I’ve been on the lookout for something that will replace an existing light switch which can just serve as controlling a smart bulb. This would mean the light socket would always remain powered, and the switch would draw its power from the circuit (never breaking it). The switch would then trigger a smart bulb action.
Has any found such a thing to exist?
You can use a Zwave switch that has central scene capabilities (eg the HomeSeer WS-100), wire the light so that it’s always powered, and leave the load side of the switch unconnected. Then, trigger automations in HA with central scene events and ignore the state of the switch itself. Note that this may not be electrical code compliant in your jurisdiction.
Another option is to use a Lutron Caseta pro hub and pico remotes - wire the light always hot, then use the pico mounting hardware to integrate it in place of the light switch.