Ended up taping a note next to it for a while… not exactly the luxury look I was going for.
Yeah, I get that. I’ve run into the same thing—people just want to hit a switch, not pull out their phone or talk to a speaker every time. Honestly, most of the “smart” switches I’ve tried feel pretty cheap compared to the old Leviton or Lutron stuff. The paddle action is mushy, and the faceplates never sit quite flush.
If you want something that feels solid, I’d look at Lutron Caseta. The switches are pricier, but the build quality is miles ahead of the no-name brands on Amazon. They click like a regular switch and don’t have that hollow plastic sound. Only downside is you need their hub, but it’s rock solid once it’s set up.
Curious—are you wiring these yourself or hiring it out? Swapping out switches isn’t hard, but some of the smart ones need a neutral wire, which older houses don’t always have. That tripped me up in my last reno...
I totally hear you on the paddle feel—some of those “smart” switches just don’t have the same tactile satisfaction. I’ve used Lutron Caseta in a couple projects and yeah, they’re definitely a step up, though that hub requirement is a bit of a pain if you’re only doing one or two rooms.
About wiring, I usually end up doing it myself, but I’ve run into the neutral wire issue too. Some of these older houses just weren’t built with smart tech in mind. Did you ever try any of those no-neutral-required switches? I’ve seen mixed reviews but haven’t tested them out yet.
Title: Finally Upgraded My Living Room Lights—Anyone Else Tried Smart Bulbs?
Yeah, the neutral wire thing is a real headache in these older places. I did actually try a couple of the no-neutral-required switches (think one was from Lutron, the other was a cheaper brand from Amazon). They technically worked, but I noticed a faint buzzing from the fixture sometimes, especially with LED bulbs. Not enough to be a dealbreaker, but it bugged me at night when the house is quiet. Also, some bulbs would flicker a bit unless I stuck with the “approved” list, which isn’t always convenient.
Honestly, I’ve started leaning more toward smart bulbs in rooms where I can’t easily swap out the switches. The only catch is you have to retrain everyone in the house not to kill the power at the wall... which is easier said than done when you’ve got guests or kids. Have you run into any issues with dimming compatibility or weird behavior with multi-bulb fixtures? That’s been my main sticking point lately—sometimes the bulbs don’t stay in sync.
Yeah, syncing issues with multi-bulb fixtures have driven me a little nuts, especially with cheaper smart bulbs. Sometimes one lags behind or just doesn’t respond, and it throws off the whole vibe. I’ve had better luck sticking to one brand per fixture—mixing and matching seems to make things worse. As for dimming, some bulbs just don’t play nice with certain apps or routines. Have you tried using a dedicated hub? It’s an extra step, but I found it helps keep things more consistent, especially with scenes and dimming.
Sometimes one lags behind or just doesn’t respond, and it throws off the whole vibe.
Totally get this—nothing kills the mood faster than one bulb stuck on “daylight” while the rest are cozy warm. I’ve noticed the same thing with mixing brands, too. It’s tempting to grab whatever’s on sale, but the color mismatch drives me nuts. I’ve actually had better luck with bulbs that work natively with HomeKit or Google Home, no hub needed. The fewer layers, the less chance for chaos... at least in my experience. Dimming’s still a bit hit or miss, though. Sometimes I just go old-school and use a regular dimmer switch for the main lights, then layer in smart accent bulbs for color. It’s not perfect, but it keeps the “vibe” on point.
