We recently discussed how nice the new LEGO Elves sets are (see: 2016 LEGO Elves Dragon Sets Review). The enchanted buildings, magical dragons, beautiful colors, and lovely mini-dolls are all just right to fire up your imagination. And while they can be built and played with as they are, they can also be used as seed ideas for your own larger creations. 🙂
LEGO fan and flickr member Etzel87 did just that, and expanded on the #41174 LEGO Elves The Starlight Inn set. The general shape of the original set was mostly kept and embedded into a larger structure. The pink and purple foliage and jewels were removed and replaced by a couple of green trees and flowers. Basically the whole building was made more realistic without loosing its delightful appearance.
While the front and sides are built up as a solid structure, the back remains open for play. The brighter colors fro the set were moved inside to create the furniture and some other accessories. Also, notice the nice work on the fireplace, chimney and smoke. Even the telescope was kept, but upgraded to look more realistic.
I really like the both the exterior and the interior of this building, and can see more detailed pictures in Etzel87’s flick gallery. There are other sets in the LEGO Elves like that could also go through similar remodeling. The #41074 LEGO Elves Azari and the Magical Bakery, the #41173 LEGO Elves Elvendale School of Dragons, and the #41176 LEGO Elves The Secret Marketplace are particularly good candidates.
The LEGO Elves theme has only been around for a couple of years with fourteen sets in total, so we don’t see that many larger custom displays yet, but I’m sure that will change soon, as the entire collection is beautiful. I hope LEGO will continue releasing sets in this line to inspire LEGO fans to enter the magical world of the elves. You can find all the sets under the LEGO Elves section of the Online LEGO Shop.
What do you think? How do you like the customized LEGO Elves Starlight Inn? Have you been getting any of the LEGO Elves sets? Do you customize them to make them even more impressive? Feel free to share in the comment section below! 🙂
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This is so sweet! Love the changes on the outside and the interior! Like a little dollhouse!
Yeah, that’s why I like it too! 😀
Did you need to supplement the original LEGO set pieces to make this cottage. I like this SO much better than the original configuration, I would really like to try it. I know I would need to order the green branches for the trees, but are there other pieces I need? I just started the ELVES series and have become a bit obsessed! Thanks for your help!
Yes, you do need more pieces than just the ones in the set. The original set is much more airy, and smaller as well. You mainly need pieces to build up the bulk of the walls, the roof, the chimney, etc. So lots of basic tan bricks and slopes for the walls, long green tiles for the roof and tiles for the floors, masonry bricks for the chimney, etc. If you don’t have enough pieces, I would recommend that you first design the Inn to your satisfaction in LEGO Digital Designer (free to download and use), then order the needed extra pieces directly from LEGO or from BrickLink.
This is wonderful! I worked on modifying my Starlight Inn as well, but nowhere near this well! I wish some of the Elves sets could be more substantial than their piecemeal builds. I love them but I hate the small, scattered set pieces.
Yes, I have wished for a more substantial Elves set many times as well. I hope the Elves becomes popular enough that LEGO decided to make a really nice large set, like they have done with Friends, Ninjago, etc.