Can Destroyed Mundane Objects Be Repaired?

Question

I am no doubt being overly pedantic, but the text of the Mending cantrip states:

This spell repairs damaged objects, restoring 1d4 hit points to the object. If the object has the broken condition, this condition is removed if the object is restored to at least half its original hit points. All of the pieces of an object must be present for this spell to function. Magic items can be repaired by this spell, but you must have a caster level equal to or higher than that of the object. Magic items that are destroyed (at 0 hit points or less) can be repaired with this spell, but this spell does not restore their magic abilities. This spell does not affect creatures (including constructs). This spell has no effect on objects that have been warped or otherwise transmuted, but it can still repair damage done to such items.

It specifically says magic items. Does this spell not apply to destroyed non-magic items?

Also, in the rules on damaging objects it says:

Damaged Objects

A damaged object remains functional with the broken condition until the item’s hit points are reduced to 0, at which point it is destroyed.

Damaged (but not destroyed) objects can be repaired with the Craft skill and a number of spells. (eg. make whole or mending)

Answer 1

The section you bolded about mending cantrip just specifies the exception towards magic items, just look how the sentence continues "... but this spell does not restore their magic abilities."

Thus it means you can repair destroyed magic items but they will be mundane versions if repaired through the mending cantrip.

Mundane items can be repaired with the spell. Just look at the first sentence of the cantrip. "This spell repairs damaged objects, restoring 1d4 hit points to the object."

Answer 2

In the end, this is probably up to DM fiat. If I'm the DM, a "damaged object" is an object with fewer than max hit points. A destroyed object is still an object (and still has the broken condition), just one with 0 or fewer HP.

My reading of mending, as it relates to magic items, is that any object that is destroyed can be mended, but (formerly) magic items do not regain their magical properties. An object may still retain its destroyed condition after mending is cast (depending on how far below 0 its HP was when destroyed and what the roll was for mending) and may require additional casts of mending to restore it to even a merely broken state.

The reason that I think this is largely up to DM discretion is that the only actual condition an item can have is "broken", and it is either broken or it is not. There are no clarifications on "damaged" or "destroyed" as item conditions beyond the obvious.

In support of destroyed objects being repairable, here are two cases I can find where objects are specifically called out as not being repairable when destroyed (implying the default is that destroyed objects are repairable):

1. Constructs

A construct that has been completely destroyed cannot be repaired, though at the GM’s option some of the materials may be usable in the construction of a new construct.

2. Shoddy Items

Shoddy items that are destroyed cannot be recovered by any means, and are useless for anything more than salvaging some of the raw materials.

Interestingly, the rules for Firearms state that magical firearms with the broken condition become "wrecked" when they misfire and must be repaired with Make Whole or the Gunsmithing feat, but makes no mention of Mending or of repairing a non-magical firearm that becomes destroyed when misfired with the broken condition. While I don't think that proves anything, you could use that as a justification to reject mending working on destroyed objects.