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Las Vegas home’s backyard oasis featured on HGTV’s ‘Best. Pool. Ever.’

Updated October 9, 2019 - 4:55 am

Patterned after a resort in Maui, 5 Wood Creek Court’s backyard oasis rivals the world’s finest.

It recently was filmed for HGTV’s “Best. Pool. Ever”: The show spotlighted the water feature showcasing a lazy river, waterfalls, grotto, swim-up bar and Jacuzzi.

“It was such fun sharing our pool and yard with everyone,” homeowner Lisa Makanvand said. “It was a great experience.”

The home’s resort-styled exterior also features a cabana, entertainment areas, fire pit, perimeter walking trail and outdoor kitchen with barbecue, refrigerator, beer tap, freezer and warming drawer.

Las Vegas-based Ozzie Kraft pools designed and constructed the pool, hardscapes and overall exterior concept for the property as part of the home’s original construction in 2007.

“Right from the start, you know it’s going to be a great project,” said president of Ozzie Kraft Pools, Kevin Kraft. “In our initial discussions, the client used terms like ‘over the top’ and ‘outrageous.’ ”

Setting the tone for the overall concept, Kraft’s layout starts at the front entry with a multitiered waterfall, enhancing the curb appeal of the property.

“As you pass through the gallery, it opens up to a fountain that is in sync with the Mediterranean architecture,” Kraft said. “The linear fountain draws your eye across the pool and cabana to another waterfall cascading from the hillside.”

The structural complexity of Kraft’s award-winning design required over 5 tons of reinforcing steel, 300 yards of concrete, miles of pipe, 12 pumps, six filters, four heaters, 24 underwater lights and eight fiber optic Laminars. The grotto behind the river is reinforced with a 2½-foot-thick double cage of reinforcing steel.

“The grotto is strong enough to park a truck on top,” Kraft said.

The 11,861-square-foot, four-level Mediterranean-designed residence, in the Estates of Southern Highlands Eagles Landing, is listed for $6.2 million. Owners Lisa and Alex Makanvand are interviewing potential real estate sources for the listing.

The interior features six en suite bedrooms, including a private master suite and two detached casitas, nine full baths, powder room, formal living and dining rooms, state-of-the-art theater, office, craft area, laundry room with dry cleaning machine, exercise room, indoor basketball court and dance floor with disco ball.

The Makanvands bought the residence in 2017 as a secondary property for their family of six to enjoy. The couple have four grown children, triplet sons and a daughter.

“We closed escrow on Valentine’s Day,” Lisa Makanvand said. “I’ll always remember that.”

The hall showcases natural stone encased pillars and seven chandeliers leading to the formal dining and gourmet kitchen. Several sets of French doors fill the hallway with natural light, each leading out to the lush backyard.

“The stonework is reminiscent of some of the top resort hotels that we’ve seen,” Alex Makanvand said. “The hallway, house and backyard all remind us of amazing resorts we’ve been to around the world.”

A masterpiece of design and craftsmanship, the estate showcases imported French limestone flooring, coffered ceilings and natural stone accents.

On the other side of the entry, a grand formal living area features soaring ceilings. A stone-encased gas fireplace meets the over-20-foot-high ceiling to form a striking focal point.

The gourmet kitchen features a double island with bar seating, granite countertops, professional-grade Viking appliances including three ovens, two dishwashers, warming drawer and expansive walk-in pantry. The kitchen opens to a comfortable family room with built-ins and gas fireplace.

A small theater sign leads the way to the lower level where two rows of leather seats await movie viewers. A simple push of a button lowers the lights and opens the red velvet curtain to reveal a cinematic screen while turning on a high-definition projector for the ultimate theatrical experience.

Two distinct staircases lead to the luxurious upper level where three of the bedrooms are located. The expansive master suite has a sitting area, gas fireplace and private patio complete with barbecue.

The spa-inspired master bath feature dual vanities, steam shower, granite-encased tub and dual, large walk-in closets.

A door from the master bath leads out to the upper-level loggia. The loggia offers breathtaking views of the Strip, surrounding mountains and their famous neighbor, boxing legend Floyd Mayweather.

“When we were looking at the house, we were told Floyd Mayweather lives across the street,” Alex Makanvand said. “And my wife is like, ‘Who?’ We’ve since met him. He’s a really nice guy.”

Siting on 1½ acres, the home and resort-styled backyard make it ideal for entertaining.

“We entertain quite a bit,” Alex Makanvand said. “Just recently, we had 75 people here, and it seemed like there was only 10 people in the house. It’s really wonderful.”

One special memory involved a guest proposing to his girlfriend on the stone bridge over the river.

“He got down on one knee,” Lisa Makanvand said. “It was amazing. She accepted.”

The second owners of the property, the Makanvands spent two months renovating the property.

The primary owners had vacated a year earlier and removed many of the home’s decorative features. Restoring it to its original condition involved installing 29 new chandeliers, over 50 smart light switches and a new HD theater projector. The Makanvands also replaced the sump pump, several pool pumps and 81 door locks, applied fresh paint, remodeled one bedroom and removed more than 50 TVs.

The property purchase provided a backdrop for expansion of their Southern California-based Primerica Financial Service business to Nevada. With their primary residence in California, they commute to Vegas weekly and spend a couple days at the home.

“We’re really excited because we love this area,” Lisa Makanvand said. “We actually hadn’t thought about expanding in Las Vegas before. We decided that after we lived in this home for a few months.”

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