COASTAL COPPER’S LAURA PREMAK IS PURE GOLD

Charleston native creates company that celebrates the timeless art of coppersmithing

by STACEY MARCUS / photography by HOLGER OBENAUS

A QUICK CONVERSATION WITH Laura Premak illuminates her passion for her com-pany, Coastal Copper, which creates handcrafted copper lanterns and lighting. She is quick to applaud the artisans behind the scenes, who transform client preferences into one-of-a-kind lighting showpieces, but make no mistake, it is Premak’s high-watt energy that is the cornerstone of Coastal Copper’s magic.

“I first met Laura through my builder, Maurice Mangan of Mangan Inc., who was working with me on our home in Kiawah Island,” says Jennifer Bastian. “The thing I love about her is that she really listens and is eager to collaborate.”

After Premak created the front entrance-way lighting fixture, Bastian commissioned her to create complementary pieces on either side on the front door. “People are always ringing my front doorbell asking who did my lighting! It is one of my favor-ite things about the house,” says Bastian.

“I loved collaborating with Jennifer,” notes Premak, who cherished the idea of designing luminaries that were so lean and slender they appear to float. “The coppersmiths are the true visionaries who understand how to play with the glass and electric components to create a light airi-ness that is truly elegant.”

Premak’s fascination with lighting was sparked while working in the construction industry for over a decade. “I think lighting is a thing of beauty. It is almost like jewelry for a room the way it makes a space pop,” she muses. While working in the light-ing industry, Premak became enamored with the timeless art of coppersmithing and decided to launch her own company, where she could help clients design be-spoke copper lighting.

“People generally think wagon wheels and antlers when you mention copper lighting, but you can reimagine it in a mil-lion different ways,” says Premak, noting that its powder coating comes in a robust rainbow of colors. She also points out that coppersmiths make beautiful pieces that have a handcrafted feel, creating a sense of balance in our fast-paced world.

One of the key benefits of working with Coastal Copper is the opportunity to create lighting that truly reflects your personal style. Premak worked with a client in South Florida who sent photos of a pineapple light that she wanted cre-ated for her home. Premak and her team designed a 6-foot-tall pineapple pendant for the grand entryway and two additional coordinating wall sconces for the exterior courtyard entrance. The client loved the pieces so much that she commissioned 20 more fixtures to have placed around the property at the pool, fountains and ponds. When the client’s daughter moved to Georgetown in Washington, D.C., she had Premak design a pineapple pendant for her new space, as a reminder of her South Florida home.

“You can go anywhere and buy a light. However, we create handcrafted pieces of art that you will not find anywhere else. Your lighting choices are limitless when you consider the myriad sizes, finishes and glass options available,” she says. Premak is especially proud that she only sells piec-es that are made in the United States and that her company creates jobs for people who are keeping the art of coppersmith-ing alive and flourishing.

“We ship all over the world,” says Pre-mak, who cites Belize, Bermuda and Bimi-ni as places she has shipped lanterns. On a recent trip to Turks and Caicos, Premak randomly stopped by a job site to intro-duce herself and ended up with an order for 17 lanterns. “We are not the most well-known copper lighting company, but we love what we do in bringing our clients’ visions to life!” she says with a smile.

Walking job sites, meeting people and sharing her passion for copper lighting comes naturally. “I feel like we become part of the family,” says Premak, who, like her copper fixtures, enjoys being out in
the world, providing joy.

Stacey Marcus is a Boston-based free-lance lifestyle, luxury and travel writer. Her works have appeared in Art New England, Boston, Boston Common Maga-zine, Coastal Design Magazine, Charles-ton Style & Design, Modern Luxury Chicago, Ocean Home Magazine, Playboy. com, RD.com and many others. A lover of big words and little white dogs, Stacey’s biggest joys are found in life’s simple moments.

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