Vibrating swathes of color left there either by accident or intention — there is something about drawings-filled walls that instantly evokes the mischievous playfulness of childhood, when creative flair needed not be contained and, before we knew it, ended up everywhere to the mixed reactions of our parents.
Unveiled last month at the Laura Gonzalez-designed hotel Casa Monti Roma, The Art Suite by artist Michael McGregor extends that irreverent energy to the layered interiors of one of its 36 guest bedrooms. And I promise you, it will change your view of sketched walls forever.
A first-of-its-kind activation for the hotel, which launched in May 2024 and grew to become one of the best hotels in Rome for lovers of layered interiors (and for its truly spectacular rooftop), The Art Suite sees McGregor reinvent its spaces into a canvas for his contagiously uplifting crayon-and-marker vignettes. The result, explains the property's team, is "a place to sleep, dream, and collect, where contemporary art meets Roman hospitality."
Inside the Art Suite at Casa Monti Roma — A Wall Drawing Fantasy
Anyone who gets to stay at Casa Monti Roma knows how much of a role the marble busts, stucco reliefs, and intricate sculptures styled throughout this bolthole play in defining the guest experience, alongside a maximalist play of contrasting tiled surfaces and fabrics.
Situated just a few minutes away from the Colosseum in the charming, liveable Rione Monti neighborhood, the 5-star luxury hotel prides itself on reinterpreting the Eternal City's storied past for the contemporary dweller with a nod to its legacy of arts patronage. A six-month artist residency collaboration, The Art Suite — nestled in suite 203 — carries that tradition forward through "a living, immersive work of art".
At Casa Monti Roma, "aesthetics, emotion, and culture shape every moment," explains the hotel team. They certainly do in The Art Suite, where McGregor — an avid globetrotter whose drawings often appear for the first time on hotel stationery during his travels, and who has called Mexico City, Los Angeles, Paris, London, and Italy home before most recently settling in Athens — lends his animated touch to anything from paper works and paintings to bespoke furniture, curtains, and ceramics.
Inspired by Michael McGregor's instinctual wall drawing? Try your hand at sketching on premium stationery with this nostalgic notebook by London's pen-and-paper wonderland Choosing Keeping.
Michael McGregor's "ROMA AMOR" and Living Artwork as the Antidote to Boring White Rooms
Now, it doesn't take more than a glance at Gonzalez's jewel box interiors for Casa Monti Roma to understand why McGregor's vivid scenes feel so naturally at home in them. But to make this partnership even more enticing is how it shows the life that colorful figurative artworks can bring into the home, particularly in the form of wall drawing. This is a diametrically opposite take to what off-white 2026 Color of the Year Cloud Dancer by Pantone suggests, or the need for a return to neutrally colored, essential walls.
McGregor's inspiration for this takeover came from an earlier stay at Casa Monti Roma, where, sketchbook in hand, he made the timeless silhouettes of landmarks like the Roman Forum and the city's terracotta palaces his own.
A drawing collection recasting the human and otherworldly protagonists of Rome's imperial past, mythology, and heritage through a bold, dynamic lens, ROMA AMOR, the limited-edition book guests of The Art Suite receive as part of their sojourn, allows them to take the vibrancy of that experience home. And it isn't the only amenity the bedroom comes complete with to let you do so.
From a limited-edition backgammon set to artist-designed tableware, custom textiles, and sculptures, everything you see in The Art Suite — yes, including the suite itself — can be purchased. It is a tempting, unexpected plot twist that, allowing people to experience living with a piece before acquiring it, explains the Casa Monti Roma team, facilitates the first encounter between collectors and their prospective collectibles. Plus, it proves that resort-core is alive and kicking.
Don't miss your chance to sleep inside a living canvas. Book your stay in The Art Suite at Casa Monti, available until October 15
Before You Go: How to Style the 'Artist Residence' Look at Home
1. If You Can't Draw It, Hang It
Not all of us can be as skilled in wall drawing as McGregor is. But don't worry: just because you won't author the murals and scenes adorning your home walls, it doesn't mean you shouldn't get a chance to get in on the fun of this artist residence-inspired look. Pick your favorite from our edit of wall art living room ideas with a Mediterranean pulse below.
2. Bring Some Unexpected Spark
No matter how good a wall drawing is, it wouldn't look so without the right kind of lighting. That's why, once you've settled on the wall art pieces you'd like to showcase in your living room or bedroom, the next step to get closer to the atmosphere of The Art Suite is finding some equally imaginative lamps and shades. Browse on.
3. Layer It All With Handpainted Textiles
If there's one thing that McGregor's activation at Casa Monti Roma successfully showed, it's that in an ingengiously designed maximalist setting where more is more, a vibrant wall drawing interior finds a life of its own when paired with similarly eccentric textiles. So bring on the fabrics!
Revisit a recent review of Nice's Hôtel du Couvent, one of McGregor's art inspirations, or refresh your travel essentials with a must-have kit for style-obsessed, serial globetrotters.
