Kim Clay Hites holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Interior Design, a Masters Degree in Education, a KY Rank I in Educational Supervision, and is an Allied member of the American Society of Interior Designers. She is also certified by the Interior Arrangement & Design Association for space planning and real estate staging.
Kim has been buying and selling antique art and furniture for the past 30 years but her love affair with France led her to expand and focus her business into bringing fine French antiques and decor to the Lexington market.
For the last 8 years Kim has been traveling the French countryside on buying trips and importing her finds back to the US. She has also organized and hosted small group tours with an emphasis on studying French architecture and furniture for those who have always dreamed of shopping in France.
Currently Kim has been with Thoroughbred Antique Gallery for 5 years where she stages and sells her curated French inventory. She helped establish (along with owner Jerry Shrout) the design division of Thoroughbred Antique Gallery now known as Thoroughbred Antique & Design Gallery. Our design center offers residential clients a vast selection of fabrics, wallpaper, lighting, accessories, and rugs. Our services include custom window treatments, upholstery, custom furniture, and space planning. The design center is surrounded by beautiful 18th and 19th c furnishings housed in an historic building on Main St. in Lexington, KY.
Kim's French Design Atelier is yet another subdivision of the gallery for those wanting authentic European room styles with antiques for today's interiors.
Her design aesthetic is always centered on the human element and solution-focused. The ultimate in earth-friendly, antiques are an obvious choice for recycling and going "green". They are at once, a smart selection/investment and a nod to the appreciation of unsurpassed skill and workmanship of times past. To keep interiors fresh and always chic, a mixology of old and new, refined and rustic, coupled with spaces being highly edited and restrained are a must. Our surroundings should be simply elegant, not overly complex. Overall backgrounds of muted tones with additions of well-placed color and unexpected art or furnishings, define and lend themselves to a relaxed and comfortable place we call home.
She loves helping clients find the right pieces for their homes or collections and is passionate about educating young people on the appreciation of fine antiques and classic design. She and her husband Tim split their time between Pikeville and Lexington with their beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Murphy.