I’ve featured a few guests’ For Keeps items lately, but now for another one of my own.

Jessa’s item: Magno desktop mini stapler

The story: “The summer before I opened Pivot in 2007 I came across an Indonesian designer named Singgih Kartono and his line Magno. He designed beautiful hand-crafted wooden accessories such as radios and desk sets. I began outreach to Singgih to determine if I could sell his products at Pivot, and when Pivot opened I was the only shop in the U.S. to feature Magno. Now Singgih’s designs are sold all over the U.S. and Europe in stores such as MoMA.”

Why it’s a For Keeps item: “Not only is this stapler extremely functional (I used it every day at Pivot to staple customer receipts), but it will also always remind me of an exciting discovery I had and my communications with Singgih in Indonesia.”

For Keeps Sake category: These entries explore the items in our lives that are not disposable for reasons of good design, sentimental value, utility and more. From everyday objects to special treasures, let’s think about buying and owning more thoughtfully.

The above birdcage, turned lamp is a For Keeps item from Dorothee Royal-Hedinger. I met Dorothee at Pivot this fall after connecting on Twitter. She is creator, co-producer and host of OrganicNation.tv, a web video series exploring the American sustainable food landscape. She is intrigued by guerrilla gardening, DIY culture, eco-fashion and sustainable design. You can follow her on Twitter @DorotheeRoyal.

Dorothee’s item: Painted birdcage

The story: “I purchased this painted birdcage in high school at a yard sale in Wilmette, IL. The woman who sold it to me said her family got it while on vacation in Bali. I bought it with cracks and paint chipping off because I was captivated by the colorful designs and handmade wood construction. I thought I’d only use it as decoration but my boyfriend surprised me by turning it into a working lamp! He carefully drilled a hole into the top and strung a light bulb into the center of the cage. I was nervous at first that the whole thing would catch on fire but two years later, it’s still a unique, functional lamp.”

Why it’s a For Keeps item: “It hangs by my front windows and makes me happy to look at everyday. I love knowing that another person’s junk can be repurposed in a stylish and practical way!”

For Keeps Sake category: These entries explore the items in our lives that are not disposable for reasons of good design, sentimental value, utility and more. From everyday objects to special treasures, let’s think about buying and owning more thoughtfully.

Brad's Vintage Bertoia Side Chair

For this edition of For Keeps Sake I asked Brad Bennett, founder and editor of Commerce with a Conscience, to share one of his own for keeps items. Brad’s site is the fastidious gentleman’s guide to ethical fashion, and honestly there’s not another site around right now that covers this topic specifically. A must-read for both men and women.

Brad’s item: Vintage Bertoia Side Chair

The story: “I had been wanting a Bertoia for ages, but my refusal to buy a knockoff kept the chair firmly out of my price range. Then, one faithful day, a very sweet (and arguably very naive) woman posted four of them individually on eBay, each at an intriguingly low starting price. Without much hope for a happy outcome, I decided to try my luck and emailed her a very below market value buy-it-now offer. To my amazement, she accepted. One week later, the chair, and its fully intact original Knoll branded cushion, were in our home, where they have been lovingly cooed over ever since.”

Why it’s a For Keeps item: “Like much of the truly great design from the mid-century era, the Bertoia Side Chair is entirely emblematic of the period, and yet, utterly timeless. No matter how our space or tastes change in the future, we (my girlfriend and I) are confident that there will always be a (prominently displayed) place for it in our home.”

For Keeps Sake category: These entries explore the items in our lives that are not disposable for reasons of good design, sentimental value, utility and more. From everyday objects to special treasures, let’s think about buying and owning more thoughtfully.

The idea of the new For Keeps Sake category is to explore the concept of buying with the intention of keeping–keeping for good, because what you’ve found is such a great product, made well, has special value to you or any other smart reason. I want to surround myself with things that I connect with because they serve a good purpose beautifully, and with things that I would never lightly toss away.

Don’t confuse this with a pack-rat mentality. It’s not about collecting and piling up unnecessary objects because you can’t bear to part with them. But rather it’s about consuming (and owning) in a thoughtful, non-disposable manner.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the first For Keeps Sake featured item is my vintage Pyrex #404 four-quart mixing bowl. A few weeks ago I went to a modernism fair in Winnetka. Mostly I was just looking and learning, but there was a room with some smaller low-ticket items including this great bowl. I needed a mixing bowl (I’ve recently decided I should cook), and there it was! I love the fun yellow color and it reminds me of something my grandmother probably had. I also just discovered there’s quite a devoted following to vintage Pyrex. This is a For Keeps piece for me because it will last forever if taken care of, it’s utilitarian, I love the aesthetic and it will remind me of a great weekend at the fair where I purchased it.

Obviously lifestyles change, things break and are unrepairable, people move or downsize–and we need to part with possessions. But that’s no excuse for thoughtless buying. Hopefully if we keep good things around us and one day have to get rid of something, we can easily find someone dying to own it next, donate it or at least recycle the item.

Let’s celebrate and treasure the “stuff” that’s not disposable in our lives! I’ll be asking some friends to share their objects and stories with me, but if you have one you’d like to share send an email to pivot(at)pivotboutique.com.

For Keeps Sake category: These entries explore the items in our lives that are not disposable for reasons of good design, sentimental value, utility and more. From everyday objects to special treasures, let’s think about buying and owning more thoughtfully.