The hearth can be used for everything from hot drinks to make entire meals.

After ten years of restoration, the Aikens’ project was completed in 2013. Richard had finally achieved his cozy cabin getaway that he’d always dreamed of having. If you think this view is beautiful, wait until you see the rest!

Taking a look at the drastic changes between the $100 cabin Richard originally purchased and what he built, in the end, is unbelievable. It doesn’t even appear to be the same structure. The inside is even more of a remarkable change….

The interior had an even more drastic improvement:

Though the Aikens are still touching up the exterior a bit, they’ve still spent a lot of time living in the cabin.

This was the perfect setting for a family Thanksgiving, in which the Aikens found inspiration in Native American culture by assembling a Sacred Four Directions Harvest Table.