Anthony Westlake has worked in the oriental carpet business all his adult life. In 1968, just out of school and working in a bank in Bristol, England, a banking client and proprietor of a carpet store urged Anthony to work for him. Anthony took the job, and so began his lifelong love for hand-knotted carpets. An avid jazz lover and pianist, Anthony has noted a parallel between great jazz music and great carpet weaving – both evoke originality and beauty, while artistically grounded in their respective traditions. Carpets that evoke a sense of movement and improvisation have inspired Anthony to assemble a varied selection of traditional and contemporary carpets, each with its own lyrical quality.

Anthony Westlake and Ara Mavyan opened Mavyan & Westlake Oriental Carpets in Victoria in 1995. Business partner Ara Mavyan, located in Vancouver, offers his expertise for specialized cleaning, repair, and restoration.

Anthony makes regular buying trips to Turkey and India, hand-picking carpets that feature the finest quality wool and dyes – key ingredients for lasting durability and enjoyment. At Mavyan & Westlake, you can choose from an ever-changing and broad selection of high-quality pieces from international companies such as Obeetee, Zollanvari, Woven Legends and Michaelian and Kohlberg. Mavyan & Westlake places a high importance on working with suppliers who maintain fair trading, labour and environmental practices.

Born in Istanbul to Armenian parents, Ara began work in the carpet trade during his school holidays and later trained in the restoration of oriental carpets. He remembers quickly developing an interest in weaving techniques as well as acquiring a fascination for the artistic and historic aspects of this ancient art. Ara worked and trained in Istanbul until 1989 when he and his family moved to Canada. Ara has since established himself as western Canada’s leading repairer and restorer.

Born and raised in Victoria, Ben has been with Mavyan & Westlake since October 2003. He began as a showroom assistant while studying at the University of Victoria and since graduating with a degree in English in 2007, Ben has taken on a larger role at Mavyan & Westlake. His duties include service and sales support, IT and website maintenance as well as ongoing inventory photography and documentation.