.
Before I forget make sure the door ways are 36" so things can be gotten in and out of rooms and wheel chairs.

Amy, thanks for doing a show on log homes, fixin to build my own in Arkansas...just practicing my Arkansas accent... will enjoy the show!

Hi,A log home has always been our dream. But our lifestyle has prevented us from touching it. My husband is in the military about to retire.We have 5 children and our life has been hard at times but also great. He spent a year and a half in korea then we moved to a new base and he went to Iraq for a year. Now we are on the down side with a few months left before he retires Family is one of the really important things we have. We were able to start our dream about 8 years ago when we purchased 120 acre's in Michigan. But having a military life we have not been able to do much else with the land also the military pay. Our big dream is to have a cabin on our land with a porch swing so we can spend quiet eveings together and with our family.

An idea to personalize the cabin. Amy, LOVE your idea to burn your initials on the inside of a cupboard door! To add to that idea... how about you and each of the craftspeople involved burn your names on the inside of that cupboard door? It would also be fun to have the names of those businesses who also contributed. So maybe there is a door for DIY and the DIY employees, then each one for each business, and the owners and their employees who contributed sign their door?

You folks are very artistic. I bet you could pull that off and make it look darling. And, if I were to win the cabin, I would love the fun of being reminded of all those involved to build this wonderful retreat.

Or, how about a "Established" plaque placed on the outside of the house, mentioning DIY, those involved and the year built?

Or, a scrapbook with pictures of the cabin as it was built. Including the workers, their signatures or messages to the owners, the contributors, etc.?

Thank you!

Our dream home would be a cabin. The appeal of a cabin against the backdrop of the mountains is very appealing. The ideal cabin should have a swing on the porch, a fire surrounded by stone and a magnificent view of nature. Although cabins are rustic some modern electonics such as a flat screen above the fireplace would be great.

Hi Amy,
I choose the Greenbriar style because it resembles the Log Homes I built in New England from 1985 to 1990. In N.H., MA, and R.I.. it was the best job I ever had. We ordered so many linear fett of Western Red Cedar logs and cut all our own corners. I think the floor plan would improve if the width was increased to @ 28 ft. Also, a Bow Roof system with front porch would give you more sq. ft. on second fl. If you need help with a crew let me know. Thanks, Brian

Amy, I love the cabin so far. Have you ever thought about putting a hand pump in somewhere. It would be very useful if the electricity were to go out. (Maybe even an outhouse if it were permited).

Amy, I love the cabin so far. Have you ever thought about putting a hand pump in somewhere. It would be very useful if the electricity were to go out. (Maybe even an outhouse if it were permited). I grew up with both of these items at our cabin in the woods and our cottage on a lake. Many times as an adult I have wished to have both the handpump and outhouse when we would have electric outages both during the summer(because of forest fires)and in winter(because of downed power lines).

Amy, I have to admit, the floor plan decision is a tough one. I really like the outside style of the Smoky View but the inside floor plan for the Greenbriar is also quite interesting. And I really like the idea of a screened in porch and a hot tub. Surely that's not too much to ask for is it?

Hi Amy, I think what DYI does is just amazing, my late husband Kurt would have loved this. His biggest dream was to build a log cabin. We used to get tons of log cabin magazines and blue prints before he passed away. I never got a chance to live in a log cabin, but when we went back to MI where Kurt was from, a friend of his had built his own cabin. It was amazing to me because he built his cabin around this big beautiful tree that stood in the middle of the roon and went out through the ceiling. He used branches to make the railings for the stairs and the tree itself was used as decorative beams to look like it was holding up the ceiling. It was so beautiful the way that it used nature to compliment the fact that it was built in nature from nature. I would have loved to see what type of log cabin Kurt would have picked out to build finally. I am sure he would have choosen something rustic and manly with just a hint of spoiled comfort for our son and I. I look forward to seeing what floor plan and design ends up being used. I would like to make one suggestion though. There are some of us (I was injured in a car accident in 05 and had to have back surgery but ended up with more pain then relief) You might want to give an option for a one story plan as well as a two story - some of us can not manuvor stair as well as we used to and possibly offer a ramp option off the driveway in case there are wheelchairs needed. It is just a suggestion since I know that many of us would love an opportunity to win something this amazing and be able to take advantage of the full floor plan.

Amy;
I am always impressed with your projects from furniture to home improvements, I still like Norm Abrams; But you are much easier on the eyes.
Our family has a very rustic cabin in Colorado
with an outhouse and a woodstove to cook on, I have lots of great memories with my family. I know you will make it a comfort cabin kinda like comfort food. Maybe incorporate a whiskey still in a water feature
I know it will be great! Thank you for great tv.

Amy,

Just got the message to start bloging. The only thing I would have liked is to have had one more chose on the front door. Great idea and fun too.
Thanks to you and DYI for the Great TV.

Hi Amy & diy.

I Love the log cabin idea i think its wonderful.
Im a country girl four grown children and 5 grandchildren, ive always tryed to instill the importance of nature and recycleing and to respect nature and what it offers not an easy thing to do.So what i think you are doing and asking for our opinions is fantastic.Ive always wanted to live in a log cabin im looking forward to seeing the whole project.
thanks
Melody inman

I see that everyone else has put more than the floor plan in their comments so here comes mine. Already posted on open floor plan and wrap-around porch so look-out, here comes the rest of my DREAM. I would like ceiling fans all around the porch and also a jacuzzi and a SAUNA for those COLD winter nites. The kitchen would be large with a bar for early morning coffe in the am and drinks at night for the grown-ups. A fireplace on the porch (from another reader) would also be great and of course a large space for outdoor entertaining complete with a grill (possibly with the fireplace). Also need room for the kids to play, so a tree house would be great. Big bathrooms with jacuzzi tubs in them are Heaven on Earth and also lots of greenery in them. Two sinks in each bath and an invigorating shower is a plus too. Like to see the beams exposed and have a special room for just the laundry cause sure to have lots of dirty clothes since the kids would also have an open place to play and get dirty in. Plus the VISITORS because whoever wins it is sure to have alot of company visiting !!! I can only hope that I win and this would be a DREAM come true. Have to have a lake or river close by so everyone could go fishing too or just lazing around in a small boat. I have too many ideas to list them all now, so will be back soon as I dream some more about how to make this Cabin a one in a MILLION......Joy

Amy, Here is my story. A few years back my girlfriends and I took a trip to Harveys Lake in upstate Pennsylvania to my fathers cabin. When we got there the phone was quacking, yes I said quacking. My father had a duck phone that quacked when it rang. The problem was their were ducks all over the cabin so we were running around picking up every duck in the place to answer the phone. Later that day we went for a walk down by the lake and one of the girls was in the lake trying to get close to a duck but got scared and started running away and the duck chased her and was trying to bite her. And then when she got out of the water a big hairy dog came running by her and brushed up against her leg and she looked like she had'nt shaved her legs in years. It was so funny. But later we went home only to find out that her husband had burned down her house while trying to cook fish sticks when he was drunk. A sad ending to what was a fun weekend.

Amy, Do you think there is a way to incorperate the old style claw foot tub and the modern slate walk in shower. It would be nice to be able to take a bath or a shower. Don't you think.

Hi Amy, I loved designing the cabin of my dreams. I like the chalet style with lots of glass to capture the full view of the surrounding areas. I'm a "city girl" and having the opportunity to capture the great outdoors is a dream for me. I watch your show when its on and love the tips you give on fixing the smallest to the largest of problems homeowners encounter. Keep the ideas flowing because I'll need them to renovate two homes I'm purchasing in upstate NY.

Amy,

I just wanted to tell you our story. I met my wife Terri in 1993. One day she came walking in & showed me an old yellowed drawing that looked like a child had drawn. I asked her what it was. She said when she was 10 she had drawn her dream house. Lord & behold it was a log cabin. She even had the landscape done. The years have gone by & now the paper is gone, it just crumbled apart. I found her crying & asked what was wrong, she showed me the crumbleing pieces of paper. I told her don't worry someday we'll have the real thing.The years have gone by & she can no longer work due to medical issues. I'never be able to build her a cabin working at my current position so I' accepted a contract with a compnay in Iraq. I'm leaving our oldest son(26) home with her & I will build her that cabin that she drew almost 36 years ago.

Just wanted to say that it was great to get a chance to vote on the cabin & all the fixins'. My wife & I hope to retire to or very near to the Smokies someday and live in a cabin. We both have family in the area. I voted for what I think she/we would like the most if we were having it built ourselves. The Trillium definitely has my vote, way cool, better than we had thought up ourselves. Can't wait to show her the floor plan.

Please, please, please!!!!! Which ever style you build , make it wheelchair friendly so that as family members get older it's still welcoming and can be a real "in-the-family" keeper for many generations to come.

Make it roomy enough for family get-togethers with lots of sleeping space (on porches & indoors). Hard to see exactly how big the rooms are on the plans, but keep them large enough to get good natural cross-ventilation. A cabin isn't a mansion, but it sure is nice to have room for the kinfolk to visit -- it can still be cozy by the wall, cabinet and floor materials.

How about a decent sized sound-proofed utility room for storing fuel and a safely ventilated generator and well-pump with filtration system.

Thanks for inviting the input and good luck with the build!

I like the idea of a wrap around porch so you can use it from morning till night without having the sun in your eyes.
I also enjoy a huge country kitchen wher you can have a place to sit and enjoy a meal at any time with your family as we spend more time in the kitchen than any other room in the house.

Hi Amy! I have thoroughtly enjoyed the entire giveaway and just dreaming about the Smokies. I grew up near there and once those mountains get in your blood, they are there for a lifetime. Going back (from Texas) and sitting on one of the large cool rocks in the Little Pigeon River and staring up at the trees rejuvenates me. My Dad organized five family reunions in Gatlinburg--something for everyone. Whatever the cabin looks like and contains, it will be a marvelous haven for some lucky family. Congratulations to them and to DIY for a perfect way to let people participate and dream.

I was born and raised in the Gatlinburg area and I love the Smokey Mountains. I love the wrap around porch and would want high back rocking chairs(like the ones Cracker Barrell has) all around the porch. I think it would also be nice to have some of the porch screened in to be able to sit out at night. Ceiling fans around the porch and definately TV/cable hook up to watch the Tennessee Volunteeers.

I am very excited to be a part of the design process, it is very important and an honor to take part of such a creation as a cabin. Me and my partner currently try to spend as much time hanging out in the NC Mountains at a friend's cabin. Please take this seriously as the end result may be "you".
Thanks
Chris

Hello. My experiace with a cabin was limited to helping my dad (only as a 5 year old can do) to build a cabin in the mountains in S.Califonia. It had an upstairs area to sleep which overlooked the livingroom/kitchen area. Unfortunately we had to get rid of it. I am now married with a 16 year old boy and my husband and I would like to find a place in the UP of Michigan. We would also like to build a log cabin, but both had to be put on hold due to financial/health problems. My husband is about to retire (in 2 years) and I would like for my family to have some time in a log cabin in the area I mentioned. I have a webstore which I will list on my URL. I am also a crafter. I just wish I could get my family (mother and pets included) moved up into a log cabin on a place in Michigan (Upper UP area). I also would like to set up either a B&B or a tea house/store in that area

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to even become a part of this process. When I first saw this chance to vote and possibly win a cabin in the Smokey's, I could only think of one person, my husband. We have been married for six years, second marriages for both. I am the Sunshine Baby, born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, FL. My hub from NY., snow and the cold that is an aquired taste with the right person! I would love to be there with him, grandkids, friends and family enjoying the wonderful outdoors. The ideas entered for the cabin come from my contemp lifestyle, my husband's love of the mountains and outdoors. We have a vision, that retirement is the love of both of our lives together. What more can I say, hope you had a great time with this contest, we did! P.S. fireplaces in all rooms if possible, remember I'm the beach baby, what do I know! Roseann

We are retiring to Tennessee sometime after July, wouldn't it be nice to have a cabin to retreat to.
Thank you for a wonderful, informative and inspirational DIY Network..I am sure it will help us in finding or building our Tennessee Home.

Being a beginner at home impovements, the TRILLIUM floor plan looks to have much more room to offer. The only one in fact to have a "mud/laundry" room. Think about the weather and climate and tell me you wouldn't have part of the landscape coming in doors with you. The openess of the floor plan combined with the high ceiling adds to the peacefullness. Imagine relaxing in a whirlpool tub while seeing snow falling outside, cuddling by the fire with your someone special.....

Thanks AMY and DIY for giving us all dreams to look forward to. Look forward to seeing you everynight AMY. Rob

The Greenbrier plan is the one that I find most exciting of the three plans. Tennessee weather can be cold....much colder than the South Carolina weather where I now live.I like the smaller number of windows in this plan. A separate dining area is attractive. I would orient the house with the porch facing south east. I would also amend the plan to include a back porch and screen both porches. The porches would welcome visitors and give them a place to leave muddy boots. I would also like to see levers used on all the doors rather than door knobs. Any universal feature would be welcome downstairs as would bars in the upstairs bath.

Sad I just learned about this wonderful opportunity but thrilled I made it in time....the last day. Here is my story. I have a HUGE dream and that is to one day own a log cabin. As a child I watch my father build a cabin on Comet Mt in Montana. We would go 6 weeks every summer to build it. Once it was built my dad and mother divorced then my mother died and I loss contact with my dad so I never enjoyed it after all the YEARS of waiting to enjoy it. I have been researching, planning my future home for several years now. I hope one day my dream will come true and I will one day own a cabin!!! Thank you for this opportunity

I feel the cool dew in the air as I walk onto the porch , amix of colors fill my eyes. Inspired with the Awe of my abundant Source , I feel Peace. Thankyou , for that feeling . Love to you all .

The Trillium floor plan offers the best of everything. Guest or Kids quarters downstairs and the master suite up with the loft. Rustic is nice but it will get old fast. Modern stainless and Solid woods will last forever. The Smokey Mountains sound GREAT.. We would LOVE to retire there !

Hi Amy& DIY Staff!

I love the show and watch it almost everyday! Was so inspired I have begun building a home for my son who is currently in Iraq as a DOD civilian. He'll be home for good in December. I have learned so much from your shows and will be doing several things I learned while watching. Interior stone work (yes...the design is a weekend cabin), concrete countertops and other "design" ideas. I am enjoying it SO much...your show has helped my confidence level in doing these kinds of projects! And if you miss something...you can just go online and get the entire segment with all the instructions. VERY helpful!

I agree about the screened in porch with the ceiling fans...I used to sleep outside on a screened in porch in the rural area of Louisiana (where most of us kids were put)...ahhhh....the sound of the rain frogs croaking, wind in the trees, crickets... an occasional "hoot" owl... it was so peaceful! There's nothing like a soft summer rain on a tin roof either...

In the old days, many people who lived on cabins on the bayou were so poor, they would take old newspapers and paste them on the wall (the paste simply being flour and water) since they couldn't afford paint or wallpaper...that also made them a time capsules of sorts!

This is so much fun...and a great idea...thank you all for allowing us in TVLand to participate in this project! Good luck everyone!

WOW! I JUST REALIZED I JUST MADE THE DEADLINE... I'M SO GLAD I SAW THAT ADVERTISMENT. FLOORPLAN???? ANY FLOORPLAN WILL DO... SO LONG AS IT CAN ACCOMODATE MY HUSBAND AND I, A JACUZZI/SWIMMING POOL, FULL CHEFS PRO KITCHEN,
3 BEDROOMS FOR GUESTS & LOTS OF CLOSET SPACE- BECAUSE WHEN THE FAMILY HEARS THERE IS A CHANCE OF US HAVING A CABIN IN THE "GREAT SMOKEY MOUNTAINS" THERE ARE SURE TO BE A LOT OF WELCOMED VISITS. OH! BACK TO THE FLOORPLAN- CENTRAL HEAT AND AIR CONDITIONING,WITH PLENTY OF FIREPLACES "LOVE THEM"!, HIGH CELINGS LARGE LIVING ROOM, DEN, FAMILY ROOM, DINING ROOM, HUGH MASTER SUITE WITH SEPARATE SITTING ROOM AND HIS & HERS WALK IN CLOSET, HIS & HERS SINK AND VANITY WHIRLPOOL TUB WITH SEPARATE STONE/SLATE STEAM SHOWER. LARGE TERRACE/BALCONY OFF MASTER TO SIT AND ENJOY TO BEAUTIFUL VIEWS. EXERCISE ROOM, LARGE UTILITY ROOM. LARGE WRAP AROUND PORCH (A MUST HAVE FOR US CITY FOLK, WE JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THE GREAT OUTDOORS), LARGE GARAGE/SHED (FOR HUSBAND TO TINKER AROUND IN). LOTS OF WOOD AND STONE ARE SO NATURAL AND VERY BEAUTIFUL. SPLIT PLAN IS A GREAT FLOORPLAN FOR PRIVACY FOR THE MASTER SUITE OR SECOND FLOOR WITH PRIVATE MASTER SUITE ON SECOND FLOOR IF MASTER SUITE IS ON SECOND FLOOR. FULL LARGE BATH COULD BE A LITTLE WAYS FROM BED- IT'S SO NOISY WHEN THE TOILET FLUSHES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT-HA-HA OUR FAVORITE TIME OF DAY IS WHEN THE SUN IS SETTING, SO ANY HOME WHERE WE CAN ENJOY THAT ONE TRULY BEAUTIFUL THING INSIDE OR OUTSIDE IS ALL WE NEED TO BE AT PEACE.
I THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY- THIS CHANCE OF A LIFETIME....
KATHY A. SUTTON-YODICE
NEW YORK CITY

Amy here's my cabin story.
I was about 9 yrs.old My mamma would let me spend the weekends with a family that had a horse and a cabin.Great fun for me. my Daddy had just died and I needed the attention. The cabin was in red creek, South of Gulfport Mississippi.
It was cold in the winter and we would gather firewood.One day I was kicking some sawed down trees and a nest of ground rattle snakes came hissing out at me. They were babies I don't know where mamma was.(she really would have been hissed off) The babies were startled, and It was chilly so that allowed me to get away. I still wanted to poke at them but I was caught and sent into a safer location.
There wasn't any running water and we would go down to the artisan well(down hill)with buckets and haul the water back up.
I'll never forget the comfort of being under the quilts with the fire going that always made us smell like smoke.
Going to the outhouse and being afraid of whatever could get us.Nothing ever did. The smell of the woods and the different wildlife we would find trying to hide from us.
What fond memories you're cabin is bringing back to me. This was in the late 1950's and I had not thought about those days much until now.
Thank you
Robin

I have lived in the city for a long time now but I remember growing up in the country. I loved it in the woods. I used to go for long walks by myself and smell the moss growing on the trees and the wild flowers. We used to pick puffballs and wild mushrooms to eat for dinner and berries to make pies. I liked to sit in a tree and watch all the animals come to the stream to drink. I really miss that stuff. A porch would be nice to sit in a rocker or a swing and listen to the sounds and smell the fresh air. The patio with a fireplace would be real nice for family or friends to come over and enjoy the nature.

As I was browsing diynetwork.com last week, I saw the annoucement that a cabin was going to be built and I got SO addicted with submitting designs everyday and reading the blogs! It has been really fun because my husband and I actually wanted to have a cabin in Tennesee one day as kind of a "get away" for both of our families. My dad took our family to Tennesee every 2 years or so when I was younger looking for land to build a log cabin on. (I got SO carsick riding through the mountains!) He never quite found that perfect patch of land, so I decided that I would one day have a cabin somewhere in the mountains for all of us! (I was also glad to read just how many people still enjoy being away from all of the big cities and enjoy nature!)
Lots of people have been blogging about floor plans and tile, and bathrooms and all, so I thought I'd share some personal things that I like.
Here are some of my ideas:
-DIY is open to suggestions so a wrap around porch is still an option.
-I think that part of it screened in is a REALLY good idea especially with the mosquitos at night.
-Make sure there's enough storage room.
-Pull out couches and hideaway beds might be a good idea just in case there are lots of guests.
-I am enthralled with basements. With all of those hills and mountains, a basement could be an interesting idea.
-A utility room is a necessity.
-A swing on the front porch would be nice.
-Is there a creek nearby? That would be awesome.

Thank you for letting me share my ideas!

-Jenny

As I was browsing diynetwork.com last week, I saw the annoucement that a cabin was going to be built and I got SO addicted with submitting designs everyday and reading the blogs! It has been really fun because my husband and I actually wanted to have a cabin in Tennesee one day as kind of a "get away" for both of our families. My dad took our family to Tennesee every 2 years or so when I was younger looking for land to build a log cabin on. (I got SO carsick riding through the mountains!) He never quite found that perfect patch of land, so I decided that I would one day have a cabin somewhere in the mountains for all of us! (I was also glad to read just how many people still enjoy being away from all of the big cities and really love nature!)
Lots of people have been blogging about floor plans and tile, and bathrooms and all, so I thought I'd share some personal things that I like.
Here are some of my ideas:
-DIY is open to suggestions so a wrap around porch is still an option.
-I think that part of it screened in is a REALLY good idea especially with the mosquitos at night.
-Make sure there's enough storage room.
-Pull out couches and hideaway beds might be a good idea just in case there are lots of guests.
-I am enthralled with basements. With all of those hills and mountains, a basement could be an interesting idea.
-A utility room is a necessity.
-A swing on the front porch would be nice.

I hope there is a creek nearby because that would be just fabulous for fishing, swimming in, skipping rocks in, and just listening to.

Thank you for letting me share my ideas and good luck!

-Jenny

Hello Amy,my story is:Well first of all,my husband and I have been married since I was 17 he was 26 and we married in a meetin room of a car dealer by the judge that attended everything that had to do with law.Ofcourse everyone thought we were pregnant,but we were not!Well not till 3 months later.We were given 6 weeks to last in our marraige,we've been married 22 years now,It's not been peaches and cream.We've had our ups and downs,but who does'nt?We had 3 pregnancies only 2 survived,our baby girl died on us april of 1999 she was 4 months old.I still have my boys which are 21 and 17.We always promised each other that we would not take any vacations without our boys or go out anywhere without them.You can ask anyone here or any of my family they will say the same thing to.Between the military,the oilfield,the railroad we never had time for our selves alone.Until my husband had his accident with the train,he lost his arm and the toes of his left foot.Now he alot of problems with his back and chronic phantom pain,constant headaches.He's been sick for years now it seems like we will never enjoy life ever again.We've never won anything before,maybe if we win the blog cabin it will put life laughter and joy back in our lives.Right now we're hoping we win the 2007 dream home.It give us something to look foward to.We live out in the country in south texas close to goliad.I'm more busy now than I've ever been before.I'm so tired now I fall asleep at the dinner table.I really need a vacation.Thank you for listening Amy.

MY DREAM WAS TO RAISE MY FAMILY IN THE COUNTRY BUT THAT NEVER CAME TRUE FOR ME . I TRY TO FIX UP MY HOUSE LIKE THE ONE ON YOUR SHOW BUT IT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN WITH ME LOSTING TWO CHILDEN LIFE HAS BEEN HARD I LOVE THE HOUSE AND I HOPE THAT GOD BLESS WHO WIN THAT HOUSE BECOUSE I WOULD FELL LIKE A ANGLE IN IT I NEVER A DREAM COME TRUE TO JUST SIT BY A FIREPLACE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND TAKE A LONG WALK WITH BILL, WE WILL BE MERRY 33 YEARS THIS 9-22-07 WE BEEN THRUGH A LOT TOGETHER AND WE ARE IN LOVE JUST LIKE THE WAY YOU ARE BUILDING THIS HOUSE WITH . THANK YOU
KATHRYN C LOPICCOLO
EASTPOINTE,MI

Log Cabin was a dream of my husbands and I for many years. This is great to help choose the makings of this wonderful cabin. Thanks.
A Must for a screened in porch is that wonderful porch swing that is used for talking, hugging, singing or just swinging.

PS. Shower and Clawtub would be perfect for the bath.

This would be Home to live in not just a cabin.

WHAT A WONDERFUL AND EXCITING CONTEST!!!!I'M THRILLED!! NOT ONLY DO WE GET A CHANCE TO WIN A FANTASTIC LOG CABIN HOME IN THE GREAT SMOKEY MOUNTAINS!!(OUR DREAM HOME BY THE WAY) BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART IN ITS CREATION!!HOW TERRIFIC IS THAT!!THE LUCKY WINNERS WILL NOT ONLY RECEIVE THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF A NEW HOME!! BUT THEY WILL ALSO BE RECEIVING A TRULY BLESSED HOME!! A HOME FULL OF EVERYONE'S DREAMS, HOPES, LOVE AND PRAYERS!!!!.SO THANK YOU FOR THE CHANCE OF A DREAM COME TRUE AND LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, I'LL BE PRAYING HOPING, DREAMING, SELECTING AND FOLLOWING IT'S DESIGN THRU TO THE END. BEST WISHES AND GOD'S BLESSING TO EVERYONE.
LOVE FROM VERO BEACH, FL
BARBARA VANBEUSICHEM

Hi Amy,

Well, I can't really say that I have any log cabin stories (yet) since I've never camped a day in my life. But I guess staying in a cabin would be the way to go to enjoy the great outdoors if you don't want to sleep in it.

I look forward to seeing the finished log cabin. I went on everynight and posted my votes, so hopefully a lot of the other votes will be selected.

I personally don't know much about building or doing any major home repairs, but thank GOD for DIY when you need a little help on a project.

Thanks again,
Linda

had the wonderful privilege of living in an original 150+ year old log cabin for the majority of last year. It is located in the foothills between the Smokey and Cumberland Mountains and was perched on a mountain ridge that overlooked a lake below. It was the dream of a lifetime and I wish I could have lived there forever.
The cabin had been moved from its original location on the lake in the 1940's when the TVA had build a dam. The logs had been numbered and it had been reconstructed on the mountain ridge. It had the modern conveniences of an indoor bath and central heating and air but had lost nothing of its original charm in the process.
Through my choices, I have tried to choose what I liked most about my cabin and incorporate them into this cabin. I did not get to vote on the floor plan but the Greenbriar would have been my choice as it reminded me most of the cabin I lived in. Even though I spent the majority of my time (weather permitting) doing art projects on the screened-in porch. I found so much peace there and it seemed to be where everyone wanted to gather when I had guests. It was the most wonderful place to drink that first morning cup of coffee, observe wildlife or watch an evening storm's lightening dancing on the lake below. You can't imaging how many times I wished I had had an outdoor fireplace which would have allowed me to enjoy the porch even more on those cooler nights.
I chose the stone fireplace again because it is like the one I had and it just seems more authentic for the cabin.
I had a tin roof on my cabin and that was my choice for this one also. My main reason is because there is nothing more wonderful that the sound of rain on that tin roof, especially at night while lying in bed. There was a lightening rod on my cabin which served the purpose of attracting and grounding any lightening that might threaten the house. To my knowledge, the house was never struck even though we often had a lot of lightening often.
I also chose the claw foot tub as I had one in my cabin and would want one again. We had a shower attachment for rinsing and had planned on putting in a stand up shower attachment with a surround curtain rod but never did because the tub was enjoyed so much as it was.
My personal reasons for wanted to live in a log cabin is the log cabin itself. My dream is to have the opportunity to live in another one and I do, I want one that is true to originality with the necessary modern conveniences.

Having grown up in the smokies I think the chosen floor plan is perfect for the area. I once lived in a house with a tin roof and remember the soothing sound of rain so that would be my first choice. That was before reading the comment about the difficulty is would cause in the event of a fire.
My next choice would be cedar shakes. However because of my experience in the insurance business I know that choice would also increase the cost of insurance. Having cedar on the roof could also be a nightmare in the event of a forest fire in close proximity to the site and while infrequent, they do happen.

Asphalt shingles would be a safer choice but it would be great if there were a product with the look of cedar but without the fire hazard.

Amy the the cabin you chose was good I bet if my husband and I won the cabin our kids and their wife and husband and grandchildren would really love us then but they are really sweet any way years ago my husband built a porch and screen it for me it was one of the nice thing did for us the carpet is still great. We love having coffee out their and hearing the sound of bird when spring comes and watch the rain when the sun changes place in the sky we know summer is about where and this is in the city. Bennett

I have read the comments with much interest. My husband and I are presently building our log cabin in Schoharie County, New York State. I custom designed the house due to fantastic views which needed to be taken advantage of. The shell of the house was built and we are now in the process of doing all the finishing work; electrical, plumbing, inside walls, etc. I opted for a deck running the length of the house, rather than a covered or screened porch. Our views are out the back. I must mention that this has been a dream of mine since my husband and I were just getting married, 36 years ago. It took a long time to come to this stage, but I think it is definitely going to be worth it. My three sons are just as excited and have great plans for extras on the 20+ acres we have. We are looking into radiant floor heating and hope to see more info ab out this topic with your cabin. I am also thinking ahead with the design since I am not getting any younger and want to be able to enjoy this cabin for many more years. So it is one floor living with a loft and full walk-out basement. So far, the boys and my husband have insulated the ceiling and run the trenches for the electrical boxes. Snow is keeping us from working this week. But I will keep you informed, and look forward to reading the comments.

I'd like to start by saying that your idea of a blog cabin is a great one. Although I'm realy not sure what a blog is! The Idea of a log home is very appealing to me and my wife. We've always kinda dreamed of a log home.I built home's for many year's and owned my own buisness for awhile. I've seen log home being buitl on TV before, and always thought what a challenge it must be to build. Not to mention the great house one would have afterwards.We get some great Ideas from the show so please keep up the great work ya'll do. ps.we think a log home should as rustic and true to it's heritage with only a few of modern day changes. things like windows, doors, the mechanicals and a few major appliance's that would be well hidden. But! that's just our opinon.As for the wrap around porch... it's a great idea that I'm sure could be incorpirated into the plan's ??

I voted for the Trillium only because it had a utility room for washer and dryer. I like the greenbriar, but is there any way a small utility room for washer and dryer could be incorporated?

I would love to see a screen room added that could be enclosed with glass panels in the winter and become a garden room. A compost unit could be made from the kitchen waste and used for the plants in the garden room.

I didn't get to vote It was to late, voting was over when I got to get back on here. I like the surround pourch also, to me I like the Idea of going all the way around the house with no stops. we have a log cabin home building co about 20 miles from my House here in SC and I pass it a lot and love to look at them. and like everyone here would like to own this one.

Amy...we recently purchased mountain land in NC and have dreams of doing exactly what you are doing (smaller budget than yours I'm sure). Because our land has panoramic views of the mountain range, our area of concentration for the log home is the rear deck. I can just imagine how wonderful that will be sitting on the deck having your morning coffee and enjoying the serenity. I envision the deck running the entire width of the home. In my opinion the focal points of any log home would be to capture the benifits of the view; to create a wonderful space in the great room (FP, wood floors, plenty of windows facing the view); interior T&G wood walls & ceilings, sheetrock to a minimum; and a warm kitchen with notty pine cabinets, stainless appliances, and wood floors.

And finally, what do I have to do to enter to win your log home?

Thanks......Robert

Talking about Log Homes, I desinged my own home and with the help from my brother, Sons and even my Ex Wife, we have cut and stacked 100 10inch pine trees from northern michigan. We pealed the bark and stacked then for drying. that was three years ago. This spring constrution will begin.

I plan on making it 35' by 50' with a open floor plan on the first floor with one bedroom down and three bedrooms up. the second floor will overlook the dinning and living room areas. The kitchen will be a modest 20 x 15 foot, the dinning area will be seperated by a bar/countertop.

The bath and utility rooms are off the kitchen. And off the back of the house you will find a deck with a built in hot tub. and a nice water garden.

This home will be powered by Solar electric. heated with wood and solor heating, the warm air from the sun will be stored in the attic and circulated throughout the home as needed. as for the water, a four inch well of course. and a nice size drain feild for waste.

I have been getting double hung vinyl sash insullated windows on sale when ever I have seen them. I picked up 15 of them from a contractor that retired and got them for a heck of a bargain. I purchased two huge bow windows from the nice guy for an amazing 150 dollars each. and most of the plumbing was from Rummage sales and left overs from other projects. this is truely a very low cost house.

The solar panels I have been collecting for the past 2 years of so, and have even gotten a wind turbine free for the hauling. not a bad price. I have enough equipment to generate 58,000 amps which is enough electricity, to get through the day and even have enough left over to store in batteries for night and cloudy days.

I will be building my house in the middle of my 10 acre parcel here in Michigan. and will have to depend on no one ever again for nothing. I will be able to create my own power, grow my own food using my green houses and Hydroponics. I have chickens and rabbits and enough venision running around for meat. So, my dream will finely come true, I will be sole sufficient except for a phone and internet service. and I am working on that....lol

your truely,

Jeff

I am dislexic so parden my spelling.I am a wheelchair user as I have said on other messages that I have posted on different parts of this blogging system . I would like the house to be all on one level. with solar pannels on the roof or Photovoltayic shingles which are available.on line . Each bedroom should have an on sweet bathroom with a wheell/walk in shower as well as a seeting arangment to alow a person with a disability or a person with advanced age to get in and out of the shower safely the floor of the shower should be slanted so watter runns to the draine and it should be tyeled with Textured tyels to help prevent slipping! I love the idea of stained glass. this allows light in but not prying eyes for each bathroom .There should be at minimum 6 bedrooms I would like a fierplace in the living/grate room. The apliences in the kitchen should be top of the line Viking but you must be able to reach the buttons on the stove with out reaching over the burners Gass is a must. there must be as much Green tec. as there is If there is room for a wind turbine then that should be considered. I whant ramps if there are differing levels to the house and there should be a ramp to accsess the bacementone that accsesses it from inside and one to accsess it from outside for fier safty. the bacement should containe a wine seller and a washer dryer as well as a shoot from the bedrooms to the bacement to get the laundry down to the washer dryerand maby a dumwaiter to get it back up remember it is a dreem home I have all ways whanted a house which makes some of the power that it requiers. I whant doble glassing on all windows. I think that wheelin/walk in showers are good for anyone there should be grab bars on every wallin the bathrooms wich should be on sweet in every bedroom as well as atleast one in the public spaces like off the grate room they can be used to hang towels but also if you do slip or need help to get on and off the toilet they work for that too. Raideant heet is the best as far as I can tell from other shos on this channel. the other advantage of one level is that theer is a sistem that can direct light from the roof to light rooms durruing the daylight howers. a must for energy saving.I would also like a heater that milts any snow or ice on the outside paths I think a dream house should have a 4 car garrage and in the entrance foyer there should be a place to stor wood for the fier inside it must be lined with mettel to avoide turmites. The fierplace should have a pit under it whair the ashes can be swept out of the fierplace for easy cleaning with no need to lug it out of the house if properly installed the ash falles on to the ground under the fierplace and it simply goes in to the dirt under the house. I hope you like my ideas wether I get it or not the ideas are not only for the disabled but they do work for people of any level of ability pleaas contact me for questions

Amy please get started on the cabin soon so we can see it in stages and what you are going to put inside hurry hurry.Bennett

Hi Amy. In response to the idea of momentos...
When my father was building or remodeling someones home he put in a coin of the current year. I have done that with all of my remodeling as well.
Also I read an article about a contractor who put a bible in the concrete (or maybe it was under the concrete) so the home was built on the Word of God. So I have been just writing my favorite bible verses (ie: Jeremiah 29: 11-13)on the studs before covering them with sheetrock.
So my suggestion would be to copy a page from the Bible, the Koran, the Book of Mormon, etc. AND ask the local Native American people for the object they would place in a building to bring health and happiness to the occupants. If an atheist gets the cabin it won't hurt them to have these things in the walls and people of faith (whatever that faith may be) would like the knowledge that there cabin is blessed. Thanks.

Hi Amy~
Every summer for the last fifteen years or more my Dad has rented a huge cabin up in the Colorado Rockies. I have 9 brothers and sisters most of which are married and have children. Now not all of us go at the same time, we take turns, usually about two married families including nieces & nephews, and a single sibling go along with my parents. We play board games, walk the trails, go horseback riding, swim, white water rafting, etc. Then at night, when it's dark we play a game called darkside. It is similar to hide and seek without the advantage of sight! My Dad just died this passed October 17th, 2006 - with any luck I will be able to carry on his tradition.

Amy

I have been researching log cabins for 15 years, still haven't built yet, have traveling to do, this year 6 months through north US, Canada, and finially Alaska. The traveling is my first life long dream, second is MY log cabin.

Looking over the plans and reading everything that everyone has written has only added to my long long list of great ideas. The open floor plans or my favorites, after all log cabins, lake homes, all get-away homes are for friends and family gathering, So give us those wide open spaces. Porches to rest on, some screened areas, to ward off the summertime bird, or B-52 bomber,(mosquito) depending what part of the country
your from. I cann't wait for you to start. I want to watch every inch of the way. Thank you

Just a note for everyone, I have experienced a screened in porch and wouldn't recomend it. It will shut of the air flow and the effect of the outdoors. Buy a bug zapper!

Hi Amy do you think we could have a basement so when the weather get bad we will have a safe place to go and maybe one of those storm room to be installed their this would be great.Bennett

Hi Amy,

I am so intrigued my cabin homes and their surroundings, Here in New Mexico..areas such as red river and pecos has countless cabin homes, it so peaceful being in those surrounding we dont have a cabin of our own.But I am hoping to have a chance to win this one for my family. We have to little boys and we want to show them the beauty of being in mountainous terrain and country living. let the best design win. thanks

2006 was a bad year for me and my husband, his mother was killed in a car accident March 14, my dad passed away from kidney cancer the next month, April 15th, and my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in October. Mother always wanted us to be able to go to the mountains with her 3 girls and their families and all be together at one time, it just never happened. Dad was sick for about 5 years and we just never go a chance to do that. It would be such a nice surprise for her!!! So we have never experienced the log cabin life!

Hello everyone, Have been checking out all the suggestions for the cabin. I particularly like all the blog about the porches because (besides the kitchen) that is the place that I think is the most fetching feature of the entire project. The mountain views and sites bring a sense of groundedness and relaxation that can't be compared.
I live in coastal MS, in a town absolutely leveled by Katrina. Among the small amount of rebuilding occuring in this town, I can't believe what is almost complete down the street from the home we just moved into. A LOG CABIN-less that 1/2 mile to the Gulf. That really says a bundle about the appeal of these structures. At any rate, my significant other is a 'mountain boy' from Conneticut and I have found him driving by this new cabin just about everytime we pull out of the driveway. He LOVES it and his enthusiasm has spread-it is so unique. I am enjoying the daily drivebys myself as much as he now and I'll share any good observations with the group as construction on our neighborhood cabin comes to fruition.

I must say this cabin project is a great idea and fun for us to get involved. Happy planning to you all and a warm mountain greeting to everyone.

Hi Amy and DIY
My husband Jerry and I have two lots on MT Luke in Townsend Tenn.They are own the same mountain that you are building the blog cabin on.You could not have picked a better place to build this cabin. We bought our land 2 years ago and we were up on the land one weekend. I was standing on top of a berm ( it is a pile of dirt that has been left in the middle of the road} The neighbors dogs came out to pay us a visit. Showing there pearly whites at me. Well I had a large glass of sweet tea in my hands and was watching the dogs. I was not watching where I was steping and all of a sudden my husbsand said all he saw was ice flying through the air. When he got to me I was out like a light, but I still had my glass in my hands.HA HA, The dogs were gone and no neighbors in site.I broke my arm in three places. So watch where you step and make sure you have a first aid kit on hand. Wish you all the best of luck with the new cabin and love your show. Amy be sure to visit Cades Cove while you are in Townsend there is nothing like it. If you need any art work for the cabin I would love to do something for you and the winners of the cabin. As a gift.I have won over 210 awards with my art and I would love to do this for you all. No matter what you put into the new home it will be a gift of a life time and may the winner of this home be thankful for the blessing they have received. Dont forget the fire alarms.

HI Amy
Putting Notes or signing your name in hiding places sounds great, I love that kind of stuff. Put some pictures too if posssible.

HI Amy
Putting Notes or signing your name in hiding places sounds great, I love that kind of stuff. Put some pictures too if posssible.
Oh yeah, no Good cabin stories yet.sorry

Hello Amy! WOW! I love this ideal of a cabin. I lived with my grandparents until I was 6, and they lived in the woods. I still remember the rain on the tin roof and the wonderful bisquits my Grannie made on her wood stove. This cabin brings back those memories for me--and I would love to win this cabin so my grandchildren (4) can have memories like that. I think going "green" with solor panels or tiles, waterless propane hotwater heaters, etc. would be wonderful. A walk out basement would be heaven. That way you could store everything and still have a wonderful safe room.
As I am a quilter and painter, I know how I miss going to the country and living. The air is great. The sounds of the birds and animals are the most wonderful sounds.
As a child we use to run around in the late evening and early night catching fire flies in a jar--but would let them go later.
The cabin sounds like it would be a great place for family, grandchildren and friends to know what it is to "live" again. Thanks for building this wonderful cabin.

i just love this whole idea.
i have been in the building trades most of my life and have always wanted to do a cabin.here at least i get some ideas for my own.
thank you
mark ellwitz

Hi ya'all, This my story!!! My huaband and i was engaged for almost a year before we decided to tie the knot. Wedding plans after wedding plans went on it seemed like forever. Buying the wedding dress and all the other wedding accesories a woman needs for that specail day. Sending out all the invitations and such, we had about 2 weeks before our wedding day and i had looked up and my now husband and told him the dream i've always had about getting married in a log cabin in the great smokey mountains that was a instant agreement. We loaded up our belongings on our harley davidson and rode to Tennessee and rented out the most gorgeous log cabin that i have ever layed my eyes on, it was perfect from front to back. The wrap around porch with the hot tub was awesome not mentioning the inside, WOW, it was like living in heaven!!!! We were fortunate enough to stay for 5 days before we had to come back to the real world, but it will be a wedding that we will cherish forever. Log cabins will always be my first choice of homes ever since we had made that wonderful decision about getting married in one in the wonderful great smokey mountains.

I LOVE the BLOG CABIN idea! I already have the cabin and landscape pictured in my mind it is spectacular!!! I think it would be great if we could incorperate fun, exercise, and fitness into the house and landscape plan without looking too much out of classic dream cabin range. For example: I think it would be really cool to make a rock climbing wall out of or on the same wall as the fire place, on the inside, for exercise during bad weather and/or outside. A very tall decklike open tree house with a climbing rope ladder/wall sturdy enough for adults to get a good work out just getting up there and both a sturdy flag pole and zipline to choose from as your way of getting down(or maybe a slide as well)all three options to are fun rewards after the workout up to the deck. I also think a tire swing is manditory either (ideally) hanging from a protruding beam from the cabin or from the treehouse, or a tree in the front yard area. Also, winding gravel packed trails each with different length options much like the state park trails. These ideas would help make getting out and exercising much more fun/tempting!I can just see it already. It is just beutiful!

I LOVE the BLOG CABIN idea! I already have the cabin and landscape pictured in my mind it is spectacular!!! I think it would be great if we could incorperate fun, exercise, and fitness into the house and landscape plan without looking too much out of classic dream cabin range. For example: I think it would be really cool to make a rock climbing wall out of or on the same wall as the fire place, on the inside, for exercise during bad weather and/or outside. A very tall decklike open tree house with a climbing rope ladder/wall sturdy enough for adults to get a good work out just getting up there and both a sturdy flag pole and zipline to choose from as your way of getting down(or maybe a slide as well)all three options to are fun rewards after the workout up to the deck. I also think a tire swing is manditory either (ideally) hanging from a protruding beam from the cabin or from the treehouse, or a tree in the front yard area. Also, winding gravel packed trails each with different length options much like the state park trails. These ideas would help make getting out and exercising much more fun/tempting!I can just see it already. It is just beutiful!

This looks great. It is good to hear what everyone thinks of when they would build thier dream cabin.

I think it would be great to see if Solar, wind and geothermal energy could be used here and what it would take to do it, and what kind of savings one could get by doing this.

I know that is what I have been looking into for my dream cabin in Northwest Montana. Not much for power and gas services in some parts up here.

Keep up the good work.

My memories of a screened in porch were in Arkansas in the spring. We would sit out on the porch and watch the thunderstorms roll across the land. It was both scary and breath taking at the same time. A big plus would be to have a ceiling fan with large paddles along with the hot tub. Thumbs up!

Hello Amy and the gang:
Well I posted my story on Feb 14th (my little house on the prarie story:))
My dream is to live in a log cabin in the right area for one. I heard that posiive thoughts bring positive things, so I entered daily my husband & I both for the HGTV's 2007 Home give away (A lot larger then what I feel makes a good authentic log cabin. But still a log cabin.)
Needless to say we didn't win and I actually was in tears. So I'm still voting on the plans for Amy's cabin. But I think I may pass on the entering, I can't take the disappointment. Its silly I know.
But I may change my mind. Good luck to all that enter.I wish I was seeing more votes for the claw foot tub though. Thanks Julie

Hi fellow bloggers - I've been reading all about this cabin for a while but this is the first time I've ever "blogged" and I'm also fairly new to emailing,etc. I am very interested in the cabin as I live in a log cabin - unfortunately mine wasn't built by a professional and they were limited finanacially as well. So - it is exciting to see one done the right way and with all of the amenities. Also I am excited at the possibility of one of us getting lucky enough to win this cabin! I would surely love to live in a really nice logcabin! Your location sounds lovely too -I'm in south Georgia -not too many breezes and lots of bugs. Can you tell I'm dying for a new cabin!

Hello to all fellow bloggers. This is so exciting to be a part of the construction and building of this beautful log cabin. I would love to spend time in this cabin. I have stayed in Maryland at DeepCreek Lake which has a beautiful lake and mountains and long for the mountain breezes and beautiful scenery. I live in Florida and while it is beautiful, the summers are very humid and the land is flat and there is not very many seasons to enjoy. Good Luck to the builders and to the lucky winner. It will be worth the excitement of watching the finished home.

Hi Amy!!! What a delight to be retired and to have a county cabin. Even with all the different choses of this home the rustic, well double pane windows will make this home energy effective. My roomate saw this house and his jaw dropped. Being borned in West Virginia he said thats my Aunts House in which I spent many summers in. I grew up in PA and remember many contructed homes as this. I might add one big idea a built in generator after this harsh winter in Missouri,we both would jump to the pleasure of this one dream home. Happy Building Gerald

Hi Amy D.!
As a family when I was a child we use to always vacation in the summer at a cabin rental site in Houghton Lake, MI. I had a 9 year olds crush on the cabin owner's son, but it was just that. Then I met a nice boy my age of 14 and had my first kiss, reaaaallll first kiss (I will spare some details). It was under a tree in the dark of the night, and he was a fellow camper who was staying in a cabin nearby. Twenty-nine years later..I still have his photo and wonder how he is but I have other memories camping also.

We had a playground, the adult men had some ground games along with the fish shack. Us kids were curious and grossed out at the same time.. P.U!!!

They have an Indian Pow Wow in the summer. My brothers and I use to dance with them. I really enjoyed it and it felt very natural to me. One reason I would love the cabin near the Smokey Mtns. I would love visiting the Indian areas/shops! The Indians made "homemade" fried bread which was delicious! I "caught" them though- I remember seeing the yellow box of Bisquick. I don't know if they had any secret ingred. but it was a big glob of dough put into frying oil served with a dollup of butter, uhm uhm uhm! I use to buy (my parents did) indian dolls and other gifts at the gift stores. To this day I still by them.. why?? part because I am part Blackfoot Indian and prob. because it gives me a good feeling like in the past.

There are other water memories, such as- the time my younger brother kept scooting on the dock and fell in the lake and I wasn't sure what to do as my parents had run to the cabin for a minute and we were told NOT to go in the water. But then I realized that my brother was NOT coming up to the surface (ha, he could have just stood up), so I jumped in with clothes on and essentially saved him. None the less I didn't get in trouble for going in the water! We took seaplanes over the lake, which is an experience for a child, seeing the expanse of the waters! I remember the sundowns from the dock seeming to place me in some dream world of escape. The pink skies at night and being told this would mean good weather for the next day. I didn't waterski until I was older but that would have been fun then. Now the waters there are a little too green/mucky for me.. how it would be great to find a home on some clean pretty blue unspoiled waters.

Hi - Since you are asking about 2008, I think a loft in a city would be great. Not a city like Chicago or New York ( not that I have anything against them) but Nashville, Memphis, San Francisco, Santa Fe, a city in North or South Carolina, I guess anywhere but the NorthEast.

Hi-

I'm surprised that my choices for roof, kitchen decor. etc. were the most popular. I have some popular taste after all!

I, too, love the idea of a cabin in the Smokies. I spent many a childhood summer camping with our large family there in a small Nimrod popup camper.

I would suggest that you choose either Nashville or Austin as the 2008 site. They are both equally cool sites. I have two sons and one lives with his family in Nashville. The other one lives with his family in Austin.

I'm ready to retire and move to either site, so start the planning.

Thanks, Patricia Kuhn