I am also looking at engineered flooring for a remodel, and trying for a modern look. While I have no experience with the specific models you describe, I do not like the hand scraped look on the floors. To me, they look artificial, and I think they will make the kitchen look dated another 5 yrs down the road.
Best of luck to you. At least with only 2 choices, you are much closer than I am to making a decision.

I have a light oak floor now (12 years), so I get the idea of the floors scratching from lots of sources and dealing with it.

That would be great if I were sticking with light woods. My understanding is on the dark almost black stained woods, the scratching is much more noticeable. Especially the ones from pets that wouldn't have even shown up on the light stain.

Dark and smooth is like a mirror. It magnifies all of the pet hair and dirt and scratches. I would recommend against dark period. Especially if you're gonna go with the so just past trendy dark cabinets. No contrast between cabinets and floors is a fail designwise. Medium tone, with a visible grain, like oak or hickory will be the easiest to live with. Natural cherry or maple cabinets in a slab door would also suit your stated vision better. Espresso is trending down, soon to be out. It lets cheap lines use poor wood and disguise it under a tinted lacquer topcoat.

Please, no suggestions to go to other colors, these are the two options.

Can't you accept neither, get a credit, and put down what you want after closing?

I would go with the handscraped low sheen wood, having had it previously in one of our homes.

No, I cannot get a credit, would be nice.

xc60, any other feedback on the floors? Maybe a picture or two?

Here are some pics, the photos don't show the true color of the floors though. They were much darker and had more brown and less red in person. We did chose a almost black wire brushed oak floor in our newest build. Just to try something different, but I would do a dark handscraped low sheen again in a heart beat. :) We do build a new home every three years as an investment, so no real long term experience. But in the three plus years of having each home the floors wore well and did not show scratches with dogs. But low sheen, and handscraped did hide any scratches or dings we did have and looked natural.

Other house:

New build brushed oak floors, low sheen:

This post was edited by xc60 on Fri, Mar 28, 14 at 1:27

Thank you! Any chance I could see the larger version of those pictures? They direct to photo bucket, but password protected.

imgur or something like that could be an option for sharing, I don't know much about photo bucket.

What did you end up choosing? I would love to see a picture if you chose the Shaw pebble hickory Olde English. I am trying to decide between that and the Weathered Saddle color. Thanks!

I went with the olde english. The wood was finally put into the house about a week ago, but is covered up while they finish a bunch of other things. I should be able to take pictures of it soon and give feedback in a few months.

The brief "how it looks" right now is... I love it. Not everyone would, but it is really awesome to my eyes.

I think you made a good choice, although the dark will show a lot of hair etc. I have a distressed Shaw product and a young sharp clawed cat flying and skidding around. The floor is fine. I am impressed. I even took a scrap and soaked it in water and it held up fine! lol. The sample seemed to scratch easy enough but not with normal use, which of course would include animals. Those furniture finishes would be a nightmare, imo. I have gotten a few scratches from work being done but doesn't matter with this finish. Shaw's distressing is irregular so looks good, imo. Love this floor!