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Please help me to find a word to describe a plain/severe house which also implies admiration.

Can I say "a sincere home"?

Thanks in advance.

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You could say "a modest home".

mod·est (mŏd′ĭst)
adj.
4. Free from showiness or ostentation; unpretentious.
Source: Definition of “modest” on thefreedictionary.com

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Sincere is an attribute ascribed to people.

How about "charming"?

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  • Thank you codenoire. But I think it wouldn't connote plain.
    – user3214
    Feb 5, 2014 at 15:25
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Houses in Jane Austen books are often described as "handsome". It means a nice looking building, of a good size, but not one with a lot of ornamentation. "Well-proportioned" might work too, it stresses that the overall effect of the house is pleasing, but not because of any particular decoration.

In my American dialect, I hear "sincere" and think "that's a polite way of saying small". Same with "modest". I don't think "homey" or "rustic" are what you want, those aren't admirable qualities.

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No, I wouldn't. Try going to the thesaurus and looking up "homey" and "rustic".

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  • Thank you BodRodes. "Homey" is great but I think "modest" fits better in my sentence.
    – user3214
    Feb 4, 2014 at 20:05
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    Modest is a good word indeed, but for lack of a better one it's a bit overused. See listener.co.nz/commentary/the-internaut/… for an amusing take on this. Don't miss the response at the bottom for "modest, well-kept home" (means at least the cockroaches are dead).
    – BobRodes
    Feb 4, 2014 at 20:29

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