However, when it comes to homemaking, it’s still the women of the house who can be relied upon with their creativity and patience to maintain a pleasant living space. [break] So Republica talked with some homemakers on how they create and maintain a comfortable homely ambiance.
Chitra Lama from Kalo Pool says that like everything else, if you want to make something good, you have to give it enough time.
“For a neatly maintained homely environment, the most important thing is that people should not be lazy,” she says.
Lama believes in following a self-created convenient routine. She suggests that, similarly, all must follow their own routines and be organized.
Don’t delay and don’t be lazy is her motto. For decorative purposes, she believes it’s not what’s in your house that makes your home beautiful: it’s how well you’ve managed or organized them.
“Take something simple as a plant. It can brighten up your décor. But if it’s not taken care of properly, even that can become contemptuous,” she shares.
Era Manandhar, another homemaker who also runs a boutique at New Road, agrees that time management is the key. Besides that, her take on keeping her home presentable and neat is to keep only the things that are necessary.
“Most Nepalis have a habit of keeping everything in store – either necessary or unnecessary – thinking these might be useful in the future. But you should keep only those things you need,” suggests Manandhar.
This means all the small knickknacks, clothes, bottles, old newspapers and such items that are no longer in use must go. Even if it’s a hard habit to break, people need to learn to let go of things not of use.
Manandhar states the rule can apply while decorating as well. Keep things simple and not overdo anything. Just do the necessary that will be suited to your style and liking.
Her partner at the boutique, Jeena Tuladhar, also being a working mom, shares that when working fulltime, life as a homemaker tends to become quite hard. Especially as a Newar homemaker with many customs and traditions to uphold, Tuladhar says her priority will be her home. She suggests that teaching your kids and family members very early on to be self-dependent and responsible will also make your work easier.
“We earn to keep ourselves independent. But we can never neglect our home front, either. So we need to learn to create that balance,” says Tuladhar.
Early to bed and early to rise is one motto that Shakuntala Gurung Shiwakoti from Kusunti in Lalitpur follows to maintain her multitasking: strike a balance between work and home.
“Wake up early in the morning, say, around five. Then you have enough time for everything, even for yourself,” shares the mother of three.
A beautician by profession, Shakuntala is also a keen gardener, and shares that one of the convenient ways to keep your home beautiful is to have a well-groomed garden or plants around your home.
“Speaking from experience, I feel that for a well-maintained kitchen, garden or anything inside the house, another key point is to get things done immediately. If you keep things pending while the same can be done in five or ten minutes now, it can take hours later on,” she concludes for all homemakers cum professionals.
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