Of particular delight to residents are the cottages built in the 1940s and ’50s by the late Edmond J. Aiken. Sometimes called English cottages or “witches houses,” the homes rest in cozy landscapes with slanting thatched roofs, curving brick walkways and thick mortar oozing between brick and stonework.

Working with his own crew, which included his son [Edmund John Aiken (1923-1954)], Aiken filled the small-scaled rooms with handcrafted doors, beamed ceilings, walls and floors, all of which were finished with original paints and stains.

Originally a shipbuilder, Aiken made use of every cozy corner, fashioning shelves for display, cupboards for storage and half-oval fireplaces that provide a view of crackling fires from any seat in the room.

“Mr. Aiken built practical, lovable homes, and catered to young couples on light budgets because he knew they would love his homes as much as he did,” said Rosemary Peters, who with her husband, Ralph, a stockbroker, arranged for Aiken to build their first home [at 10535 Cheviot Drive] in 1952.

“He loved funny, odd-shaped lots and would design the house to fit lhe lot,” Peters said. “In fact, following his advice, we rejected one parcel that was too ordinary for his taste and chose instead a uniquely shaped lot across the street that suited the character of our home perfectly.”

“He was an artist,” said Virginia Counts, who with her husband, J. Curtis, bought an Aiken home [at 3105 Haddington Drive] in 1948. Like other Aiken owners, the Counts kept in touch with the beloved home builder and visited him in Northern California shortly before his death in 1988 at the age of 99.

‘”Mr. Aiken used odd lots of brick and wood that make inevitable repairs next to impossible, but also make his unique homes one-of-a kind treasures,” she said.

WHEN I first saw this three-room home of Mr. and Mrs. F. X. McEachen of West Los Angeles I couldn’t heIp exclaiming, “Why, it looks just like a storybook house.” And indeed it does. Situated on a little knoll, it is one of a group of houses by Designer E. J. Aiken, who varied them so that each has its own personal charm, yet fits perfectly with the others.

FRANKLY old-fashioned, with a flavor of country comfort, are the lines of this West Los Angeles home designed for Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Newlin by E. J. Aiken.

With all its quaintness, the Newlin house has a pleasant and breath-taking surprise in its magnificent patio just off the kitchen. Sheltered by a wooden roof resembling a venetian blind and working on the same principle, its flagstone barbecue and flooring contrast with redwood fence.