I just had Taj Mahal installed and it too has the same look that you described. Did you find a solution to fixing the finish?

Even though I didn't want wood floors in the kitchen, I finally decided to go with them because I just couldn't find the ideal tile. I hope your remodel goes smoother than mine did! Good luck.

Believe it or not, when the rubber hit the road, we decided to keep the original slate floors. We will be cleaning, sealing and enhancing them. I'll post photos when we're done.

Floorplan is helpful, but we also need to know how wide your aisles are currently (they look tight around the island?). Here's a quick idea (may not be feasible depending on aisle width) - it might look a little odd to leave that arch hanging but it would give you seating and remove the current barrier island. With the new opening to the LR, you could possibly close off that doorway next to the fridge (where does it go?) and/or partially close the opening between kitchen and breakfast (could be used for pantry space, etc. if necessary). I squared off the angled pantry but I was guessing at the measurements. You could leave the angle as-is with this layout, but the overall appliance arrangement can probably be improved by eliminating that angle (depending on those exact measurements). Or a similar idea with an island instead of peninsula, with the sink and DW moved to the perimeter: