So I just finished some travertine, cleaned and buffed with encrusted pads to 1500. Looks beautiful.

The owner says it looks too shiny and is not what they wanted. It is about the same as when I started (the floor has been honed at least once), minus the etches and some minor wear, and it is back to its original color.

They say it does not look like the interior floors which have never had any service at all, have a strong patina, and all the factory swirls on the tile. This is what is making it look “matte finish” the honing grit that the factory finished with, along with years of cleaning and patina sheen.

Now this is what they want me to duplicate for completion. Very low integrity in the parties involved, but have to soldier on. A certain Rudyard Kipling poem comes to mind.

I do have some thoughts on how to do this but wanted to put it out there for the group. They want a buffed over scratch pattern finish, but would look stupid when the scratch pattern is not limited to each tile, but carries thru across the floor. Would look like a stone restoration hack job.

Thinking I might just try to say as little as possible and re do to a 400 pad. They obviously have no idea so might work.

Ideas?