<p>We’re having an addition put on our house, including an office for my husband and a small home theater (his favorite part of the project). We have a builder and a design person. My designer ordered a bunch of custom light fixtures, including 4 sconces for the office area and (unbeknownst to us) 4 for the theater room. I had given the office ones the go-ahead because I thought my H had approved that. I knew he hadn’t picked anything for the theater. </p>
<p>When we got back from a trip, the lights had arrived. The office ones were installed while my H was at work and when he came home he said he didn’t like them and hadn’t approved anything for the office. He said he definitely doesn’t want the ordered sconces in the theater and, in fact, they won’t even work there. I’m not sure we can return them because they are custom made (the designs are standard, but the glass and metal was specified).</p>
<p>My buider is on vacation and I told him about this when he called in. He offered to buy the lights and use them in his own home (they are finishing a basement), but I’ll bet his wife will want to pick light fixtures, not inherit them, so I feel guilty about that because it was the designer’s fault for the theater ones and my fault really for the office ones (should have communicated more clearly with H).</p>
<p>The fixtures cost at least $200 apiece, maybe more. The designer has a small business and I’m sure can’t afford to eat a loss like that. I don’t want to put the builder in a position to feel he has to buy them. I don’t know how to deal with this–I am consumed with bethie-guilt. Any suggestions?</p>
<p>You’re starting to project even before your home theater is built! She might be delighted to get the fixtures in under some kind of business expense and save a lot of personal money… I don’t care much about which kind of fixtures go up. Am just not particular. If I can save some money, then I’m thrilled.</p>
<p>Maybe she’s just wired differently than a bethie.</p>
<p>(HAHAH, VeryHappy we cross-posted. Got our wires crossed, I guess…)</p>
<p>yep, let him buy them. We lived in a house a few years ago that was built by a custom builder as his own home. It was filled with very unique ideas, and some very curious fixtures, extras, etc. Think—very expensive Italian tile on the floor in the basement, on the way to the crawlspace… :D</p>
<p>You’re spending the $$, go with what you love, or you’ll always notice those silly lights.</p>
<p>Well, it wasn’t really his fault. The designer is not part of his business. I felt I needed her because our builder does more commercial than residential construction. I know he usually likes to order everything himself because he wants the buck to stop with him. In this case, he let her order the lights and I guess she got good prices. Of course good prices on fixtures that won’t work in a room are not a bargain.</p>
<p>I guess on some level, a reputable contractor considers every part of the project to be his responsibility. He’s that kind of guy and I do really appreciate that about him. I know he wants us to be happy with the final result. bethie just doesn’t like any unpleasantness.</p>
<p>Since you gave the office lights the go ahead, perhaps you’d feel better paying for those (you could try reselling them on eBay!) Since you did not okay the theater lights, you’re not responsible. If the contractor wants to avoid unpleasantness with the lighting people, he may opt to purchase the theater lights from them. (You could then ask him if he wants to use them on a project that requires additional lights and point him to your eBay listing!)</p>
<p>^I agree. I don’t think it would be right to take him up on the office lights offer unless he convinces you that he really, really wants them, since you okay’ed them. the theater lights are a different matter.</p>
<p>(OT) I thought this was going to be a thread about compact flourescents, or light pollution issues! :)</p>
<p>I agree with dntw8up: I think that you are responsible for the office lights that you signed off on, but not the theater lights. So I’d pay for the office lights and put them up on ebay. (Presumably you will only be covering the actual cost, not including a markup!) If the builder really wants them, he can buy them then. Technically, it sounds as if the designer is responsible for the theater lights…this kind of confusion is why people have sign-off procedures! :)</p>
<p>I once had a painter working for me on a large multi-room project who purchased the wrong color paint, and had a coat of it up in the room before I got home. I paid for the paint anyway to be nice. (It was totally his fault: he didn’t write down the color I wanted and took a guess when he got to the paint store.) He didn’t charge me for the labor. On the other hand, it wasn’t $800 either!</p>
<p>I, too, thought that this was going to be about compact flourescents. :)</p>
<p>As the wife of a contractor who has a few “wrong” mirrors, let him buy them back if he offered…if he is a builder, his wife may already have a few “inherited items” from mistakes…</p>
<p>So why is it the builder’s problem and not the designer’s?</p>
<p>(Yeah, I thought this was going to be a thread about global warming, and being forced to use those ugly swirly energy-efficient lights, and so forth.)</p>
<p>bethie: Do you like the lights? If you like them and H doesn’t maybe there’s a place in the house where they could be used.</p>
<p>And I’m with CGM: As the wife of a small business owner I know that keeping customers happy is very important to him. I imagine with the size of the job the expense of the lights is very minor to the builder.</p>
<p>I do think you should discuss it with the designer because she gave out misinformation, did she not? And if she’s a mensch she will reduce her fee as a gesture, even if you don’t accept this. That is if you end up paying for some of the lights and can’t use them.</p>
<p>If the builder offered to take them off your hands, I’d let him. Unless he’s extraordinarily nice he probably really does like them. And if he doesn’t he can probably put them in some other house. I wouldn’t think twice about letting him have them.</p>
<p>They are beautiful lights. I have been looking around the house, mythmom, for other places to use the office ones. There might be some possibilities.</p>
<p>The designer is a really good person too. She didn’t charge for several hours of work on her last bill because we had to rip off the tiles around one fireplace and start over with stone slabs. She did this without my complaining about anything.</p>
<p>This lighting thing was an odd mistake because she has been very precise and detail oriented up til now. She’s probably never done a home theater before, but picking out large white lights that won’t even fit where the electrical boxes are just isn’t consistent with her usual performance. I guess everyone makes mistakes.</p>
<p>It’s really helping my to talk about this here because my husband doesn’t want to talk about it and my usual walking/venting friend is out of town.</p>
<p>No advice for or against letting the builder buy the lights.
If you keep do them and do not have a place for them in your home, consider a charitable donation/tax write-off to Habitat for Humanity’s ReStores. They accept new and gently used building supplies, home furnishings, appliances, etc.
[Habitat</a> ReStores – Habitat for Humanity Int’l](<a href=“http://www.habitat.org/env/restores.aspx]Habitat”>Habitat for Humanity ReStores)</p>
<p>mominva that’s a wonderful solution. It may be that the builder does want the light fixtures, but if not, I would not want him to bear the responsibility for this mistake. Whether the buck stops with him or not, I don’t think the ethical solution is for him to take light fixtures that he doesn’t need. So, if the builder is just trying to salvage the situation and doesn’t have a need for the lights, I’d feel better buying them, and donating them to such a worthy cause.</p>
<p>I still say I would do what I would always do whenever someone makes an offer to me that I question whether they really want to do, and are definitely *not *obligated to do.</p>
<p>turn them down at least once; if they offer again, take them up on it.</p>