I have looked and looked and found many half-solutions, but what I would love is some kind of magic hardware that can be wired into a standard bulb lamp with socket switch/chain to make it smart without the built-in switch breaking the smartness.
By breaking smartness I mean shutting off power to the smart device or shutting off power to the bulb so it can't be remotely turned on. The latter is how most smart plugs work. The former is how most smart bulbs work.
I want something like a wire-in bulb socket like the one pictured but with the switch wired to a zigbee relay like a sonoff zbmini L2 so it registers simply as a toggle.
There are some small modules similar to this like the aforementioned sonoff zbmini l2 and those zigbee/wifi socket adapters so maybe I could hack something together.
or do I just gotta do a Kickstarter so everyone can enjoy this product?
I have actually built something like this.
I modeled a base (and 3D printed in ASA) that holds a Fibaro FGD-212 dimmer, and have that exact bulb fitting (but black) screwed into the base.
There's a button on the front that is connected to S1 of the dimmer to be able to turn the light on from the base.
I did this YEARS ago so I would probably do it differently now, but maybe it gives you some inspiration.
https://www.imgdumper.nl/uploads9/655b46e5d90c1/655b46e5d4639-photo1700480702.jpeg
https://www.imgdumper.nl/uploads9/655b47068c316/655b47068711e-photo1700480702%281%29.jpeg
https://www.imgdumper.nl/uploads9/655b471175a8a/655b471170461-photo1700480702%282%29.jpeg
https://www.imgdumper.nl/uploads9/655b471c6bed6/655b471c67f73-photo1700480702%283%29.jpeg
I smell what you're cooking. did the switch on the socket do anything or was it just for show?
It could still be used to turn the light off and on, but it's an actual switch cutting power to the light and isn't operated by something smart