I recently (as in this week!) was asking myself the same exact question - a quick look at all my kitchen magazines convinced me that the satin nickel faucet/stainless sink/ ORB hardware combo is done all the time. I think it's a great look. The faucet will pick up on the sink, your Wolf range, and any other stainless appliances you may have. Like you I have creamy cabinets with glaze( with a cherry island) , Wolf SS range, paneled fridge and SS undermount sinks. My granite is in the medium brown tones - New Venetian Gold. I'm doing ORB hardware on both perimeter and island, satin nickel faucets and stainless undermount sinks. Lighting will probably have ORB or similar trim. I've also seen ORB faucets matched up to ORB hardware , including mixed with stainless sinks (one like that right on the cover of one of a recent kitchen magazine) - those can be just gorgeous , too. To me, some faucets styles look better in the ORB than others - just personal preference. In addition to kitchen magazines, you might also want to check out the finished kitchen blog on this site - look at categories and then creamy colored kitchens or ORB. If you want a satin nickel faucet though, I think you'll be reassured by what you see.

The Fieldstone Rep came to look at the spots on the bathroom cabinet. He agreed that they did not look like any thing that the homeowner would have done but he had never seen that on any of their cabinets before. I informed him that I had followed the manufacturers cleaning instructions and the spots had not come off. The rep then took a container of acetone from his bag, put a little of it on a cloth and wiped down all the spotted areas. Like magic they disappeared. The cabinets have a tinted catalyzed conversion varnish on them and the finish was not harmed by the acetone. I felt bad that the rep had a 90 minute ride to get to the house for such a simple fix but I certainly would never have used acetone on my own. He was very pleasant about the service call and was happy it wasn't something more serious. So all is well :)

yalemichmom, fortunately my contractor was very accommodating and did not resist when I said I wanted to hire my favorite painter for walls and trim. I selected and purchased the paint myself and the two professionals were able to schedule work around each other. I wonder if your contractor would consider this. As my architect said, "It's your house and you are writing the check." I think you will be fine with the factory-finished crown, as long as it is the same throughout the room. Kendrah, "too much of a hardened, baked on look that made it feel too sleek and modern for the space" is exactly how I feel about my cabinets. live_wire_oak, thank you for the detailed explanation of coatings. Love the car analogy! It isn't actually the sheen of CV that bothers me. I couldn't find the correct word to describe what I dislike. It's what Kendrah said. I elected to go with CV for durability and the expense of hand painting. In hindsight, I wish I had chosen unfinished cabinets painted on site (with Advance) by aforementioned favorite painter - even knowing it is more fragile and will require periodic repainting. The one thing I appreciate about CV is that inevitable drips of coffee do not stain the cabinet fronts. Mary Elizabeth, lighting does make a difference. The color bothers me less in dim early morning/late evening light. It's daytime, when the inalterable sunlight comes streaming in that I wish I'd chosen something with a little more chroma. All, thanks again for your thoughtful comments.

I see them painted on site on the HGTV shows. HGTV is entertainment, not a place to find the proper way to do home improvement. They only care about making things look good for a final reveal, not doing things correctly, or making things last. Maybe you could ask your friend about finishes he would recommend? People, I believe, often use "paint" to mean a pigmented or colored finish, and "lacquer" to mean a clear finish. Actual paint and lacquer are at the bottom of any list of products to use on cabinets. The only benefit to them is ease of touchup. You can still have a decent finish applied to installed cabinets, but you will need to ask for it, and probably pay more for it.