An A-Grade Cabin
by Lukas Mack
A-frame cabins aren’t super popular down under and through my travels across this wide land I can’t say I’ve encountered all that many in person. Perhaps I’ve been looking in all the wrong places. In any case, they do seem to be much loved in the States and in Europe where there’s a little more snow than the average Perth winter. So, my underlying question going into reviewing this set is how much appeal does it have to an Australian audience or is it just sailing on northern hemisphere nostalgia. After all, for an RRP of $279.99, that’s more than a little coin so let’s cast our critical eyes toward this cozy cabin.
With 2082 pieces, this is quite the kit to keep anyone busy building so we’ll start there. The build hits all the right notes for older builders. The ‘18+’ rating is absurd as usual but to be fair there is a lot of variety here that won’t be familiar to young builders. There’s some clever use of clips in the base and the trees can be a tad fiddly while those Thor’s hammers in the foundation are fairly tedious to orient all correctly. Actually, the trees and the hammers are a little different from the original Ideas proposal but despite some early criticism from other reviewers I can tell you I did not want to add a single extra hammer let alone another entire row! As for the trees, you still have three in a warm autumnal palette but they are quite distinct. The foliage on those trees is more sparse but the branches extend further than the original pine tree design. Personally, I think that extra reach helps the visual spacing of the set. Overall, the A-Frame is one of the more faithful Lego Ideas reproductions and I wouldn’t consider it a ‘downgrade’ for those concerned.
Those trees I mentioned earlier; they also separate from the base to spread out as you wish either for display or just to have a play around. This speaks to an aspect of the set I certainly did not expect and that is just how much pose-ability and playability you can eke out of an ‘adult’ set with a bit of creativity. The two angled roofs slide off simply, making it easy to place a minifigure in bed, walk down the stairs or sit in a comfy armchair. Those four minifigs each have two expressions to choose from and a couple accessories. One is definitely ready for a long hike, sporting a full backpack. It’s here though I think the set misses a beat, four minifigs is fine but how about a couple of the child-folk and maybe a pup too? On the other hand, there‘s a ton of other wildlife about like birds, butterflies, frogs, a squirrel and even a cute otter playing in the stream and they’re just as much fun. Hmm, something’s happening here…I might be enjoying this set too much.
But why am I enjoying this so much? As I continued to build this cabin I found myself developing a real sense of attachment and an emotional resonance sans any nostalgia whatsoever. That’s a real artsy thing to say but I can account for it. Conceptually I am literally building a home and, as I’m instructed to, I’m filling it with an exceptional density of detail. And it’s that detail that is narrative forming too. From a spider hidden in the rafters to a map under the bed corner to meta-references to other Ideas sets (no spoilers!) and even a nod to the original designer’s nationality. Even the narratives are layered and interwoven. The building process itself is my very own personal story I add to the final product. See, deep stuff. Also, I guess it’s just pretty all-round adorable…
Let’s sum up here. I was worried walking into this build that given the very few Aussie reviews out there, maybe the glowing report card for this set was biased. I’m sure nostalgia would enhance your personal enjoyment but the Lego Ideas A-Frame Cabin really stands on its own. It’s a delightfully quaint set that’s absolutely charming to build with its every detail to keep you involved each step of the way. It’s also a real beaut to display on the shelf and later, maybe pull down to occasionally rearrange and dare I say, even play with! If I used a rating system here, this one would be near-top marks for sure.
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Words by Lukas Mack
Photos by Lukas Mack
Editors Note:
This post may contain affiliate links that generate income for the website.
This set was provided free of charge by The LEGO Group. Opinions expressed in the review are those of the reviewer.
Perth Lego Users Group 