How can I control two lights together at one switch location and independently at two other locations?

Question

I want to install a couple lights above our night stands. Pendants or wall sconces; kind of irrelevant. I have been searching about getting these wired on a four-way circuit with all three switches having the ability to dim using Meastro switches. I am wondering if it is possible to wire these so there is a switch by the entrance to the room and two switches on each side of the bed. The switch at the entrance would turn both lights on and the switches on the sides of the bed would turn their respective side light on/off independently from the other side? I’d like to use these to light the room on entry as well as have the ability to just turn my side light on without bothering my wife. Almost like a double three way switch but the double switch always throws both lights on. Hope this is a clear enough explaination.

Answer 1

You can't do what you hope with conventional switches. The logic is too complex. You'd have to look to smart switch options, and even then it may not be practically feasible. (How do you override the bedside switches with the doorway switch in both on and off states?)

I'd do conventional three-ways for each light and just have two switches at the doorway, maybe using a dual single-gang switch set. You can then be sure to have independent dimming as well, probably at the bedside.

Answer 2

Sure. First, use a portable lamp on your night stand that has dimming on the lamp. It helps if its power is interrupted, when power returns, it will return to that dimming level.

Then, feed each desk lamp receptacles' hot wires off a bit of commercial exotica, a GE RR-7 latching relay. This can be located in the basement.

If you've ever seen a commercial building with switches whose positions are in the center, and you push the switch up and the lights snap on (but the switch goes back to center), and you push the switch down and the lights snap off (and the switch goes back to center)... Those are feeding RR-7 relays or comparable. The reason to do that is they can have a bank of switches in several locations, including security and facilities, without having to loop all lighting through all switches as you would in a 3-way setup.

The switch sends a momentary shot of power to the relay, which makes it throw its internal switch on or off depending on whether you pushed it up or down. Once that is thrown, it stays there, hence the name "latching" relay.

Then you simply put a centering light switch (or two pushbuttons) at each bedside. The RR-7 uses 24V (thermostat/doorbell) power for the control signals between switch and relay. You can wire it with thermostat wiring. The switch at the door would have to (easy way) be two switches right next to each other... Or (hard way) find a DPDT momentary type switch, which operates two circuits independently. It would be easy to find that switch, just hard to find it in the usual residential house-switch style.