DAVID GRAVER speaks to AMANDA PRATT, founder of Salon Design
An interior designer and art advisor, Amanda Pratt founded the contemporary design gallery Salon Design in 2018 but moved it to its current Tribeca storefront in 2022. With an international purview, Pratt’s gallery provides a platform for emerging and established designers, artists, and artisans. Women represent 80 percent of the gallery’s roster. Salon Design rotates through thought-provoking design exhibitions four times a year—though no visit is complete without stepping into the bathroom, which features an enveloping installation by the Italian artisans of Pictalab.
“A woman came into the gallery recently. After spending 30 minutes looking at the pieces on display and asking questions, she told me that she loves going to galleries, however, she rarely sees work that she can picture living with,” Pratt shares. “Salon was the exception. She wanted to take everything home with her. This is the experience I want clients to have when they enter our gallery space. I want them to feel immediately drawn to what they see, energized by the originality of the work but able to envision it as a cherished piece of their home or collection.” Pratt avoids trends when curating shows. She prefers to highlight contemporary designers advancing heritage techniques or introducing dynamic new materials.
