About the Designer
Liz Brister has lived in the Broadmeadow neighborhood of Fondren in Jackson, Mississippi for more than 30 years. When the family grew to four children, two dogs and a cat, their 1950s ranch house in the city didn't fit the mold of what usually happens next: a bigger house in the suburbs. Liz and her family made a different choice: they decided to stay. Their home was more than a house on a street; it was part of a community.
It planted a seed that now has become her number one passion: to #lovewhereyoulive. So when a proliferation of investors started buying properties in her neighborhood for cheap flips and rental property profits, Liz decided that her neighborhood was not for sale.
She started Design4Good with the purpose of rebuilding communities by connecting with neighbors and revitalizing houses into beautiful, livable homes. She has bought and lovingly restored eight homes and doesn't plan to stop until she has renovated every home that needs a little TLC to make it desirable again.
Every detail in a Design4Good home is painstakingly pored over by Liz. The stories of each house are reflected in her designs, and she restores as many of the original features as possible. Liz buys locally, uses environmentally-responsible products, and works with highly-skilled craftspeople. She will never cut corners or sacrifice budget over quality for one of her future neighbors.
Meet the Team
Taylor McKay Hathorn
Social Media Manager
Taylor Hathorn lives in a Design4Good home, where she is a stone’s throw away from Liz and her tasty Sunday night suppers. Taylor is a two-time graduate of Mississippi College’s English program and also has an MA from LSU, where the sports teams have brought her both joy and frustration. Taylor is the Assistant Registrar at Millsaps College and teaches college composition courses. When she is not managing social media accounts, grading papers, or keeping student records, she enjoys cooking, taking long walks through Fondren, and playing the daily Wordle and Connections puzzles. You can read Taylor’s creative work and journalism here: www.taylormckayhathorn.com.
Darlene Martin
Interior designer + Color consultant
Liz’s mother, Darlene, provides the creative engine that makes Design4Good possible. A self-taught interior designer, she has spent a lifetime creating beautiful spaces. She has designed and built two family homes, renovated two other family homes — including a lake house in Hot Springs, Arkansas — and consulted on numerous design projects. Based in Little Rock, Darlene turns every house into a showplace with her detailed attention to lighting, fabrics, decor and furnishings. Darlene’s masterful curation of color makes each Design4Good home timeless and unique.
John Walker
Construction Manager
John Walker has been in the construction industry for over 20 years. He’s been part of the Design4Good crew from the very beginning, finally becoming the full-time construction manager in 2023. Along with his wealth of experience, John brings a lead carpenter certification from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, a level-four electrician certification from NCCER, and an IICRC mold and mildew remediation certification. In addition to his commitment to continuing education in the trade, John also values continuing his relationships with his clients.