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Jason Gagliardi

SO YOU WANT to redecorate, or perhaps renovate. Where do you turn for inspiration? You could  buy the boxed set of the Designer Guys, those impeccably coiffed Canadians who dispense indispensable decorating tips on the telly, or subscribe to Wallpaper, or House and Garden.

But maybe there's another way.

Bangkok is in the grip of a boutique-hotel boom, with trendy hostelries boasting decor ranging from cool to kitsch, colonial to baronial, and minimalist to maximalist.

Here is a guide to Bangkok's most beautiful and bizarre boutique hotels, and hints to what awaits within.

Dream Hotel

(www.dreambkk.com)

This new emporium of opulence teeters on the tightrope of bad taste, but also contains  loads of wow factors. It's brought to you by hotelier Vikram Chatwal, the man behind the Dream Hotel and Night Hotels in New York. Chatwal has dubbed his style 'hautel couture', a mixture of 'surrealism and splendour'.

If an Asian fantasy vibe is your thing, take a leaf from the lobby, where dramatic down-lighting brings to life gilt-covered sculptures of Buddhist stupas. Get creative with plaster of Paris and paint, and you too could have a bit of Kathmandu in your living room. A peek into Flava restaurant might also inspire you: swirling psychedelic carpets in ochre, burgundy and russet complement plush sofas in similar hues to create a sumptuous mood.

There are also ideas to steal from the bedrooms: big panels of smoked glass suspended over the bed provide dreamy reflections and the beds, suspended on a steel shelf with storage beneath, are a great solution for space-challenged studio flats.

The Eugenia

(www.theeugenia.com)

This newly constructed colonial-style pile promises itself as 'the charming embodiment of fine living', and a cheaper way of experiencing the grandeur of hotels such as The Strand Hotel in Rangoon, The Grand Angkor in Cambodia or Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Its Taiwanese, Bangkok-based owner, Eugene Yeh, says the 12-room, three-storey neo-Victorian hotel was inspired by the chic and sophistication of an 83-year-old Vietnamese lady of his acquaintance.

For anyone with a bent for colonial style, there are delightful details  that can be replicated in the home. Clawfoot bathtubs are made from hand-beaten copper and aluminium alloy. The illusion of another era is also sustained by both real and replica cast-iron four-poster beds, settees and dressers. Many  furniture pieces are genuine antiques from Yeh's private collection. A garden full of  palm trees and a garage of vintage cars are nice touches.

Luxx

(www.staywithluxx.com)

Lovers of Zen dens will appreciate Luxx, where less is most definitely more. Two down-at-heel five-storey shophouses down by the river at Bangrak  have been transformed into an oasis of simplicity and style. Each room is a model for the perfect studio flat; floors are matt-finished hardwood, complementing the timber of the cabinetry.

Spare and structured lines dictate these spaces. The angular sofas echo the timber television stand. A  well-thought-out pantry affords ideas for tight Hong Kong spaces.  And each  room enjoys a view of a Zen garden courtyard. The man behind Luxx is former financier Dusadee Srishevachart,  who  wanted to create 'a holistic concept of accommodation'.

Phranakorn Nornlen

(www.phranakorn-nornlen.com)

Imagine the ultimate backpacker hostel, and you won't be far off the feeling created by Phranakorn Nornlen, nestled among the quiet gardens of Thewet district, near Khao San Road.  You'd hardly guess everything but the shell of this three-storey building is new; the patina of time has been painstakingly etched into almost every surface. There are plenty of cheap and cheerful design ideas here, such as beds perched on simple platforms, and all sorts of recycling innovations.

The simple wooden furniture has been given a distressed finish, complementing the wooden weatherboard walls, daubed with different colours. Some bedrooms feature hand-painted murals  but one of the best tips is a ban on televisions.

Arun Residence

(www.arunresidence.com)

Another old shophouse conversion, Arun Residence takes its name from Wat Arun, the 'Temple of the Dawn', which rears skyward on the other side of the Chao Phraya River  from this tiny hotel.

Charming simplicity is the theme, with each room executed in shades of white and cream. Co-owner Piyanuj Ruckpanich  said he wanted nothing to distract from the amazing views across the river to the temple.  The main deck features  ornate original balustrading and fretwork.  This hotel shows how texture can be the new colour, working with a neutral palette but creating depth and intrigue through textural contrasts.

Reflections

(www.reflections-thai.com)

This palace of kitsch  bills itself as the 'art hotel for individuals and intellectuals',  and features 30 rooms, each the product of a different Thai or international designer  given free rein to create a  dream space. Before you even  enter the rooms, however, you'll be blown away by the lobby, a cornucopia of day-glo colours, groovy plastic furniture and outlandish pop-art-gone-mad paintings.

Room 210, Kongpat Sakdapitak's 'Hong Kong Pat' room, features white walls and white furniture with bizarre and brightly hued art pieces arranged haphazardly. 'It's a very clean and clear room to make the visitor feel deeply peaceful,' says the artist.  But my  favourite is the Graffiti Team's 'Freak Show' room, in which no surface has escaped the elaborate ministrations of spray-can wielding chaps by the name of Never, Dej and Gobland. It's  a unique way to transform a room. Perhaps best not to tell your landlord though.



Inn crowd