Hello all, I’m looking for a bit of advice here… I have a 100+ year old house and am in the process of doing a top-down restoration/renovation. Part of that work is the installation of period-appropriate light switches, outlets, and fixtures… but, I would like to incorporate some “hidden” automation as well.
Before I get into the nitty gritty, let me disclaim that I will be working with a qualified electrician. I get the basics, I know what to ask for, but I’m not trying to wire this stuff up myself, so if I say something slightly off about how things are wired together, please be gentle 
My house has only one 3 way circuit that I’m aware of, everything else (as was de rigeur when my house was built) has simple 2 way circuits. One switch that’s either On or Off. In the early 1900’s pushbutton switches were very common. The previous owners of the house had replaced most of the originals with safer, more modern toggle switches, but I have found a source for modern technology pushbutton switches that I plan to install as I renovate each room in the house.
To get the automation, I want, I was thinking I could install a “hidden” (either installed in a very discreet location or pushed back behind a wall plate) z-wave enabled 3 way switch in conjunction with a 3-way pushbutton switch. That way when I’m in the room and want to use the light switch, the pushbutton switch will work to turn the lights both on and off, but if I need to light up the room remotely or via an automation event, I could have the z-wave switch do the job.
I’ve been digging quite a bit and have learned that the GE 3-way kit is, in fact, a sort of proprietary system in that it doesn’t function like a normal 3-way. You HAVE to use both of the switches that come with the kit, and this is a problem for me. So the question is this: Does anyone currently make a z-wave enabled conventional 3-way switch that I could install in conjunction with any other regular 3-way switch and have work correctly? I think my design idea is sound, but I’ve not had any luck identifying a product that could bring it to life.
Thanks!