Skip to main content

Jae Omar and Eran Gispan Unveil an Encino Home Inspired by Japanese Art

Designer Jae Omar's Japanese-inspired ŌNIN 'modern farmhouse' in the exclusive Encino enclave in Los Angeles
Designer Jae Omar’s Japanese and bespoke element-inspired Ōnin in the exclusive Encino enclave in Los Angeles.jpg

War’s destruction often brings about culture’s creation from the ruins. Los Angeles designer Jae Omar’s newest residential project, Ōnin (in the exclusive enclave of Encino), for example, harks back to the eruption of creativity throughout Japan following the mid-1400s Ōnin War. Omar, along with architect Eran Gispan, weaves authentic and intricate Japanese-influenced features throughout the Ōnin house, a symbolic nod to this time period that gifted modern man with such masterful works. 

Omar is renowned for a signature approach to design projects and the nine bedroom, 13 bathroom, approximately 19,500 square foot Ōnin is no exception. The sprawling property is inspired by humanity’s past in concert with its unbreakable bond with the natural world. 

Related Videos

“The conclusion of such a somber era allowed for great forms of expression to spring forth, including some of the most identifiable pieces of Japanese art, teachings, poetry, and architecture,” Omar said in a press release. “Ōnin fuses the spirit of this ancient era with the design aspects and contemporary architecture of today’s modern farmhouse.”

Related Guides

Bespoke design elements begin with Ōnin’s newly-constructed exterior, where designers implemented a traditional Japanese wood-burning process called ‘shou-sugi-ban’ to create depth in the charcoal-toned wooden façade and hand-applied, rich plasterwork. Just past a serene water feature and 12-foot entry door lays the “Butterfly Pavilion,” a double-height foyer atop bookended slabs of selected marble. 

Post Ōnin-Japanese elements continue throughout, frankly and subtly referenced around every corner. Solid wide-plank oak flooring spans the residence while narrow, handcrafted oak screening stretches across heightened ceilings and walls, camouflaging doorways to create a sense of mystery and intrigue. Upstairs, a remarkable master suite almost surpasses speech. 

“The soaring ceilings and walls are clad with white oak planking, concealing the door to one of the voluminous closets,” Omar said in a press release. “At the heart of the suite, a visually arresting open-air atrium takes center stage, showcasing an authentic bonsai tree surrounded by shou-sugi-ban-treated wood.”

Channeling modern times, the ground level features an expansive open layout with numerous living and dining areas, highlighted by smoked elm cabinetry and elegant stone surfaces that create a leathered finish. Dramatic glass walls blend a seamless barrier between indoors and out, opening onto a 65-foot infinity pool with a marble backdrop offset by a tranquil waterfall that establishes a truly private oasis. 

The 1.3-acre property also includes a one-bedroom and one-bathroom guest house, a tennis court, bocce ball court, basketball court, a spacious game room, functional gym, and resort-style spa, complete with steam room, sauna, walk-in whirlpool spa and cold plunge pool and a state-of-the-art movie theater.

Read More: Los Angeles’ Top Real Estate Agent

Editors' Recommendations

‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’ trailer: There’s plenty for adult fans to love
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back on the big screen
seth rogens teenage mutant ninja turtles trailer tmnt

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is one of the most enduring entertainment franchises of all time. Between comic books, video games, action figures, and movies, the sarcastic, funny, and kickass adolescent reptiles have been relevant in a variety of mediums since the 1980s. What was once a signature franchise for Generation X and Millennials has now been passed down to new generations of fans.

Still, the heartbeat of the fandom comes from these older generations. TMNT lost its way a little bit in recent years, but original fans have now attempted to bring back what made the stories and characters so unique. It started with the video game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, which came out in the summer of 2022, and now it extends to the Seth Rogen-produced film, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.

Read more
F1 Saudi Arabian GP live stream: Watch Formula 1 for free
Formula 1 driver exiting turn.

The F1 Championship continues with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix commencing soon. It's going to be an exciting race with Max Verstappen sure to want to build on his victory in Bahrain earlier this month. If you're keen to see the latest F1 Saudi Arabian live stream, there's a particularly great way to do so and even better -- it won't cost you a cent. Intrigued to know more? Here's all you need to know about how to watch the thrilling race.
Watch the free Saudi Arabian GP live stream
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is being aired for free in Austria and Luxembourg. This is great news for those in the countries, but devastating for residents traveling abroad who want to watch the action unfold live in their local language -- especially when it's free-to-watch at home. It's only fitting that an Austrian currently in the United States would want to watch the race in Austrian and not English, right? This is completely safe and legal to do with a VPN like NordVPN. Just install it, choose to the location you wish to connect to, then fire up broadcast. The free streams are ORF in Austria or RTL Zwee in Luxembourg.

Unfortunately, there isn't a free Saudi Arabian GP live stream for residents of other countries. Elsewhere, folks will need to tune in through a local broadcast partner. The race is available on ESPN in the United States, and the best way to tune in is through fuboTV, which offers a one-week free trial to new customers In the United Kingdom, it's available on Sky Sports F1, and over in Canada it's being broadcast in English through TNS and in French through RDS. There are some other options available as well -- below we'll talk you through the different ways you can tune in locally in the United States in more detail.

Read more
Calvin and Hobbes mastermind Bill Watterson is back – but no tigers this time around
Calvin and Hobbes comic Bill Watterson is back with a project nothing like his famed comic strip
man reading

Get ready, comic and graphic novel fans. Calvin and Hobbes comic strips provided daily humor to newspaper readers for more than a decade. Now, its creator, Bill Watterson, is returning with a grown-up tale that’s nothing like his famous comic strip featuring a cute six-year-old boy and his even more adorable stuffed tiger.

The Mysteries, authored by Bill Watterson and illustrated by John Kascht, will of course be picture-perfect. However, the tale will be a dark one. Its description on Amazon calls it a “fable for grown-ups.” Readers will head back in time to a long-ago kingdom experiencing unexplainable challenges during The Mysteries. A king wants to end the madness and sends his knights to figure out why these calamities continue to inflict on the kingdom.

Read more