Rustic Log House From HGTV Dream Home 1997

In 1997, Michele Rambo of Tulsa, Okla., was the very first winner of an HGTV Dream Home. This first Dream Home is a warm and cozy Western retreat.

A fortress in the snow: Dream Home 1997

Located just outside Jackson Hole, Wyo., tucked in among the birches and pines with spectacular views of the Grand Tetons, this solid-log house with it's forest green tin tile roof and long covered porches looks completely at home in the American West.

: The first Dream Home of many to come.
: The covered porches offer unforgettable views.
: The kitchen
: The dining room, embraced by Wyoming pines.

It was manufactured entirely in Finland — logs, beams, trim, tongue-and-groove ceilings. Even the interior and exterior doors were prefabricated, carefully coated and shipped to the building site to be put together like a puzzle. Built of mature Nordic pine, the house is especially suited for Wyoming's severe winters. The rectangular logs, with their precise closing wedges, ensure a tight, warm interior. Solid beams easily support the heavy snowfalls common in this part of the West.

This sense of snug comfort is at the heart of the decor, which combines touches of 19th century Western charm with great views of the surrounding countryside. The Wyoming log home launched an impressive lineup of Dream Homes, each more inventive than the last.