re: My Workbench Build

I’m going to throw a couple of questions out for ya’ll’s opinions.
I’ve been spinning the wheels in my mind about the finish. I know I am staining it dark. I decided on that before I even started.
First question. When I build the drawers, should I stain them dark or leave them light for a contrasting look to them? Maybe light with dark handles for contrast in contrast?
The next question is the finish. I want some kind of finish. I originally was going to use poly. Several friends have talked me out of that though. I have been leaning towards BLO because, from what I’m told, it’s a more traditional finish for a bench. After seeing a friend’s post this morning though (Dave’s), my mind has been on shellac. It’s been a while since I used it, but I love the look of shellac and find it easy to work with. So what is ya’ll’s opinion on a shellac finish?