Claire at Tree Roots Retreat, Rayong, Thailand — purple belt jiu-jitsu practitioner and the designer behind the room redesign.
Tree Roots Stories  ·  July 2026

Light Rolls,
Sharp Eye.

Purple belt on the mat. Sharp eye in the rooms.

Claire is chill in a way you notice slowly. Almost Zen. I first met her on the mat here at the retreat a little over a year and a half ago — she was a blue belt then, recently promoted to purple, and I was right at the start of my own jiu-jitsu journey. Like everyone who trains at Tree Roots, she was generous with what she knew. Rolling with Claire is always light. It’s a good way to learn, and it tells you most of what you need to know about her.

Claire, blue belt, working guard on the mat at Tree Roots Retreat in Rayong, Thailand — a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu session at the Mae Ram Phueng jiujitsu retreat.
Light rolls.
Claire in her purple belt gi with the Tree Roots Retreat Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu team in Rayong, Thailand — five practitioners from blue to black belt after a training session at the Mae Ram Phueng jiujitsu retreat.
The mat family. Purple belt front row.

Claire’s interests run wide, so when I started looking for someone to help rethink the rooms, her name kept coming up. More than once. It didn’t take long to see why.

With her guidance and her eye, the rooms have changed — and we love what’s happened. They’re a little brighter now. A little calmer. The starting point was simple: make them work for longer stays, for the guests who want to settle in rather than pass through.

Guest room at Tree Roots Retreat, Rayong, before and after Claire’s redesign — new furnishings, plants, framed map from Rayong, and a papasan reading chair.
Before & after. Brighter. Calmer.

Then the small things, which turned out to be the important ones. Crystals. More cushions. New netted curtains that hold a little privacy while still letting the morning light through. Art from Rayong, chosen for a stronger sense of where you actually are. New furnishings, including handmade cushion covers. Candles out on the patio for the evenings.

Guest patio at Tree Roots Retreat in Rayong, before and after — from bare concrete to a planted corner with a macramé hammock and string lights for the evenings.
Before & after. Candles at dusk.

The biggest change, for me, is the mezzanine. It was underused. Now it’s a space of its own — somewhere to read and do nothing, or to stretch and move through some yoga when the room below is quiet.

The mezzanine above a guest room at Tree Roots Retreat in Rayong, before and after Claire’s redesign — a quiet space for reading, doing nothing, or yoga.
Before & after. A space of its own.

More of her eye.

A few more corners of the property Claire touched.

Guest bathroom at Tree Roots Retreat in Rayong, Thailand, before and after Claire’s redesign — reclaimed wood vanity, plant, and a framed print on polished concrete walls.
Bathroom — before & after.
Guest room entrance and terrace at Tree Roots Retreat, Rayong, before and after Claire’s redesign — new planting, softer lighting, and a warmer approach at the door.
Room entrance — before & after.
Porch and covered patio outside a guest room at Tree Roots Retreat in Rayong, Thailand, before and after Claire’s redesign — bamboo, banana palms, orchids, and warm string lights.
Porch decor — before & after.
Rear patio garden at a Tree Roots Retreat guest room in Rayong, before and after Claire’s redesign — from bare dirt and concrete to tropical foliage and cordyline.
Patio garden — before & after.
Pool-view guest room at Tree Roots Retreat in Rayong, before and after Claire’s redesign — new bedding, framed art, warm lighting, and a reading chair beside the sliding doors.
Pool-view room — before & after.
Guest room at Tree Roots Retreat in Rayong, before and after Claire’s redesign — framed art, plants, cushions, and a papasan chair by the garden doors.
Art & light — before & after.
Guest room with mezzanine and pendant light at Tree Roots Retreat in Rayong, Thailand, before and after Claire’s redesign — sage-green feature wall, framed print, and a rattan pendant.
Sage & rattan — before & after.
Thank you, Claire.
The rooms are better for both.

For the light rolls, and for the eye.

What’s next

There’s more to come from her. Claire is planning to open a deli with a guest kitchen down on Mae Ram Phueng Beach, about a seven-minute drive from us. We’re excited for her. Watch this space.

Claire helping with a Mae Ram Phueng beach cleanup in Rayong, Thailand — the community she’ll be opening her deli into.
Already on the beach.