I’ve been trying to integrate a set of Hue bulbs w/ local control via some type of switch for a few months now. Originally, I removed the existing switch from the wall-plate, spliced the connection and then installed another “hidden” switch down-circuit in an area covered by a picture frame. In any event, being that I spliced the connection, I need to keep the original junction box accessible. I purchased one of Philips’ Tap Switches and placed that over the original junction box on a blank wall-plate, since functionally, it is the best location for the switch and additionally still allows easy access to the box itself. However, I’m not really a fan of the style, so I wanted to look into options that look more “integrated”, which could be used w/ a standard wall-plate.
First, I purchased a Lutron connected bulb remotes which has a bracket for mounting in a standard electrical box. It definitely looks nice, but functionally is a bit hard to use in the dark since all 4 buttons are flush (and the entire “switch” is also flush w/ the wall-plate). Also, I’m not a huge fan of the way it controls the bulbs, since it doesn’t integrate w/ ST and just acts as a secondary controller via a direct Zigbee link (same as the Hue Tap). Eventually ST syncs up w/ the bulbs, but it’s not instantaneous. That combo for the Lutron (difficulty using in the dark and no direct ST integration) made me want to try something else, so I then bought a Cooper Aspire RF9500, thinking that it would fit in the wall-plate the same way as the Lutron remote, but it doesn’t since the batteries are in the space where you would mount it to the junction box. Functionally, it’s definitely easier to use than the Lutron (since the entire button is clickable), but the wall-plate itself isn’t large enough for me to secure it to the wall around the existing junction box, and it looks very ghetto if I try to affix it w/ adhesive over the existing blank wall-plate.
Long story short, I’m sort of lost now as to how to control these bulbs and I feel that w/ the money spent trying to get a nice solution, I could have just purchased a regular smart switch w/ non-smart bulbs to use w/ ST (that is if there is an available neutral wire…) . Otherwise, I’m just looking for any ideas on how to get the aesthetic I want while using smart bulbs. Thanks in advance for any advice/help!