Fans would be great. I am on the fence about the TV...would it take away from the rustic/outdoor focus??? Who knows! I was thinking about a hammock or hanging day bed to relax on...maybe a rustic hanging day bed? Where will this be located?

I live here in East Tennessee up on the Cumberland Plateau. I was a Volunteer Firefighter a few years ago but this advice still holds true. A metal roof is fine for the listening of rain drops, but for a firefighter they are a nightmare. They heat up and are too difficult to cut through when you need to access the roof. Also alot of insurance companies charge more.
I hope the metal roof isn't added.

Thank you,
Darlene S.
LaFollette, TN

This porch or the back porch which we can't see, needs screens and a ceiling fan. I'm sure it can get pretty toasty and buggy in the summer. I don't know about wiring it for cable, but a stereo would be nice. Wicker furniture with comfy cushions and a game table sound nice. How about some plants?

Personally, a log cabin should be designed to combine it's natural style to the nature of the outdoors. Therefore, I feel a closed in porch is not the idea of choice... Sit on the porch in a wooden rocking chair or swing in the openness of the great out of doors.

Having been in the Smokies, a screened in porch for those warm summer nights with some little bugs in the air would be great. I'd love to see a ceiling fan that blended in the decor, along with a glider or swing for two on the porch like my grandma's in Lexington, Kentucky. Comfy armchairs would work too. Nice speakers for some music would also be great.

I will vote yes for porch it is like having a extra room and small children love it they can play and think they are out side when it rain.And it like having a mun room in the south you need that.bennett

To me a screened in porch is NOT for watching tv, etc. It should definitely have a ceiling fan. Mine was used for peacefull morning coffee and reading, or dancing on a rainy night with all the sounds of a storm. Graduation parties & wedding showers were held in it which kept the scorching sun or mosquitoes out. It was my favorite place in my old house.

My husband was raised in a wood cabin with a tin roof in TN. He said that one of happiest memories he has is the time he went to sleep listening to the rain falling on the tin roof.

I loved the water feature and would like to see what type of flowers and plants will be used to bring out the natural colors and folliage surronding the house.

One screened porch would be a must so that you could spend evenings in peace and quiet and not battling the night life.

A small storage area with a door going out side so that wood for the fireplace would be able to be stacked and kept dry and be able to be reached from inside the house.

Where is the porch swing?

i have never "blogged before" so I hope this works...
Well... in your own words...there is nothing like falling asleep on the dry,safe porch...My idea
#1. include bedding on the porch...even if it is in the form of sleeper sofas....perhaps some built-in spaces "trunk-like" to hold the extra pillow, blankets, etc.

I am an art teacher and I would love to see an "artsy/craftsy/work space out there....that way there is somewhere to build a scrapbook or put together a puzzle....think storage " built-ins for this area to
keep it visually clean!

This is a great idea and I love it! I think it’ll be nice to have great looking outdoor pieces that are low maintenance and comfortable as well, like a breakfast set, rustic recliners, etc. A fan ceiling is a good idea and of course if it has a motorized screen system better, something that will not obstruct the view in anyway. Oh! I forgot to mention cable/satellite TV is a PLUS!

Nice rocking chairs on the screened porch with billowy cotton curtains that flow in the breeze! A nice comfy hucked rug so babies can crawl around on it while the family waits out the rain, reads, sews, sing-a-longs, etc. Drinking cups of hot chocolate, or tea and stacked up one wall with games, books, photo equiptment for all the great Kodak memories that will thrive there :) Oh and some comfy cots for napping away from everyone else in the house! Cousins need time to talk!

This cabin is going to be amazing!

A screened in porch is perfect for a tv. And if you have a tv, might as well have a mini fridge or ice box for refreshments.

When I was a little kid, my foundest memories were on my grandmother's screen porch playing games with my family. That's where I learned how to play blackjack and pocker. We used to play with pennies instead of poker chips.

I think a game table would also be a great addition to the porch.

when i think of a porch, i think of what i can see from the porch..sitting on a swing, watching the birds build their nest or the sun shining through the leaves in the evening. for me, a porch would not need a cable/satellite hook up, but definitly a heat source and a ceiling fan for warm days...comfy casual!!

I love the screened porch idea. We have a porch on our home now, but it is not screened. It is wonderful sitting out there until all the bugs start attacking you. This is such a wonderful idea as one of my dreams is to have a log cabin up in the woods some place.

There is nothing more enticing and family oriented that a large porch to sit and watch the children, share an evening meal or relax with a good book and listen to the sounds of nature. I love the idea of using bamboo rather than some of the other woods that are not as plentiful and renewable. Bamboo also has an incredible durability that is imperative for a well used cabin.

The porch ( and are you *sure* a mud room isn't a possibility? ) needs to have a swing. I'm not really all that thrilled with the idea of electrical appliances "living" on the porch - if the wind drives the rain onto the porch or there's lightning, that could be a real problem. I know, I know, that's maybe too 'safety first' to be good TV, but my cousin's computer is actually in their house and it's been fried by ball lightning twice.

Anyway, if there definitely isn't going to be a mud room I would suggest a very big door mat to keep dirt and silt and such outside where it belongs.

Oh! A pair of rocking chairs would be nice, and what about a built-in bench all along the inside of the porch railing. If the owner-to-be doesn't have a houseful of kids or grandkids or friends visiting they could always put a bunch of potted plants on the bench, and if it's a two-board bench with space between the boards the water from the plants won't rot the wood either.

I like the idea of part of the porch being open and part being screened. At least, that is what my dream log cabin would have.

I never had a screened porch growing up in middle Georgia, but I know I enjoyed the porch with the porch swing where you could sit and just be still and quiet.

I definitely would suggest that this log cabin have an open and screened porch!!!

For furnishings for the porch, something simple but comfortable. Personally the Adirondack style furniture is not my favorite, but the wicker-style and just awesome!!! There are now so many colors and so many designs to choose from. And cushions that are "lazy wearing" as well as washable.

Screened porches are great in mild weather, but I would love a sun porch with windows that can open and close. That way you can let nature in and enjoy it all year long.

My grandmother's house had 2 screened in porches. You entered the house through the downstairs porch. We spent many summer hours sitting on the glider just visiting. The upstairs porch was the sleeping porch. With no air conditioning in Iowa, we cousins really thought sleeping "outside" was a treat.

My first screened-in porch was in Texas on my grandparents' home. It was the best sleeping quarters in the world. Papa put 3 beds out on the porch and it was a place to nap, whisper stories at night and be thankful that the mosquitos couldn't get to us. 3 Kids from California thought summers in Texas were the greatest experience. Maybe the porch should be designed with a couple of daybeds and decorated with some canvas ticking.

Screened-in porch would be wonderful. We did so much on my grandfathers big screened-in porch. Family sitting around talking and feeling the cool breeze. Grandma had her sewing machine out there and I remember helping her with some project or other. Learned my love of sewing and crafting out on that porch with grandma. Other then grandma's kitchen that porch brings back the most memories great times. So please ad one so who ever wins it can make wonderful memories also.

Why let the insects decide when it's time to go inside. Living in NH I can get cabin fever in the winter from the cold and snow and on spring and summer nights from the black flies and mosquitos causing me to retreat to the safety of the house. I'd say screen it in and have a couple of ceiling fans with bug lights or bud lites. If i decide to spend the night on the porch I don't want to donate any blood to the insects. No radio, no tv, a mountain cabin should be a retreat from everyday assault of mass media.

A screened in porch would be fabulous! Wicker furniture, yes, a TV would be good for the men-folk! My husband and I rented a cabin in the Smokey Mts. last fall and it was breath-taking! You sure picked a good location to build! I hope that I win!!!
Sincerely,
Diane Milos :)

A must have is TV on the back porch to watch TN football and basketball! GO VOLS !

Also a porch swing reminds me of my grandparents home in East TN. Another must have. Fun times with my grandma shelling peas from her garden and just talking on the porch together.

I love the idea of a screened in porch, if there is another porch that is left open. Then you have your choice of environs! A log cabin absolutely calls for the bent willow type of furniture, with big, comfy cushions to curl up on. Ceiling fans are a wonderful touch, as well. In regards to the TV/satellite connection, I would say by all means include a drop for that! - if the winner doesn't like that idea, then he or she wouldn't have to put a TV out there...easily solved.

I spent many summers with my cousin in Ark. sitting on the screened in back porch. We had celling fans, tables and chairs, wicker couch and chairs to relax on and she hung little twinkle white Christmas lights all around the top border, so at night it gave it a magical feel. We spent hours and hours eating, talking and playing games. It was some of the best years of my life. When she passed away, everyone gathered in the screened porch to remember her. Everyone told there fondest memories of her and the time they too had spend in that very place. The jokes that were told and how she and everyone would laugh until their sides would hurt. A place for memories...... Everyone should have a screened in porch....

I would love to see the back porch turned into a sunroom with windows that open to be a screened-in porch too. A television would be great; however, a stereo would be excellent with surround sound. Ceiling fans, rustic log furnishings to sit and play some good ole smokey mountain bluegrass music, a hammock, rustic small dining table, with a small rustic log winebar, an outdoor carpet for the seating area, and last a tulikivi or stone outdoor fireplace. The hotspa is a wonderful idea, but I would like to see the hotspa in a different area like near the water feature with lots of evergreen and mountain rocks native to the Great Smokey Mountains. I have a front and back porch and we are planning on adding on to it and incorporating a nicer grill with the hotspa. My husband and I love to have coffee together in the early mornings of spring and summer. He plays his fiddle or other musical instruments out there and keeps me and others entertained.

Screened porches are great but they cut you off from your neighbors and deconstruct the view also ceiling fans are for inside - why waste energy outside? The cabin should face south, be friendly for children, animals and the environment - and maybe - just maybe someone would actually want to LIVE in it! NoTjust visit it! So the more solar energy, wind energy and back up you have the better. I like the two story design - especially with the down stairs master and so agree that as one grows older a ramp entrance would be awesome (and until then kids could use it as a race track), the upstairs should be able to be closed off in some way to save heat as we age - but should not be left cold until then. Are you considering a septic water system? with city backup? How about well water with city back up? I totally agree that if possible you should make the cabin "off the grid" as much as possible - but as a scout - always be prepared with a back up!And How about a fire place we can cook in should all else fail? how much fun would that be! This should be a grand adventure! Also low flush toilets are good but as we age we need a toilet that doesnt land below our hips as we sit (for replaced hips and bad backs)especially in the master. The upstairs bedrooms should be especially kid friendly for kids and grandkids and have added storage for toys and secret hiding places!And how about a secret passage or fire pole (or even a slide) think inside tree house! We all love to hear the rain on tin roofs - but if they are horrible for firemen - how about a combination - like only having tin in the creases for the rain storage - you could still hear the rain - but the firemen could still help you!Cant wait to see it!

I think a screened porch is a good idea, but not the entire porch. I really like the wrap around porch on the Smokeyview cabin. Perhaps one side could be screened (not the view side).

As for furniture, how about some bent twig style pieces? They would add to the rustic charm and are weather resistant. They make some wonderful styles, maybe even some sort of couch/sleeper for extra guests.

I can't wait to see the finished product.

We live in a log house in southeast Oklahoma. We have a large porch across the front of the house and the back and spend as much time on the back porch as we can, eating, talking, enjoying outdoors. Our porch is open and we do not have a problem with insects. What is really needed is a mud room and a storage and passage for wood.

While I agree with everyone that there needs to be at least one screened porch (my cabin has a wrap round with part being screened in) I think we should take it one step further. Sliding glass panels for the screened in area. I don't know where your place is located, but in the winter, in the Blue Ridge mountains, the wind and cold will slice thru you. The outside fireplace sounds great as well and with the glass would give you that extra room.

I like the idea of a screened porch, but not at the expense of an open one. There's something confining about sitting behind a screen trying to experience the great outdoors. Now if there are two porches, screening would be great for one of them.

There's something I don't understand. What is the attraction of wormy pine??? That's got to be the ugliest door I've ever seen. I was voting for wrought iron, but I've switched to lead glass in hopes of putting it over the top. I guess if I win, I'll just plan on buying a new door. ;-)

I live less than 2 hrs from where the cabin will be built. Let me tell you, it can get really hot in the Great Smoky Mtns during summer and really cold & snowy in the winter...I love the idea of a screened-in porch, but a sun room with floor to ceiling screened windows (with glass sliders) is versitile. You need to screens to keep out the bugs & other assorted wildlife (raccoons, skunks, etc.) A screened-in sunroom is mandatory on my house>..now I just have to win!

A ceiling fan is a wonderful addition to the screened porch. It's also the perfect place for a dog/cat door into the house. A screened porch is the safest place for cats to bird watch (for the cats and for the birds!) and dogs love to doze on an enclosed porch.

If the kitchen backs up to the porch, it's a good place for a window that opens up to a serving ledge.

While I like the look of a traditional porch, I also like porches with lofted ceilings. The hot air rises keeping them much cooler in the summer.

I love our screened-in porch. We are out there every possible minute to enjoy the outdoors in bug and rain free heaven. We have a fan for every 10x10 feet and they are a must-have. I love the suggestion for bent willow furniture, it would be the perfect touch. With regard to the TV, I would want Internet/satellite or cable inside; and, IF I were to set a TV up outside (prefer the quiet myself), I would do it wirelessly. Just give me electric outlets outside.

When I was first married we had a screen porch however it wasnt one where you could shelter it from rain or other elements. So if that is the case and it doesnt block out elements I wouldnt suggest anything that could be damamged. If there were access to a small tv it may be nice. we dont watch tv much but once in while we as a family take the tv and vcr out on the deck and watch tv under the stars in the fresh air. I personally imagine it to be a place to sit and eat your breakfast together or sit and look out at the night while listening to music.

I agree about the hanging bed or hammock (I think the bed is better). We had a large (10 X 40) screened in porch when I grew up in the mountains of SW Virginia and it was wonderful in the evenings to sit out and watch the lightning bugs and listen to the crickets. We had a small black/white TV that we occasionally watched. Many evenings, my date and I would sit with my parents and/or brothers and sisters, just talking and listening to nature. I can still be hot and muggy during the summer, so a ceiling fan would be ideal.

Make the screens removable and provide storage for them.

I'm sure in the old days of hand cut and crafted cabins, if they could have had screens, they would have.

Run the TV cable now because TV will then be an option.

I like metal roofs for longevity if they have hidden screws to keep the ice from shearing them, but green shingles are good looking. Don't ever use wood for shingles.

Maybe run a heat triggered sprinkler system for fire protection. If it is on a well, tie the fire protection into the pump or create a small water tower or pressurized tank in case of loss of power.

Run a coax for two way radio and don't forget the security system.

Also, run cables for alt energy sources to be added later.

I just got married recently, so I can now say that my husband and I just put a new addition onto the front of the home that he had owned. He didn't want to enclose it, but for resale value, looks, useability, he agreed to with a ceiling fan and 8 27x64" double hung windows (white 2in. wood blinds as coverings). He now only wishes he would have had the cable company install a jack for later usage, and another outside electrical outlet on the north side by the driveway. So YES!!! A celing fan is a must for those hot sultry nights as the moon shines brightly above as you watch your plasma tv (plugged into that cable jack of course), or just if you wish to sit with your sweetheart and listen as the night comes alive with the whisper of the wind rustling the leaves of the trees or the night howl of the coyote saying goodnight. Ah yes, I can feel it, smell it, and taste the air now. And YES, to having the porch enclosed (eventually) as well as that cable/internet jack ther should be outside electrical outlets for holiday lights, etc..

I've dreamed of my own log cabin home since 1971. I've done the floor plan in my mind many times. The Greenbrier is the closest to my dream cabin but the Trillium is closest to my "open" floor plan - living & kitchen/dining area all together - no walls. An open porch on front and a screened one at back. A ceiling fan, comfortable couch/chaise & chairs with a table & chairs for informal dining, games, etc., on the back porch. Porch swing & a couple of rockers on the front.

The Trillium was the only floor plan I could see with a utility room & w/d. There didn't even seem to be a place for one in the other 2 plans? I like the idea of tin roofs but I was scared off by the fire idea. Maybe some combination of roofing as someone suggested? I like the use of as many "green" ideas as feasible.

I can see myself sitting on the screen-in porch some lazy afternoon, watching & listening to a gentle rain, with a cat or two lying next to me, dog at my feet . . . . bliss!

ms Devers, to the fire place we go.. for a special touch i have a design that will grab attention throught your project. simply, light through the stone fire place..with cavities through the stone placement. colored or clear glass at both ends. as the stone is built you can place with semetry or random fix, if home placement is thought out there will be specific times during the day and year where areas of the home can become an event of beemed light, the cavaties should be filed with reflective finish for better effect. all this would be better served if the fire place wall has poor natural light on the sides. this is difficult to convey in texts so please feel free to contact me i would love to see this come to 'light'

Amy, make sure it has the tin roof so when the rain comes on a hot summer night the sound of rain on a tin roof is nature's sleeping pill. They could use the futon to fall asleep on and just plug in a floor fan if it gets to hot. Wind chims are wonderful when the breeze come through. Maybe consider having sliding glass doors all around. If the dream home was built in West Virginia in the winter, crank up the heat and still watch nature put on a show.It's like having that extra room to shoot the breeze in.. no punt intended lol

I have to agree with those that would like a screened in porch adden to the log cabin. It should be a must. When I first married my husband, we came to Texas to visit his family and the huge ranch home his parents lived in, on 90,000 acres, had a very large screened in porch that we could sleep on when the heat was unbearable and of course there was not any A/C back then.(1963). Then I could go back even further, when as a youngster, I spent summers in the San Joaquin Valley in California with my cousin, and we would go next door, on their dairy ranch to her grandparent's huge farm house and again there was a very, very large screened in porch. We were quite young,(ages about 9 & 7), but would sleep on this porch and quite often get scared out of our wits when an old owl would start hooting, just as we were finally trying to stop our giggling and settle down to sleep for the night. We would get so scared that we would both dive under the light covers we had (it was hot) and hang on to eachother, shaking with fear. Oh, my, those were funny days.
That's my memories of screened in porches. I think this cabin is deffinitely in need of one.
Thanks,
Marie

Here I am again. I actually forgot something in my previous blog. I talked about the past and my memories of screened in porches, but forgot the present. We presently have a 12 X 32 ft. screened in porch and we use it constantly. From that porch, we can go out a door to a barbecue area that is also on the porch, but outside the screened in area. We don't have much room inside for entertaining so we have all of our family celebrations out on the porch and it's my husbands favorite place to sit and relax. We have ceiling fans out there, a kitchen table, couch, storage, folding tables & chairs and can actually hand out dishes, food and whatever we need right out our kitchen window that is over the sink. It works great and makes for some great new memories. Again I vote for a screened in porch on this lovely cabin that we are all trying to help design. Thanks for this opportunity.
Thanks,
Marie

A screened in porch is a must have for The Smokies. Personally, I prefer a screened in porch on any house. I live in the south and I can't stand all of those pesky mosquitoes. A ceiling fan is nice as well. Whe live in a small condo and we have a covered patio which we want to screen in. We keep our grandsons for a while every summer and they would love to sleep out there. We only have 2 bedrooms and we use one for my office/sewing room.

Hi Ya'll,
I had voted for the tin ceiling, but after reading about the fire hazard, I have adjusted my idea. When I lived in Virginia, we had an attached porch with a tin roof. I loved listening to the rain falling on it while I fell asleep. What about just making the porch roof tin? There would still be beams underneath to attach the ceiling fans to. I like the idea of an all season porch also. Why not enjoy it all year round. All of the energy conservation ideas are great. I am not sure what the "money" people behind this have in mind, but if it is for the winner to live in year round they would be needed. If it is just for a summer cabin, then the rustic the better. I would want the security of an all season porch because of the critters. I love animals and would want to co-habitate with them peacefully, but waking up after a nap with one of them on the porch swing, or under it, doesn't exactly tickle me pink. I would definitely want to have hanging baskets of flowers or ferns as I love plants. I have always wanted a beautiful set of wicker furniture also. There is little in this world as peaceful as sitting on the porch with your family and friends visiting. I love the idea of the bluegrass music. If I win, could Alison Kraus come to help celebrate? Add Dolly Parton and we've got a party !! Added to that great state's beauty, what more could you want???????

I lived in Virginia for years. They have fantastic forests and wildlife there. To sit in a mountain home and view this beauty would be wonderful.

I really believe that one screened-in porch is a must due to bugs, but I would like to also see a covered patio area where the bar-b-que could be used. In Virginia, it snows and rains a LOT. To enjoy the outdoor life, you need a place to entertain outside, but where you can remain dry.

I would like to see more environmental friendly things used, but I wouldn't like to see it seem so "rustic" that the average person wouldn't like to stay there. Please find a way to make it more "contemparary."

I have LOVED all of your mountain homes from previous years. Ya'all are a really good team when it comes to bringing about a "feeling" within the homes. I really enjoy the fact that the homes are ready-to-live in when you walk through the door.

I love the idea that you are allowing "fans" to blog their ideas to you - way to go! Good luck with your design!

There should be a deck at least 6'-8' wide that goes completely around the house. Part of it may be screened, if so desired. The deck support posts should extend continuously from the ground-level post blocks upwards through the deck to support the railings. (In other words, it is not sufficiently sturdy to simply attach the railing stanchions to the fascia board or rim joist.) The railings should have a 2x6 flat top plate for holding plants, drinks, etc. The deck should be completely covered by a roof to make it usable in all weather conditions and to keep the weight of snow off of it. Stairs going to ground level should be placed at strategic points. All roofs should be covered in tin for fire protection.

I'm in favor of a partially enclosed porch. I would like to see the front of the home with an open porch. I'd like to see the entire side of the home have a window view so I can sit and enjoy the view year round. In the winter, I'd sit in my cozy white couch with big red pillows and watch DIY or participate on Blog Cabin. My husband could watch sports at his leisure on cable tv that is supplied by the underground elctricity. In the summer, I can relax with my husband and enjoy the evening view. Some mornings I could get up, bring my morning paper outside and sit on my front porch and simply enjoy the soft morning mist.

I love the idea of the porch being screened in - a must in Tenessee! The screened porch is your outside Family Room. A porch swing with big pillows is a must. Muliple rocking chairs with big pillows also. A ceiling fan would be nice for those hot muggy summer evenings. Provisions made for electric and cable hookup for TV. There are going to be stormy days, so pillows, TV, and anything else should be easy to take in or have a moisture proof bin or "trunck" for storage.

I like the idea of the fans but the TV can stay inside. I'd love a section of my porch to have a daybed so that on hot summer nights we can sleep outside and watch the fireflies and listen to the tree frogs and crickets. A porch is for enjoysing nature and watching the sun rise and set.

After putting a bit more thought into the look and feel I want to engulf me I decided to add a few additional items. I definately want to feel like I'm one with nature so adding a nonformaldehyde wood product such as a sierra pine love seat and chair would be a great addition to my surroundings. Perhaps, an organic white or neutral cotton coushion for the chairs would be lovely. I also love rocks. Maybe bring in a rock or two from the outdoors allowing the continuity of the outside to echo that of the outdoors. A company by the name of Meadow Wood industries offers uniquely designed products that would boaster the overal nature look. They use products that are harvested from grains. In my case, adding a few shelfs made of ryegrass would top of the design. You could even consider an accent panel for the ceiling of the enclosed porch design but I wouldn't want to go over board. Simple is practical.

Having the porch enclosed with windows would allow be an area to grow and display a few plants for my green thumb.

Glad to see the tin option for the roofing. We live in the Gallatin Valley of Montana, and have seen some amazing forest fires. A major problem with most cabins or homes built in the trees is the lack of thought for fire safety. Planting too close to the trees, not having a green area around the cabin and materials on roofs that ignite too easily. Tjis project will be fun to watch progress.

Screen Porch...definatly a great addition to this house. Can you see it ? Great place to eat in summer, play cards, read, snooze....ahhh

Screens - nah, thats what DEET is for. Keep it open. Seriously, I think screens detract from the feel of a cabin.

Recessed lights in the roof of the portch. I have seen this done, and the effect is stunning at night with just the portch lit up.

Only a fan of a screen porch if it is a section and not the whole porch.

Who wants to look at our beautiful surroundings through a screen.

I also like part of my porch to not have a roof over it. I like to lay out in the sun and feel the warmth of the sun!!!!

I would choose a sunroom with long windows that open. Maybe built in seating below the windows for clear plastic boxes filled with crafts, sewing, games, etc. Definitely a ceiling fan or two and a hookup for the TV, just to cover the options. If the storage is well planned and aesthetically interesting since it is the front of the house, well it can be the craft/sewing/computer/rec room. How restful, but creatively stimulating would this be!! Need a porch swing and some rocking chairs or gliders, too!

I love fireplaces and can think of nothing better than a great fireplace on a rear porch with a nice setting area, possibly a fire place in the center of the porch open at the front and rear. It would be so cozy setting on the hearth reading bedtime stories in your screened in porch watching the fire fly's pass by. Or snuggled up on a nice wide sofa on the porch with a fire warming your back watching DIY on your bug free porch. Sounds like heaven to me.

I love porches. They are great places for
watching nature,conversations, relaxation,
and even sleepovers. Screened-in porches are
nice if you live in an area that has lots of
insects, mosquitoes etc.

What I remember most in regards to porches
in particular is when I was younger and my
Grandma's sister and brothers and their spouses
came for a visit from Nebraska and we all sat
for hours on the porch listening to stories
when they grew up as kids in Nebraska. What
a lovely memory.

A. Stevens
Vancouver, WA

Ron~
The Porch has to be wired for sound! Music is a must. And don't forget plenty of outlets(decorating for the holidays, parties, etc.). It would be fabulous to have a screened in porch with the ability to turn it into a greenhouse in the fall and winter. There could be a compost bin in the greenhouse that is supplied from the kitchen waste.

Having a screen porch is very nice you can have a late candle-light dinner with your husband during the week it make the week go fast and enjoyable .Bennett

would love to see the yellow pine -- years ago remodeling an older home I figured I'd rip up the horrible linoleum in the kitchen. Imagine my surprise and delight when I scraped down to a beautiful yellow pine floor. When it was refinished I was more proud/happy with the pine flooring than the oak flooring that was throughout the house! Go figure!

Definitely agree with screened porch! 12 years ago we built a deck with an awning! We have regretted ever since not making it a 3- or 4- Season room! During Spring, Summer and Fall we are attacked by mosquitos, flies and wasps! A screened porch definitely needs a ceiling fan when there are no breezes, a form of heat source and cable hook-up. I agree with comfy furniture but wicker is not! The storage sounds great for pillows and blankets! My husband, too, loves tin roofs! As a child he fell asleep many,many nights
on a porch with a tin roof!

Though I love a wrap around a porch is not a porch unless there is a swing. My grandma had one and a couple of old rockers. Nothing like it to absorb the scenery. Brings back memories. Makes a GREAT picture. I have to admit having a screened area is a good idea no matter where you live. We live in NC and have a deck with a screened area and open area, with a ceiling fan to move the air when it is hot. We also have soft lit lanterns giving off a glow at night. That would be grat anywhere, even in Tennessee.

NO TV!!!!! Go inside for that. You have to listen to the life in the mountains and watch the stars. Just leave that old TV off. You could always read a book.

I know I am late making a comment, but here goes. I love screened in porches. Having slept outside on the porch at my grandparents while growing up, I can still remember the fire flies. I think you should put a "Hanging Bed" on the porch along with rocking chairs and a table to play games. Yes, a connection for the radio (I'm from Texas and listen to the Texas Rangers) and a good ceiling fan. Perhaps lights with a dimmer switch so you can turn the lights down later in the night and just watch the world outside. I really love reading everyones ideas. I can see lots of memories in what people say. Hope I get to personally see this wonderful home.

This area needs to be surprisingly fun and inviting. A large comfy matress inside a wooden frame that folds down from behind closet doors would be incredible. Some kind of small rustic looking fridge is a must...we all get thirsty! Either a glider rocker or swing(just as long as it's comfortable) is also a must. The key is comfort and keep it rustic.

hey I have a county house with the porch and tin roof it's great yes a ceiling fan on the porch would be great but why would you want to mess up the peace of it all with a tv let the fans set on the sofa and have a blast but leave the porch for relaxing and visting with each other.Have you ever set on the porch and watched a thunderstorm or just a gentle rain. Nothing like it.

Hey Iam back
about the furnishing for the porch how about a swing and a few rockers if room a lough chair, potted plants a great to. tables for a cool drink is a must. The inside well that has to have chairs made for on but big enough for two to cuddle in together. The tables need to e rustic you know iron and wood not shinny and flashy.Well it all need a good amount of rustic to make it real.

I think the screened in porches would be great and that's the one I had voted for. NO wired sound, please. If you want to have
everything like you have it where you live, what's the point? One
is trying to get AWAY from everything and relax; not stay wired
like you are in the city. TV maybe; just to stay in touch; radio.
But, leave all the surround sound and everything like that, alone.
I voted for the tin roof but have been voting, lately, for asphalt.
It is fire-proofed, usually, but you do have the harsh temps that
cause them to get 'old' and you have to re-shingle. They say they'll last a bunch of years; but you pretty much have to go on
what the shingles say. The shake shingles, they're very hazardous for fires. Even a small fire on a shake shingle can cause severe damage should embers fall on them. NO...to those. Although they DO look more woodsy and may be made to
be more fire retardant, today, it still doesn't look like a good idea to me.

A ceiling fan; on a screened in porch, that sounds good. The cabin the 'won' looks to DARK for me; not enough window space
to view the surroundings; and what would be more beautiful than being about to see the fall trees from EVERY angle. We had
a friend in Colorado Springs; he had a home, with his wife, on a
golf course. He said that EVERY morning he felt like he had a new painting in his view; Pikes peak and the rocky mountains from some areas and the rolling plaines and then, the flat stretch of plains that went east, toward the ranch and farm county. And it was just awesome to stand in his house just looking out his windows. He needed no art on his walls; his massive windows had the art he needed.

The "braches and twigs" stairway looks rather unfriendly to me. I like the old, traditional look; uncluttered. And very easy to keep up. The round stairway has all those little square blocks on the one side that would just be dust catchers, as far as I'm concerned. The LESS you have to mess with upkeep in the house, or inner area, the better.

I like the old bathtub for the same reason. The walk in shower is going to require upkeep; it's not going to keep the water spots and all that off the walls and the windows. SO, the neater and the less to keep up, the better. Of course, if you have difficulty
in getting into and out of tubs, the shower would be ideal.

This is just my opinion, you understand? But, I have been voting.

Wondered if bears were a problem? Do they come to the area for food and the smell of bacon or other meats drawing them to
the area. You know, the more we crowd them, the more they crowd us? What do we do? Shoot them. Sad...but the same was
done to the Native Americans. So, what can I say?

I've been watching the vote as well as anticipating what the inside will look like. My vote would be for low maintainence where ever possible. As a dedicated woodswalker the Smokies is a wonderul place to build a delightful cabin. As a woodswalker I want to save as many trees as possible but now is the time to take down those trees that would be dangerous in a storm as well as the widowmakers that are showing signs of decay. Have fun. Keep it natural. Safe building. Lou (Woodswalker)

Hope that the house shows the land off and the
work be great in and outside

(so sorry I have missed out on this blog log world)

Porch comments? - We are planning for a total surround of porch/deck so 'enclosed' isn't part of that entire package, however we are trying to incorporate some swing-down screens in some area of the deck so as to frustrate the bugs sometime during the summer.