By JANE GULLY
From hunting lodges to stately residences, Memphis designer Wilson Hunt brings the architectural influence of the Mississippi Delta into every project
The Mississippi Delta’s sway on Memphis native Wilson Hunt’s growing-up years still influences his designs, which is evident in some way in each of his projects. Hunt, of J. Wilson Hunt Design in Memphis, spent much of his childhood visiting his maternal grandparents, Steve and Lucile Finlay, in their Greenville home in the iconic Gamwyn Park neighborhood. His grandmother watched as he assembled complex structures from children’s blocks and marveled at his natural ability to create make-believe buildings, seeming to understand how a building should be put together. “They would take me exploring through town when I was there on a visit,” says Hunt. “We would drive through the nice neighborhoods to look at all the really neat houses, and I can remember paying close attention to their style,” he says.
At the same time, Hunt spent time with his paternal grandfather, Jack Hunt, Sr., a contractor in Memphis, exploring the neighborhoods and showing him how buildings and houses were built. And with this, a passion was sparked.
Hunt attended Ole Miss for two years and returned to Memphis, earning a degree in finance from the University of Memphis. He often worked for his contractor father during the summers. After college, Hunt worked as an insurance broker and a banker, but those jobs didn’t satisfy his creative mind. “I was a fourth-generation contractor,” he says. “I’d been around construction my whole life, so I guess it was inevitable that I’d be involved in it somehow.” Hunt eventually became a builder and started his own company building spec houses, then moved on to renovations and custom homes.
Further into his career, with the help of a draftsman, he offered design services to his clients when their projects didn’t warrant the use of a licensed architect. His love of design and the creative outlet it offered grew and became a big part of his business, designing and drawing plans for renovations and modest houses. In the 1990s, some friends approached him about renovating a ranch-style home as a hunting camp, a project he enthusiastically accepted. As an avid hunter himself, he was well qualified for the project, which led to a series of projects that have become a hallmark of his career as a designer.
Blackfish Bayou Club
Well known for taking outdated structures and doing what he calls “making a pigskin wallet out of a sow’s ear,” the original structure for the Blackfish Bayou Club, located in the Arkansas Delta, exemplifies just that. The clubhouse had fallen into disrepair, which prompted the six club members to expand it. They needed a bunk room to accommodate additional overnight guests during the peak of hunting season. Plans were made to update the kitchen to create a functional mud room and an extra living space to accommodate more people.
“We wanted to make sure that the interior was inviting enough to enjoy, especially if the hunting wasn’t so great,” says one of the longtime members. The existing great room was kept in the plans because its layout still worked for large entertainment gatherings. “They loved the old pecky cypress paneling and the beams and fireplace,” Hunt says.
The stained cypress was mixed with off-white shiplap, dark trim paint, and rich wood finishes to create the canvas for the room. The dining room table in the great room features old chairs covered in genuine alligator skin. Framed black and white photographs, along with wildlife mountings, adorn the walls throughout. The original light fixtures remained in the room.
The new den is furnished with comfortable seating and a brick fireplace. It is flooded with lots of natural daylight, making it an intimate room allowing more quiet space away from large crowds. An interesting chair embellished with leather and antlers adds an unexpected sculptural element to the room.
The den adjoins a card room with a heavy, expandable game table flanked with leather captain’s chairs on top of an antique oriental rug. Hunt is known to use unconventional materials to enhance the overall character of his projects, such as the salvaged rusty tin used for ceiling material in the card room and other newly redesigned rooms, which are capped, adding a unique and handsome element to the overall aesthetic.
The modern galley kitchen is a hard-working space, complete with two ranges and two dishwashers, creating an updated, more functional kitchen. The stainless appliances are juxtaposed with rustic touches such as the decorative rough wood, which encapsulates the ventilation system. Open shelving replaced the upper cabinetry, allowing for a more open feel. Black, leathered-finish granite countertops are not only durable but also work well with the character of the entire house. Oriental rugs cover the handsome rustic flooring. And fittingly, a mounted boar’s head provides a creative focal point perched above the vent hood, welcoming cooks and guests alike.
“In most of my projects, both clubs and private houses, the clients ask for functional mudrooms and large gathering spaces,” Hunt explained. “When I first started designing these hunting houses, closets and bedrooms were not a big issue, but now plenty of bedrooms and baths are a must.” The new bunk room at Blackfish is cleverly designed with built-in bed frames topped with twin mattresses, raised to give guests a place to store overnight bags and other items underneath. Instead of a night table, a small shelf was installed, with a wall lamp mounted above to save space. In addition to the bunk space, each member has his own bedroom and bath.
Ryan Anderson of RKA Construction in Memphis served as the contractor for Blackfish. “Wil and I have worked together for almost ten years. He is one of the few designers who also has prior experience in the construction world,” Anderson says. “Because of this background, his designs are very practical, and his ability to work with contractors onsite to find solutions to challenges is second to none,” he added. “Wil has an incredible eye for design details. His understanding of classical architecture results in beautiful designs with proper scale and proportion. He puts his clients first and appreciates that each one has a timeline and budget, which results in sound decision-making when it comes to the design.”
