“I’m coming at this as an artist, ” says Lisa Welch, owner of Tech Styles in Wicker Park where she puts art underfoot by creating custom-made area rugs with strong graphic designs that look like abstract paintings. She binds together pieces of carpet shaped like cubes, curves and blocks into rugs.
“I like real graphic, contemporary pieces,” says Welch, who has a degree in textile art from the Art Institute of Chicago. “As for inspiration, fabrics, sidewalks, cracked concrete and buildings have given me ideas for carpets,” Welch says.
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A 6-by-8-foot rug by Welch costs between $800 and $900, while a 3-by-5- foot rug begins at $250. Tech Styles is at 1738 W. Division St. Hours are by appointment; call 312-276-8150.