45 Middle Gate

45 Westgate was originally owned by Aime Benard, a financial agent who became an MLA and later a Senator. The next owners were Frank and Agnes Thompson.
Prominent Winnipeg interior designer Grant Marshall (1931-2012) made his home at 45 Middle Gate for nearly forty years from 1964-2001. He and his wife Marilyn Marshall, a dancer for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, raised their two daughters and created their own interior design haven there. In his efforts to renovate and decorate the house’s interior, Marshall incorporated many of his signature stylistic elements using the modern eclectic design sensibility he played a major role in introducing to Winnipeg homes and businesses. Combining furnishings and appliances from various eras against the backdrop of a 1920s structure, Marshall created a unique interior environment. The use of both high and low-end pieces was also crucial to Marshall, who emphasized the importance of affordable and functional design in both his classes at the University of Manitoba Department of Interior Design, and in his own professional practice.

The original character of the house was honoured in the process of remodelling spaces such as the kitchen, where the original built-in ice box was still functional. The rebuilt sliding-door cupboards were painted avocado green and a junk shop-salvaged drop leaf table sat alongside vintage wire ice-cream parlour seats and an auction-sourced Thonet high chair.

Personal touches and DIY projects were also added throughout the home; Marshall hand-painted the powder room walls with sunny yellow nature-inspired abstract shapes, and one of the children’s bedroom also featured a hand-painted, circus-themed border and painting by Marshall. The crib and a chest were Marilyn’s as a child and were painted by her to match the red and white of the chair cushions, red cotton rug and red-painted door panel.

A consistent colour palette served to tie each room together, with turquoise and avocado-green being used to accent predominantly brown, gold, and russet furniture pieces. Marshall’s penchant for Scandinavian design was also exemplified by Swedish woven shades in the kitchen and Scandinavian Modern dining pieces in the dining room. Décor throughout the house was largely made up of potted plants and abstract art alongside Marshall’s own more traditional watercolours.