Red O
8155 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles
Tel: 323-655-5009
Designer: Gulla Jonsdottir Design

Gulla Jonsdottir, who seems to be responsible for half of LA’s most popular hangouts, is at it again. Her firm Gulla Jonsdottir Design recently opened Red O, a Mexican Restaurant in West Hollywood that brings the traditional fiesta-style aesthetic of so many So Cal Mexican eateries up to date.

Outside, the restaurant has gigantic glass walls clad with a scrim composed of a series of shard-like steel pieces. Inside, the open space is a free-flowing combination of billowing white fabrics, dark woods, dark leather furniture, large chandeliers, brass bells, communal tables and banquettes, curvilinear walls, and enough sculptural pieces to make your head spin. A 14-foot communal table made of solid walnut and bronze sits in the main dining room, alongside a bar surrounded by handmade leather swings.

“It’s kind of like a holiday for a day,” said Jonsdottir, who lived in Mexico for a couple of years and was able to draw from that experience for inspiration. “People feel like they’re on vacation,” she added.