I haven't read everything...
The corner cabinet is totally unnecessary... No idea how anyone can plan something so ******
I think you are unfair to the general contractor or whoever created the floor plan. After all, they are not kitchen planners, and a general contractor simply doesn’t go into details in the kitchen and bathroom. You have to do that yourself.
It should be closed with a glass sliding door, that is already our requirement. Sure, it’s a matter of taste...
You gave them the requirement with the sliding door. You gave it to them.
You want a fairly small affordable house and are planning with a basement and an office on the ground floor. You have that here. - So there simply isn’t much space left for the kitchen.
If I were you, I would question what the basement is for, whether the office could still go there, or whether the basement itself is unnecessary and you could make the house larger in footprint. Then you would have more space for the kitchen.
The kitchen itself is not uncharming, you just have to see it: Instead of the window strip (completely misplaced), for example, you could have a floor-to-ceiling window and a standing table in front of it. It doesn’t all have to be a bar, island, or counter. Then you can create two areas with upper and lower cabinets... also, you can visually shorten or widen the kitchen with two different fronts... If you stick to the “compact with basement” house idea, then consider reducing the office size or putting it in the basement.
Basically, I see a door to the hallway rather than this sliding door to the dining area. What is it good for? Is it open or closed? It is impractical for the traffic flow and does not fit the daily routine. You have a different view into the kitchen. However, you shouldn’t forget the coat area planning.