We use the terms “salvaged” “reclaimed” “secondhand” “heirloom” and “new” to describe the ways we obtain the furnishings and materials in our projects (as opposed to the processes the things themselves have undergone). Here, roughly, is the breakdown of what we mean:

“Salvaged” can mean any of the following: picked from the curbside, found at a disposal site, procured in the process of junk removal, reclaimed from another project, or re-purposed from onsite

“Secondhand”: given by a friend, donated by a neighbor, or purchased secondhand (architectural salvage, Goodwill, Salvation Army, thrift stores, rummage and garage sales, or craigslist and other online venues)

“Heirloom”: passed down through generations of a family, or kept through periods of a person’s life

“New”: purchased at an ordinary retail store, newly manufactured

There is some overlap between these terms. For example, something that was bought “secondhand” can also happen to be “reclaimed” (such as the slate tile for the Swoops dining room floor) if it was previously installed in someone else’s project. But since we weren’t the ones who did the work to reclaim it – we only purchased it at the store – then we classify it as “secondhand”. We think this gives a more accurate portrayal of the diversity of sources and strategies that are utilized and embodied in each Mongo Deco project.