The first time we saw Lonesome Cottage furniture in person was the weekend of the Pigeon Forge Log Home and Timber Frame Show.

They are aggressive salesmen... I'll give 'em that! The guys who were at the Log Home Show were adept at thinking of everything we hadn't thought of, and they showed us every way possible to incorporate their furniture into our life. Overall, we appreciated that they were also very knowledgeable and helpful at the same time.

FYI, the wood used for Lonesome Cottage furniture is Northern White Cedar. The company is based out of Minnesota.

We met Malcolm Stewart of Rocky Top Log Furniture & Railing when we were in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for the Log Home and Timber Frame Show. The company's main warehouse is in Byantsville, Kentucky, but this location in Tennessee (1152 Wears Valley Road/865-774-7662) is their only public showroom.

Rocky Top was scheduled to be at the Log Home Show, but they're currently working on an upcoming episode of Extreme Home Makeover (they're "regulars" on the show now!), so they weren't able to be there. Fortunately for us, Malcolm was in the showroom the day of the Log Home Show and he gave us a personal tour around the place.

We first met Joe Sloan of Keepsake Imports at the Pigeon Forge Log Home Show.

He's based out of Ohio, but he also lives in Thailand 8 months of the year. That's where he gets all of the materials to build his one-of-a-kind modern log furniture.

All of the pieces of furniture at Keepsake Imports are made from old wagon wheels and ox horns, as well as other everyday items commonly found in Thailand and beyond.

"For over ten years, Keepsake Imports has been working hard to design, create and manufacture awe-inspiring furniture and accent pieces for timber frame homes, log homes, and cabins."

Last weekend, we went to the Log Home and Timber Frame Show in Pigeon Forge, TN.

We weren't sure what to expect, and when we got there, we were surprised that all of the vendors fit into that tiny "convention center". (It's actually more like a showroom than a convention center, but word is they're building a new convention center in Pigeon Forge, and next year's show will likely take place there.)

The good news: It's actually bigger than it appears. Once you get inside, it goes back a long ways. It held 100 or so vendors at this log home show.

The best news: All of the exhibitors were log home related!

Here's a little about our experience with building homes before this...

Jim and I recently went to a Home Show here in Nashville (the Nashville Home Decorating & Remodeling Show).

We were thrilled to find that there were a number of retailers in attendance who catered specifically to log home owners.

That peaked our interest in attending as many Log Home Shows as we could possibly find in this area.

Here are some Log Home Shows you may be interested in... no matter where you live.

As a way to gather ideas to incorporate into our log home, we've enjoyed attending Home Shows.

Of course, to find a Log Home Show in your area -- without having to drive too far away -- is ideal, but not always possible.

So here are some ways to keep the ideas flowing during the different phases of building your log home...

Attend some private events held by the log home builders themselves!