I always liked the look and feel of rustic LEGO builds. These models don’t even look like LEGO, as they go against what we expect from the cheery colors and symmetric shapes LEGO is known for. However, by the deliberate choice of muted colors and the extensive use of detailing, it’s possible to build models that look old, decaying, broken-down, yet charming. These techniques are often used for castles and medieval buildings, but it could also be used for the seedy section of a modern town.
LEGO themselves don’t usually use such techniques in official sets, as they are highly parts-intensive and often fragile. However, there are at least two recent sets I can think of that the techniques are used very effectively; the #21310 LEGO Ideas Old Fishing Store, and the #21318 LEGO Ideas Tree House. It’s worth noting that both of these sets were originally designed and submitted to LEGO Ideas by LEGO fans. Building these sets gives you an excellent introduction to the techniques used in such builds. And, because these are official LEGO sets, they are more sturdy than many similar models by LEGO fans.
Also, you can find tons of examples of rustic structures by LEGO fans on flickr and other image-sharing platforms. One of my favorite builders who use the style is Peeters Kevin. He blends muted LEGO colors very effectively to achieve that charming decaying look. And he uses just enough detailing to achieve the right feel without losing stability. This means that the models can be played with and have a full interior.
One of Peeters’ latest project is Olivia’s Get-Away 2.0. He writes the following about the project: “About two years ago, the first version of Olivia’s Get-Away was created, which took three months to finish. It was posted on LEGO Ideas, but didn’t gather the needed support to go under review. Also, right after taking pictures of it, the model fell and exploded into thousands of pieces scattered over the floor. Ever since I was slowly rebuilding the model from memory in between other projects. While rebuilding, the entire model was redesigned to make it even better. I like this new version a lot.”
The updated version is built with a full interior, which can be revealed by opening up the sides. Besides, the top floor and roof are removable. If you are interested to build this model yourself, instructions are available on Rebrickable. The instructions are not cheap at €25.00, but they are high quality and reliable, created in BrickLink’s Stud.io software. If you are on a budget, you can also try to recreate the model from the pictures shared in Peeters’ flickr gallery and the parts inventory listed at Rebrickable. It’s worth studying this model if you would like to learn some very valuable techniques, so check it out on Rebrickable. And you might also consider getting the #21318 LEGO Ideas Tree House (the #21310 LEGO Ideas Old Fishing Store is already retired) to learn similar techniques at the LEGO Ideas section of the Online LEGO Shop.
What do you think? How do you like the building style discussed here? Have you ever used the techniques yourself? Are there any other models using the techniques that you like? Feel free to share and discuss in the comment section below!
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I love the look of these! Especially the hut. Lego needs to bring back classic castle. It has so many fans, and Harry Potter is NOT a suitable replacement.
Perfect timing as they just announced that the next Ideas set will be the medieval blacksmith! I guess Castle is coming back after all! I’m really happy about this!! 😀
I love this! Especially the colors. It’s so pretty. The instructions are kind of expensive. I know they had to work on it, and I’m not blaming the seller, it’s just that I still have to get the parts. I would love to build this though.
I have both the tree house and the old fishing shop. I like them both. I guess because it felt like an actual building Process and a challenge that made it worthwhile in the end. I feel like some of the basic sets ( city, ninjago, Harry potter, and star wars sets) feel exactly that “basic”. I know those sets are aimed for younger builders. The modular buildings are also unique and challenging. Also a worth while builds to me. Don’t get me wrong I like building the theme sets to. It’s nice to get a Challenge every once in awhile. I hope the castle theme does come back. That’s one of my favorite themes to build . The medieval blacksmith would be ideal. The one set that I always come back to is the medieval Market Village one of my favorite sets.
Remember guys that Pirates is coming back too, with Pirate Bay. So this seems to be a good year for Pirate and Castle fans. And thanks for sharing the medieval hut. It’s a beautiful build. He should put it on Ideas.
I’m very happy about the Medieval Blacksmith, and I would love to built this hut too. I hope the set will be very popular to lego will consider bringing back the castle theme.
The hut looks very nice. I would love to build it. And I just checked the blacksmith shop everyone is talking about. I liek that as well. One thing I have been curious about is why is everyone using dark blue for medieval roofs? I don’t recall this color on actual medieval buildings.
That’s a good question. I’m not sure where AFOLs started using dark-blue roofs for medieval buildings, but it has been around for some years now. It seems like LEGO picked up on it too, because they also started using dark-blue roofs for some of the more rustic looking buildings, like the cabins in the LEGO Ideas Tree House. I guess dark-blue is just a good color to use. It’s not black, gray, or brown, so it’s not so boring, but it’s not overwhelmingly bright either. And it goes well with other colors. I will think about this some more and ask my AFOL friends… 🙂
Do you know how many pieces is the hut? It’s hard to tell as it looks small but very detailed at the same time. I just want to see what I’m committing to if I get the instructions.
According to the Rebrick page, it has 4,147 pieces. So yeah, that’s a lot. But keep in mind that many of them go into landscaping, which you can adjust according to your needs. Also, you likely have many of the parts already in your collection.