A gestural control dimmer switch for controlling the illumination level of a light using hand movements includes a dimmer panel having a continuum of positions associated with a spectrum of illumination levels of the light. Hand position sensors produce a hand position detection field in front of the continuum of positions of the dimmer panel through which a hand can be passed. No dimming input is produced by a hand passing through the hand position detection field until the hand passing through the detection field reaches a set trigger position at one of the continuum of positions along the dimmer panel. A dimming input is only produced in response to changes in hand position in the hand position detection field after the hand reaches the trigger position. A new trigger position is set after the illumination level of the light controlled by the dimmer switch is adjusted.