The Women of Lusive: Sally Thomas Cooper

Sally Thomas Cooper

Owner

Established Lusive in 2002

With a design career that spans from set designing for TV and Film to interior designing for residential and commercial clients, Sally started Lusive in 2002 and has led the company to be named one of Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing USA manufacturing companies and has received honors from the National Association of Women Business Owners for her leadership. Under Sally’s lead, Lusive has grown to become one of the leading custom lighting manufacturers around the world and continues to grow year after year.

Tell us a little bit about what brought you into the world of lighting?

As a design fan from an early age, I world in interior design then the film industry. I came to the US to design sets for a movie, then met a very nice lighting designer by the name of Jason Cooper - we started dating and then thought to ourselves “We could start a lighting company.....”

The rest, as they say, is history!

What’s the most memorable/favorite Lusive project you’ve been involved with?

So many great projects with so many great designers! One that is still near and dear to my heart is the Coral Ballroom feature installation at Hilton Hawaiian Village, Waikiki.

I love that so many people remember this hotel as the site of their parents honeymoon or a special family vacation; and I love that we could create a stunning ‘coral reef’ of hundreds of hand cast ‘petals’.

Jason and I were in Venice to witness our glass artisans cast the first articles and we hand carried them back home the very next day.

What’s your idea of happiness?

Sunday morning coffee in bed after a long trip.

Which talent would you most like to have?

The ability to nap on any form of transport.

What’s something that no one else knows about you?

I’m really Australian (that’s a Kiwi joke...).

What’s the best aspect of working at Lusive?

Collaboration and creativity.