Liz Vehko, owner-partner of Denver’s Shaver-Ramsey is passionate about textiles—and life. She tells us how her cultural experiences shape her ability to assess craftsmanship and quality design and how her business has a broader reach, not only to the Cherry Creek community but also beyond.
How did you first get involved in the rugs and textiles industry?
My first involvement working with textiles was through a summer job in college on Nantucket Island at Nantucket Looms. It was a gorgeous store that had actual working looms that wove beautiful throws, blankets, shirts, fabrics with materials such as wool and mohair—pure luxury. That gave me a taste for weaving. Then, right after college, I started working at Shaver-Ramsey which has a reputation among rug and textile collectors world-wide for high-quality, collectable pieces. I never imagined it would turn into my life’s work, traveling the world to find one-of-a-kind rugs and textiles.
What do you find most inspiring about your career?
Beauty inspires me daily, and I know that sounds broad, but I am surrounded by beautiful hand-woven works of art every day. Color and design also inspire me.
How do you determine the characteristics of a good rug?
The quality of the wool and dyes are first and foremost the most important characteristics of a good rug. Hand-spun wool, as opposed to machine-spun wool, and natural plant dyes are the best combination for a high-quality rug. Density of weave follows those.
You’re not only connecting people with fine and custom rugs, but you’re also hosting programs and films. Can you tell us more about the popular “The Magic Carpet Ride” series and films that you showcase?
Shaver-Ramsey has always considered itself a place for the community to gather and not just a store. We hosted Cherry Creek Theatre for many years. We disassembled an entire room in our store for three months out of the year and it was transformed into a set with live performances on the weekends. More than 20,000 people attended performances over the six years we hosted. “The Magic Carpet Ride” is a course at Paul Ramsey has taught for over 40 years about rugs. He has even taught it at The Denver Art Museum. We host foreign films and many other non-profits throughout the year as well.
What’s one of the most satisfying parts of your day-to-day role?
I love going to customers’ houses and putting a room together with a rug. The right rug pulls everything together—fabrics, furniture, paint, and art!
You travel all over the world. Tell us how this influences your choices when selecting rugs.
Traveling influences one’s tastes for sure. Exposure to more cultures, their histories, their art expands my understanding all the time of art, color, and design which influences what I buy for the store.
Your reach seems broader than only homeowners. What other types of clients do you work with?
We have provided rugs for world leaders, such as the Pope’s suite when he was in Denver to the G8 conference years ago. We partner with galleries and museums for exhibitions, such as the Matisse and Friends show at DAM to a current collaboration we have going on with K Contemporary Art. Rugs enhance important artwork and paintings at a museum or gallery.