My designer is deeply passionate about the aesthetics of recessed lighting fixtures. This passion provides me a valuable point of power. I hadn’t even known I had this power, but basically it’s the power of caring less. The gist:
My designer wants me to have a specific brand of ceiling lighting fixtures. I am open to using his brand of lighting, but I’m also fine with a slightly cheaper brand with a small visible flange around each recessed light. He enjoys a trade discount of 30% on these lights. He wants to charge me 10% below MSRP for the lights. If I buy the lights through him, I’d happily pay some amount of money – 10% of the total lighting price after the 30% trade discount is applied – for him to deal with lights on my behalf.
But I’d also be equally happy just ordering lights myself… in which case he 1) makes no money, and 2) feels much less satisfied by the lighting in the apartment.
I don’t care about the flange! I will not care about the flange! Certainly not at the costs we’re discussing.
But he does, so we could have a deal.
Julian Wise 