SUNRISE, SOUTHWESTERN STYLE.

Just a stone's throw from Carthage is tiny Sunrise, Mississippi--a cheerful name for a place that is a delightful "home away from home" to a group of friends and their families from Philadelphia and Jackson. The White Hawk hunting lodge, so named because of a certain bird of that description who flew over regularly during the first three years of the project's development, is on 1,700 acres of prime pines and hardwoods. The 2,800-square-foot resort dwelling is Southwestern in flavor, with an exterior of synthetic stucco, arched windows, and metal roof.

"Another name we use for the place is Tiak Chaha, which is Choctaw for 'tall pines,"' says David Byars, who owns a furniture store in Philadelphia, and who acquired many of the lodge's unusual appointments at the Dallas market. Situated on the Pearl and Lobutcha rivers, rich in wildlife habitats such as beaver sloughs and alligator nests, the land supports a full range of hunting. Rabbit, deer, turkey, and duck abound in the woodlands of the White Hawk property.

"We certainly use it for hunting game, but it's also a family place," continues Byars. "We've had family reunions down there, and wedding parties for close friends. And we're always inviting folks down for house parties, dinners, and so on."

Byars echoes the theme expressed by the Horseshoe Lake members that the old days of no-girls-allowed, guys-only hunting clubs are becoming a thing of the past. In fact, the male members of the club paid the ultimate tribute to female sensibilities, and hired designer Bobbie Hitt (also of Philadelphia) to choose the interior finishes from top to bottom.

"I think I shocked some of them," laughs Hitt, who clearly had a good time with the project. "I went with some brilliant colors, a little bit of a departure from the traditional all-wood scheme you mostly see in lodges like this. But now they all seem to love it!"

The bold hues were saved for the bedrooms and baths, however; homage to the traditional rugged cypress look is paid in the great room. Horizontal pecan-stained plank walls are separated by bands of faux stucco to imitate the look of early Southwestern construction. The furniture is mostly leather and cowhide--hair and all--with more bovine pelt used as a fireplace rug. Leather-shaded lamps made of antlers and a natural-hued tile floor create a strong impression when the room is entered from the foyer.

Hitt's irrepressible colorist urge is evident on the window trim, where primary tones of red, blue, and yellow add interest. The curtains are burlap panels on rods, with finials of cow skulls.

The kitchen, which forms a natural part of the large social gathering area, was installed by Kitchens Unique of Jackson, and offers more color interest in the green wash-finished cabinetry.

The house has two bedrooms; a master suite and a huge 40' x 30' "bunk room" that sleeps fourteen. The latter is furnished with bunk beds fashioned of thick natural poles, with walls painted a punchy pure orange, then overglazed with pecan stain to mute the impact somewhat. The master bedroom was painted an almost electric green, then tissue-ragged with a "dirtier" hue to soften it to an olive shade.

The cypress-and-antler theme is restated in the master suite, where a tumbled marble shower and hardwood floors by Clay Perry of Surface Solutions add more outdoor feeling.

"It's not really your typical hunt-camp look," concludes David Byars. "But we couldn't be happier with it."