Oops. Either move the recessed light or switch to a flat (not crown) fascia trim.

It’s not just how it looks, it’s that it’s not lighting anything. It needs to be moved.

The lights were unchanged from their original position, and unfortunately, the lighting was not addressed during our remodel discussions with the contractor. Admittedly, the house was previously a model home (built 2004) so we've come across a great deal of things that weren't exactly done to spec. over the course of our remodels/repairs. Do we hold the contractor responsible or is it on us to deal with the issue?

ISTM you are faced with either moving the light, modifying the crown molding or living with it. The molding could be equipped with a removable piece that would allow for a bulb to be more easily replaced, but the fixture would still look oddly placed. You may find that the asymmetry from moving the light wouldn't be as disconcerting as you think.

YMMV

Again, this is why you use remodel cans. The lights go in after the cabinets and crown. It's impossible for an electrician to know exactly where the cabinets/crown are going to end up. With lights last, perfection.

The guy who installed that crown needs to be smacked. I'd have torn out that fixture, let it dangle, patched the drywall, installed the crown, and back charged for the extra work.

There’s no point to spend money on a kitchen remodel if you end up with a poorly lit room. You probably need to evaluate all your lighting placement, making sure to prioritize function over form. Moving them isn’t a huge deal.

Installing that crown seems like the work of someone who has been told, “I don’t pay you to think, just work!”

This is why you use a KD. The lighting in that position is terrible. It all needed to be redone, and the ceiling patched and painted. It needed that from the beginning, in the plans.

The contractor should redo the crown molding there at no charge after the electrician’s visit. If there’s not enough crown left to do that, he buys another stick. He should have said something before installing it like that.

You pay for the new lighting positions and the drywall patch that should have been part of the Scope from the beginning if you had had the right KD involved and the right Plan created.