I wouldn't say you're out of the Kimber arena, or any of the other high-end one for that matter. Smart choice picking a 1911, especially since you have the 22/45, which shares the same grip angle as a 1911. You'll never regret buying a 1911. It boils down to bells and whistles. Good news is if you buy a basic model, you can build it up however you like. I would say to get as many upgrades as you can off the bat i.e. factory. Probably most important will be extended or ambi safety, extended grip safety, decent trigger and hammer group, and sights. Nice thing is that most of the bigger manufactures make loads of drop in parts. Biggest cost in 1911 upgrades is anything requiring machine or hand work. Sights, checkering, slide to frame fit, etc. Trigger jobs are another area. A gunsmith who cant do one correctly isn't a gunsmith.

Regardless how deep you go, make sure you start with a good base to build on, should that be your want. My suggestions for ones to look for include STI, Springfield, Kimber, Para, Wilson for starters. There are tons of smiths out there, you won't have any problem finding what you want.