You may know her as the owner of Jux-Ta-Posh, but she’s a secret titan of the area. 

“Some people, they rescue animals. I rescue things.”

That’s how the owner and operator of Jux-Ta-Posh, Kim Sparks, says her hobby started. Now, Kim’s store, which marries new and refurbished home items, is only one of six properties she owns in downtown Lubbock. She’s welcoming new and veteran business owners to the area with open arms, passionate about growing and expanding the heart of our city. 

Meet Kim

Kim is originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, but fell in love with West Texas after moving here with her college sweetheart in 2002. Originally majoring in psychology and starting her career as a social worker, Kim eventually transitioned into real estate and realized her passion wasn’t with selling homes but designing and decorating. 

Kim recounts stories of her childhood using old things to create new ones. She recalls the story of telling her mom, around the age of six or seven, that she wanted to redecorate her room. Surely, her mom assumed she meant moving the toy box to another wall and switching out the stuffed animals on her bed. Nope! Kim wanted to change the location of her closet and window. Not as easy a feat as her mom probably expected. 

Once Kim took the leap from real estate agent to interior design and decoration, she opened a small booth in an antique shop with her sister-in-law by the name of Jux-Ta-Posh. 

“It comes from the word juxtaposition or juxtapose…where you take two opposites, and you put them together so it's like black and white and new and old. So, yeah, the old and rusty and crusty with the new and pretty softs, and you put it together, it just works,” says Kim as she explains the thought behind the store’s name.

Although her dreams were finally coming to fruition, Kim quickly realized their 10x10 space wasn’t going to cut it. She needed to expand. 

Around that time, Kim was driving downtown to pay a speeding ticket when she laid eyes on the first brick-and-mortar location that would be known as Jux-Ta-Posh.

Where it all started: Jux-Ta-Posh

If you didn’t know, Jux-Ta-Posh is now in its second downtown location. In 2017, Kim bought the building directly across from her original location and expanded the store from 3,000 square feet to 13,000.

Since its conception, Jux-Ta-Posh has grown exponentially. The boutique now offers home decor for the bedroom to the patio, curated gifts, authentic antiques, and items “jux for men!” 

Two years ago, through unfortunate circumstances, Kim was able to grow her space a little more. 

“The hydraulic shop next door to me became available. The man passed away, which was really sad, but his daughter called me, and she was like, my dad, I know, would want you to have the place. He always loved what you were doing down here. He always made me shop with you whenever I'd come into town to help support you,” recalled Kim.

Kim’s Vision for the Future

As of today, Kim and her husband own and rent out six properties along Buddy Holly Avenue, with plans to acquire more with time and opportunity. 

“That's really what my husband and I have tried to do, is just get our hands on as many properties as we can down there, just to secure the neighborhood, just to protect our investments, and then also try to get good people in there,” says Kim. “We're not millionaires. And this isn't just a hobby for me to keep me occupied throughout the day. This is our heart and soul.”

Kim describes their methods as “the circle of life.” Buy. Rent it out. Buy. Rent it out. Buy. Rent it out. 

“In my perfect world, I would just love to get old buildings, make them cool and cute and ready for the next person,” Kim explains. 

Kim says she’s open to a variety of businesses moving into downtown but loves the idea of a bridal shop, gelato stop, or wine bar.

“I don't want it to be the Kim show. I want you to see different things and experience different people…I just want to be surrounded by good people that are willing to do the hustle, that are passionate about their product or whatever it is that they're wanting to do,” says Kim.

Next to Jux-Ta-Posh, Kim and her husband are revitalizing the courtyard next to her store. Those are some of the few ideas she’s had for filling the space, saying she wants the area to feel like an “oasis.” 

Like many downtown business owners, Kim has plans for the future that she feels will make the area even more welcoming. Although they’re not big changes, Kim feels that updates like outdoor lighting, closer attention to landscaping, and better signage can take Downtown Lubbock to the next level. 

“I would love to see people come back to their roots, back down to the cool old buildings. It can be a place where you can actually get out and walk from place to place and feel the feeling like you have in downtown,” Kim says.

At the end of the day, Kim says her goal is to convert “citizens to believers.” Not only for the good of downtown but the Depot District specifically.

“It is such high highs and low lows that you're just on this roller coaster, not wanting to do anything else. You're stuck on it because you believe so wholeheartedly in it, and you're determined to make this work,” says Kim.

It’s people like Kim, through passion and determination, that will bring downtown Lubbock into the era of revitalization and life that we’re all working towards. 

If you want to window shop or actually shop at Jux-Ta-Posh, you can follow their Facebook or visit the store at 1701 Buddy Holly Avenue.