THIS WESTMOUNT SPACE IS THREE APARTMENTS IN ONE
Neighbouring units acquired, amalgamated into sizable 13-room home
Before Marvin Birnbom retired, he was a serial entrepreneur. One of his businesses was a chain of electronic stores (Etco Electronics). Another was publishing a magazine about electronics.
Birnbom loves gadgets and he’s also a ham radio buff. He used to show his friends how he could communicate with people around the world — long before the internet was part of everyday life.
A “born and bred” Montrealer, Birnbom, who is 87, still loves to wheel and deal. He does not look his age and has the body language and demeanour of somebody who is several decades younger. He also has an impish sense of humour and his speech is peppered with laughter as he explains how he found his rental apartment in Côte-des-Neiges.
His home is actually three apartments in one and they were acquired over a number of years, starting in 1964. Because Birnbom grew up in the city, he knew where he wanted to live and where he didn’t want to live. So he set his sights on a place, surrounded by greenery, that was high above downtown.
His first thought was to rent a penthouse, but even 50 years ago, such an apartment was way out of his price range. Birnbom came up with the next best thing, namely an apartment at the top of Mount Royal on the opposite side of Westmount. From there, he had a spectacular view and, although today the view is partly obscured by mature trees that have grown around his building, he still enjoys living on what is a quiet cul-de-sac. His apartment building is 10 minutes from downtown, but a world away from the bustling city.
After moving into his first apartment, he acquired two neighbouring apartments at the beginning of the 2000s (it took him a couple years), knocking down walls and amalgamating all the bedrooms and bathrooms (there are three) into one sizable living space with 13 rooms. Birnbom also has two 1,000square-foot patios, one of which is decorated in what he calls a “California garden style” — i.e. landscaped with plants, furniture and whimsical animal ornaments fashioned from garden implements.
Q Was it hard to get permission to turn the three apartments into one? A Well, it wasn’t easy. I’ve been through eight landlords in the time I’ve been here, but I’ve always had a good relationship with the various people who have owned the building. I’m pretty good at bringing them around to my ideas. After all, I’m a salesman. Q You said your major renovations were in 2000? What did you have done at that time? A I was running my business from Old Montreal and I was constantly driving back and forth. I realized I could manage things from a central location, so that’s when I decided to set up my office here at home. To do that, I needed to convert some of the bedrooms into storage space, a working area and so on, so that’s what I did.
(As we chat, Birnbom walks me around his domain. His open living and dining room are decorated in sumptuous shades of burgundy, bottle green and gold. The living room has dark wood, built-in wall units and several large leather-upholstered armchairs, giving it the ambience of a private gentleman’s club, emphasized by the oil paintings that hang on the wall. A collection of silver ornaments stands behind a glass-fronted display case, ringed by a gilt frame.)
Q Did you choose the furnishings yourself ? A Oh, no. I know nothing about home decoration. I hired an interior designer and she picked out most of the pieces for me. The furniture was custom made here in Montreal by Renaissance Furniture, but some of the things, like the silverware, came from my mother.
(From the living room we walk into what Birnbom calls his “automotive museum.” It’s an entire room filled with glass display cabinets in which are rows and rows of scale models of vintage and classic cars.)
Q I see you have an E-Type Jaguar. That’s an iconic British car from the 1960s, isn’t it? A Exactly. I have a real one as well. It’s in the garage downstairs.
Q The design still looks modern today. A When I used to drive the car in Old Montreal, even little kids used to yell out “E-Type!” “E-Type!”
(From the “museum” we move into another former bedroom. This one has been converted into a workshop. Birnbom opens one cabinet door after another, to show me how he has organized his tools. Each item is neatly filed into a container and labelled accordingly.)
Q Goodness, you’re certainly very organized. A I have to be because I ran my business this way. Everything is catalogued. The units were all installed by California Closets. I had to have a workshop because I love doing things. What I like is to modify things, repair things or to create things that are no longer on the market.