Stockholm-based Note Design Studio used photographs of Death Valley to inform the pastel colour scheme for this restaurant and coffee shop in the Swedish capital (+ slideshow).

Note Design Studio renovated the interior for FineFood Kärlek och Mat, located in the Hammarby Sjöstad area to the south of Stockholm.

The various nuances of mint, dark green, and turquoise, with the contrasting coral and salmon red, reference a photographic series documenting the landscape of the Californian Mojave desert by artist Jordan Sullivan.

"We scanned the internet for images of material, architecture and interiors but didn't really find what we were looking for," designer Johannes Carlström told Dezeen.

"At some time we just stumbled upon the Death Valley series and felt right away that it was a conclusion of everything we wanted aesthetically – a clean setting with amazing pastels, the different shades of grey in the rock and just the pure serenity."

Note revamped the setting to be open plan and spacious with banquette seating lining the rear of the space.

Lightweight furniture surrounds the front of the central bar and a galley table is positioned to the right of the counter. Full-aspect windows allow as much natural light into the space as possible.

Green Guatemale marble clads the bar area and forms the counter tops, while also running as a trim along the far end of the restaurant.

In contrast the walls are clad in corrugated wood and painted in dark vermilion to create intimate zones in the cafe.

On the floor, muted monotone tiles are laid in a herringbone pattern to offer the setting an appearance that contrasted with its neighbours. "One of our main concerns after solving the primary issues in the floor plan, was to give the space its own look and identity," said Carlström.

"For some time in Sweden almost every restaurant, deli or bistro that has opened are using the industrial chic butcher-shop aesthetics with white tiles, naked lamps and rough metal work. We wanted to get away from that and find inspiration from a totally different area."

Taking the environmental concerns into consideration, Note used eco-friendly silicate paint for the walls and roof, LED-spots for the interior lighting and produced the bespoke furniture in a local carpentry ten minutes away from the cafe.

Typical Scandinavian materials like light ash wood, natural leather and brass detailing have also been used, with products in the fit-out including the studio's own ceramic Fuse pendant light.

The Swedish design studio has previously overhauled the Camper shoe store in Malmö and designed a furniture collection based on field trips and camping.