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It all started with a supper club. Reed and
Diane Hogan and their friends ventured
from Jackson, Mississippi, to Lake Bruin
for the group’s annual summer party.
Cruising the lake—where 100-year-old cypress trees dripping with
silvery moss stand like statues in the water—they discovered a magical
place called Cypress Landing. Once a famous fishing camp, it was now
deserted. “We pulled up to its old fishing dock, which was totally
dilapidated, and got out to look around,” Reed says. It was no dreamy
retreat when the supper club stumbled upon it.
“The grass and weeds were practically over my head,” Diane
recalls. “But there was something so alluring about the property. I
could just shut my eyes and imagine a little village.” Reed, however,
wasn’t entirely convinced.
“Diane was looking at the mess and imagining what it could
become, while I was wondering how many snakes were in the cabins,”
he says. “Fortunately, one of our supper club members, Timmy Taylor,
is an architect. And he was just as optimistic as Diane.”
Before they took a leap of faith, they had to reexamine the
property—and the financial implications of purchasing it. “Tackling a
project like this, and doing it with other families, is a huge
commitment,” Diane says. “First, Timmy had to assess the buildings
and make sure what we wanted to do was even possible architecturally
and financially. We were lucky to have his expertise.”
Everyone in the group brought some talent to the table, from
decorating to landscaping. And each person had one goal in mind:
staying true to Cypress Landing’s sense of place.
The old pier,
above,
which the
new owners restored, is a
landmark on the lake. Diane
Hogan,
top,
relaxes on her porch,
where a swinging bed is the
perfect spot for afternoon naps.
The Hogans chose a summery
green trim, white-painted
paneling, and plenty of kid-
friendly furniture for their cabin,
top right
and
opposite.
Old travel
trunks double as a coffee table.
