The newly renovated breakfast room
Pam Gilberd hated nearly everything about the dilapidated ranch house they looked at in the Carmel Valley. “It smelled. The yard was described as an Italian cemetery. It had a hot tub 10 feet from the front door and you had to walk over the cord to get to it.”
Before:The original facade with hot tub in front yard.
Her husband, retired stockbroker Fred Gilberd, however, saw only possibilities. The view across Carmel Valley Ranch and to the Santa Lucia Mountains was stunning. The single-story layout worked. And he was anxious to prove his theory that with a little vision and a lot of elbow grease, “you could make anything nice.”
And so the couple embarked on a two-year project that Pam — a writer — hoped would be as romantic as the Italian remodel in bestseller “Under The Tuscan Sun.” After remodeling, compromising, nearly giving up, finding hidden creativity — and, yes, romance — the Gilberds have just self-published their own version: “Under the Carmel Valley Sun.” (Lookiloos will be giving away two copies of the book, so please leave a comment below!)
The couple bought the house in 2000, a market peak when there was little else for sale. At the time, they had no idea what they wanted the house to look like when they were finished. But a previously scheduled bike-riding trip through Provence inspired them to work towards a French country look. And they vowed to do it themselves, without handing off any major work to contractors.
“For one reason, I’m a cheapskate,” Fred, 70, said. “I also wanted the satisfaction of doing it myself.”
After: The updated facade, with faux-painted door.
But what the couple quickly realized, as they ate dinner each night on one of the few pieces of furniture — their bed — “we got into something that was way over our heads,” Fred said.
Pam, 63, reached her low point about halfway though. She had envisioned that she would be like other homeowners who would uncover “wonderful archways” and would “laugh and learn together.” At that point in the Gilberd remodel, however, there wasn’t much laughing going on.
“Pam was reaching a crisis stage,” Fred said. Even playing the soundtrack to Out of Africa for her, which had seemed to settle emotions before, had little effect. He suggested they simply finish off the house with white paint throughout and put it on the market.
Pam was shocked that he would even consider giving up his dream because she wasn’t happy. “To me that was one of the most romantic things he ever said to me,” Pam said. For Pam, it was a turning point. “When he said that, I said, ”No way. Of course we’re going to finish this.’ I became almost as obsessive as he was.”
She doesn’t like sewing, but because they spent so much money redoing their fireplace, she pulled out her sewing machine to make her own cushions and curtains. She read books on the Toll House painting style and painted two-tone fruits on a long, narrow dining table Fred made for her, and olive branches on the walls of her narrow hallway.
“It really forced us to expand our skills and our vision of what we could do,” she said.
And it also brought them closer together. “Renovating a house is a test of a marriage,” Pam said, but “it can be a wonderfully bonding time–as long as the small stuff stays in proportion to the overall intent.”
After:The new kitchen
They looked for ways to complement instead of criticize, she said, and “got a lot further that way and had more fun.”
In the end, not only did they transform a run-down ranch into a French county oasis, but they were so proud of their accomplishment together, they took on another challenge: writing a diary-style book of their adventure.
When they realized their memories of the same events differed so wildly, they decided to write a he-said, she-said book with each penning chapters. It’s a delightful story of the highs and lows and – with patience, understanding and compromise — the romance of the remodel.
Leave a comment and let us know if you’d like a copy.
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Hot tub in the front yard…oh MY!! This post is great…I mean, I really feel their remodel pain. If I wrote a book on our experiences I fear it would be filled with too many unprintable words.
I applaud their sense of humor…”Even playing the soundtrack to Out of Africa for her, which had seemed to settle emotions before, had little effect” actually made me LOL (whether the poor guy intended to make me or not 
…and I’d love to read about their experiences (just maybe I should wait until *after* our attic demo!!).
Here’s a little backstory to the Gilberd backstory: Pam told me one trick for marital harmony when you disagree over what color to paint the hutch, for instance. “We try to age our problems,” she said. In other words, put off the decision until it seems less important. Now that’s good advice! (Shoulda done that with our back patio….)
Julia, thank you for catching the essence of our remodel project, both the rough and the romantic. It proved an amazing growth experience in many ways. We appreciate your enthusiasm.
Laura, So glad you got a laugh –that’s the intention. Things are always more humorous in retrospect! Sounds like you have some major remodeling experience to “really feel their remodel pain.” You can see a short video of our remodel experience on our website: http://www.underthecarmelvalleysun.com on the “Peek Inside House” page. Have fun with the attic demo!
Tough experience to go through but it sounds like it was well worth it. I’m sure the book will help a lot of people going through the same thing!
OH, PLEASE! I need this book! My husband and I are in the middle of the same sort of remodel, except that our house had obvious potential to both of us from the beginning. Its potential, however, hasn’t kept us from conflict over the vision and the day-to-day issues involved. I would love to read how a couple of about the same age managed to achieve the dream.
Oh, I’m so glad this story had a happy ending. They are a beautiful couple with the “Carmel look”
that SHOULD have stayed, so it’s good they did. Also, very inspirational to tackle such a huge undertaking at an “advanced age”. I also bought at the 2000 market peak and yes, you had to take what you could get. I’m a single school teacher who kept getting beat out by over-asking, cash offers. Now that I have my place, I can hardly afford to go anywhere 
so staying home reading their charming book would be a hoot! Thanks.
Great job; I would really enjoy reading the book. What about the movie?? Who have they picked to play themselves??
Thank you so much, all of you, for your thoughtful comments.
Yes, pk, we do hope the book helps many. One woman she said she gave it to her neighbor who was completely stressed over her remodel with instructions to sit down with a glass of wine and read it. The remedy worked!
Yes, MarieDee, the potential of a house has those hidden potentials for conflict. You sound like you will successfully realize your dream.
Yes, Bev, I always like stories with a happy ending, too.
And yes, Janet, it’s fun to fantasize who would be in the movie. Probably out of our hands tho.
Have fun and thank you for your interest!
Pam
I grew up in Carmel Valley and can understand those old houses that need a face-lift. The beauty of the land is worth all the headache of a remodel! I’m so excited to be able to read this book – even if I don’t win. I bet its a funny one and will make me homesick for my beloved Carmel.
Although a huge project, how great everything turned out! Lots of hard work really paid off…not so sure if I would have taken on such a huge project, but how fun! I’d love to read the book…..congrats to the owners….they did a fantastic job!
Happy wife happy life..