Tone Alexander shares his approach to patio living

I believe a career chooses you. I’ve always had a love of beautiful things, of plants and of bringing the outdoors in, combining indoor and outdoor living. In South Africa we have such beautiful weather, we’re very fortunate to be able to extend our homes to appreciate the outdoors and how that can extend our living spaces.

My style is best described as traditional modern. I like clean lines, symmetry, and formal structured environments. But in my work, each garden is unique and aligned to the home and the clients’ style and personal preferences. I love to travel and expose myself to global trends. I recently had the pleasure of travelling to Australia to meet one of my personal favourite landscapers, Paul Bangay, whose work definitely inspires me.

I recently designed, built and decorated my Noordhoek home in a modern French farmhouse-style with a formal garden. A large undercover patio looks over the pool and has doors leading onto it from the main lounge and gallery, linking the home to the outdoors through this extended space. The patio has an eating area and informal seating area with an outdoor fireplace.To maximise the views of Chapman's Peak, we went with extra-height ceilings and custom-made curved doors.

One of my favourite pieces is the large dining room table on the patio. We use this space a lot for entertaining, particularly now during the warmer months.

Combine aesthetic with comfort. In an area where you’ll spend lots of time relaxing and entertaining, a beautiful couch or lounger won’t be used if its not also comfortable.