{"id":20451,"date":"2023-07-17T04:15:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-17T09:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lakehomes.com\/info\/?p=20451"},"modified":"2024-08-28T13:49:27","modified_gmt":"2024-08-28T18:49:27","slug":"deeply-rooted-billy-reid-refashions-the-family-cabin-on-alabamas-wilson-lake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lakehomes.com\/info\/lifestyles\/deeply-rooted-billy-reid-refashions-the-family-cabin-on-alabamas-wilson-lake","title":{"rendered":"Deeply Rooted: Billy Reid Refashions the Family Cabin on Alabama’s Wilson Lake"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span>Estimated reading time: <\/span>10<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Billy<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Photography<\/em>: Robert Rausch<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One look inside Billy Reid<\/a>‘s family cabin, and it becomes apparent that his eye for style extends far beyond his flair for fashion design. Celebrated for his line of modern Southern clothing\u2014with 15 boutiques across the country\u2014Billy’s innate sense of form and function seeps through the entire home, from room to room. Perched above Shoal Creek<\/a> on Wilson Lake<\/a> in Northern Alabama, the seven-acre site tucks into a lush canopy of hardwoods just beyond the water’s edge. Billy and his wife, Jeanne, bought the property in 2015. Over the next few years, while working nights and weekends with their local carpenter friend Sam Magill, they handcrafted a highly personalized space that truly embodies who they are as a family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Treehouse Vibe<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"exterior<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“We wanted to create a loft-style space with tons of light and the feel of a large treehouse,” Billy says. “The cabin is surrounded by trees and situated on Shoal Creek, connected to the Tennessee River. It’s incredibly private and is barely visible from the water.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the project started, the couple knocked out walls and dropped ceilings in the top-floor living area. In addition, they incorporated what was once the screened porch into their open floor plan to increase the square footage. Next, to resolve the lack of an open-air porch, they outfitted the back and sides of the house with floor-to-ceiling windows. This created a breezy indoor-outdoor effect\u2014perfect for when southern temps start to cool down in the fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The back deck leads to a walkway along the water line to a private boat dock and sun deck, where we spend a ton of family time in the summer with our friends,” notes Billy. “Someday, we’d like to develop the property with tiny houses for the family. But that will have to wait a few years. We worked on the space for six years, completing project after project until finally putting it all together. It’s been a labor of love, and now that it is somewhat finished, we can fully enjoy it.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visually Connected<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"View<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By knocking down walls and absorbing the screened porch into the house, the couple created an effortless open floor plan. As a result, their family cabin visually connects the living spaces while capturing the woodland view from nearly every vantage point. “With the large windows, the woods and water become a backdrop,” says Billy. “I feel that keeping the interior colors neutral is more compatible with the outdoors and helps the space stay bright.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The couple installed a mixed species of reclaimed flooring and left it unfinished to generate warmth and a modern vibe. They used pine plank walls throughout\u2014there is not one piece of Sheetrock anywhere in the house. In addition, the Reids also chose a soft white hue to allow the warmth of the old flooring\u2014reclaimed from a South Carolina home built in 1840\u2014to shine through, emitting a light, clean feel. They applied the same shade on the walls and ceilings to ensure fluid continuity and bring out the wood’s well-worn patina. “Some people don’t like that,” adds Billy, “but I think it creates a new life while leaving visible character.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Billy and Jeanne integrated their love for meaningful d\u00e9cor and quirky furniture finds into the space. Plus, they often design their own furniture. For example, the dining table is a flea market find\u2014a metal frame foldable school cafeteria table they reworked with reclaimed wide-plank pine. “We built in personal touches through the use of materials,” Billy notes, “like the salvaged pieces of a staircase from my great-grandmother’s house we used on the stairway down to the lower level.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Repurposed Chandelier<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"living<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“The focal point of the family cabin is a massive chandelier made from driftwood I collected from the creek,” says Billy. “I used an iron chandelier from our garage and stacked driftwood on the fixture to create a large hive. Then, we secured it and electrified it with a dimmer switch, creating some really cool lighting effects.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A tufted sectional wraps the space in front of the whitewashed fireplace and defines the living area. The coffee table is another of Billy’s handcrafted creations using leftover marble pieces inlaid into reclaimed LVL beams. For an adjacent seating area by the windows, the couple repurposed an oversized leather ottoman to incorporate book storage. They paired it with conversation benches made from leftover church pew ends from an 1850 church in Vicksburg.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We are huge sports fans, so we built a TV into the den and kitchen to allow 360-degree viewing,” Billy adds. “The open format of the space makes it possible for everyone to have a great seat when entertaining for a game or pregaming with friends. Having the kids and their friends over is a consistent occurrence, and really some of the best times and memories throughout the years have been made at the cabin.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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