IDS 360° Virtual Series: Suzanne Dimma & Arriz Hassam
IDS 360° is a new virtual series created by IDS in solidarity with the industry and designers we champion. Launched across all our platforms, it highlights handpicked, diverse brands with video Q+As, product launches, studio tours, and more. Not taking our voice and reach for granted, the national IDS platform is accessing individual designers, architects and brands of all sizes to hear their visions, challenges, triumphs and potential for a more thoughtful, more beautiful design practice, post-pandemic.
Our next IDS 360° installment features Toronto-based designers, Suzanne Dimma and Arriz Hassan.
Suzanne Dimma is one of Canada’s leading interior design and decorating experts. At Suzanne Dimma Design, she creates beautiful home products and memorable interiors that reflect her clients’ varied personalities through the intersection of artful expression and serene functionality in the home.
Her collaboration with Au Lit fine linens is in its second season with a new capsule bedding collection that marries her signature ‘Boho Modern’ style with exquisite details. Suzanne also consults with brands such as HomeSense and Ikea to develop seasonal inspiration and shares her editorial perspectives through her blog at suzannedimma.com and as a regular expert on Cityline.
From 2008 to 2016, she was Editor-in-Chief of House & Home magazine. She has also acted as the Creative Director for their product line carried at Hudson’s Bay stores. Prior to that, she hosted and co-produced The Style Department on HGTV and was the Home Director for several publications at St. Joseph Media.
Arriz+co is a design firm led by award-winning designer Arriz Hassam based in Toronto since 2012. He was a founding partner of the renowned firm 3rd UNCLE design (1993–2012) which he established soon after graduating from the University of Waterloo with degrees in Professional Architecture and Environmental Studies.
With a holistic design approach, Arriz draws from his experience, knowledge, and expertise to achieve solutions that meet client’s needs and create memorable places. With a focus on high-quality interiors and attention to detail, the work ranges from custom homes to unique commercial projects. Over the years, Arriz has earned a reputation as a leading interior designer in Canada. He has established successful collaborations with other architects, builders and craftsmen on notable projects such as The Ismaili Center Toronto and Diwan Pavilion in the Aga Khan Garden in Edmonton.
His work has been featured in numerous publications and has been exhibited at the MoMA, Venice Biennale, IDS, Design Exchange, Canadian Centre of Architecture and has won numerous awards.
Design by Arriz+co & Suzanne Dimma
Construction by Level Design/Build
Video ‘This Fair Land’ by Bullrush Pictures, Adam Reid & Kristin Lehman
We get to further explore Suzanne Dimma and Arriz Hassam’s favourite place. Dubbed as the “Tree House” the couple describe the project in their own words:
“Twelve years ago, we set out to build an off-the-grid, solar powered retreat on a boat-access property in North Ontario. The challenge was to design a low impact, sustainable building with a small crew without using heavy machinery. Using lightweight construction, the design was based on a modular dimension to minimize any material waste.
Like a treehouse, the building is a bridge to nature. It recedes quietly into the forest and appears as a shadow from the lakeside. With its steel structural posts drilled directly into the Canadian shield, the building hovers twenty feet above the ground at one end and hugs the rock at the other. Inside, the views include a dramatic rockface framed like a picture and a panorama from high among the treetops. A wraparound deck offers a vantage point to the lake, a private bay and a fern valley. We happily spend our spring, summer, and fall in this loft-like space that slips quietly into the land — a place of incredible peace.
When the construction was completed, director Adam Reid of Bullrush Pictures, visited us and documented this life-changing experience”.
You can follow Suzanne on Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter @suzannedimma and Arriz at @arrizandco