The work by artist Erika Iris Simmons is a collection of faces and figures that grow out of recycled materials, reconfigured musical notes, and the negative space that results from these shapes. Simmons started out as a face-painter at Universal Studios and then went on to study makeup design. She says, “I became fascinated with books about perception and cognition. I think creating these optical illusions everyday [with makeup] made me curious about how our minds perceive shadows, and how we put together the image of the world around us.”
For these pieces that she calls Paperworks, Simmons meticulously cuts out musical notes and pastes them back together in stunning portraits, patterns, and shapes in her attempt to, “visualize the transcendence felt in beautiful music.” I absolutely love how the sheet music comes alive as the figures move, sway, and rise off the pages. 
Erika Iris Simmons’s website
Musical Notes Spring to Life to Create Art
How is the Bellevue Market?
How’s the market? I get asked that daily! Which one? The resale market? The rental market? The investor market? Let’s look at just east of Lake Washington.
In Bellevue 66.2% of properties in all price points were in contract last month.
In the more affordable price point ($0.00 – $500,000.00), 100% of homes were in contract. Yup! 100%!
In the Redmond at the more affordable price point ($0.00 – $400,000.00), 71.4% of homes were in contract. 
In these two markets, the sellers are in control – at least for now.
WE NEED INVENTORY! If you know someone who tried to sell in the past but needs to sell now, connect me with them. I want to help.
Now THIS Is A Treehouse
Тhе design studio Paz Arquitectura frоm Guatemala сrеаtеd this sреctаculаr house in a hillside fоrеst in the Santa Rosalia аrеа оf Guatemala City.
Everything you need to know about art history
I needed this when I was in college…
Random Amazing Beds
Everybody needs sleep. Here’s a collection of some interesting, creative, unusual and cool beds. Imagine sleeping in these amazing beds. 
Skateboard House
The PAS House is the project of a private residence, to be built in Malibu, California. In this house you will be able to skateboard any areas and surfaces, Indoor and Outdoor.
“Each space is skateable as the ground becomes the wall then the ceiling in a continuous surface forming a tube of a 10ft radius. The furniture is also skateable, whether it is integrated in the curve like the sitting area, the kitchen or the bathroom or just as standing object like the dining table, the kitchen Island or the bed. Closets and drawers could be integrated in the curve too. The PAS house is the first house designed to be entirely used for skateboarding as well as being a traditional dwelling. It is the ultimate dream for generations of skateboarders who wanted to bring their practice into their home. “
If you or someone you know is looking for a home for a skateboarder, skater, cook, craft person, artist, soccer player…. you get the idea. I can help! Emmanuel@EmmanuelFonte.com
Piano House
The Piano House located in Huainan City, An Hui Province, China. It contains a transparent violin and a piano building. Inside the violin, there is staircase toward the piano house upstairs.
This building built for music lovers acts as a performance and practicing place to music students from the local college in Huainan City, east China. It also displays various city plans and development prospects in an effort to draw interest into the recently developed area.
Via: letmebeinspired.com
Interior design trend: vintage eco-friendly pieces
Photo courtesy of Jane Hall Design.
Stunning vintage pieces
We recently profiled Jane Hall, the “Voice of Style” for her innovative use of the color black in her interior designs. We were so inspired with her design and noticed she leaned toward putting amazing vintage pieces and antiques with modern decor with stunning results.
Hall said, “I love the concept of homeowners using vintage furniture for a number of reasons. Its green design and quite frankly built to last. With 95% of the furniture on the market today being made in China from press board and staples, in unregulated factories, this was not built to last. I call it throw away furniture. Its also cheaper to make it in 6 shades of gray and beige, chocolate brown and black and it cheaper to make things square than it is to make them round.”
Vintage doesn’t just happen, it takes planning
We understand from Hall that vintage is not exactly cut and dry and that a great deal of thought must be put into its execution (hence why she is in such high demand, we presume).
“There are many decorating styles that lend themselves to vintage furniture. I would recommend readers to do some research about what era they are trying to achieve before going out and throwing anything into the back of their car. As in all design projects, I always start off with a plan with my clients, so you don’t buy items that don,t contribute to your overall plan, just because they are are a deal or they are on sale.These are a couple of examples.”
Vintage styles
Hall outlined two primary ways to incorporate vintage style into a home.
Shabby Chic: Country pieces from can be painted white and distressed and look great with white linens on the bed, crystal chandeliers pale grayed off pastels on the walls Iron bed frames painted white, oversize couches in a cotton canvas cloth. Sisal rugs, on light stained hardwood floors keep the look light and casual.
Mid Century Modern: This a huge trend in the vintage market, with the the last 15 year craze being about modern design. Done properly with authenticity Mid Century Modern can be a great look. What people tend to forget, is that during the 50′s and 60′s color was used. As it was the post war years , they were doing a lot of experimenting with new materials in flooring, new fabrics, plastics and colour was a part of that experimenting. If you have seen Madman it’s fabulous early 60′s design.
Hall says that when flea market shopping, she looks out for shape first and foremost and ignores fabric, color or wood condition. “All that can be changed. Painted, reupholstered in contemporary or new fabrics or wood pieces painted, you can have pieces that are totally unique and are eco friendly.”
More Jane Hall Design designs:
If you’re enthusiastic about vintage design, check out the shots Hall sent us a variety of her pieces:
