"Minimal traditional" as to be expected for a home built in the midst of the Great Depression.

Frankly, it looks fine! Nicely cared for with the bricks cleaned and re-pointed. I'd leave the modernizing to the interior. I've seen similar homes here open-planned.

(I would have preferred that the steel lintels were repainted in their likely original red primer colour.)

Interesting since I rarely see an entirely brick house in So California.

KLawrence: Agreed! The selling realtor had assumed it was brick over timber, but nope! Solid masonry and slab foundation on grade. Very solid. It's a curiosity and not much in keeping with the Craftsman and bungalow styles that dominate the neighborhood. The lot was divided by the original owner and we have two of these little brick boxes side by side.

Worthy: Thanks, especially for the tip about the lintel paint color. I'm planning to have the bricks cleaned, repointed, and sealed soon and have some repairs and conservation done to the chimney. It's nice to hear it looks good.

Hoovb: Thank you, interesting suggestions about the landscaping. I'm in the midst of a separate project to replace most of the landscaping with edibles, which is why you can see a pomegranate and four citrus there. The palm/cycad does indeed provide some useful privacy, but as you can see in the second photo maintains a nice view on the oblique.

The updates I'm planning are to add shade (for both comfort and efficiency, as the house has an open south and west exposure that gets much too hot) and to even the walkway and stairs. You can see in the second photo that each of the three steps of the entry are a different height. I'm considering a new stoop in a similar style to the existing or perhaps a raised deck of some kind. I'm considering a pergola or shade of some kind either over each window or along the roofline across the entire facade. Lots of options (too many!) and I hope to enhance the nature of the house rather than compete with it. These kinds of changes will have a huge effect, so I tread cautiously.

I'm planning to have the bricks cleaned, repointed, and sealed soon

It looks so good I thought that had been done already!

Be cautious though on sealants. A penetrant would be a better choice. Unless there are special problems though, I wouldn't bother with anything but a light cleaning only--no sandblasting!

I would call it a Ranch House style with one story and hip roof.

Interesting, Susan, I wouldn't have thought Ranch, because I'm missing the wide eaves so typical of the style. I spend lots of time *wishing* I had them to shade the windows from Southwestern heat. ;-) It is a match in a few other ways.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranch-style_house#Features

Worthy, thanks again for tips on the brick care. I agree there's not lots to be done, but there are a few areas here and there that need particular care and bit a of graffiti on the bits I don't photograph, so we'll have the brick partially done. I'll read up on penetrants as you suggest. I also know there are some tricky considerations for mortar formulation for older houses.

If I start a new thread to focus on the brick care, which forum do you think is best for that?

How bout we just call it a NICE house. Sometimes, maybe even most times, they dont have pedigrees - but they just absorb all the influences of the era in a pleasing kind of way. Im seeing some prairie style in the wide horizontal windows and low slung roof even though youre a thousand miles from the nearest prairie LOL. Do you have any local historical preservations groups? Theyd be more in the know about local styles and quirks. Be interesting to hear what they say - seems to me like some sort of bridge or missing link between the earlier prairie/craftsman style and the more familiar midcentury or ranch styles that came a couple decades later.

It's charming as is

brick care

The Technical Notes of the Brick Industry Association cover about every topic dealing with clay bricks that the typical homeowner or contractor would be interested in.

I was just checking out your house and it looks so much like mine! I have been pouring over home catalogs trying to figure out what style this is too. Mine is square, one story with the same roof. Our entrance is recessed though. Have you done anything to the exterior? I love the way yours looks.