Tina Mitchell Art Studio

Late summer is one of my favorite times of year in the kitchen. There are tomatoes on the counter, herbs coming in from the garden, and that feeling that summer is still here even though the evenings are getting a little shorter.

It is also the time of year when I start wanting the house to feel a little warmer and more inviting. Not a big seasonal decorating change, just a few things that bring some of that garden feeling indoors.

For me, pattern is an easy way to do that. A table runner, a set of placemats, or a piece of artwork can bring in the colors and shapes of the garden without making the room feel overly decorated.

If you are looking for harvest kitchen table decor, garden-inspired patterns are a natural place to start.

Where Patchwork Roots Began

Patchwork Roots grew out of my love of garden produce and all the wonderful shapes and colors that come with it.

I started with things I see all the time in a garden and kitchen: cabbage, peppers, tomatoes, spinach, cucumber, and avocado. Each one has its own personality. Cabbage has those beautiful layered curves. Peppers have such interesting shapes. Tomatoes have wonderful color and unexpected little details.

I began by choosing the color palettes and sketching the individual elements. From there, I developed the main designs, adding color and arranging the motifs into patterns.

Once the patterns were coming together, I tested the repeats and made adjustments to the placement, scale, and details where needed. It is always interesting to see how individual elements change once they become part of a larger pattern.

Starting With the Table

A patterned table runner is one of the easiest ways to change the feeling of a kitchen or dining table.

You don't need to add a lot of other decoration. Let the pattern be the interesting part and keep the rest of the table fairly simple.

Pepper Spark

Pepper Spark has a lively geometric quality and warm, colorful tones. I like the idea of pairing it with simple dishes, natural wood, or clear glass so the pattern can really stand out.

Explore the Pepper Spark Symmetrical Abstract Pattern Table Runner

Cabbage Whorl

Cabbage Whorl has a completely different feeling. The rounded forms and purple tones are a little softer and more unexpected for a fall table. It would look beautiful against dark wood, stone, or simple neutral dinnerware.

Explore the Cabbage Whorl Sublimated Table Runner

Tomato Glow

Tomato Glow brings in those wonderful late-summer colors: warm reds, golden tones, and plenty of energy.

It would be right at home on a kitchen table for a weekend breakfast, an afternoon gathering, or a long dinner with friends.

Explore the Tomato Glow Vivid Pattern Table Runner

Bring the Pattern to Each Place Setting

Sometimes you don't need a full table runner. Placemats can bring just the right amount of pattern to the table while still leaving plenty of room for dishes, serving pieces, and whatever else happens to land there.

The Pepper Spark placemat set is an easy way to bring the collection into everyday meals. The colorful pattern gives each place setting a little personality while still working with natural wood and simple dinnerware.

Explore the Pepper Spark Water Resistant Placemat Set

And Don't Forget the Walls

I also love the idea of letting a pattern move beyond the table.

A framed piece of artwork can pick up the colors or shapes from a table setting and carry them into the rest of the room. In a kitchen or dining area, Cabbage Whorl would bring some of those beautiful garden colors up onto the wall without taking anything away from the table.

Explore the Cabbage Whorl Framed Art Poster

A Little Garden at the Table

I don't think seasonal decorating has to mean filling a room with seasonal decorations.

Sometimes it can be much simpler. A patterned runner, a few favorite dishes, some natural wood, a bowl of tomatoes from the garden, and flowers or greenery from outside can be enough.

That's what I like about Patchwork Roots. The collection started with things I already love seeing around me in late summer: garden colors, interesting shapes, and the little details that make ordinary vegetables beautiful.

Putting those patterns on the table brings a little bit of that feeling indoors.

Browse the Patchwork Roots Collection