modeling smooth round edges?

Hi everrybody -

A modeling question.
I have a loft-nurb based object, which will be a plastic housing of an electronic equipment and need to plant some buttons in it.
The area around where the button are inserted is supposed to be sup[er-smooth rounded up, (typically 90's industrial design as if the button was inserted in a hot formable plastic mass)
How do I make this edge around the button round. I tried it in a totally ridiculous way, building a negative rounded shape and then stick it in via Boole, but it looked horrible and Booles are so cumbersome and render-heavy.
Anybody can point me to a useful tutorial?
Say, I have the area subdivided
In Maya I saw someone do this job using virtual suction cups .
C4D's magnet is *almost* doing it. If I could change the shape of the magnet to the shape of my button ..

any help GREATLY appreciated!!!
cheers,

Caspar