Pavlovic spent seven years carefully saving what became known as the Crocker-McMillin mansion, upgrading the plumbing and mechanical systems and restoring its Gilded Age beauty.
Italian woodworkers — whose labors also grace the Italian Parliament and New York City’s Ritz-Carlton and Waldorf Astoria hotels — were brought in to restore the decorative carvings, including on the grand staircase, where the original Musketeer-like figurines still stand at wooden attention atop the balusters.
Restoring the wood was a monumental effort, given that the entire first floor is paneled in oak, cherry, walnut, and redwood. “It’s a miracle that they can take a sample of a finish of wood 100 years old, and get the exact same look as the original,” Pavlovic told the Toronto Sun in 2017.
A quarter-century later, Pavlovic’s improvements survive. According to a 2017 story in NJ.com, these include the home’s current energy-saving windows, 19 new bathrooms, a wine room and wine cellar, and a professional kitchen that can serve 250 meals at a time.
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