LW

[by Shehara Rajapakshe]

As the season of festive cheer nears, we thought of featuring a lady that initially started a hobby which has now expanded into a business. Being a wife, mother of three children and on top of that to be an independent entrepreneur is no easy task in this day and age, but for Kshanika de Silva, it is another part and parcel of life that is rewarding at the end of the day, as she shares her knowledge and experience with all the house proud ladies in our beautiful motherland. Home Basics is a fusion of charm and affordability. A charming young lady and mother of three kids shared her views on her business which started off as a hobby.

Initial years in life

Kshanika was educated at St.Bridgets’ Convent Colombo and after completing her Advanced Level examination was married and then left the country with her husband. She is a mother of two sons aged fourteen and eleven and a six year old daughter. All her life she has been a house wife as they were in Bahrain for over eight years. When they returned to Sri Lanka, eight years ago, the two boys were about six and three and the daughter was born in Sri Lanka two years later.

Inspiration and knowledge in Bahrain

She used to spend her time walking around the many shopping malls and home décor shops around the city they lived. She used to always think just how great it feels not just to admire something and then be disheartened that it was too costly but to be in a position to be able to make purchases and gather many novel and innovative ideas on the basics or the essentials of the home front that brings great joy and pride to a home maker just like her. She gathered up all these little nitty gritties and today she runs a beautiful store at Kohuwela that is especially dedicated to making all those house proud ladies interested and gather ideas to follow suit.

Creative streaks in the family

When you step into this charming lifestyle store, you basically step into a whole area of innovative ideas that could add more value to your lifestyle. Home Basics, is the name of the store located at the third floor of the Thisara building in Kohuwela and just like the name, the basics but pretty, functional and affordable to any house proud lady who walks in. Kshanika has two sisters in her family and all of them are creative in different spheres. She was always house proud and wanted to incorporate any novel or pretty and functional little piece to her collection that makes it more attractive. The store recently celebrated its first anniversary with the ushering of the Christmas season. She always had a flare for home ware and this led her to put her ideas into practice.

Kshanika says, “in Bahrain, there was a home centre and I used to just spend a lot of time browsing and gathering ideas. We returned to the country six years ago and about two years ago I was just thinking that the children are now growing up and very soon they will be out of the house and I will miss them very much. Therefore, I thought it was best to share whatever knowledge I gathered with all the house proud ladies and keep myself occupied as well as do something for myself and become more independent. I was never a business woman and I have been a house wife all my life as I said before.”

A fusion of charm and affordability

“We just built our house three years ago and what I found is that there is no place to buy anything that is both functional and affordable. Most of the time, we found very difficult to collect items that could be decorative and affordable, instead they were very costly and not very practical for most homes and most of the time people have to save up nearly half a year’s salary to purchase one item. This made me realize the potential for pretty little house ware that adds more value to your standard of living. The vaccum created for this niche market prompted me to begin this home ware store where anyone could purchase functional and affordable decorative items to make their homes more presentable and beautiful. Therefore, I started this first as a hobby and now I’m trying to establish this as a business to enable more people to enjoy the benefits of having a perfect and pretty home that would benefit their lifestyle,” commented Kshanika.

Rapidly Growing Clientele

What initially begun as a hobby for Kshanika showcases a large variety of home and gift items ranging from exquisite linen, kitchenware and artifacts, to bath ware, crockery and cutlery. A vast majority of the items are sourced from different cities in the South Asian region and are replaced frequently thus ensuring an unbroken supply. With its steady reputation for very reasonable and competitive pricing, Home Basics today enjoys a continuous flow of clients ranging from housewives and corporate clients to foreign airline crews and diplomats, many of them ‘repeat-customers’. The boutique’s cozy interior and appealing ambiance seamlessly lends itself to the different display areas, each one showcasing a facet of life and living…be it to the colourful kiddies corner, the bar area or attractive coffee displays.

Seasonal Décor

Home Basics just launched a glittering array of Christmas décor covering the entire gamut of household requisites for this time of the year. Taking pride of place is a variety of delightful Christmas wreaths, cushion covers in festive colours, an assortment of candles, tree ornaments, table décor and Christmas themed linen. Enthused Kshanika, “one year’s successful operations have now inspired me to further expand. I believe the time is now opportune. I’m initially looking at a branch in the Battaramulla, Thalangama and Thalawathugoda areas with its growing concentration of resident expatriates. Thereafter will be forays into both Kandy and Galle. One must realize that with the world shrinking at a rapid pace and constant access to foreign television programming, people living out of Colombo are also becoming more aware and acutely conscious of different lifestyles, incorporating elements of those lifestyles into one’s own has become quite a norm,” she added.

At LW, we believe in adding value to the lifestyles of our avid readers, therefore, we wish Kshanika all the very best in her endeavours and will strive to support her. Do stop by at Dutugemunu Street Kohuwela, at the third floor of the Thisara building and experience a truly charming array of beautiful and essential home ware at an affordable price.