Awhile back, I reached out to audio designer Victor Johansson after seeing some enticing preview images of an audio solution he was developing, a design-tantalizing ceramic stereo system utilizing wireless connectivity, all contained within a vessel of smooth earthenware and warm wood. He's finally finished his project to share with us...

This week's tech deals are aimed right at the tech geek in all of us. We've found a few options for Apple products at a discount, Windows 8 ultrabooks, gaming titles galore, and a few designer headphones at slashed prices. If you're looking to liven up your desk, an old school typewriter or industrial task lamp on discount could also do the trick, while those with a penchant for housekeeping efficiency should note this week's vacuum deals below...

We've all been in that position — you're on vacation and find a lovely rug, tea table, vase, etc for a price you can't beat. You would love to bring it home with you- but how? Oversized, heavy and otherwise cumbersome pieces present a unique set of challenges but can be well worth the hassle. Here are a few tips.

Shaw's Original Fireclay Sink

• from $1,075
• Amazon.com

Ok, this is aspirational, but what a lovely sink! I took this pic at a friend's house and then traced it to an English factory that sells through a bunch of shops in the US (now Amazon too). I have never been a big sink person before, but I really like the soft edges, large size and warm feeling of this ("biscuit" is the color), which is made of "fireclay" - not enamel on iron - so that it is much tougher and is acid/alkali resistant. And they're handmade in Darwen, England since 1897.

The bowls come in all sorts of different sizes, so whether you've got a mansion or just a small place you want to feel like one, this is the end of your search.

There's not a long list of industrious uses for that hard-to-reach, cropped cabinet above the refrigerator in the kitchen. Maybe somewhere to hide all those long neglected kitchen appliances you bought but stopped using. But there's at least one great solution: this one. Can you guess what's hiding in this unsuspecting kitchen storage?

In the midst of a busy week, sometimes there is nothing more dependable, more real, than sitting down and eating a simple, satisfying meal that you managed to pull together in under 15 minutes. Here are five ideas:

• 5 Almost-No-Work Meals
  The Kitchn

Name: Hannah & Brandon Proff and (Scottish Terrier) Remington
Location: Curtis Park; Denver, Colorado 
Size: 1,000 square feet
Years lived in: 2 years; Owned 

Many of us have come to appreciate that really special aesthetic that comes to life when a historic building is renovated. That wonderful juxtaposition of the old and new, right!? But every once in a while or perhaps more often than not some cosmetic renovation choices tend to lean in favor of the taste of the renovator and not to the future home owner. So what do you do then? Like Denver newlyweds, Hannah and Brandon, you take it one step at a time and slowly make it your own. 

New York apartment dwellers know all too well what a challenge it can be living the dream on a budget. Sometimes all you can afford is the lower level railroad apartment without direct sunlight. For Alex, the plus side to this is having backyard access to plant a garden and express his love of horticulture. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to catch Alex’s garden in full bloom because he is moving soon (but staying in Bed Stuy), so he submitted some outdoor photos that friends have taken in summers past. This house tour is a little farewell to Alex’s garden floor apartment on Putnam Street.

Designers always have tricks up their sleeves to be pulled out in challenging situations. We've gathered some of the most helpful small space design tips and tricks to get all you can out of any size space. And these tips are not solely for the square-foot challenged — they can work in every home.