The best solution but time consuming would be to drill/screw/plug the complete deck, 2 screws on each joist. You could then sand pretty much all you want with no issues (as long as you countersink the screws deep enough). What I did on my deck was drill/screw/plug the ends of the decking & used IPE clips in-between. If there was extreme pressure in the in-between areas I would drill/screw/plug that as well. Utility of the Bo-Wrench decking tool was well worth the investment. Regarding stainless screws popping that sounds like an installation problem. If the IPE/massaranduba decking is pre-drilled properly there should be very little torque on the screws as they are going thru the decking. There should only be medium torque as the screws go thru the pressure treated joists. Sounds like at installation the screws may have been subjected to close-to-failure over torque forces & then later popped due to expansion/contraction of the wood. I used coated deck screws (like Deckmate) for the drill/screw/plug process & then the IPE-clip stainless steel screws for the in-between areas. By buckling, do you mean the decking is cupping the length of the decking? Or is the problem only at the ends of the individual decking where they butt joint (or maybe cut @ 45 diagonal like I did) with the next piece of decking? If that is the case I would just drill/screw/plug the ends of each decking board, 2 screws per joist.

“Do you have any exposed brick?” All of the brick is covered in plaster, but I would seriously consider exposing a brick wall. “Are your stair treads and risers wood?” No; carpet. But a future project will almost certainly be removing the dark laminate floors and replacing them with a lighter hardwood. When that happens, I suspect we’ll also remove the carpet from the stairs and install hardwood rises and treads. “Do you like the mood of your current dining room? It reads dark, without much ambient lighting.” Yes and no. I like the colors in the dining room – green paint, some original red-brown wood on the door and stair rail, white trim, and black cabinet (painted white inside). We have similar colors in the living room – the same green paint, white trim, reclaimed wood shelves supported by cast iron brackets, and a new (modern-ish) stained glass transom window over the door. There is a casual slipcover couch, that is white. The former fireplace, that is now a built-in bookcase, is also white. Red-brown piano. What we don’t like: the dining room is still a little dark, although new track lighting and brigher lights in center of the room have helped a lot. In some places the space in and between the rooms flows oddly. So I guess my overall inclination is to try to embrace some of the things that seem warm or quirky about the house - but open up the space, improve lighting, etc. “Have you decided what you are doing with the opening to the DR?” The plan right now is employ Rebunky’s idea. To cut away some of the left hand entry – the deep side – and infill the right wall only as deep and high as is necessary to cover the sides of the new cabinets. That keeps the space open for light to pass through, and it prevents any new visual barriers from hampering conversations between people in the kitchen and dining area. We have also tentatively decided on the skylight, and additional lights in the kitchen. There is a single overhead light in the kitchen now, so while the ceiling is out we’ll put in a series of new lights. “If you go with timeless neutrals you'll be able to decorate with color rather than rip out a backsplash when your taste changes.” This is very good point. And it sounds like everyone agrees that in trying to match the warmth and colors of the current house, we're getting too dark. I'm going to step back from the backsplash idea and try to think about what might keep the look a little more light or open. My original idea - gray and white - would certainly have been airier. We could, of course, still chose this. Then again, my husband likes the red-brown cabinets, and they do fit the setting. So maybe what I should think about is how to complement and balance the choice, rather than trying to layer on elements that dark or rich.

Are you still planning on counter height? With kids that small I personally would not. We have a kitchen desk that is similar to what you have now. It is not a dumping ground. If kids do their homework there then they need it for the next day, and take it with them. If it gets a bit cluttered and company is coming then that is the best time to clean. The most important thing is to have places for everything so stuff doesn't just get moved around. Maybe a large drawer for each kid? Since you have the room that desk posted above is great. Ours is almost that wide, and we constantly bring a wooden stool next to it for more room. It will also be very hard to help a child if they are in that space. There will be no where to put your legs if you sit with them. We sat together at the bar or table. Once they didn't need help they did most of their work in their rooms at their own desks. I think anything bigger than just a simple desk is only going to draw more attention to the area and cost you $$$. I guess we are odd since kitchen desks get such a bad rap around here but I spend most of my day here. Our desktop computer is always charged, I know where it is, and everything I need is right here. We all use it every day. Good luck!

If you don't think a MW drawer will work, I like sena's suggestion to have the MW on an upper shelf. Here's one with the MW to the left, with the sandwich press below. The hood is wide enough for the hob and multi-cooker, and the coffee maker is in the nook to the right of the sink. You'd need a new outlet to the right of the hobs, for the multi-cooker, unless you unplug it after each use (you wouldn't want to the leave the cord strung across the hobs.) The uppers and lowers don't line up, except for the sink cabinet, and the open shelf lines up with the sink cabinet and DW. I like that there is 42+" between the sink and hobs, for prep space. The sandwich press can be moved into the prep space when in use, to get it out of the corner. Can you place a cutting board or large tray over the hobs, to use them as temporary counter space? The cabinets to the left have no center stiles, so with both doors open, you have access to the whole interior, and the base cabinet doors won't hit the fridge. If that is a panel above the water, and the open shelf goes across it, you can have a section with a hinge, to fold up for access to the panel. The shallow drawer above the washer would be only a couple of inches deep, but that's deep enough for flatware, cutting boards, knives, etc. I rearranged the left side to put the hood in the corner, but then the hobs would overlap the fridge space, and you would have the fridge looming behind you. Thank you to beth, my fellow Ohioan.