Cliff and Chris built their log cabin with a kit from The Original Lincoln Logs while they were working as dealers for them. After deciding they had been with that company long enough, they went out on their own. They now purchase their log materials from different mills in the Northwest. Homeowners buying their products can be as involved in the building process as they want.

An 18-foot Christmas tree stands tall in their living room for the season this year. The Wheelers, along with friends, searched the woods for their tree, using a flatbed to haul it back to the cabin. To decorate the top, Cliff stood on a ladder in the loft. The stand is on wheels, so once the tree was decorated to satisfaction, it was rolled into position. Guide wires ensure it stays upright.

Raffia bows and nut garlands have been part of the Wheeler Christmas tree decorations for more than a decade. "My stepfather drilled holes through all of the nuts 16 years ago, and we fed wire through them," describes Chris. She saw the burlap chain in a store and made her own.

The living room fireplace, made of local Santiam River rock, is the perfect backdrop for stockings and holiday decorations ... or for simply relaxing.

In the entry, a second Christmas tree is also decorated with the family's signature raffia ribbons. An antique sled from upstate New York hangs on the wall as art.

Cliff and Chris used Eddie Bauer's Cabin Red paint to distress their cabinetry in the kitchen. Cliff made the wood paneling for the fan and the back of the bar, and also built the bar chairs.

This coffee grinder in the kitchen was a gift from Chris' brother-in-law. He found it at an estate sale at an old log cabin along the Deschutes River.

The Wheelers have expanded and remodeled their kitchen since building their house. "When we originally built the house, we installed cheap white cabinets to save money," says Chris. Now the natural wood cabinetry matches the rest of their cabin's aesthetic. The decorative tin backsplash is typical of old Victorian ceilings. Chris added some old-fashioned nails at each junction.

The plumbing for this pot filler runs through a tree trunk. There is a sliver of wood, barely visible, which can be removed to reach the pipe. The rest of the plumbing is under the cabinet.

Chris uses this extra sink in the kitchen as an ice bucket when entertaining guests.

This antler chandelier hanging over the dining room table was made by a local artist and purchased from Volt Lighting in Bend. Chris was drawn to this particular lighting fixture because of the rawhide lampshades as well as the sheer number of bleached antlers used in the design.

The Christmas decorations here were inspired by a Home Depot commercial Chris saw last year. "I bought some Christmas balls to hang from the chandelier, and my husband said, 'Why don't you use pinecones?'" I also made yarn balls and have used them on the Christmas tree as well."

Cliff built their dining room table using lodgepole and ponderosa pine.

Cliff is an avid hunter and outdoorsman. An elk head from one of his hunting trips is displayed on the wall in the family room. The coffee table is from Mexico and was purchased at a trade show.

A festive holiday garland along the stair rail leads to the master bedroom.

In the master bedroom, Chris wanted privacy without losing sunlight, so Cliff designed and built these wooden shutters.

In the guest bedroom, Chris used scarves to make throw pillows and window treatments. The bed was made by a log furniture builder in Spokane, Washington.

An antique oar is cleverly repurposed as a shower curtain rod in this guest bathroom.

The couple also turned an old radio cabinet into a vanity fitted with a Mexican-style porcelain sink.

As a tribute to the history of log cabins, some of the old tools used to build them are displayed in the entry. Items that recall both the history of log cabins and the history of Chris and Cliff themselves can be found throughout their home.

These log picture frames were hand crafted by Cliff as a nod to their surroundings.

Chris' stepfather owned Bicentennial Music & Vending in central Oregon. "I grew up having the Beatles' first songs on 45s before anyone in town had them, because we had all of the music machines," she says. "We had all of the pinball machines, pool tables and cigarette and candy machines in central Oregon."

When her stepfather passed away a couple years ago, a friend used this vase as the basis for a flower arrangement. "She drilled holes in the pool balls and put a stick through the end," says Chris. "When the flowers died, we kept the vase as our pool ball arrangement."

Though covered in snow in winter, this fire pit on the back porch is frequently used during the summer to make s'mores, boil a pot of soup or water, or grill food.

This part of Bend was once a ranch with a stock pond, where kids would come to ice skate. "I remember coming out here with [my sister] one time to go ice skating," says Chris.

Cliff and Chris plan to use a chairlift from Hoodoo Mountain Resort as a tree swing in their backyard.

Chris says of her hometown, "With the exception of a theater, we have everything that a bigger city would have — but we also get the outdoors and blue skies."