Lottie's Interiors: Clint Eastwood and a funky dining chair.

Aaaahhhh. Both children back at school. Sebastian went back yesterday and by this morning was walking with a very unusual gait due to new school shoes! Rather like Clint Eastwood in A Fistful of Dollars.....if he were acting the part now, as an 82 year old! My daughter was dressed and ready for school by one minute to seven this morning. Unheard of! It can't last.

Before I mop the kitchen floor (ooh....the glamour!), I have to answer a request from a friend. She is undergoing a kitchen re-vamp and wanted some advice on dining chairs. Her remit was that she wanted something modern and funky but inexpensive and durable.

Her kitchen is quite traditional. Shaker units, light oak dining table. It is quite a large, open plan space with plenty of natural light. Why, might you be asking, is this relevant? Well. Had the room been smaller or the dining area have been separate, I would have probably suggested that she look at something in a more similar style to the dining table rather than something more modern and distinctive. Your eye would be less drawn to the size of the room because of the uniformity between table and chairs. Statement pieces tend to work better where there is more light and space, in my view.

Right. Onto the chairs. I had a good look around and ended up back at my old faithful, John Lewis.

I posted some while back about these chairs, but since, JL have introduced a couple more options.

Now, I have to admit, there is nothing too new or original about these chairs. Having said that, I for one, never tire of seeing schemes using these designs. I love the shape and the colours. I have sat on the more expensive versions and they are very comfortable. I have yet to road test all of these cheaper versions and suspect that there may be a little variation...but then, they are a fraction of the price.

To be a little more daring, choose one of the assortment of bright colours. The Jasper chair comes in 10 shades. Plenty of choice. This chair reviews pretty well on JL website. The Walnut Grable chair is a classic design. Probably better with a glass top table or a white table as contrast to the wood.

I love the shape of the Marilyn chair at £49. The reviews are a little mixed. Probably one that requires a really good road test, inspection and prod! Some reviewers comment that it scratched easily. As for the value chair at £19...well....great value for money! I'm going to go in and have a good look at it, but on the face of it, it looks like a really good buy. Great shape and in white, would look fab against a light oak table. The reviews are all positive for this chair. If you really are on a tight budget but want something modern, then this is the one.

For budget busters, my favourites are still the Panton S chair available in a variety of colours. This chair is so comfortable and such a design classic. My other choice is the ever popular Philippe Starck for Kartell Ghost chair. Again, you will see this on every other page of every interiors magazine, but I still love it. The Verner Panton chair retails at £200 plus and the Ghost chair from £165.

The good news is, if you are not bothered about an original, then check out Cult Furniture.com. Here you will find classic designs reproduced and available for a fraction of the price. The Panton style chair is available for £49 plus delivery for example! A reproduction Ghost chair is £79. Only a trained eye could probably tell the difference. The quality may be questionable, but I might order something and see.